Blog Posts tagged with "Afghanistan"
Brussels and the Balkans
Last week was an interesting mix of activity for me in two very different places in Europe.
I spent the early part of the week at the meeting of the NATO Defence Ministers at NATO Headquarters up in Brussels, about 45 minutes north of my operational command in Mons, Belgium.
In addition to the meetings amongst the 28 NATO Ministers of Defence, we held two key coalition meetings as well. The first was a meeting of all 50 nations in the ISAF coalition in Afghanistan. The second was with the NATO and additional troop contributing nations to our ongoing mission in Kosovo.
Left to right: General Knud Bartels (Chairman of the NATO Military Committee) talking with General John Allen (Commander ISAF) Let me start with the Afghanistan meeting: I'm always struck by the extraordinary character of the Afghan troop-contributing nations, from quite literally all around the world. Seeing the commitment of so many nations, demonstrated by the contribution of over 110,000 international troops and pledges of funding for the Afghan Security Forces for both the near and long term, makes me cautiously optimistic about the future in Afghanistan.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to welcome the new Afghan Minister of Defence, Bismullah Khan Mohammidi (a true Afghan patriot and former Minister of the Interior). In his remarks, he thanked the coalition for all our sacrifices, and praised the training programs that are bringing over 350,000 Afghan security forces on line.
As the Supreme Allied Commander for operations globally, I gave a strategic brief on the situation, progress, and challenges in Afghanistan. General John Allen, our NATO operational commander in Afghanistan, also briefed. Some of the key points we highlighted:
Progress:
- Over 75% of the Afghan population is now under Afghan Security Force protection. That will rise to 90% before the close of this year.
- Over 90% of all operations are either led by or co-led by Afghan Security Forces. In the first six months of this year, over 80% of all operations were led by ANSF.
- Civil-military progress continues, with over 8 million children in school, nearly 40% of whom are girls-up from only half a million and no girls under the Taliban. Over 70% of Afghans today have access to health care, up from 15% under the Taliban. Seventeen million cell phones are in use, covering 85% of the country helping connect the Afghan people commercially and socially. This is up from only 20,000 cell phones in 2002.
- Coalition casualties are down more than 30% since last year, while Afghan military casualties are expectedly rising as they take the lead against the insurgents. Also, coalition caused civilian casualties are down dramatically due to ISAF's continuous efforts whereas more than 80% of all incidents that hurt civilians this year were caused by the Taliban.
Challenges:
- Insider threat or the so-called "green on blue" attacks are very worrisome. The coalition is redoubling efforts with vetting, biometrics, validation via elders, tactical protection procedures (like the "guardian angels"), and cultural awareness training. This is a new tactic on the part of the enemy and we're dealing with it as we have with other tactical challenges and changes, e.g. improvised explosive devices.
- Logistical planning for safely and professionally sending home our troops and equipment as we turn operations over to Afghan Security Forces-we have nearly 200,000 containers and vehicles to move over the next couple of years, and routes are not flowing freely at the moment.
- Corruption and the threat it poses to governance is a constant concern and will require more hard work by all involved.
Overall, the Defence Ministers received the briefings openly, provided good guidance, and reiterated the "in together, out together" policy that has kept us in good stead throughout this campaign. There is no acceleration of planning for transition, but rather a steady focus on shifting to Afghan-led operations.
In terms of Kosovo and the Balkans, we again see a strong international coalition, including not only NATO nations but also partners like Armenia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Morocco, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. We still have 6,000 NATO and Coalition troops holding down a calm but tense situation in Northern Kosovo. While violent incidents and roadblocks are down from a year ago, we are remaining vigilant for a "re-flash." Again, the "in together, out together" approach will be key in ensuring we continue to move toward success.
Immediately after the Defence Ministers meeting, I was able to fly to Kosovo and spend a day there seeing our NATO troops in action. I'll also go to Sweden and Finland, both strong contributors in the Balkans, to discuss the situation with the leadership there.
It is interesting to note that just over 10 years ago, NATO had over 50,000 troops in Kosovo. We've gradually decreased to today's level of about 6,000, and hopefully will be able to continue reductions over the next 12-18 months. Specifically, if the ground situation permits we will consider sending our reserve battalion of about 600 home in December this year. The overall trajectory in the Balkans remains positive, and is further evidence that the international community-working together with interagency linkages and private-public partners-can create progress in security.
Finally, I'm happy to report that my potential relief has been nominated by the U.S. President, accepted by NATO, and will go before the U.S. Senate later this year for final confirmation. Assuming all goes well, General John Allen, our current commander in Afghanistan, will take over next spring, probably in April.
John is a superb officer, a Naval Academy classmate, and I strongly endorse his selection. His experience from Afghanistan will be very helpful as he moves to the strategic level on not only Afghanistan but also the Balkans, the Levant, North Africa, ballistic missile defence, piracy, cyber and many other fascinating issues as the Supreme Allied Commander for all NATO operations.
From Brussels to the Balkans, the international community is taking on challenging issues and making progress. We'll stay at it!
Best,
Jim
Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"
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- General John Allen
An Active Autumn Ahead
As we wrap up high summer, it's a sensible time to look ahead at the fall and think about the big tasks facing the NATO Alliance and US European Command. The Olympics and the Jubilee fade to memory, and hopefully most folks have managed to break away for a short vacation to recharge. The autumn will be a busy time.
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Rejoinder to "Punch Them in the Nose ... and Then Leave" by CDR John Kuehn, Proceedings
While I certainly sympathize with the thrust of John Kuehn's title in his energetic article about the situation in Afghanistan, I'd like to offer a somewhat different perspective from my position as the Supreme Allied Commander for all NATO operations, including the 140,000, 50-nation coalition in Afghanistan.
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Three Good Events in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is always challenging. We continue to focus on the ongoing insurgency, the presence of terrorists across the border in Pakistan, and a persistent level of corruption. Yet over the past few days, we've had a string of fairly positive developments.
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NATO: A Summer Agenda
As NATO finishes up the successful Chicago Summit and moves into the summer months, several key issues are bubbling.
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Commitment to 2014 and Beyond
As the North Atlantic Council finished up the 25th Summit it is clearly evident that it was a summit of commitment. The Alliance made the commitment to complete transition in Afghanistan and to support Afghans in achieving a stable future. It also made the commitment to ensuring NATO is capable of dealing with 21st century challenges, as well as the commitment to further strengthen connections with our global partners. Most importantly, the Chicago Summit demonstrated our commitment to each other - the unbreakable bond between North America and Europe, which remains the bedrock of our security.
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Back From Afghanistan
As always, Afghanistan presents a mixed picture; but I remain cautiously optimistic that we can execute our planned transition to Afghan security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014. We are continuing to build on a successful 2011 from a security perspective.
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Afghanistan in 2012
The New Year is unfolding, and I'm thinking about Afghanistan. I think there are three keys to our success in the security sector, where NATO and the International Coalition have the largest share of the work to do.
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Interacting with AID
At the invitation of my good friend and colleague, AID Administrator Raj Shah, I had the chance to speak to his senior team about their extraordinary work on global issues of poverty, disease, and economic development.
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Developing a True Strategic Partnership with Russia
My visit was part of NATO’s outreach and desire to develop a “true strategic partnership with Russia,” as it says in the Strategic Concept approved at the Lisbon Summit last fall. In my role as the Supreme Allied Commander, I continue to search for zones of cooperation with the Russian military.
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Briefing the Ministers …
This coming week, the 28 Ministers of Defense of the NATO alliance will gather in Brussels for meetings and discussions. They will be accompanied by another 22 Ministers from additional troop contributing nations in Afghanistan — in essence, the entire coalition will be represented.
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Three Transitions in Afghanistan
I'm flying over the Caspian Sea, returning from three days in Afghanistan. It was an eventful visit, my tenth over the past twenty months or so.
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Adm. Stavridis' speech "The Words They Leave To Us"
<h2>Click through the photos with the arrow below to see the video of Adm. Stavridis' speech.</h2>
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The Words They Leave To Us
I want to give voice to the men and women who have given their lives for this nation.
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My speech notes from the Atlantic Council Awards dinner: Why NATO Matters …
Thank you very much, Jim [Jones], for that extremely generous introduction. You could say between SACEUR 14 and SACEUR 16, you have the “long and the short” of it. Indeed, some would say the procession from Jim Jones, a towering figure, to my -- shall we say more compact -- frame, might indicate a diminishing of the Alliance, but I will try my best to look taller tonight.
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Reflections on Osama bin Laden's Death
It's been a long decade, but a key step in the global effort to end violentextremism has been achieved, executed by incredibly dedicated professionals.
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Advances in Afghanistan
Amidst all the attention, appropriately, to Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Japan, Yemen and other ongoing events around the world, there was an important and noteworthy development in Afghanistan yesterday.
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Meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers
We just finished an excellent two-day meeting in Brussels with the 28 NATO Defense Ministers -- including, of course, my bosses Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting focused on one expected challenge -- Afghanistan -- and one new issue, Libya.
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Munich Security Conference Brings out the Stars
There is something of a red carpet, a press of media, crowds everywhere, the buzz of deal cutting and gossiping, all held in an elegant 18th century hotel in the heart of Bavaria.
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Local Procurement in Latvia Strengthens Northern Distribution Network
The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.
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A Few Days in Afghanistan
The security situation in Helmand Province was significantly different this month than it was when I last visited in January 2010. I was especially struck by the continued improvement in the performance and size of the Afghan security forces down south. In 2010, there were roughly 10,000 ISAF servicemen and 2,000 ANSF in Helmand Province, roughly a 5:1 ratio. Today, there are 30,000 ISAF and 30,000 ANSF – a 1:1 ratio with Afghan forces increasingly in the lead. Afghan flags fly across the province, schools are open, bazaars are thriving. There is a sense of progress.
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Local Procurement in Latvia Strengthens Northern Distribution Network
The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
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A Few Days in Afghanistan
Last week, I had a good visit to Afghanistan -- three days, including a swing through Helmand in the south.
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Under Siege - For Real
Imagine what the movie might look like though…working with a Special Forces Operational Detachment –Alpha (a bunch of Green Berets) and local Afghans running counterinsurgency missions in the heart of Taliban country. Sgt. Rodriguez-Torres, playing himself of course, is the head cook, in charge of preparing three daily feasts for at least 50 hungry warriors at a time (using anything available; turning it into a gourmet meal). On a fairly regular basis, however, he must also deal with Taliban fighters outside the perimeter, attempting to overrun the base and claim it as their own. The enemy is well equipped, with AK-47s, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and 107mm rockets.
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Three Outcomes from Lisbon
We finished the Lisbon summit last week – really a high point thus far in the nearly 18 months I’ve been the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). While not without some challenges, overall the summit must be judged a real success.
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The Silk Road, Then and Now
The historic Silk Road traversed 3 present-day US geographic commands; European Command (EUCOM), Central Command (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM), as it wound its way from Italy in the west to China in the east by way of Afghanistan pretty much right in the middle.
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Off to Lisbon!
Currently, 28 NATO Heads of States and Governments (HoSG) are expected to convene at the NATO Summit. Over a series of meetings, our leaders will discuss a handful of issues central to the future security of Europe and North America, focusing on the new strategic concept and its subsequent implementation: crisis management; missile defense; the comprehensive approach; cyber security; and NATO headquarters and command structure reform.
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The Road Ahead
I had an experience last week I never expected when I began my naval career in the 1970s during the Cold War period: a four-day visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg, hosted by the Russian Chief of Defense.
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No Trainers, No Transition
In the past ten months there has been measured progress in the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF); in quality as well as quantity. Since last November, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan has supported the Afghan Ministries of Interior and Defense to recruit, train and assign over 100,000 soldiers and police, an incredible feat. To achieve this, the training capacity was increased, moving from under 10,000 seats for police training alone to almost 15,000.
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Observations from a friend in Afghanistan
In a recent email to family and friends, he did a nice job of laying out the task ahead and the stakes, with a focus on information. I thought others might be interested in his thoughts and observations, and so I'm including him as a guest blogger today:
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Afghanistan's "East Point" Military Academy
On this last trip we took a tour of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. Years ago a friend of mine, a graduate of West Point, proudly told me about “East Point”, the military academy in Afghanistan modeled after West Point. Last week when I spoke to a professor at the military academy, as we ended the conversation, he emphasized “one important point that you should know, we are modeled after West Point.” The pride with which they both described this relationship gave me a sense of the bonds being built by the Afghan soldiers and their ISAF partners.
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NATO's Challenges and Achievements in Afghanistan
Last week I completed my sixth trip to Afghanistan since becoming SACEUR. As always, I was struck by the challenges we face – corruption, ANSF attrition, and IEDs to name a few. More importantly, however, I am encouraged by the progress I saw during my visit and am more convinced than ever than we can succeed in Afghanistan.
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Why NATO Matters to the USA
Pretty surprising that a Supreme Allied Commander Europe – standing as I do in the footsteps of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, just 65 years after the end of WWII and after 60 years of the founding of the Alliance – would feel need to blog about “Why NATO Matters to the USA.”
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Clergy converged in Carpathians
I read about the economic and natural crises in Romania this week and I couldn't help but think about a recent trip I took to the beautiful Carpathia Mountains not far from where the flooding is happening now.
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Albania looks to EUCOM for chaplaincy advice
I spent the week of June 7-11 in Tirana, Albania, hosted by the US Defense Attaché and Office of Defense Cooperation. They invited me to help assess the need for the Albanians to establish a military chaplaincy as they anticipate the possibility of casualties from their combat mission in Afghanistan. Currently, their law prohibits religious expression in the military even though its permitted by law in the civilian population since 1991.
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What’s Working In Afghanistan
Just back from two days in Kabul, and when I think back on the situation a year ago, the progress is very encouraging.
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Headed home after four days in Australia and New Zealand
Headed home over the South Pacific after four days in Australia and New Zealand, strong allies and partners in Afghanistan as part of our 45-nation International Security Force – it was an excellent visit.
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The Loss of a Great Friend
I'm flying over the deep blue of the southern Pacific Ocean -- enroute to New Zealand and Australia for security discussions about Afghanistan -- and I've just learned of the death of Polish General and Chief of Defense Franciszek Gagor, along with the President of Poland and much of the senior leadership.
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Everyone's a blogger?
I'm looking for guidance from all you social media gurus, or not, out there. Do you practice the theory, in your business, command, etc., that everyone should blog?
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Social Media in Afghanistan and European Command
How do we do social media at U.S. European Command? My VLog is here to help answer that question, as well as tell you what the troops in Afghanistan are doing at the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan. This is my first VLog so I hope you enjoy it and please share your thoughts ... And don't forget: It's a social thing, so let's socialize! [wpvideo 4iz3GiGe]
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Off to Washington!
I’m on Capitol Hill next week to update Congress on the successes and challenges of U.S. European Command and the security environment in Europe. As you’d expect, this is a BIG deal for us, and we’ve been preparing for months.
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A Rude Awakening in Kabul, Afghanistan
This is Day 6 for the EUCOM social media team training in Kabul, Afghanistan and it's one that I'll remember for a long time to come.
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Social Medializing from Afghanistan--What Do You Want to Talk About?
I'm not blogging from Stuttgart, Germany today. Instead, I've made a little jaunt to Afghanistan to help out NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan with their social media strategy.
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Operation Moshtarak
And so began the Afghan-NATO offensive into Helmad province, known as Operation Moshtarak – which translates roughly as “Together.” We are focusing on the area around a town called Marjah, where there has historically been a great deal of insurgent activity and heroin production.
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Should the U.S. Military Communicate in the Social Media Realm?
As important as social media has become in the world, it is playing an ever-increasing role in the U.S. military. I’d like to highlight a great example from the International Security Assistance Force.
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A Global Force for Good
Just left historic Munich, Germany where I was fortunate to attend and speak at their annual Security Conference.
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Afghanistan: The London Conference
Yet, at the moment, I am thinking about a superb international event that happened last week: the International London Conference on Afghanistan. Last week, I wrote about my last trip to Afghanistan as we prepared for it. The media has thoroughly covered the conference (here’s a sample of recent coverage, based on an interview with me), and you can watch key presentations online, like this one from Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s review of the conference on his video blog. So rather than reiterating what's already been said, I thought I'd share with you some personal thoughts and impressions, and my interpretations of the atmospherics.
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Afghanistan Visit and Way Forward
I came away encouraged and optimistic about our approach.
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Reaching Out to My Team at U.S. European Command
Last Friday I flew to my U.S. European Command (EUCOM) headquarters in Stuttgart to conduct an “All Hands” with the military and civilian personnel assigned to the headquarters at Patch Barracks. The flight from my NATO headquarters in Belgium was an airborne “sleigh ride,” and the landing a bit of a white knuckle experience. However, I really wanted to meet with the team and talk about the “way ahead” for 2010, share with them my perspective, and solicit their feedback.
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Away From Home this Holiday Season
Happy Holidays to everyone. It’s been a busy couple weeks for us at European Command Public Affairs.
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Christmas Presence – Another Holiday Separated and Away
American and NATO SOF units work to increase the capacity of Afghan National Security Forces
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The Afghanistan Uplift
I've received a lot of good feedback on Afghanistan.
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The Course for Afghanistan
Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan
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Your Questions on Afghanistan and Russia
First, let us clearly understand that EVERY nation in NATO is "in the fight" in Afghanistan. This is a committed alliance.
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Defense Ministerial
I’ve just returned from Bratislava, Slovakia where the NATO Fall '09 Defense Ministerial was held, followed by an official visit to Slovakian senior defense leaders.
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Three Days in Afghanistan
In three busy days in Afghanistan, I focused on Helmand province and the British and U.S. Marine Corps forces. Over the course of lunch with the provincial Governor - a man in his early 60s and a survivor of many challenging events in Afghanistan - I talked with him about the needs of the district.
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Focusing on the Fundamentals
I had a good series of meetings in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday. The gathering in Lisbon was with all of the Defense Chiefs from the 28 nations of NATO. We focused on two key topics for the alliance: Afghanistan and the Strategic Concept.
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Partnership Engagement
Last week, in the second of the EPTF blogs, I discussed the concept of framework nations and discussed a concept for getting framework nations involved in the EPTF.
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European Partnership Task Force
The EPTF is designed from top to bottom, left to right to embody the concept of Partnership. That's why we selected the image to the right and the motto, Give Way Together for the conference. We're all in this together and need to work as a team to make progress. And that we did during the conference. I know this spirit will carry forward as we start to implement the EPTF.
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Thinking About Afghanistan
In both my U.S. European Command and my NATO “hats,” I spend a great deal of time focusing on the challenges in Afghanistan.
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U.S. Marine Forces, Europe to begin Georgia Deployment Program-International Security Assistance For
The Georgian Minister of Defense will contribute an infantry battalion to serve under the United States supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
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European Coalition Task Force
OMLTs are small teams of officers and NCOs whose primary task is to coach, teach and mentor Afghan National Army (ANA) units, provide the conduit for liaison and Command and Control and, when required, support the operational planning and employment of the ANA. These teams can be from one country or co-deployments from multiple countries, such as the one currently in Afghanistan composed of Michigan and Latvian soldiers.
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What a week!
I started last week in Lisbon, on the heels of a trip to Stuttgart the previous Friday for staff briefings at European Command (EUCOM) and EUCOM's Annual Summer Reception, which included a spectacular concert with an Elvis Presley impersonator in full U.S. Army regalia!
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