We all know theoretically that “sunk costs are sunk,” but when those costs are friends and teammates, it isn’t easy to walk away. There’s no way ever to quantify the loss of over 2,200 American servicemen and women, 3,800 American contractors, and 100,000 Afghans over two decades. The stoic philosophers like Epictetus and Aurelius taught to detach without being vacuous but that isn’t always the easiest advice to follow. Like all SEALs and service members of my era, I’ve buried far too many friends. We best honor them by making a stoic and intelligent choice today, not by sacrificing and investing more in a mission no longer central to our national security.
Archiv: war zones / military deployment zones
Hillary Clinton warns of ‚huge consequences‘ in Afghan US troop withdrawal
Mrs Clinton said it was also important to protect the „many thousands of Afghans“ who had worked with the US and Nato during the conflict, and said a large visa programme should be set up to provide for any refugees.
The Public Cost of Private Security in Afghanistan
(9.September 2009)
The private security industry in Afghanistan has grown apace with demand. As of August 2009, the total number of private security personnel employed by the US Department of Defense – the largest employer of private security in the country – increased 19 percent (from 4,373 to 5,198) in response to the deployment of additional military forces. Since 2001, a range of private security providers (PSPs) has emerged, including international and national PSCs operating with or without the required Afghan licensing permits, as well as militias hired as “armed support groups” (ASG) by international military forces. Many PSPs are controlled by prominent Afghan families, including Hashmat and Ahmed Wali Karzai, brothers of President Hamid Karzai; Hamid Wardak, the son of Defense Minister Rahim Wardak; Gul Agha Shirzai, the governor of Nangarhar province; and Hajji Jan Mohammad Khan, the former governor of Uruzgan.
The use of unregistered PSCs and militia groups by the NATO International Security Assistance Force and US military contingents is widespread. Many of these PSPs serve as ready-made militias that compete with state authority and are frequently run by former military commanders responsible for human rights abuses or involved in the illegal narcotics and black market economies.
Warlord, Inc.: Extortion and Corruption Along the U.S. Supply Chain in Afghanistan
June 22, 2010
To the Members of the Subcommittee:
Today I present to you a report entitled, Warlord, Inc.: Extortion and Corruption Along the U.S. Supply Chain in Afghanistan, which has been prepared by the Majority staff of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
After a six-month investigation, the report exposes the circumstances surrounding the Department of Defense’s outsourcing of security on the supply chain in Afghanistan to questionable providers, including warlords.
The findings of this report range from sobering to shocking. In short, the Department of Defense designed a contract that put responsibility for the security of vital U.S. supplies on contractors and their unaccountable security providers. This arrangement has fueled a vast protection racket run by a shadowy network of warlords, strongmen, commanders, corrupt
Afghan officials, and perhaps others.
Not only does the system run afoul of the Department’s own rules and regulations mandated by Congress, it also appears to risk undermining the U.S. strategy for achieving its goals in Afghanistan.
US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan has begun
„A drawdown is underway,“ White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday. „While these actions will initially result in increased forces levels, we remain committed to having all of US military personnel out of Afghanistan by September 11, 2020.“
Fewer than 100 troops, along with military equipment, have been moved largely by aircraft to execute President Joe Biden’s order to begin the withdrawal process no later than May 1, according to several US defense officials.
It’s time to bring troops home from Afghanistan: Joe Biden
WASHINGTON: After 20 years of American valour and sacrifice in Afghanistan, it’s time to bring troops home, US President Joe Biden has said, assuring fellow citizens that his administration will maintain capabilities to suppress future threats to the homeland.
Biden made this assurance to war-weary Americans in his maiden address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by President Biden — Address to a Joint Session of Congress
And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan.
We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.
And I’m the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to have had a child serving in a warzone.
Today we have service members serving in the same war as their parents once did.
We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11.
War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi—generational undertaking of nation—building.
We went to Afghanistan to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11.
We delivered justice to Osama Bin Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it’s time to bring our troops home.
Even as we do, we will maintain an over—the—horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland.
But make no mistake – the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from.
Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in Africa and the Middle East and beyond.
And, we won’t ignore what our own intelligence agencies have determined – the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from white supremacist terrorism.
US orders embassy staff to leave Chad as rebels near capital
Rebel groups have frequently tried to overthrow Idriss Déby, Chad’s self-proclaimed president who has ruled the country for more than three decades after launching a successful coup himself. Déby is supported by France and the U.S., which consider him and the country an important ally against Islamist extremists in the region.
Foreign Troops To Stay In Afghanistan Beyond May Deadline
(02.03.2021)
Like NATO, Afghan officials stated that it is critical for U.S. troops to remain so that Taliban and Afghan leaders can reach peace agreements. According to the Washington Post, Afghan officials announced that the maintenance of a small U.S. counter-terrorism force in Afghanistan would provide the country’s government with more leverage during peace talks than the country would have without military aid. These negotiations could bring a decades-long, violent war to a peaceful end.
U.S. Pushes U.N.-Led Peace Conference in Letter to Afghan Leader
Negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban began in September as part of a February 2020 agreement between the militants and the United States. But the talks have faltered over issues like a prisoner exchange and reductions in violence.
Mr. Blinken wrote that the United States had not decided whether to withdraw the remaining 2,500 American troops from Afghanistan by May 1, as outlined in its agreement with the Taliban.
Civilian contractor dies as rockets slam into US airbase in Iraq days after Joe Biden’s first airstrike ‚killed 22‘ in attack on Iranian-backed militants
– Multiple rockets hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province on Wednesday
– Attack was launched from a site around five miles from the base, sources said
– It is the latest in a series of attacks on US forces in Iraq, and comes after Joe Biden launched his administration’s first strike on Iran-backed militants in Syria
– Attack also comes just two days before Pope Francis is due to visit the country
European Rights Court Backs Germany Over Afghan Air Strike Case
The Strasbourg-based ECHR rejected a complaint by Abdul Hanan, an Afghan man who lost two sons in the air strike, that Germany failed to conduct an effective investigation into the tragedy.
The plaintiff also alleged that no „effective domestic remedy“ to that had been available in Germany.
Decision on Airstrike in Afghanistan Was Based Largely on Sole Informant’s Assessment
(September 6, 2009)
McChrystal’s advisers allowed a Washington Post reporter to travel with a NATO fact-finding team and attend its otherwise closed-door meetings with German troops and Afghan officials. Portions of this account are based on those discussions.
Victims‘ families tell their stories following Nato airstrike in Afghanistan
(12.09.2009)
‚I took some flesh home and called it my son.‘ The Guardian interviews 11 villagers
Israeli drones leased to Germany to remain unarmed
Felgentreu is considered one of the biggest supporters of the move to arm the UAVs, which was separated from the actual procurement of the UAVs due to previous opposition within the SPD, which caused him to resign over the issue. Felgentreu has told „Globes“ in the past that the German army needs the Israeli UAVs to help protect its combat soldiers on missions in Afghanistan and Mali.
Victims‘ families tell their stories following Nato airstrike in Afghanistan
(September 12, 2009)
‚I took some flesh home and called it my son.‘ The Guardian interviews 11 villagers
Decision on Airstrike in Afghanistan Was Based Largely on Sole Informant’s Assessment
(September 6, 2009)
McChrystal’s advisers allowed a Washington Post reporter to travel with a NATO fact-finding team and attend its otherwise closed-door meetings with German troops and Afghan officials. Portions of this account are based on those discussions.
NATO Huddles With Asia-Pacific Democracies to Talk China
The incoming Biden administration has pledged to do even more to partner with allies on the China challenge.
In another step in that direction, on December 2, the foreign ministers of the NATO members, along with delegations from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, gathered virtually to discuss the rise of China and the implications for the global balance of power.
NATO, Ukraine to strengthen security cooperation in Black Sea
„The Black Sea region is of strategic importance to NATO and to all Allies … We work closely with our valued partners, Georgia and Ukraine. Therefore, NATO maintains a significant presence in the Black Sea region and will work more closely with Ukraine and Georgia,“ Stoltenberg said during a press conference on Monday.
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Under a draft order circulating at the Pentagon on Monday, the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan would be halved from the current deployment of 4,500 troops, officials said.
In Iraq, the Pentagon would trim force levels slightly below the 3,000 troops that commanders had previously announced. And in Somalia, virtually all of the more than 700 troops conducting training and counterterrorism missions would leave.
Three more Il-76 planes with Russian peacekeepers arrive in Armenia
The Russian peacekeepers will set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachinsky corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire agreement observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command will be stationed in the area of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ministry specified.
Now the Generals will sit on their hands and not remove any troops from Afghanistan. Home by Christmas is gone.
Tough luck troops, you should not have gotten your hopes up
Michael Moore’s Letter to Obama about Afghanistan
(Original: Nov 30, 2009)
When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has.
Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop.
Tonight we still have hope.
Tomorrow, we shall see.
Obama Doubles Number of Troops in Afghanistan. Wait…What?
(Jul 11, 2009)
Obama’s Presidential campaign was pretty much based on getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan, playing to the anti-war movement, to be fair he did make statements about Afghanistan deteriorating and being ignored, but he has doubled the number of troops there now and the anti-war groups seem to be eerily silent.
Pompeo to meet Armenian, Azeri ministers over Nagorno-Karabakh
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on Friday in a fresh attempt to end nearly a month of bloodshed, in which hundreds have been killed.
End the American military presence in Somalia
The situation for Somalians is desperate and deserves the attention of the world. But our military presence over nearly three decades has not proven to be worth the costs and risks. President Trump is right to call for a withdrawal of U.S. forces, and we should hope it is followed through.
Obama: ‚This War, Like All Wars, Must End‘
(23. Mai 2013)
Now, the speech:
The president who dramatically expanded the CIA secret drone war, ordered a troop surge in Afghanistan and aggressively prosecuted leakers made a forceful defense of his actions and an even more forceful case for winding down the war on terrorism.
The key line: „This war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.“
Obama: Trump’s lack of ‚patience‘ and ‚focus‘ hold back his foreign policy
Obama, after speaking at the Democratic National Convention and headlining a number of fundraisers for the party, is expected to hit the campaign trail next week, according to Democratic Party officials, as he looks to support Biden in the final weeks of the election.
Obama also said that he has seen growth from Biden on foreign policy, noting that while the former Delaware senator voted in 2002 to authorize military force in Iraq, a vote that became a flashpoint during the 2008 presidential primary, Biden had „learned a lesson“ from that.
US strikes Taliban in Helmand in defense of Afghan forces
In a tweet, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said the U.S. military has conducted “several targeted strikes” to defend Afghan forces “over the past two days,” which he described as “consistent” with the U.S. agreement with the Taliban.
As Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Expands, Israel-Azerbaijan Arms Trade Thrives
Yesterday, the Armenian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan had this to say, in conversation with Haaretz: “Armenia has consistently raised the issue of arm supplies from Israel to Azerbaijan. Most recently, during the July aggression of Azerbaijan against Armenia, the Foreign Minister stated clearly that Israel should stop this deadly business with Azerbaijan.
Pentagon chief arrives in Tunisia on North Africa tour
Tunisia in 2016 denied a Washington Post report that it had allowed the US to operate drones from its territory for missions in Libya against the Islamic State group.
But a court martial in 2017 in a case of sexual harassment by an American officer, reported in the US defence press, publicly confirmed the presence of an American squadron operating drones from within a Tunisian base in the northern region of Bizerte.
UN chief extremely concerned over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his great concern over the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop fighting.
Pentagon to deploy scores of troops, fighting vehicles to Rojava: US official
Former US presidential envoy to Syria Brett McGurk criticized the deployment of the Bradleys, calling it a “sign of deterioration.”
“I used to help coordinate this mission. We never needed Bradleys to secure our personnel. Trump’s impetuous decision to abandon our posts has placed our people at heightened risk with no clear aim,” McGurk said on Friday.
Arrival of the first troops at the German-led Camp Sonic in Jordan.
10.Sept. 2020 – 60 personnel of the Field Accomodation Unit, Engineering units and @BeAirForce are preparing the deployment of 4 #F16 and 130 airmen and women in the framework of the Global Coalition against Daesh.
New Report Reveals US Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries
(10.08.2020)
The U.S. is not formally at war with an African nation, and the continent is barely discussed in reference to American exploits around the globe. Therefore, when U.S. operatives die in Africa, as happened in Niger, Mali, and Somalia in 2018, the response from the public, and even from the media is often “why are American soldiers there in the first place?”
Russia to reopen embassy in Libya, but temporarily bases it in Tunisia
„He will be temporarily based in Tunisia. But I would like to underscore that his functions include representation of Russia across the entire territory of Libya.“
France awards medals to Estonian troops for service in Mali
The medals were awarded to 48 members of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) by French Defense Attache Lt. Col. Frank Piffer and Lt. Col. Mathieu Courtaban, head of the French contingent currently serving the Baltic Air Policing mission out of Ämari Air Base.
Turkey says will work with Italy for Libya peace, excoriates EU
Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio. Italy and Turkey support the U.N.-backed government that is based in Tripoli against the rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter, who is supported by France, Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries.
NATO upgrades Ukraine
Ukraine is the sixth country to receive this status, joining Australia, Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Jordan.
International Criminal Court oversight chief ‘deeply regrets’ US decision to target officials investigating Afghanistan war crimes
The decision, announced on Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, defence secretary, Mark Esper and attorney general, William Barr, targets ICC officials investigating war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan by all sides, including the US, and will also see visa restrictions imposed on their families.
ASP President O-Gon Kwon rejects measures taken against ICC
I will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly next week to consider how to renew our unwavering commitment to the Court.
I call upon the States Parties and all the stakeholders in the Rome Statute system to reiterate once more our relentless commitment to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Statute and to preserve its integrity undeterred by any measures and threats against the Court and its officials, staff and their families.
U.S. Decision to Sanction International Crime Court Was Coordinated With Israel, Source Says
The move was discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem last month, the source said on Thursday.
There are as many National Guard members activated in the US as there are active duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan
As thousands across the US take to the streets for another day of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, more than 17,000 members of the National Guard are standing ready to support local law enforcement.
That represents approximately the same number of active duty troops deployed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
As of Monday, nearly half of the US has activated guard members to respond to civil unrest.
Trump tells advisers U.S. should pull troops as Afghanistan COVID-19 outbreak looms
„There is concern from a variety of places that we could leave Afghanistan,“ one senior U.S. official said, pointing to concerns voiced by U.S. allies, members of Congress and U.S. military officials.
What Chelsea Manning teaches us about the U.S. military’s mental health crisis
(17.01.2017)
In Iraq, a sign hung above the desks of the targeting analysts in the intelligence shop where Manning worked: “If you think for one second you can come in here and bug us with sissy shit you might want to rethink your pathetic life.”
House passes measure limiting Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran
In a largely party-line 227-186 vote, the House approved the resolution that would direct the president to “terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against” Iran unless Congress specifically authorizes it. Six Republicans voted for the measure.
The Senate passed the resolution in a 55-45 vote last month, with eight Republicans siding with Democrats to support it. Neither chamber of Congress is expected to have the votes to override Trump’s likely veto.
Quieter and Quieter: The Evolution of Latin America’s Silent Coups
Then under Obama, coups changed. They went quiet. In the most cynical of moves, America, the champion of democracy, stopped using violence to undermine democracy and started using democracy to undermine democracy. Legitimately elected leaders began to fall, not to the bullet or bomb, but to coups in the disguise of democracy. The coup evolved into the silent coup: so silent, they were not heard nor noticed.
Navy to redesignate USNS Hershel ‚Woody‘ Williams so SEALs can attack from it
The slight change in its name means the ship can legally carry out offensive military operations such as allowing Marines or Navy SEALs to launch attacks directly from the ship. A USNS ship under the command of a civilian can engage in combat only if it is defending itself.
Veteranengruppe lobt Trumps Friedensabkommen, tadelt ‚Armstuhlkriegerin Cheney‘
„Nach fast zwei Jahrzehnten sind wir dankbar, dass unser Oberbefehlshaber dem amerikanischen Volk und den kämpfenden Männern und Frauen Amerikas und ihren Familien zur Seite stand“, sagte McKnight, „und die wölfischen Forderungen von Armstuhlkriegern wie Liz Cheney ignorierte, deren Familie von Hunderten von Millionen Dollar an Militärverträgen profitierte und buchstäblich Geld mit Kriegen verdiente, in die sie andere Menschen schickte.“
EU to Step Up Naval Enforcement of Libya Arms Embargo
European Union foreign ministers agreed to revive a naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea to enforce the internationally backed arms embargo on Libya, a move likely to encounter stiff challenges given the recent arms buildup by regional powers in the North African country.
NATO eyes boosting Iraq army training, still needs Iraq’s OK
NATO is ready to expand its military training effort in Iraq, the alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, but the Iraqi government is not yet ready to approve the move.
The Canada-led operation was launched in 2018 but suspended last month after a U.S. missile strike at Baghdad Airport killed Iran’s top general and Iraq’s government and lawmakers demanded that foreign troops leave. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has demanded that U.S. allies do more in the Mideast.
Media darling Pete Buttigieg was in unit that worked with the CIA in Afghanistan
While official records linking the ATFC to the CIA do not appear widely in available government documents, their collaboration is an open secret. One early report by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, an advocacy organization for the US intelligence community, noted “the cell has about two-dozen members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, US Central Command, the Treasury Department and the CIA. The FBI is expected to join soon.”
Global news wire Agency France-Presse characterized ATFC as “a multi-agency organization currently comprising about 30 specialists on loan from the Department of Drug Enforcement, Department of the Treasury, Department of Justice, Department of Defense’s CENTCOM, the CIA and the FBI.”