General Security Situation
Summary
2006 saw a significant upsurge of Taliban/ insurgent activity. Militants launched 117 suicide attacks in 2006, killing 206 Afghan civilians, 54 Afghan security personnel and 18 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers. Since the commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom, approximately 512 coalition and ISAF soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
Regional Command Capital
Kabul Province
Dec. 7- 8, 2006: Pakistan and Afghanistan Hold Security Talks
Pakistan and Afghanistan held summits on border security after a suspected Taliban suicide bomber killed two civilians and wounded 12 others in Kabul.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and declared that Afghan patience was "wearing thin" with Pakistan for housing the Taliban and failing to prevent Pakistan-based Taliban insurgents from crossing the border into Afghanistan.
Kasuri later met with Rangin Dadfar Spant, the Afghan foreign minister, to discuss the possible convening of tribal councils, or jirgas, composed of community leaders who would work to curb Taliban militants. However, the meeting ended without a breakthrough on the creation of these councils.
Dec. 22, 2006: MP Targeted; Roadside Bombs Kill 5 Policemen
In Kabul, a suicide bomber killed one civilian and injured eight others. Pacha Khan Zadran, a Member of Parliament, was the intended target but was not injured. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan's southern Oruzgun Province, five police officers were killed by a remotely-detonated bomb blast.
Regional Command West
Helmand Province
Dec. 2, 2006: Musa Kala Truce Still Ripples Through Afghanistan
The Afghan government struck a peace deal with tribal elders in Helmand province last month, bringing reprieve to beleaguered British forces that had been under siege by Taliban fighters in the area for three months.
The agreement called for a cease-fire and a withdrawal of forces from both sides from one southern district. One month later, the decision to undertake such an agreement, with little public consultation still reverberates throughout Afghanistan. Some argue that the agreement can bring peace to war-torn parts of the country. Others warn that it can be seen as a concession to the Taliban that will set a dangerous precedent for other regions of the country and could reverse five years of efforts to build a strong central government in the country.
Dec. 12, 2006: Suicide Bomber Kills Eight
A suicide bomber blew himself up at the governor's compound in Helmand province, killing six policeman and two civilians.
Elsewhere in the region, President Hamid Karzai was holding security talks with a large delegation composed of allies, parliamentarians, Afghan defense and interior ministers, and local leaders from volatile regions in the south such as Zabul, Oruzgan, Kandahar and Helmand, all of which have seen resurgence in Taliban violence this year. Karzi asked leaders from these areas to encourage their civilians to keep distance from ISAF forces until the alliance finds a way of preventing civilian causalities. The conference focused on reconstruction efforts, border security, and Afghan-Pakistani relations that had grown sour this month.
Kandahar Province
Dec. 3, 2006: Three Soldiers Wounded As Bombing Leads to Shooting
Approximately three people were killed and 15 wounded in Kandahar when British troops opened fire on civilians after a suicide bomber plowed a minibus into their convoy. As a result of the attack, three soldiers were wounded and a vehicle was set on fire.
Dec. 6, 2006: Suicide Bomber Strikes American Security Firm
Two civilian U.S. security officers and five Afghan members of staff from U.S .Protection and Investigations, LLC, a security contracting firm, were killed in Kandahar when a suicide bomber detonated his device outside their compound.
On the same day, the Chief of the Gulran District was shot dead in the province of Herat.
Dec. 15, 2006: Operation Baaz Tsuka Commences
Almost three months after Operation Medusa, the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces launched a large-scale operation called Operation Baaz Tsuka (or Falcon's Summit) in Afghanistan's dangerous Zhari and Panjwaii districts
The goal of this operation has been to deliver essential development assistance to the local populace and to clear out Taliban forces. On Dec. 15, as part of this effort, ISAF dropped printed leaflets on Taliban fighter positions in the Panjwayii and Zhari districts of the southern Kandahar province telling the insurgents to leave the districts or be forced out.
ISAF Squadron Leader Dave Marsh, spokesman for Regional Command-South, stated that since the start of Baaz Tsuka, many Taliban have been eliminated or arrested and Talukan, Howz-e Madad and Zangabad have been secured. However, the number of Taliban causalities has not been released nor has Marsh elaborated on the particulars regarding the securing of aforementioned districts. ISAF has also commenced building a security zone with the assistance of tribal leaders and began providing humanitarian aid to the local populace.
Dec. 18, 2006: Former Taliban Minister Killed
Abdul Wali, a former religious police minister in the deposed Taliban government was allegedly killed, along with 30 other militants, in an ISAF air strike in the Panjawi district of Kandahar, according to the governor of Kandahar province. Taliban officials deny the claim.
Regional Command South
Zabol Province
Dec. 14, 2006: Suicide Bomber Kills 4, Injures 22 in Afghanistan
Four civilians were killed and 22 injured when a suicide bomber detonated his device on a busy shopping street in Qalat, a town in the Zabol province.
Oruzgun Province
Dec. 22, 2006: Roadside Bombs Kill 5 Policemen
Five police officers were killed by a remotely-detonated bomb blast in Afghanistan's southern Oruzgun Province.
Regional Command East
Konar Province
Dec. 9, 2006: Taliban Militants Kill Two Teachers; Taliban Formulates New Rule Book
Two teachers were shot and killed by Taliban militants in the Narang district of eastern Konar province. They had previously received a letter demanding that they stop teaching or be killed. Their mother, grandmother and a male relative were also killed in the attack.
The killings followed the recent approval of a 30-item code of conduct approved by Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, which all Taliban fighters are expected to follow. Rule 24 and 25 state that "it is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. And if a teacher refuses a warning to give up his job, he must be beaten." If the teacher fails to heed the beating then the document states that the teacher must be killed.
Laghman Province
Dec. 16, 2006: ISAF Soldier Killed In Blast
One ISAF soldier was killed and two injured in a roadside blast in the Mehtar Lam district of the eastern Laghman province during an operation.
In a separate incident, an ISAF soldier was wounded when he stepped on a landmine while on foot patrol west of Kandahar city.
Dec. 26, 2006: Insurgent Commander Killed By ISAF
Abdullah Jan Pashtoon, a mid-level insurgent commander, was killed in Laghman province by an ISAF air strike. Pastoon had been responsible for ordering the placement of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), directing suicide bombers and coordinating armed attacks against ISAF and Afghan forces.
Dec. 30, 2006: ISAF and Afghan National Police Remove IEDs
ISAF and Afghan National Police (ANP) forces successfully removed 10 IEDs in the city of Methar Lam in Laghman province. The devices, which were strung together and buried in the road, were found by the ANP a few kilometers away from where they had confiscated a 30-pound container of ammonium nitrate (used in the manufacture of IEDs) the week before.
Pakitika Province
Dec. 25, 2006: Afghan National Army and Coalition Forces Engage Taliban Fighters
Afghan and Coalition forces engaged and defeated Taliban fighters near Shkin in the Bermal district of Pakitika province after the Taliban attacked an Afghan army observation post with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire.
Parvan Province
December 2006: Multiple Weapon Caches Seized
December has witnessed ISAF forces collecting a large haul of weapons handed in by local Afghan officials in the Kohi Safi district of Parwan province. The cache included 38 mortars, 24 rocket-propelled grenades, warheads, flares and machine gun ammunition.
Similarly, in Nuristan province, an Afghan national turned in 128 weapons, including three landmines, 20 rockets, 37 fuses and 68 projectiles.
Afghan National Army (ANA) and Coalition forces also seized a large weapons cache containing mines and explosives near the Sperwan Ghar in Kandahar province while ISAF destroyed a large weapons cache on Dec. 18. This included anti-tank mines, mortar rockets, and rocket-propelled grenades as part of Operation Baaz Tsuka.
Large arms caches were also found in the Sabari district of Khost province. Over the previous four weeks, six caches had been found in the province.
Neighboring Regions
Pakistan
Dec. 4, 2006: Pakistan Urges Taliban Acceptance
Senior Pakistani officials have suggested that ISAF should accept the Taliban and negotiate regional peace agreements similar to agreements that Pakistan had negotiated with tribal regions along Pakistan's borders.
Dec. 12, 2006: Restructuring Pakistan
The International Crisis Group notes that winning the war in Afghanistan will require restructuring the Pakistani state in such a way that it will clean up the Taliban sanctuaries in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas by eliminating the semi-colonial status of the tribal zone.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte expressed a similar sentiment this month when he stated that the Pakistani Government will have to figure out a way to prevent Taliban and al-Qaida forces from moving across the border to and from Afghanistan.
This statement comes at a time when the Pakistan city of Quetta has become a hotbed of Taliban activity. The insurgents have increasingly and blatantly used this city as a place of rest, refuge, recruitment and funneling of armaments and cash. The Pakistani ambassador to the United States believes, however, that it is too early to tell whether the tribes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region are violating the agreement. The agreement mandates that the tribes must prevent crossings by al-Qaida and Taliban operatives.
Dec. 27, 2006: Pakistan Introduces Border Security Plan
After scathing comments from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. pressure regarding Pakistan's porous tribal border region with Afghanistan, the Pakistani army will erect fences and mine the 1,510-mile border with its neighbor to try to limit incursions into Afghanistan by Pakistan-based Taliban militants and insurgent groups. This plan met opposition from the UN's human rights representative in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, and Karzai, who believe that such measures will not prevent cross-border terrorism and will harm people living in the region.
Iran
Dec. 27, 2006: Iran Seeks Influence in Afghanistan
Hoping to become a greater regional power, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to fund social programs within Afghanistan.
It has been reported that the country spent more than 200 million U.S. dollars in western Afghanistan and Kabul. In the Afghan capital, future projects include building a new medical center and a water-testing facility.
However, Iran's goals are also political in nature and Iranian radio shows transmit anti-American propaganda into Afghanistan. Moreover, moderate Shiite leaders allege that Iran is providing funds to conservative Shiite religious schools.
Other News
Dec., 2006: Hearts and Minds
Counter-insurgency policies often fall by the wayside when they fail to include the necessary public support for their campaigns. One way that such support can be garnered in Afghanistan is by responding to the needs of the local population and embarking on a humanitarian campaign, providing crucial services that insurgent forces cannot, or should not, be allowed to provide. In December, as Afghanistan moved into a harsh winter, ISAF has embarked in filling the vacuum of these much needed basic services.
Among these public services, ISAF and Coalition forces sponsored the Medical Civil Affairs Program (MEDCAP), which treated over 600 patients from Kabul police district nine.
Additionally, ISAF's Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is also funding the renovation of two roads that connect the city, airport and downtown area. Elsewhere, in the Rabat Village of the Bermal Valley in Paktika, ISAF and the ANA distributed winter supplies including wool blankets, winter clothing, cooking supplies and stoves (Dec. 19). As part of Operation Baaz Tsuka, ISAF and the ANA have provided humanitarian, medical and even veterinary assistance in Talukan, Zangabad and Sperwen Ghar this December.
Dec. 1, 2006: Taliban Commander Unperturbed by NATO
Taliban Commander Mullah Obaidullah, who warned of increased suicide attacks, said that NATO's plan to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban would only give the rebels more targets.
Dec. 5, 2006: More NATO Troops Needed; NATO Eliminates Taliban Insurgents
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Karl Elkenberry, the outgoing U.S. commander in Afghanistan, warns that ISAF's fight against the Taliban will be undermined by a shortage of troops and by some national restrictions (or caveats) which keep troops from combat or deployment in certain areas.
Despite these shortages, ISAF still managed to successfully execute an attack on entrenched Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, killing between seven and eight fighters.
Dec. 7, 2006: Poll Shows That Optimism in Afghanistan Is Beginning To Fade
According to a poll conducted by the BBC World Service and ABC News, optimism for the efforts in Afghanistan is beginning to fade in light of the growing violence in the country. Only fifty-five percent of those polled believe that the country is on the right track, a 22 percent decrease since the previous year. The poor economy and the Taliban resurgence were cited most as the cause. The Taliban is increasingly seen as a major threat, with 57 percent naming the militia group (up from 41 percent the previous year) as the largest threat. The poll also marked a 17 percent drop in the belief that the security situation has improved since the time when Taliban were in charge.
Dec. 11, 2006: Officials Claim Taliban Trying To Create Mini-State in Pakistan
Using a recent peace deal with the Pakistani Government, Taliban militants and their allies are trying to consolidate their hold and power in Northern Pakistan by expanding their training of suicide bombers, recruiting new members, and solidifying relations with al-Qaida and other foreign fighters. Diplomats and intelligence officials from several states say that the result is a Taliban mini-state in Pakistan.
Dec. 18, 2006: France Announces Troop Withdrawal
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has announced that approximately 200 troops, all of them Special Forces working independently of the ISAF, will be pulling out of Afghanistan where they have been helping U.S.-led forces in counter-insurgency operations. However – most likely due to pressure from NATO allies – the French issued a statement on Dec.19 saying that they would temporarily redeploy their remaining troops anywhere in Afghanistan where they would be needed in an emergency. Canada, the United States and Britain, who's troops have been fighting in the most violent areas of Afghanistan, have been pressuring their NATO allies to lift restrictions on their forces, giving them more flexibility in fighting the Taliban insurgency. More than 1,500 French troops are currently serving with ISAF, most of them in Kabul.
Dec. 21, 2006: British Soldier in Afghanistan Suspected Of Passing Secrets to Iran
Cpl. Daniel James, a British soldier serving as an interpreter in Afghanistan for ISAF Commander Gen. David Richards -also from Britain- was charged under section one (1)(c) of the U.K. Official Secrets Act for allegedly communicating information to another individual which may have been "directly or indirectly useful to the enemy." It has been speculated that the Iran is the most likely recipient of the information that James is alleged to have forwarded. If the accusations are true, then he may have compromised NATO operations in Afghanistan since the nature of his position allowed him to be aware of the conversations that Gen. Richards had with Dari-speaking Afghans.
Dec. 22, 2006: Afghanistan Needs To Tackle Opium Trade, Weak Institutions
According to Former NATO Supreme Commander U.S. Marine Gen. James Jones, Afghanistan will only be able to establish itself as a self-sustaining democracy by eradicating its opium trade and strengthening its civil institutions. Jones also stated that it was time that NATO troops focus on reconstruction, development and especially annihilating the drug trade which generates revenue for the Taliban insurgency.
Dec. 25, 2006: Exporting Extremism; Key Taliban Associate Killed
The Taliban has noted that al-Qaida has been training a handful of Westerners for Jihad against their home countries. The English-speaking recruits are said to be from England, Norway, and Australia, and are intended to serve as al-Qaida operatives and organizers in their home countries and perpetuate attacks there.
In other news, forensic evidence has allowed the U.S. military to confirm that Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a high-ranking Taliban leader and key associate to Taliban chief Mohammad Omar, was killed in an air strike near the Pakistani border.
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Source: http://www2.hq.nato.int/isaf/
