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**1938 Observer** · 12 July 2010, 01:09

Re: AFGHANISTAN

British forces train the Afghans to train themselves
A Military Operations news article
9 Jul 10

British trainers in Afghanistan are adapting to Afghan ways and go back to basics as they prepare local troops for combat. Report by Sharon Kean.

Every two weeks, groups of up to 600 Afghan National Army (ANA) recruits arrive at Camp Bastion. All will have completed basic infantry training at the Kabul Military Training Centre. In the Shorabak training wing of Camp Bastion, British mentors and Afghan instructors add the final touches, preparing the Afghan recruits for combat:
"We take them through skill-at-arms and live firing, among many other subjects," explained Captain Anthony Clark-Jones, a British officer based in Shorabak, a small camp on the edge of the sprawling Bastion base.

Captain Clark-Jones is part of The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team.

full article @ the link http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...Themselves.htm

**1938 Observer** · 12 July 2010, 01:15

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Scots soldiers mentor Afghan forces in Helmand's green zone

Soldiers from the First Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), are partnering and mentoring the Afghan National Army (ANA) deep in the green zone near Nad 'Ali in Helmand province.

Watch the video at the link

http://www.youtube.com/defenceheadqu.../1/bGd3CgC7Im4

**michaelhamilton** · 21 July 2010, 05:40

Re: AFGHANISTAN

In Afghanistan as in all counterinsurgency operations, helicopters are at greatest risk while approaching, landing and taking off from forward areas: the selection and securing of safe landing points is a vital and skilled task for infantry. Insurgents have so far not been successful in attacking our helicopters thanks to a combination of the skill of our ground troops and bluntly also to good luck.

Once the Afghan army operates independently their ability to ensure safe helicopter landings will be demonstrated on a trial and error basis. It will take only one or two helicopter losses before the Afghan army will have to operate with greatly reduced helicopter support making air casevac impossible and resulting in the higher casualty rate from road only movement that we experienced during the worst of the helicopter shortage.

Difficult and even more dangerous days lie ahead for NATO helicopter pilots and crews.

Major (Retd) Michael Hamilton
late King's Own Scottish Borderers
Kelso
Scottish Borders

**1938 Observer** · 21 July 2010, 22:56

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Queen honours 3 SCOTS soldiers
A History and Honour news article
15 Jul 10

Soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), received their gallantry awards from Her Majesty The Queen at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Tuesday 13 July 2010.

The Queen presented an OBE, Military Crosses and a Queen's Gallantry Medal at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for service and actions conducted in Afghanistan during Operation HERRICK 11.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, who was Commanding Officer of Regional Battle Group (South) in southern Afghanistan from April to October 2009, was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his leadership in 13 dangerous battle group operations.

Lieutenant (now Captain) Alexander Phillips, Corporal (now Sergeant) Richard Clark, Corporal Craig Sharp, and Corporal Christopher Reynolds were all presented with Military Crosses at the ceremony.

Captain Phillips was honoured for his 'exemplary' leadership when conducting nine aviation assaults. On one occasion he led from the front to conduct a bayonet charge on insurgents to clear a compound.

Sergeant Clark was honoured for his actions when he led his section in an attack on an enemy machine gun nest.

Corporal Sharp was the lead section commander responsible for providing flank protection for the improvised explosive device disposal team who were clearing a route for Jackal reconnaissance vehicles.

Corporal Sharp said he was 'ecstatic' to be receiving the honour from the Queen.

Corporal Reynolds was awarded the Military Cross for repeatedly demonstrating extreme bravery and outstanding technical ability as a sniper commander during offensive operations in southern Afghanistan

full article/photographs at the link

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...tsSoldiers.htm

**1938 Observer** · 21 July 2010, 23:09

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Originally posted by michaelhamilton View Post

In Afghanistan as in all counterinsurgency operations, helicopters are at greatest risk while approaching, landing and taking off from forward areas: the selection and securing of safe landing points is a vital and skilled task for infantry. Insurgents have so far not been successful in attacking our helicopters thanks to a combination of the skill of our ground troops and bluntly also to good luck.

Once the Afghan army operates independently their ability to ensure safe helicopter landings will be demonstrated on a trial and error basis. It will take only one or two helicopter losses before the Afghan army will have to operate with greatly reduced helicopter support making air casevac impossible and resulting in the higher casualty rate from road only movement that we experienced during the worst of the helicopter shortage.

Difficult and even more dangerous days lie ahead for NATO helicopter pilots and crews.

Major (Retd) Michael Hamilton
late King's Own Scottish Borderers
Kelso
Scottish Borders

I argree entirely with your assesment Michael, I'm surprised (but also thankful) that the airborne assets have not been targeted more frequently,certainly the Apache and similar craft are a more elusive target, but it would only take one or two well planned assaults to disrupt a Chinook on a mission, more so with their troop carrying capacity; time will tell, but it is rather when the Afghans will finally be trained, and if they become a truly effective and cohesive combat entity..or will tribal/cultural issues impede their progress.

**michaelhamilton** · 22 July 2010, 15:34

Re: AFGHANISTAN

The Soviets lost 333 helicopters in Afghanistan.

**michaelhamilton** · 22 July 2010, 15:39

Re: AFGHANISTAN

The assumption of a safe and orderly retreat from Afghanistan for NATO forces along the lines of the 1989 departure of the Russians was contradicted by Dr Liam fox, UK Defence Secretary who conceded the possibility of civil war in an interview after his speech on June 30 to the Heritage Foundation in Washington. Those words were not present in the printed copy of his speech.

Civil war involves the total breakdown of law and order; the plundering and destruction of government and western buildings, bases and homes; the theft and destruction of vehicles and equipment; the abandonment of army and police bases; widespread murders and desertions as Afghan government officials, soldiers and police flee to the safety of their tribal homelands to escape the vengeance of the Taliban; and almost certainly a violently attacked final NATO pull-out.

NATO will have to plan for the worst case scenario of an opposed withdrawal with the possibility of a defeat like that seen at Dien Bien Phu, the last great encirclement battle, catastrophically lost by the French in Vietnam in 1954. It may be 4 or 5 years ahead, but the time will come when western civilians and NATO troops will concentrate with thousands of disorderly refugees at fortified air bases in Afghanistan and need secured runways and the extensive secured territory over which aircraft approach and depart. It will be impossible to rely on Afghan Army troops to provide this essential last ditch defence for they will be on the way home by then. In the worst case scenario, the Taliban will encircle and squeeze airbase perimeters until aircraft cannot operate and a humiliating surrender is the only available option. Sufficient NATO forces to prevent that will have to be deployed to fight off the Taliban and then depart by road convoy with severely curtailed air casevac resources along mined roads, and over bridges and culverts with vehicles vulnerable to small arms fire, anti-tank rockets and grenades, and to improvised explosive devices. The West faces the potential loss of life and materiel on a scale seen only in World Wars if the Taliban decide to inflict a crushing humiliation to ensure that the West will never again invade a Muslim nation.

In extricating itself from Afghanistan, the West faces one of the greatest strategic political and military challenges since Korea in which it will be necessary to steer a path between complacency and alarmism. Early realism is a much needed ingredient for the Western hand is already becoming weaker by the month as casualties mount while the American surge of additional forces continues to fail to turn the tide. Early realism is already being demonstrated by the smaller contributing countries which understand the risks of being last out and are getting out early.

In the interview on June 30 in Washington, Dr Fox chillingly conceded that the British armed forces would be among the last home, because they are stationed in a 'difficult' area that is likely to be 'one of the last parts to transition to Afghan security'.

The film footage shot of Dien Bien Phu and Saigon being overrun by the Vietcong should be prescribed viewing for everyone involved in the planning and conduct of diplomacy and military operations in Afghanistan. [/B]

**1938 Observer** · 23 September 2010, 22:55

Re: AFGHANISTAN

CIA runs secret Afghan force to crush Taleban

By AGENCIES

Published: Sep 23, 2010 23:52 Updated: Sep 23, 2010 23:52
http://arabnews.com/world/article145533.ece

WASHINGTON: The Central Intelligence Agency runs an Afghan paramilitary force that hunts down Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants in covert operations in Pakistan, a US official said Wednesday.

Confirming an account in a new book by famed reporter Bob Woodward, the US official said that the Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams were highly effective but did not offer details.

�This is one of the best Afghan fighting forces and it�s made major contributions to stability and security,� said the official, who preferred anonymity. The 3,000-strong paramilitary army of Afghan soldiers was created and bankrolled by the CIA, designed as an �elite� unit to pursue �highly sensitive covert operations into Pakistan� in the fight against Al-Qaeda and Taleban sanctuaries, according to The Washington Post, which revealed details of the new book. Woodward reported that the units conducted covert operations inside neighboring Pakistan�s lawless border areas as part of a campaign against Al-Qaeda and Taleban havens.

Pakistan�s government said it was unaware of any such force and the military flatly denied its existence.

�We are not aware of any such force as had been mentioned or reported by the Washington Post,� Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said.

�But our policy is very clear, we will never allow any foreign boots on our soil... so I can tell you that there is no foreign troops taking part in counter-terrorism operations inside Pakistan.� �We do not allow any foreign troops or militia to operate on our side of the border,� Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said. �There are no reports of any such incident, and, should it happen in future, they will be fired upon by our troops.�

The 3,000-strong Afghan teams are used for surveillance and long-range reconnaissance missions and some have trained at CIA facilities in the United States. The force has operated in Kabul and some of Afghanistan�s most violence-wracked provinces including Kandahar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika, according to a security professional familiar with the program.

Unlike regular Afghan army commandos, the CIA-run Afghan paramilitary units mostly work independently from CIA paramilitary or special operations forces but will occasionally combine forces for an operation. Despite operating independently, the units coordinate their operations with NATO, the security professional said.

The paramilitaries earn generous salaries compared to Afghans employed by the army or police.

The CIA-run Afghan paramilitary in Kandahar were compensated on an elite pay scale, according to human rights investigators. The average paramilitary in the force could earn $340 a month while a regiment head could take home as much as $1,000. In Uruzgan, the US pays members $300 to $320 per month.

In comparison, a freshly recruited Afghan solider in troubled Helmand province earns about $240 a month. And Afghan policemen make an average starting salary of only about $140 per month. Even the Taleban reportedly pays its footsoldiers about $250 to $300 a month.

Jonathan Horowitz, a human rights expert working with the Open Society Institute, said: �These paramilitary groups operate in such a cloak of secrecy that accountability for their abuses is nearly impossible for most Afghans. These forces don�t fall under an Afghan military chain of command, and if a civilian is killed or maimed, the US can say it was not the fault of the US Horowitz added that Afghan civilians have regularly accused these paramilitary groups of physical abuse and theft of property during night raids, conduct that he said taints Afghan views of the US forces who arm, train and pay them.

**1938 Observer** · 23 September 2010, 23:12

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Authors@Google: Trevor Paglen

Not quite Afghanistan but it does tie in somewhat with CIA operational tactics :unsure:

Trevor Paglen visits Google's Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss his book "Blank Spots on the Map: The Dark Geography of the Pentagon's Secret World." This event took place on February 11, 2009, as part of the Authors@Google series.

Comment Please note that this is his own book being discussed, and like anything else it is up to the individual viewer to weigh up verified (and known facts) before treating any book as 100% factual.

**1938 Observer** · 2 October 2010, 01:05

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Afghan war can't be won, says Pakistan expert

Source: ABC News Australia
Published: Saturday, October 2, 2010 12:04 AEST
Expires: Friday, December 31, 2010 12:04 AEST

Writer and film-maker Tariq Ali says Australia should 'grow up' and pull out from the war in Afghanistan.

Watch the news video at the link

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/02/3027855.htm

**1938 Observer** · 2 October 2010, 01:33

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Tariq Ali - Obama, Pakistan and the US empire

SOVIET AFGHAN WAR DOCUMENTARY Part 1/5

cnn documentary about the failed take over of afghanistan by the soviet union.the war started with the assasination of the leader of the soviet installed puppet government to the eventual defeat of the soviets by american backed mudjahadeen fighters

**1938 Observer** · 26 January 2011, 22:16

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Audio slideshow: A Tour of Duty

In 2007, former Grenadier Guards officer, Capt Alexander Allan, completed a six-month deployment to Helmand province in Afghanistan - photographing many of his experiences while he was there.

The remarkable images, offering a unique insight into life on patrol and in camp, have now been published in a book - Afghanistan: A Tour of Duty - with all profits going to The British Limbless Ex Servicemen Association.

Take a look at Capt Allan's photographs, as he describes what it was like on the front line.

Quite an interesting presentation, there are also other links when you go to the site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8518479.stm

**1938 Observer** · 5 March 2011, 00:31

Re: AFGHANISTAN

An inseparable pair: dog collapses and dies after army handler is killed

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 March 2011 21.32 GMT

Tributes flow in to the British soldier who worked with his dog to defuse bombs in Afghanistan

Colleagues said army dog handler Liam Tasker was inseparable from his spaniel, Theo, and so it was to the end. When Lance Corporal Tasker was shot dead in southern Afghanistan, his dog survived the shooting only to suffer a fatal heart attack when it returned to the British base at Camp Bastion.

Tasker, 26, was on patrol north of Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand province on Tuesday with the spaniel, which was trained to search for arms and explosives, when they were caught in gunfire. He died from his injuries.

He was described as having a "natural empathy with dogs". His successful operations "undoubtedly saved many lives", the Ministry of Defence said. The army has about 400 dogs trained to sniff out explosives and weapons but the ministry declined to say how many were deployed in Afghanistan.

Born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Tasker joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps after starting his career as a vehicle mechanic. A member of 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, he was attached to 1st Battalion Irish Guards in Afghanistan.

Major Alexander Turner, officer commanding 2 Company, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, said: "He used to joke that Theo was impossible to restrain but I would say the same about Lance Corporal Tasker. At the most hazardous phase of an advance, he would be at the point of the spear, badgering to get even further forward and work his dog. He met his fate in just such a situation � leading the way that we might be safe."

His girlfriend, Leah Walters, said: "LT never met anyone without touching their lives in some way. The amount of support both I and his family have received in the last day alone pays testament to this."

His family said: "He died a hero doing a job he was immensely passionate about. We are so proud of him and everything he's achieved."

Among many tributes, Liam Fox, the defence secretary, said: "From the accounts made by his military colleagues and his family, I understand that he was a dedicated and highly capable soldier, whose skills in handling dogs were second to none. He and his dog Theo had saved lives and for this, we will be eternally grateful."

A total of 358 UK military personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001 there is a photograph of Liam Tasker and his dog at the link.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...th-afghanistan

**1938 Observer** · 20 April 2011, 20:57

Re: AFGHANISTAN

Female UK soldier dies in hospital after Afghan blast

20 April 2011 Last updated at 17:11 GMT BBC News. UK.

A female UK soldier has died in hospital from injuries suffered in an explosion while clearing roadside bombs in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Capt Lisa Jade Head, from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, died at Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital, Birmingham, on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, had been injured on Monday.

She becomes only the second female member of the UK armed forces to die in Afghanistan in nearly a decade.

Her death takes the number of British military personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 364.

'Extremely proud'

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said she had been taken to Camp Bastion in Helmand before being evacuated to the UK.

Lt Col Tim Purbrick, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, announced the death of Capt Head - who was born in Huddersfield and studied at the town's university before going to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst - "with much sadness".

Capt Head commissioned into the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) and initially trained as an Air Transport Liaison Officer, deploying to Iraq in 2006 and Afghanistan in 2007.

Lt Col Purbrick said: "(She) was neutralising a complex set of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) which had been sown in an alleyway between two compounds when one of the devices detonated.

"Immediate first aid was provided and a helicopter medical emergency response team recovered the casualty to the military hospital in Camp Bastion."

Capt Head, who was based in Didcot in Oxfordshire, deployed to Afghanistan on 27 March and was based in Patrol Base 4 in the Nahr-e-Saraj District.

Her team was called to dispose of a bomb found by B Company, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment in an alleyway used by both civilians and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops.

Having successfully made the device safe, Capt Head was fatally injured while dealing with a second.

Her family - which has appealed for their privacy to be respected by the media - issued a statement through the MoD: "We wish to say that we are extremely proud of Lisa.

"Lisa always said that she had the best job in the world and she loved every second of it. Lisa had two families - us and the Army. Lisa had a fantastic life and lived it to the full. No-one was more loved."

'Tragic moment'

Capt Head's regiment is the British army's specialist unit responsible for counter-terrorist bomb disposal, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and the recovery and safe disposal of conventional munitions.

It employs about 500 specialist soldiers selected from five individual corps within the British army.

It has been hard-hit by the Afghanistan war - she becomes the sixth member of the regiment to be killed there.

Her commanding officer, Lt Col Adam McRae, described her as a "passionate, robust and forthright individual who enjoyed life to the full; be it at work, on the sporting field or at the bar.

Lieutenant Col McRae pays tribute to Captain Lisa Jade Head
"She was totally committed to her profession and rightly proud of being an Ammunition Technical Officer. She took particular pride in achieving the coveted 'High Threat' status which set her at the pinnacle of her trade.

"Lisa deployed to Afghanistan with the full knowledge of the threats she would face. These dangers did not faze her as she was a self-assured, highly effective operator and a well-liked leader. Methodical and professional in her work, she was always eminently pragmatic and calm under pressure.

"Her potential was considerable and she will be an enormous loss to us all.

"The Regiment, her colleagues and friends will miss her infectious smile and dry wit. She sits proudly along side our recent fallen, several of whom were her close friends which I know inspired her to deploy to Afghanistan.

"Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with her family at this tragic moment. We mourn her loss; she is gone but will never be forgotten by her Regiment who I know she was proud to be part of and whom are immensely proud of her.

"Her sacrifice will inspire others to follow her example."

The only other female member of the Armed Forces to die in Afghanistan was Cpl Sarah Bryant.

The 26-year-old was killed along with three colleagues when their Snatch Land Rover was blown up by a roadside bomb as they crossed a ditch in the Lashkar Gah area of Helmand province in June 2008.

***************************

Analysis
Jonathan Beale

Defence correspondent, BBC News

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Though women are not allowed to serve on the front line as infantry troops, they are still there, in harm's way, doing a number of specialist roles.

There are female medics, intelligence officers, members of the Royal Military Police and bomb disposal experts.

High-threat explosive ordnance disposal or EOD operators have already been described as the "bravest of the brave". They're the small, elite group of highly skilled soldiers trained to tackle the single biggest killer of British troops in Afghanistan - the roadside bomb.

Much has already been written about the men who've carried out the task - including those who've died in the process like Staff Sgt Oz Schmid. The death of the first female operator is a reminder that women as well as men are putting their lives on the line. About 10% of army high-risk EOD operators are women.

They include Capt Judith Gallagher, who last year was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery. On her first day in Helmand province in 2010 she defused 14 bombs during a marathon 30-hour shift. On one occasion she tried to clear a minefield while under enemy fire. At the time she said: "It's my job and I just get on with it."

Capt Head was in that mould. It's understood that when she began dealing with the minefield a bomb was triggered, and the force of the blast knocked her off her feet. Uninjured, she returned to her task only to be severely injured by a second blast. She never recovered from those wounds, and died in hospital

Photograph and short video at the link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13139980