Afghanistan: September & October 2008

It would be easy to say that the war in Afghanistan is simply that a war between good and evil or a matter of faith depending on how you worship.  How does one define victory, there will be no peace accord signed or will we watch two sides try and rebuild there nations as in previous wars?

The cold hard reality is that no one cares about Afghanistan and never will.  Afghans did not directly blow up the twin towers on 911.  So the question they ask all the time is why are there still foreign troops on their soil.  The enemy is there but is not seen.

After nearly a month in Afghanistan, I look back and see nothing positive.  The role of the American soldier cannot be questioned, each and everyone I met was that of caring.  But we did meet soldiers with the look of defeat who openly questioned the effectiveness of the current strategy.  The look in his eyes was the best mirror to the current situation there.  And that reflection is the look of pointlessness.

Hard cold facts are never pleasant and the reality in Afghanistan is that corruption is pandemic. It is in and at every level of society and this cancer feeds on itself and the more money that is poured into Afghanistan every day, lines the pockets of the corrupt, twenty families now effectively control Afghanistan according to a recent British fact finding mission to Afghanistan.

Fact, you want to become a Police Chief, with a profitable narcotics route through your district – going rate is $150,000 and you get the badge, keep paying those above and take without mercy from those below.

Fact, In Southern Afghanistan, being a farmer, from Lashkar Gar and taking your crop and trying to bring your crop to Kandahar, to sell has become pointless.  Police and Bandits set up roadblocks on almost all roads and by paying all the bribes there is no money to be made.  So why grow crops when if you grow Opium you will have the protection of the local Warlord who in turn controls the Authorities.  The farmer can now feed his family and have safety.

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In Baghdad in 2005, when bad was about to get a lot worse, I was called into a briefing by the American Brig. General of 1st armored Division.   He over and over again asked me, “Why are you guys in the media reporting the “big bangs in Baghdad?”  “Security is good,” he would say.   And he claimed there were only about a dozen to 15 terrorist cells in Baghdad with maybe 10 to 20 bad guys in each one.

He was a wonderful  commander when it came to moving armor down the road. A nice guy, who cared for his troops and tried to get it right.   But his assessment of the insurgency was … well … I would say either designed to fool us, or he was fooled badly himself.

So I have learned to be a little more skeptical than I already was, which after a few decades of doing this, was super skeptical to begin with.

So here we are in Afghanistan.   Violence is up 40 percent this summer.   And again, we are being told by the generals, things are going better than you think.  Except for the British Commander who say’s the war can’t be won militarily and has been accused by some of having “risk aversion.”

But here’s what we hear.  Locals say the Taliban have moved back into many provinces. They can hit and run on roads and terrorize the locals.  They are on the edge of Kabul and moving to squeeze it over the winter.

So my talk in the American Embassy with Ambassador William Wood was less about asking clever questions and getting sound bites, than it was an attempt to really understand if this is going right or about to get a lot worse.   This guy was in Colombia. He gets the Narco problem.   He understands insurgencies probably as well as any diplomat or better.

So here’s what I picked up.

- If you’re a terrorist sitting in your cave in Pakistan, the news is probably not good.   The International Community is committed to more money and more troops and those here are staying to fight the fight

- Both candidates in the U.S. election are not saying whether they will put more troops in here, but are only discussing the numbers.

- Roads, construction, are moving forward despite disruptions and that means economic improvements, although a bit slow, but improvements

- A new dam in Helmand will bring more and more power on line, which is important to Afghans where in some villages around Kabul get 2 to 4 hours of power a day.

- Corruption?  Ambassador Wood says ya, oh ya there’s a lot, but President Karzai just put in a new Interior Minister and there is some progress in fighting the dirt in Government and Police. But yes when ministers earn $16,000 annually and the drug dealers will pay 10 times that in bribes, some progress is not a solution.

-Pakistan where the insurgents rest and rearm and train and launch attacks from is waking up understanding terrorism is as much a threat to them as it is to Afghanistan.   Still a lot more has to be done.

- Brits say can’t be won militarily?   The Ambassador says he disagrees with part of the comment because, while the military solution can’t be the only ingredient to all this, it is a fight against an armed insurgency and it is a key front that has to be won. He thing’s we are winning.

Winter is coming.  The Afghan elections next year will be a target of the terrorists trying to paint a bleak picture.  The Saudis ARE brokering some kind of quiet talks with the Taliban, although it’s not what sources would describe yet as “reconciliation talks.”

It’s complicated here.  It’s been a tough year.  But the assessment on the intelligence front from the military is –- progress.

Let’s hope they are reading this right and realistically and not blowing smoke they themselves can’t see through clearly because that’s more dangerous than anything in a war and that’s what this is, a critical war.

In 1985, Lieutenant Commander Waghorn and Lance Corporal Gill played Scrabble for five days when trapped in a crevasse in Antarctica. Which begs the obvious question … how do you manage to have a Scrabble board with you when you get trapped in a crevasse in Antarctica?

The same logic cannot apply to the team here in Afghanistan.

Not only do we have two sets of Travel Scrabble, we also have the Scrabble dictionary. There is an old military saying that, “God curses anyone who does not bring two of an essential piece of equipment.”

Whilst we have cases of cables, batteries and various cameras (seven in fact, counting all available means of capturing video.) We always carry a scrabble set with us (and the dictionary.)

There are times when we have a couple of hours between live shots or simply at the end of the day, when you are sitting around at the end of the world. Walking around kicking rocks gets boring after 10 minutes or even worse when we sit around and see who can make the highest pile of rocks by balancing rocks within arm reach.

Thus we strive for the ultimate “QUARTZY” (164 points) across a triple-word-score square with the Z on a double-letter-score square) or dream of OXYPHENBUTAZONE, 1778 points formed across three triple-word-score squares, while simultaneously extending seven specific already-played words to form new words.

The actual reality of life on the (tile) road here in Afghanistan, is that between us more arguments are caused by the playing of brilliant words like “MALTY” (adj, resembling malt) onto a triple than “ZINGARA” (n.pl, a female gypsy).

Not that we are competitive but given that we have played by kerosene lantern at our hotel here in Kabul.

Or we sat on the tarmac next to the Afghan Air Forces helicopters freezing to death whilst bemused Afghans tried to figure out what the hell these people were doing.

Then there is the story of our Producer Maryam Sepehri, locking her door and closing the curtains, and reading the Scrabble dictionary before a game, whilst I simply try to remember the two letter words by rote.

With a few days on this assignment to go the stakes and tensions are rising, if only I get the letters KIJUZMS tonight and have first turn, then face it Maryam its game over. You may be winning at the moment four games to two and then you did beat me by over one hundred points in one of those games.

Dana the official wordsmith of the team, correspondent and editorial expert claims that both Maryam and I cheat, and having consulted the dictionary CHEATY, is not a word unlike MALTY.

There was a choice of two types available under the glass knife counter in the Italian PX store here at the ISAF base at Kabul International Airport. The price difference was two Euros.

Unlike the US military bases in Afghanistan, here at the ISAF base, it is a different world. In so many respects and in attitude, it is like a little European Union and the US Military presence is minimal. We have spent a few days here working with the US Air Force who are training The Kite Flyers (Afghan Air Corps) as I called them the other day.

The commitment to the effort here in Afghanistan of International Forces to actually do anything beyond the wire and barriers is a source of annoyance and frustration. Publicly they cannot say anything critical of these nations. But in private their words are harsh. The base here at the International airport is small and the car park is full of brand new 4×4 SUVs that have never left the base.

However in the face of adversity, here are some examples of how International troops have embraced their deployment and somehow forgotten what this war is about.

Luke and Orsy have arranged for Salsa lessons for beginner beginning December, twice a week. There is the tabletop Foosball competition beginning soon, and a tribute to Depeche Mode is upcoming. The Beauty Salon is doing a roaring trade and massages are available. Are you the smartest person on the base? Well the Dutch have a Trivia Night coming up, then there is the Mini Soccer competition.

The Italian PX store has a range of coffee machines available, and the lack of dress sense they display in the Dining Facility can only make you laugh. Running trainers worn with a full Military uniform seems more than acceptable.

Is the stress too much for the Germans? Have no fear in there PX store there are stress balls in the shape of a women’s breast available, to take the tensions away.

If you seek “Strength, Flexibility and Relaxation” then sign up for the COMBAT Yoga class, instead of a downward facing dog maybe the upward facing bayonet pose will appeal. Instead of the sound of relaxing Tibetan mantras over running waterfalls, the “Ride of the Valkeryie” will help soothe your spirit.

After all that there is of course the choice of which bar and restaurant you would prefer, Thai, Italian or maybe a cold beer in the “Air Force One Bar and Restaurant.” All troops, with the exception of the US forces, are free to drink alcohol. If an American is caught drinking then a dishonorable discharge is pending, whilst the Europeans sip chardonnay on the outside tables.

It is not unusual in the evening to see male and female soldiers walking hand in hand around the base, or sitting and looking at each other between a bunch of plastic flowers. Condoms are available readily, (but I should add that they are available in stores on US bases also) there though I think they are used more for keeping dust and dirt out of rifle barrels, well that’s what they say.

It beckons the question of how committed many of the foreign nations are to the cause. World leaders like to boast about a coalition and commitment to Afghanistan, the reality is that some countries commit a hand full of troops and then place such caveats on there deployment that the greatest danger they face is a parking ticket on a day to day basis.

Under the glass back at the Italian PX, was a pair of standard metal handcuffs. Plain sturdy and functional cost 7 Euros. Next to them was a pair of Pink Furry Love Handcuffs, a vital piece of Military Equipment in a war zone, cost 9 Euros.

Shadowy details emerge — you won’t ever read about this anywhere else.

The Taliban’s top commander in Afghanistan — finally killed last year — actually got away from British Special Forces.  And the story is leaked as a case in point about how the Brits, while suddenly criticizing the counter insurgency fight in Afghanistan, may be the one’s who need a refresher course on counter insurgency tactics.

A top level Western source tells me last year the Americans get intelligence on where Dadullah who had kidnapped and killed and had a lot  blood on his hands including leading attacks on American and NATO forces,was hiding.   It came down to two compounds.  One has women and children in it.  The other is full of men.

On May 12th 2007, the American SF hit the compound with women and children.  Clean raid. No one killed.   No Dadullah.

The British SBS Special Forces hit the compound full of men. Dadullah is there.

It’s later reported Dadullah is killed in a raid by NATO and Afghan forces.

Guess what?   Dadullah escaped.  The Brits failed to seal the compound says the source.   Dadullah was wounded but ran out the back and escaped down to a river bank.  He died there on the river bank and his body was only discovered when a truck was stopped later and Taliban were discovered to be transporting his body.

British officials have been doing a lot of media this week.  Complaining the war can’t be won in Afghanistan.  A memo from the British Ambassador was leaked.  The British Commander spoke out.

American’s say the war is being won.   The Brits have a bad case of “risk aversion.”

It’s time U.S. forces say some American experts give a class on insurgency one-oh-one and SF tactics to their U.K. Colleagues.