S. Korea to Apply Sanctions Against Iran

South Korea may be hiding behind the United States to explain their support for the sanctions against Iran, but they certainly do have their own reasons for desiring these sactions considering their close location to North Korea.

South Korea imposes independent sanctions on Iran.
By SANGWON YOON (AP) – 5 hours ago

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said it will ban many financial dealings with Iran and impose other penalties as part of a U.S.-led campaign to enforce sanctions against the country over its disputed nuclear enrichment program.

The measures announced Wednesday by Seoul add to new, unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S., Europe and others to pressure Iran to return to negotiations on its nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful but critics say is a quest to develop atomic weapons that could spark a Middle East arms race.

Seoul targeted 102 entities with the sanctions, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines plus 24 individuals , Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said Wednesday.

The measures prohibit foreign exchange transactions with the targets of the measures except with special authorization, and they also halt existing banking relations and prohibit the opening of new branches or representative offices in South Korea, Kim said. The targeted individuals are also banned from entering South Korea, Kim said.

South Korea will also heavily penalize the Seoul branch of Bank Mellat, one of the 15 targeted Iranian banks, for violating laws on foreign exchange transactions, a government statement said, without elaborating.

The Seoul branch of Bank Mellat has "facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions for Iranian nuclear, missile and defense entities," the statement said.

Kim said the sanctions further reinforce United Nations resolution 1929 against Iran, the latest in a series of measures taken by the international community in an effort to halt Iran's nuclear program.

"South Korea expects Iran to join international efforts for nuclear nonproliferation and take steps to faithfully implement its obligations under the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions," he said.

The United States welcomed South Korea's decision.

"These actions strengthen the growing international resolve to prevent proliferation and Iran's development of nuclear weapons and to press Iran to return to serious negotiations on its nuclear program and meet its international obligations," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a joint statement.

The U.N. approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran in early June over accusations that it is seeking to develop atomic weapons. Iran denies its nuclear program is militaristic in nature and says it has a right to conduct uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.

The U.S. also independently imposed new sanctions against Iran and has urged other countries to follow suit.

So far, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Japan have joined the international campaign against Iran.

Seoul has been cautious in taking action against Iran, trying to balance its diplomatic interests with the U.S., a key ally, and its economic interests with Iran.

Iran is South Korea's third-largest trading partner in the Middle East, with two-way trade totaling nearly $10 billion last year, according to the Korea International Trade Association. It is also South Korea's fourth-biggest supplier of crude oil, accounting for 9.8 percent of its oil imports, according to the Korea National Oil Corp.

Seoul said it will prohibit new investments and contracts that could enrich Iran's petroleum and gas industry, and called on South Korean companies to exercise "restraint and caution" in carrying out existing contracts.

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.

Hat tip: AP.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Forces seize Taliban 'shadow governor' in Afghanistan

ISAF Public Affairs Office

KABUL, Afghanistan (June 2, 2010) – The newly appointed Taliban shadow governor of Baghlan province was captured May 31 by an Afghan-international force as he prepared to leave for Pakistan.

His predecessor was killed in a coalition airstrike the previous day, and this capture marks the third time in as many weeks that the Taliban have had to replace named shadow governors for Baghlan province because of coalition operations.

An insurgent was killed and several other suspects also were detained by the assault force during the operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district after intelligence information revealed insurgent activity.

As the joint force prepared to transport troops from the completed operation, it was discovered that a helicopter's transmission and engines were irreparably damaged and it could not return to its base. Troops left using another helicopter after maintenance experts inspected the aircraft and decided to destroy it on site. The helicopter did not receive any enemy fire.

In another operation, Afghan National Army soldiers of the 207th Corps, supported by troops with the NATO International Security Assistance Force, discovered a weapons cache in Bala Murghab, Badghis province, May 31 after receiving a tip from civilians.

The cache contained 11 mortar rounds, eight heavy artillery rounds, a mine, 100 steel projectiles and several items suitable for the production of improvised explosive devices.

Afghanistan national security forces with ISAF partners conducted an operation in the Baghran valley May 30 to disrupt Taliban command, control, and influence in the area, and to capture an insurgent who has supplied Taliban fighters with weapons and components for roadside bombs throughout northern Helmand province.

The Afghan and ISAF combined force surrounded numerous compounds suspected of being hideouts for insurgents in the valley. After ensuring all residents exited the compounds safely, the combined force detained two men. Several women and children were protected in the operation, in which no shots were fired and no civilians were injured.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Pakistan navy inducts two U.S.-provided maritime patrol planes

U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan (June 1, 2010) – In an induction ceremony held today at PNS Mehran, Karachi, U.S. and Pakistani officials commemorated the delivery of two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to the Government of Pakistan from the United States.

The aircraft will enhance the Pakistan Navy’s maritime patrol operations. Approximately 250 U.S. and Pakistani officials attended the ceremony, including Pakistan Chief of Naval Staff, ADM Noman Bashir, U.S. Consul General Steve Faken, and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata.

“The delivery of these aircraft to Pakistan demonstrates the U.S. Government’s commitment to a long-term, strategic partnership with Pakistan—one based on shared interests and mutual respect, that will continue to expand and deepen in future years,” Nagata said.

The aircraft were transferred to the Pakistan Navy during a ceremony in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 30, and flown to Pakistan by U.S. and Pakistan Navy aircrews. By 2012, the Pakistan Navy will receive a total of eight P-3C aircraft. During the last three years, U.S. civilian and security assistance to Pakistan has totaled more than $4 billion. Assistance has included support for medical aid, school refurbishment, bridge and well reconstruction, food distribution, agricultural and education projects.

Specific security assistance includes 14 F-16 fighter aircraft, 10 Mi-17 and two Bell 412EP helicopters, five fast patrol boats, 115 Howitzer self-propelled field artillery cannons, more than 450 vehicles for Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, hundreds of night vision goggles, day/night scopes, radios, and thousands of protective vests and first-aid items for Pakistan’s security forces.

The U.S. also provided training for more than 370 Pakistani military officers in a wide range of leadership and development programs covering topics such as counterterrorism, intelligence, logistics, medical, flight safety, and military law.

PHOTO: These two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft into Pakistan's navy June 1. The planes were provided by the United States.

Source: CENTCOM.

I have just one question for now. Are we arming the enemy?

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Signs of progress in central Helmand

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL, Afghanistan (May 19, 2010) – Three months after the launch of Operation Moshtarak, clear signs of progress are evident throughout central Helmand.

"There are many positive indicators, especially in the areas of development and economic growth," said Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, Regional Command-South commander. "We have roads being built, district centers being reconstructed, and a lot of minor infrastructure projects under way."

Governance and education.

Freedom of movement is key to delivering governance – in the form of traditional shuras as well as in health services, education and the judiciary. Since the first day of the operation, shuras called by provincial and district leaders have brought local elders together with government and combined force representatives to provide participants opportunities to raise concerns and discuss local matters.

Election shuras were held in Chah Anjir, the Nad-e Ali district center and the Bolan "T" junction between April 26 and 28. Attendance at the shuras was approximately 1,200, 400 and more than 1,200, respectively, indicating local nationals felt secure enough to begin to engage with their government in large numbers. Nearly 500 squatters from the Bolan "T" turned out to ensure they are represented.

An election shura was held in Nad-e Ali, May 11, to choose new members for the district community council. More than 600 elders elected 45 members to represent the district and said they were happy with the district’s new representation.

Governance is taking root throughout the region. A growing number of key government positions are being filled in the districts of Marjah and Nad-e Ali. Additional administrative offices are being built and enhanced services are being offered to residents, including new health care clinics and schools.

Improvements in education have been seen in central Helmand with the opening of new schools and the hiring of new teachers. The first schools, held under tents or in the open air, were established within a week of the commencement of Operation Moshtarak. There are now 13 schools in Nad-e Ali and nine in Marjah with 150 government-licensed teachers providing instruction to an estimated 3,100 students. Approximately 425 of these students are girls.

Economic growth.

One of the most visible signs of economic growth is the re-opening of local markets. Many of them had been closed for years, especially during the time of Taliban rule. More than 20 markets are now open for business, attracting more vendors and shoppers than due to increased security, better freedom of movement and higher quality of goods. Nearly $400,000 has been spent refurbishing bazaars in Nad-e Ali and Marjah. There is a $1 million project getting underway to rehabilitate the Loy Chareh Bazaar, which will employ more than 100 laborers and benefit thousands of local and regional Afghans by improving the variety and amount of goods traded within the southeast Marjah area.

"The basic point is that you’re seeing stability and prosperity begin to flourish in central Helmand and what you see is a consumer culture beginning to happen," said Carter.

Programs such as the Governor’s Food Zone Program, Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture (AVIPA) and the Marjah Accelerated Agricultural Transition Program (MAAT-P) help Helmand farmers move from growing poppy to cultivating legal crops. Without these alternatives, farmers find it difficult, if not impossible, to make this important change. At the end of the first week of May, the economic stimulus phase of MAAT-P came to a close, and 7,000 hectares of farm land were registered and verified, representing nearly half of the farmland the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated could be used for poppy.

The provincial government’s seed distribution program has proven extremely successful. Seeds have been provided to 20,000 farmers in the area, most of whom were previously dependent on poppy cultivation for their livelihood. These programs have created the required combination of farm preparation and inputs for the next season that gives the farmer a chance to break the cycle of poppy.

"Cash-for-work" programs are employing approximately 4,000 local residents per day, and nearly 80,000 "man-labor" days have been paid out for initiatives. Road construction and irrigation improvements, in particular, will enable farmers to get their products to market and help the Helmand valley reclaim its title as the "breadbasket of Afghanistan."

Security and freedom of movement.

Despite notable successes in development and economic growth, there are still challenges to be faced in the region. Insurgents continue to be active in the area, particularly in Marjah, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remains a lethal threat to local residents, government officials and combined forces.

Fortunately, the number of IED strikes in central Helmand is declining, while the number of IED finds is rising. This positive trend is attributed to effective partnering of combined forces and the growing number of local residents volunteering information to combined forces about the location of IEDs.

While the decrease in IED strikes is a positive development, it has been accompanied by a troubling spike in small-arms engagements in Marjah. Using hit-and-run tactics that endanger both civilians and combined forces, insurgents have mounted an aggressive intimidation campaign.

"We have been in large parts of Nad-e Ali for at least 15 months at the point at which we launched the Operation Moshtarak," said Carter, "so the project is at least a year further on than Marjah. The point is that by being a year further on and by adopting the approach and the amount of resources that have been applied to it, one will see what will happen in Marjah in due course."

Freedom of movement in central Helmand continues to improve. A recent analysis revealed a dramatic increase in vehicle movements along the main traffic artery, Route 608, which runs from Nad-e Ali down through Marjah. Weekly vehicle flow numbers for local residents travelling this road increased by 440 percent between March 20 and May 8. The latest reports show nearly 40,000 vehicle trips along Route 608 in a one-week period. This is a very encouraging sign that people are more confident in the security situation.

"There is still work to be done in both Marjah and Nad-e Ali," said Carter. "But the trends are positive, and my bet is we’re in a good place in terms of the resources available on the ground and in the way in which the campaign is progressing."

Operation Moshtarak is an Afghan-led initiative to assert government authority in the center of Helmand province. Afghan and ISAF partners are engaging in this counter-insurgency operation at the request of the Afghan national government and the Helmand provincial government.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Karzai thanks Airborne Soldiers, families

101st Airborne Division

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (May 14, 2010) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai brought a message of thanks to Soldiers and their families here today, as the 101st Airborne Division continues to deploy to his country.

Karzai’s visit comes on the heels of a week of talks in Washington, D.C., with President Barack Obama. The two leaders used the time to help repair relations between Afghanistan and the United States after a year of rising tensions.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recognized the history and sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers and their families in introducing of Karzai.

“[The sacrifice] is especially true on a post like this one, where almost everyone here today has either just returned from a deployment or is about to head out and confront the hardship and dangers half a world away,” Gates said.

In a hangar filled with more than 1,200 soldiers and spouses, Karzai concluded his trip to the United States by focusing on the improvements in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban almost 10 years ago. He is the first leader of the post-Taliban government.

“Since then, the story of Afghanistan, on many accounts, has been one of extreme achievements,” Karzai said.

Advances in education, health care and the economy are all indicators that Afghanistan is progressing, Karzai said. Women’s roles in the predominantly Muslim country also indicate the changing mindset. About 27 percent of the country’s leaders are women, more than in the United States and other Western nations.

“We have more women in our Parliament than many [other] countries have,” Karzai said.

The Afghan leader also lauded the free press that the liberation of Afghanistan from Taliban rule provides. Instead of one government-owned radio and television station, Karzai said, the country now boasts dozens of radio and television stations, as well as newspapers.

“The bad thing is they all are against me, no matter what I do,” Karzai joked. “It looks like the free press doesn’t like presidents anywhere in the world.”

With the help of U.S. soldiers to bring peace, Karzai said, Afghanistan can be a great tourist destination in the future. However, the leader recognized that much must be done to ensure his nation’s prosperity.

“Yes, we still have problems,” he said. “Yes, we are still a very poor country. We have miles to go, and miles to go before we can call ourselves sufficient.”

After his speech to soldiers and spouses, Karzai greeted deploying Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, at the post’s personnel processing center.

“Soldiers and officers, it is a distinct honor for me to be with you here today,” Karzai said. “Especially the day that you are also leaving for Afghanistan to work for your country and to also work for my country.”

Before coming to Fort Campbell, Karzai met with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and paid his respects to the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

“It was heart-rending and extremely difficult to see soldiers without their arms and legs,” Karzai said of his visit to Walter Reed.

At Campbell, he was able to shake the hands of Soldiers, spouses and children present. Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commanding general of 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, was impressed by Karzai’s support.

“He had a deep passion for the families and really thanked them for their selfless sacrifice and for what their husbands and wives are doing in Afghanistan now and will do in the future,” he said. “He recognized the great sacrifices that our soldiers and families have rendered over the last nine years in Afghanistan.”

Karzai thanked the families for everything they have done to improve the lives of Afghanistan’s people. He spoke of a desire to return to Fort Campbell with some Afghan families after the Soldiers return and the fighting is complete, so that the 101st Airborne Division can be properly thanked for its efforts.

“They will speak from their heart,” he said. “They will express their gratitude.”

One Fort Campbell spouse considered the visit to be a learning experience and said it was encouraging in the face of upcoming deployments.

“It’s just nice to see that we have good relations between our countries,” said Roya Lorge, wife of a 101st Aviation Brigade Soldier. “I didn’t realize the health care situation over there, and the education of the children, how much that has increased since we’ve been there.”

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Hart, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade, deployed to Afghanistan once previously. He said Karzai’s message was “uplifting,” and helps make the sacrifices of combat worthwhile.

“It’s just nice to know that what we’re doing is going to mean something,” Hart said, [and that] we’re not just doing it without anything to show for it. The Afghanistan people deserve to have all the wonderful freedoms that we have, and sometimes we have to sacrifice ourselves for a bigger cause.”

Army Lt. Col. Johnny Davis, commander of the deploying 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, added his take on Karzai’s visit.

“It is a big deal,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I never thought it would happen here on Fort Campbell. … What I think is critical [in Afghanistan] is that the Taliban are not part of the conversation. They are the obstacle. I’m going to support the people, and everything secondary to that is just an obstacle to us. We will overcome that. We’re certainly headed in the right direction.”

Gates, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry and Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, accompanied Karzai to Fort Campbell.

About 20,000 Fort Campbell Soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan by the end of the year. More than 10,000 already are in theater. The entire 101st Airborne Division will be in Afghanistan for the first time, with two brigades in Regional Command South and four brigades in Regional Command East.

“I wish them all good health, success and a happy time in Afghanistan and for them to come back safe to the arms of their loved ones here,” Karzai said.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Remember Neda: Where Are You NOW?

This is a very sad day and shame should brought upon this Administration. Yesterday, Iran was appointed to the Womens Rights Commission. Say what? It is true. The US did not utter a peep in protest, but the Iranian women have. I guess they are braver than Obama? I have lost all respect.

How can tell me that this man gives a damn when he has allowed this to occur? Where is NOW? Not a word. You think Iran is just like America? WATCH THIS VIDEO THEN.

Here is the link in case the video doesn't work.

I hope to God that someone comes to their senses and stops this nonsense. I want the UN gone. Destroyed as far as no more money from the USA (26%!) and no longer in existence. Dissolved is the word I was looking for.

Please remember the woman, Neda, who was gunned down by the Iranian govt just for asking for democracy. All she wanted was freedom. Something you seem to take for granted, and you pay no attention to others who have none. Liberty is God's plan. Marxism is the plan of evil men. Dictatorship is also evil. Please, raise up your voices in unity with the women in Iran!

I will NOT live under the orders of any other country than that of AMERICA. God bless her and Keep her.

Go to #iranelection and let them know you stand with them in spirit, since you cannot be there. Find out where there is going to be a protest in your area, and SHOW UP. This makes me very angry. The dinosaur media gave it maybe 2 seconds, while they gave those 16 words that President George W. Bush spoke TRUTHFULLY in his address to the nation months. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

I'm not saying they shouldn't have covered what Bush had said. Although I agree that he spoke he the truth, he certainly didn't have a very good way of standing up for whatever he said. But that's a-whole-nother story...

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

First AF-PAK Hands grads deploy overseas

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (April 23, 2010) – “It’s been my experience my whole career, that if you go into a country and you make an effort to speak their language, it has an enormous impact,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands Program inaugural class on Nov. 12, 2009.

Roughly five months later, the first group of 32 soldiers and airmen from a cross section of career specialties boarded their plane at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, near Baltimore, in the late hours April 21 and departed for Kabul.

The servicemembers have completed a rigorous 16-week training program consisting of culture and intensive language training at the Defense Language Institute, in Monterey, Calif., followed by service-specific deployment training.

In short, the idea of the program is not to reinvent the wheel each time a new servicemember replaces someone returning from a deployment, but to have a cadre of military and civilian experts that will rotate into key staff and leadership positions that are in-theater and the continental United States to provide continued expertise in support of U.S. objectives in the region.

Their training has prepared them to be a cadre of AF-PAK experts, providing long-term continuity to foster better relationships with Afghans, Pakistanis and allies across the joint, interagency and multi-national spectrum. The program itself falls under the direct oversight of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The training was intense,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class David Jorge, a father of five. Jorge is the only Army enlisted member in the first deployment cycle.

“We truly leaned on each other a lot during the training,” he said. “Actually, I don’t think any of us could have made it on our own.”

Jorge is one of the 12 graduates from the very first course and he will focus on working with his Afghan counterparts on improving their counter improvised explosive device capability and training during his AF-PAK Hands tenure.

“Knowing the language and culture are critical elements to the mission’s success,” said Jorge, who’d studied the Dari language.

One of Jorge’s classmates, Air Force Maj. Christy Barry, a civil litigation lawyer from Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., also volunteered for the program to be deployed at the same time as her Army captain husband, Seamus, who’s currently a lawyer deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghansitan. But, that’s not the only reason she volunteered for the program.

“I see this as a way to be directly involved, have my hands on and be a part of history,” said Barry, whose previous deployment experience includes a year-long tour working with an Iraqi review board on detainee operations. “I think this is a great program and wish we, as a military, would have thought of it sooner in this war.”

Soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guard members assigned to the program will serve a three-to-five-year commitment with the overseas tours of duty in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Members can expect to pull two to three one-year tours overseas during the duration of their assignment.

“My wife doesn’t love the idea of me being gone. She is supportive and understands though, and sees me breaking ground as a part of this program,” Jorge said.

There are approximately 280 in-theater positions, predominantly officers, but including several senior enlisted members as well, with a handful designated for Pakistan. Currently, nearly 180 servicemembers are in training and the goal is to have more than 800 in the program once it’s fully manned. Upon arrival in Afghanistan, the group will receive additional language and counterinsurgency training. From there, they will spread out to various parts of the country for immersion with their Afghan counterparts.

Jorge believes the program will make a positive impact in the theater of operations.

“If we are used in the theater the way we are intended, I honestly believe, we and this program, can make or break the war,” he said. “Only time will tell.”

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

AFG Local Bazaar Stimulated by Marines

Below you will find an article written by MsMarti on War On Terror News. This is a site I highly recommend. They have articles that CENTCOM may not yet have. It is a very good and consistent site, because they use DVIDsHub for some of their research. (Great Military site.) Here we go:

AFG Local Bazaar Stimulated by Marines

I Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd) Story by Sgt. Shawn Coolman.

04.10.2010 COMBAT OUTPOST CASTLE, Afghanistan- The U.S. dollar is a powerful ally in improving the local Afghan economy and the Marines quality of life.

The 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines manning the COP frequent the bazaar (local market) to buy produce, livestock and commodities that normally wouldn't be available to them.

The Marines here established a good rapport between themselves and the locals who allowed them to purchase goods at economic prices.

"It's a good relationship that we have with the Marines here. They buy most of the things we sell here which helps us a lot," said Nyaamatula, a local bazaar shopkeeper. "When the Marines come in here they have a great relationship between the locals and the shopkeepers," said Nyaamatula, through an interpreter.

It hasn't always been that way. When 4th LAR arrived here the bazaars' shops were not regularly open or had nothing to sell to the Marines.

"When we got here in November, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines told us about the bazaar," said Cpl. Jesse J. Hurtado, 23, a food service specialist with 4th LAR. "There wasn't much out there when we got here. Not a lot of the shops were open, but we still could buy a few personal items from the shops."

Now with more Marines coming from the COP the shops are open to more Afghans and Marines with a wide selection of goods to be bought.

"There's a lot of variety now. We can go out to the bazaar and buy fresh produce, lambs and chickens which are much more available," said Hurtado, from Los Angeles.

"It's gotten a lot better now that the Marines are here, because we can buy things cheaper using money we got from the Marines, and that means we have more variety of things to sell the Marines for cheaper," said Abdeljamil, another local shopkeeper.

Now that there is abundance of produce at the bazaar, more Marines are buying and cooking their own food and spending money to help the local Afghan economy.

"I think a good 60 percent of the Marines here don't eat at the chow hall. They buy all their food from the bazaar," said Hurtado, father of one.

"The Marines buying from the bazaar helps the local economy out a lot," said Hurtado. "The produce is more in demand now, and the farmers will actually bring in more produce for the Marines which both helps the Marines and themselves by making more money."

During the holidays, 4th LAR Marines were able to get a large amount of lamb and produce which allowed them to have a big Christmas dinner.

"During Christmas, Marines with Bravo Company, (4th LAR) bought three lambs and some produce from the market, and that's what we made for Christmas dinner," recounted Hurtado.

Even with prices going up at the bazaar, as the interpreters say, everything still seems cheap to us, and the Afghans are making more profit so in the end it still helps all of us, said Hurtado.

Associated Images.
Pictures provided by DVIDs Images.






1 of 3 An Afghan shopkeeper pushes a recently purchased lamb from the local bazaar to the entry control point at Combat Outpost Castle, March 31. The 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Marines here purchase goods from the stores helping the local Afghan economy and improving their quality of life.



2 of 3 Cpl. Jesse J. Hurtado, speaking through an Afghan interpreter, buys some produce from the local bazaar near Combat Outpost Castle, March 31. 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Marines here purchase produce, livestock and commodities they normally wouldn't have from the bazaar both improving their quality of life here and the local Afghan economy.


3 of 3 Lance Cpl. Justin T. McKee, cooks a chicken and lamb that was recently purchased at bazaar near Combat Outpost Castle, March 31. The 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Marines purchase commodities from the local bazaar cheaply which improves their quality of life and helps the local Afghan economy.

Posted by MsMarti - on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 07:30 in Afghanistan News, Permalink.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!

Farah leaders discuss laws stopping violence toward women

ISAF Public Affairs Office

KABUL, Afghanistan (April 10, 2010) – More than 20 Farah province judges, prosecutors, members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and members of the Ministry of Justice participated in the first of a three-day seminar focusing on the Constitution of Afghanistan and the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law (EVAWL), April 3.

The seminar was conducted by Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP) personnel and hosted by the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

The three-day seminar was aimed to equip Afghan’s who are working within the judicial system, to better understand the constitution and to implement rule of law in their designated career fields. Two of the three days were concentrated on EVAWL, a new law imposing strict penalties for women forced into marriage, marrying women under the age of 16, and for physical abuse towards women.

“A lot of times the community does not understand what the law is,” said Sheila Weirth, Justice Advisor for JSSP.

The seminar is an opportunity to raise awareness and shed light about EVAWL to the law makers and law enforcers in the province. The law also requires every ministry working for the Afghan government to promote awareness and educate the community about the law.

Participants were given verbal and visual lessons, a chance to share with each other experiences and lessons learned, and mock scenarios applicable to real life cases in Afghanistan.

Weirth’s hope is that participants in the seminar will share the information gained with their peers and colleagues, therefore spreading knowledge of EVAWL and the general laws under the GIROA constitution.

JSSP and the Farah PRT also visited with the Farah Provincial Chief Judge Abdul Hanif Ubiad and Chief Prosecutor Abdul Ghafar to assess the current judicial situation in the province.

The meeting with Ubiad and Ghafar was a key opportunity for JSSP and the PRT to observe the process of law in the province, and resulted in a stronger relationship between government officials and coalition forces.

”We received a very warm reception,” said Weith, “The prosecutor (Ghafar) here is very impressive and is a well educated man.”

Maintaining security and prosecuting members of the Taliban has remained a top priority among judiciaries in the Farah Province. However, it is the day-to-day rule of law that has been a tough challenge for judges and prosecutors alike. According to Ubiad, most criminal activity in the city of Farah consists of land disputes, tribal disputes that often lead to revenge killings, and business deals gone badly. In other parts of the province, drug production and trafficking continues to be a significant hurdle for Afghan law enforcement officers.

In addition, appointing defense attorneys for suspects has been a struggle for the province. Currently there are no defense attorneys for the entire province. The suspect does have the opportunity to defend themselves, but witnesses and arresting officials are rarely available or present during the trial. Hiring defense attorneys has remained a high priority for Ubiad, and Weirth is very confident there will be more within the next few years.

Despite these obstacles, Ghafar is more than optimistic about the future security and stability of Farah.

“Compared to six months ago, security is much better,” Ghafar said, “We have no tensions regarding security at this time.”

To assist with the justice system, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Matt Schaefer, rule of law advisor to the PRT commander and a practicing lawyer in the commercial-sector, is committed to assisting in diagnosing problems within the legal system to establish a secure and developed justice system.

“The good news is they have a functioning framework. They have a foundation we can build on,” said Lieutenant Schaefer, “Rule of law is a critical aspect to their success and it is essential to the PRT’s mission.”

Support from the PRT and JSSP will continue to focus on sustainable solutions to the justice system in Farah. Continuing efforts of meetings, seminars, and training events for those working in the justice system will provide long-term successes, rather than temporary solutions.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Airmen treat, evacuate 46 Afghans after Helmand blast

by Capt. Kristen Duncan
U.S. Air Force Central Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (April 3, 2010) — United States Air Force personnel responded to a mass casualty incident in Helmand Province Wednesday following a command-detonated improvised explosive device explosion at a local market in Nahr-e Saraj.

Shortly after 9 a.m. early reports indicated a large explosion occurred, resulting in a high number of casualties. Within 10 minutes the "9-line" report was assigned, and Regional Command-South notified members of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, at Camp Bastion shortly thereafter.

Air Force combat search and rescue teams, called the "Guardian Angels," treated and triaged 30 patients, including five needing immediate life-saving measures. The HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter aircrews, or "Pedros," evacuated 16 patients, including an additional five requiring immediate life-saving measures to local medical facilities for further care.

"This was a phenomenal combined effort to accomplish this mission," said Lt. Col. Thomas Kunkel, 41 ERQS commander. "The coordination that occurred in the minutes after the incident between RC-South, the British Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) and the ERQS was timely and accurate, which enabled the precise and immediate accomplishment of this mass casualty event in a high-risk environment with minimal safety or execution concerns."

The Air Force combat rescue officers and pararescuemen, or PJs, specialize in combat search and rescue and personnel recovery. Since February 2009, they have conducted casualty evacuation throughout southern Afghanistan, operating from Kandahar and Helmand Provinces. Approximately 40-50 percent of their missions involve caring for Afghan civilians, Afghan National Army soldiers and Afghan National Police.

"The foundation for this effort has been the daily interaction with action officers from each of these organizations, and it demonstrates each party's commitment to overcome daily communication and other challenges - including operating from three separate locations - to ensure all casualties receive life-saving care in the most timely manner," Colonel Kunkel said.

In total, 18 patients were treated at the Camp Bastion Role 3 Hospital and another 28 were treated at an Italian Non-Governmental Organization medical facility. Eight local Afghans died at the scene of the attack and six reportedly succumbed to their wounds.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Mullen, Gates press Congress for Afghanistan funding

by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (March 24, 2010) – The stakes in Afghanistan are “too high for failure,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress today as he urged quick passage of funding legislation that supports operations there.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates testified before the House Appropriations Committee in support of the $549 billion fiscal 2011 base budget proposal and funding requests for overseas contingency operations during 2011 and the rest of fiscal 2010.

The latter two requests, for $159 billion and $33 billion, respectively, primarily fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

With almost 10,000 additional troops already in Afghanistan and the rest of the 30,000 surge troops to arrive by early fall, Mullen said the proper force will be in place to help in reversing the Taliban’s momentum.

“Right now, the Taliban still believe they’re winning,” he told the committee. “Eighteen months from now, if we’ve executed our strategy, … we’ll know they aren’t, and they will know that they can’t.”

That turnaround will take discipline, hard work and more cooperation with Pakistan, Mullen said. “And it will most assuredly demand more sacrifice and more bloodshed.”

U.S. forces making these sacrifices and taking on these challenges require proper funding to ensure they have what they need to succeed, the chairman added.

“All they want right now is guidance on the mission before them and the tools to accomplish it,” he said. “That’s why we’re asking you to fully fund our fiscal year ’10 supplemental and the fiscal year ’11 overseas contingency operations request.”

The mission in Afghanistan is “no mission of mercy,” Mullen reminded the panel. “This is the place from which we were attacked in 2001, the place from which al-Qaida still plots and plans.”

Troops carrying out the mission there aren’t asking for a lot, he said.

“All they want right now is guidance on the mission before them and the tools to accomplish it,” he said. “Without your continued support, we will not be able to show the meaningful progress in Afghanistan that the commander in chief has ordered, the American people expect and the Afghan people so desperately need.”

The budget requests support warfighters with more funding to support U.S. Special Operations Command, develop and field a next-generation ground combat vehicle, grow two more Army combat aviation brigades and continue rotary-wing production, Mullen noted.

The requests also provide more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets – an initiative Gates has championed to better support troops on the ground.

“We are asking for more capability in unmanned aircraft and ground-based collection systems,” Mullen said, “including nearly $3 billion to double the procurement rate of the MQ-9 Reaper by fiscal year ’12.”

Gates emphasized in his opening statement that the budget requests provide a critical balance between what the military will need to face future threats, and what today’s warfighters need to succeed.

“The commitments made and the programs funded in the [overseas contingency operations] and supplemental request demonstrate the administration’s determination to support our troops and commanders in combat, so that they can accomplish their critical missions and come home safely,” he said.

“I believe the choices made and priorities set in these budget requests reflect America’s commitment to see that our forces have the tools they need to prevail in the wars we are in,” the secretary added, “while making the investments necessary to prepare for threats on or beyond the horizon.”

PHOTO: Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, Robert F. Hale testify to the House Appropriations Committee on Defense regarding the fiscal year 2011 Defense Authorization Bill.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff visits CENTCOM

U.S. Central Command

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (March 23, 2010) — Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Noman Bashir met with U.S. Central Command Commander, Gen. David Petraeus in Tampa, Fla., Mar. 23, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between Pakistan and the United States.

Gen. Petraeus and Adm. Bashir discussed Pakistan's efforts to combat drug trafficking, terrorism, and piracy, while highlighting positive U.S.-Pakistan military-to-military relations. Adm. Bashir reinforced the Pakistan Navy's commitment to strengthening the bonds between the U.S. and Pakistan Navies. He also discussed the Pakistan Navy's anti-piracy efforts and peacekeeping operations with the United Nations.

The Pakistan Navy has commanded Combined Task Force (CTF)-150 four times since the task force was established by the United Nations in 2001. CTF-150, a multinational task force, conducts maritime security operations in and around the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. The task force was created to counter terrorism, prevent smuggling, and deter other destabilizing activities in the maritime environment.

Adm. Bashir is in the United States on a ten-day visit at the invitation of the U.S. Navy. While there, he is scheduled to meet with various U.S. military and government officials to discuss opportunities for continued coordination and cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan navies.

PHOTO: CENTCCOM Commander Gen. David Petraeus greets Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff, Adm. Norman Bashir, Tuesday in Tampa.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Talks aimed at strengthening ties between U.S., Pakistan

by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2010) – Talks between Pakistani and American officials seek to strengthen, broaden and deepen the ties between the two countries, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.

High-level talks between the United States and Pakistan are designed to chart the course of the relationship between the two nations as they move forward. “This is a meeting between equals,” said a military official speaking on background. “Both countries will gain from this discussion.”

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will participate in the discussions, but the Strategic Dialogue – as it is being called – is not primarily a security discussion.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will lead the American side and Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi is her opposite number. The dialogue stresses the U.S.-Pakistani partnership that goes far beyond security. “It represents a shared commitment on the part of both nations to strengthening the bilateral relationship and building an even broader partnership based on mutual respect and mutual trust,” Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, President Obama’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said last week.

The meetings begin at the State Department tomorrow, and the dialogue encompasses all aspects of U.S.-Pakistani relations. Also participating are Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, the adviser to the prime minister on social issues, Wazir Ali; the adviser to the prime minister on agriculture and water, Majid Ullah; the chief of staff of the army, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, and many others.

Among the American delegation are Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew, Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin, National Security Council Senior Director David Lipton, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development Rajiv Shah, and others.

“This dialogue is designed to produce a better long-term strategic relationship between our two countries,” Morrell said. “This is not simply about asking and receiving items.”

The whole range of U.S-Pakistani relations will be discussed. The United States and Pakistan can discuss agricultural methods and new means of irrigation. “Water and electricity are becoming problems in Pakistan,” said the military official. “We can certainly share some experiences on those.”

Delivering education is important, as is increasing the effectiveness of civil service personnel. Participants in the dialogue also will address ways to improve the image of America among the Pakistani population, officials said.

Gates and Mullen met with Gen. Kayani at the Pentagon yesterday. They will continue the meeting on Thursday. Pakistani lessons in the counterinsurgency campaign, intelligence-sharing and training will be discussed.

The military-to-military relationship between the two countries is improving. Both sides are trying to overcome the effects of the Pressler Amendment, which forbade the U.S. military from dealing with the Pakistanis for 12 years. More exercises, more training together, more military exchanges between the United States and Pakistan are needed, the official said, and that is being planned.

The bottom line is that both the United States and Pakistan are democracies and it is in both countries’ interests to work together. “The United States is supporting Pakistan as it seeks to strengthen democratic institutions, as it seeks to foster more economic development, expand opportunities, deal with its energy and water problems and defeat the extremist groups who threaten both Pakistan’s security and stability in the larger region and American national security as well,” Holbrooke said.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Nawa residents celebrate Afghan new year

by Staff Sgt. Luis Agostini
RCT-7

NAWA DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan (March 21, 2010) – Residents celebrated the Afghan New Year at Nawa's market square March 21, under a blanket of security provided by the Afghan national security forces and Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

Complete with drama, poetry, feats of strength and demonstrations from Afghanistan's Olympic Tae Kwon Do team, Afghans celebrated the traditional Islamic New Year, known as Nowruz, which coincides with the annual spring equinox. Islamic culture celebrates this day as the day the Islamic prophet, Mohammad, began the migration, or Hijra, from Saudi Arabia to Medina.

"It's traditional, like Christmas," said 'James,' an Afghan Pashto interpreter with the Marines of 1/3. "There's drama, dancing, poetry; we go to each other's homes and celebrate."

Nawa's district administrator, Haji Mohammed Khan, spoke to the crowd of nearly 1,000, addressing the district's economic and security improvements. Lt. Col. Matt Baker, commanding officer of 1/3, and Sgt. Maj. Dwight D. Jones, sergeant major of 1/3, attended the event as honored guests, complete in Afghan garb and headdressings.

Just one year ago, a few weeks shy of the Marines' arrival in this farming community, thoughts of music and celebration were simply unimaginable.

Sadar Mohammad, a 31-year-old Afghan national police officer, spent last Nowruz fending off the Taliban from the Nawa district center. Over the last 365 days, Mohammad, a lifelong Nawa resident, has helped bolster Nawa as one of Helmand province's success stories.

"I saw a lot of changes – the arrival of peace, and people's interest in government rising," said Sadar Mohammad.

A stronger job market and economy followed the arrival of peace, and remained instrumental in maintaining security, Sadar Mohammad said.

"Before, people were jobless. If they work, they will not fight," he said.

Nawa has been touted as a model of success in Helmand province for others to follow. Many foreign dignitaries and senior government and military officials have walked through the bazaar to witness firsthand the transformation. Sadar Mohommad still sees the need for improvement, particularly in Nawa's infrastructure.

"Now with the arrival of peace, comes the need to improve the canals, roads and hospitals," Sadar Mohammad said.

The fledgling Afghan national security forces, comprised of the Afghan national army, Afghan national police and Afghan border police, have made great strides in their professional development and training over the past year, thanks in large part to the embedded training teams and training academies provided by the Marines and other members of International Security Forces Afghanistan.

"Before, we were blind. We had no social skills, and did not know how to deal with problems. Now, I'm not blind. I can see what is right and what is wrong," said Sadar Mohammad.

Even older Afghans like 55-year-old Lal Mohammad, an Afghan farmer, embrace the new year with optimism.

"Before, there was nothing. Nawa was not peaceful. The Taliban were in control," said Lal Mohammad, a former poppy farmer who now cultivates wheat, corn and watermelons.

Making a difficult living under Taliban rule, Lal Mohammad now enjoys a prosperous income and ability to support his family.

"Now I am a king, compared to that time," Lal Mohammad said.

Lal Mohammad has seen enough to know that the Marines are still needed in Nawa, and the Afghan forces have a ways to go before Nawa, and other areas of the country, are completely turned over to the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

"The Marines must work with the ANP and the ANA. The ANA and the ANP should be strong. I'm waiting for that," said Lal Mohammad. "They [Afghan forces] are working nicely, for now. If the situation stays like this, in the future it will be good."

For now, Lal Mohammad will enjoy the return of the festivities, and prays for it to remain an annual event.

"Now we are happy to celebrate together, and I pray to God that every year will be like this," said Lal Mohammad.

PHOTO: A young Afghan boy uses a homemade Afghan flag to shield his eyes from the sun March 21, during a celebration of Islamic New Year near the Nawa District center.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Photographer documents Iraq's economic growth since 2003

by Judith Snyderman
Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON (March 20, 2010) – A former White House staff photographer who started photographing Iraq in 2003 said Thursday that comparing old images to recent ones presents a picture of staggering economic growth there. (Click here for slideshow.)

Tina Hager snapped her first photo of Baghdad from Air Force One while accompanying then-President George W. Bush on a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit to meet with U.S. troops. A few years later, she moved to Dubai as a freelance photographer documenting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. On several assignments, she embedded with U.S. troops.

“I felt it was my photographic obligation after seeing history unfold at the very top to be able to continue to photograph the same situation, the same subject matter at ground level,” Hager said during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable.

In 2009, Hager started working as a photographer for the Defense Department’s task force for business and stability operations in Iraq. She said the assignment has given her access to record scenes of everyday life throughout the nation.

“In 2006 flying over Iraq, it was dusty, it was colorless. And now you fly over, and it’s just the Fertile Crescent.”

In addition to revitalized farmlands, Hager said, she’s photographed hundreds of new factories and businesses that are generating employment. Women, she observed, not only are part of the work force, but also are dominating the top ranks of the banking industry.

Today, she said, the landscape of Iraq looks like “a big green ocean” of agricultural success and factories that make everything from tractors to carpets based on classic patterns.

When a blogger participating in the conference call asked Hager whether she might be biased as a task force staff photographer, she said her job simply is to observe and photograph the subject matter.

“I get a great sense of satisfaction to encourage investment and economic stability in Iraq, and that is for me the most interesting way for me to help,” she explained.

Hager said she hopes to publish these images, along with others, in a book to create a permanent record of the transformation.

“I hope that people who contributed to this effort can see the progress that’s been made in Iraq,” she said. Hager added that she will return to Iraq next month and continue to photograph the nation’s comeback.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Commanders apply Marjah lessons to other regions

by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (March 19, 2010) – The Marjah operation has served as proof of principle for operations in Afghanistan, and commanders are working to adopt the principles in other areas in the country, a senior military official said.

The official, speaking on background, said that although much remains to be done, operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province have proved that the counterinsurgency strategy does work.

Still, actions in the region are in the early stages. Clear, hold, build and transfer are the steps in the strategy, the official said, and operations in the region are still in the hold and build stage.

The best counterinsurgency strategy is one the local government and people embrace, the official said, and operations in Helmand have that. Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government came up with the plan in Helmand, and many Afghan troops and police participated in the operation. Local tribal elders and district officials asked for the offensive, the official said, and Afghan officials wanted the operation designed in such a way so that it would minimize civilian casualties.

Local officials did not want Afghan police participating, the official noted, because local people regard the police as corrupt.

Now, the official said, the idea is to extend the effort to Kandahar, the second-largest city in Afghanistan and the spiritual home of the Taliban movement. Taliban leader Mullah Omar had his palace in Kandahar, and it is the heart of the Pastun area of the nation.

Shaping operations – mainly political -- already have begun in and around Kandahar, the official said. Government officials and NATO commanders are working with local councils and provincial officials to get buy-in from the people of the city. The area around Kandahar is just as important, the official added, and shaping operations in the outlying areas also are going on.

“These operations need to support and protect the population,” the official said. “Once this happens [and] the population sees the government as legitimate and the insurgents are marginalized, they become little more than brigands.”

The shaping initiatives will continue and will pick up steam, “but there won’t be a D-Day” in Kandahar, the official said.

The enemy’s “order of battle” is anything but orderly, the official said. Taliban are in the city, and some people sympathize with the group. But other extremists not affiliated with the Taliban or al-Qaida are there as well, and they don’t want order in the city. Criminal gangs and local warlords also want the status quo to continue, the official said.

Marja was a physical stronghold for the Taliban – the Taliban flag flew over the town, and fighters built fortifications in the area. Kandahar has problems with Taliban shadow governments, courts and community councils, the official said, and disassembling them will take different capabilities.

Training the country’s security forces is important to getting the Afghans to take the lead, the official said, noting that the Afghan army is doing well. “It’s uneven, but the Afghan National Army is a respected entity in the country,” he said. “The Afghan police are not regarded as highly.”

Overall, the goal is to train and field just over 300,000 Afghan security force members.

In December, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 additional American troops into Afghanistan. The Afghan surge is going well, with about a third of the troops in place with their equipment, the official said. Most of the rest of the forces will be in place by the end of August, with a few units moving in later. The flow of forces is proceeding, and the official said that U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Central Command and the NATO International Security Assistance Force have surmounted many obstacles.

“It’s like FedEx on steroids,” he said.

The American transportation effort is all the more incredible when the full scope is taken under consideration, the official said. U.S. military planners supplied the needs of two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have maintained supplies going to bases and operations around the world. Then, “when Haiti happened, they managed to supply that without a hiccup,” the official said, referring to the recent earthquake relief mission.

PHOTO: U.S. Army MRAPs transport hundreds of Afghan troops to Camp Shorbak in Helmand Province. Transporting large numbers of troops to the battlefield is one of several lessons commanders are applying to other regions in Afghanistan.

Source: US CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Senior Afghan leaders engage Marjah residents

ISAF Public Information Office.

MARJAH, Afghanistan (Mar. 1, 2010) - Afghanistan's Second Vice President, Karim Khalili, and Helmand Governor, Mohammed Ghulab Mangal, today visited Marjah in Central Helmand to meet with local residents and Afghan security forces.

This is the most senior visit of Afghan Government and NATO-ISAF officials since joint Afghan and international security forces commenced clearing the area of insurgents several weeks ago.

This visit enabled the Vice President to engage with hundreds of local residents who gathered at the District Centre and to hear their views, hopes and concerns for the future. Following steady but sure progress by Afghan and international forces in clearing the Marjah area of insurgents and the explosive devices they left behind, Mr. Khalili conveyed the determination of the Afghan Government to bring sustained security, improved governance and economic and social development to the area. He made clear that the Government of Afghanistan will maintain a strong and enduring presence in the area. He stated that those who continued to oppose peace and security would be pursued vigourously, but that the Government would support fighters who chose to lay down their arms and to rejoin society. He called on all the residents to join and support the Government's efforts to enable progress for the benefit of all.

Following a long period with little influence or investment from the Government in Marjah, many local residents took the opportunity to question and challenge the Vice President and Governor on their specific concerns. Many welcomed the improved security to the area and the recent deployment of the Afghan National Civil Order Police, but also expressed concerns over the previous behaviour and standard of the Afghan National Uniformed Police who will eventually be deployed to the District. In addition, residents were anxious to hear the details of how and when more concrete support from the Government would arrive to rebuild the community given the insurgents who previously controlled the area failed to do so.

Vice President Khalili and Governor Mangal were joined by NATO Senior Civilian representative, Ambassador Mark Sedwill, and COMISAF, General Stanley McChrystal. General McChrystal took the opportunity to meet with the Afghan Security Forces and ISAF soldiers and congratulate them on their achievements so far:

"This is just a first step but it's been an amazingly good first step. If you look at what both Afghan and ISAF forces did, how little damage was done and how few civilians were harmed and yet how many are now protected it's certainly amazing. The restraint, the maturity, the professionalism, that's what jumps out at me and I don't think that's lost on the Afghans either," he said.

Ambassador Sedwill welcomed the visit by Vice President Khalili and put the operation into its political context:

"What we've seen in the Marjah operation for the first time, is central Government really engaging in an operation of this kind. In the past these have been done at the provincial level and by the local police forces and the local army. For this operation we've had the central Government directly engaged."

PHOTO: Afghan Second Vice President Karim Khalili visited the former Taliban stronghold of Marjah to meet local residents. Also attending were Helmand Governor Mohammed Gulab Mangal, NATO Ambassador Mark Sedwill and Commander of ISAF Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Source: CENTCOM.

U.S. looks forward to further progress on Coalition Support Fund payments

U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Feb. 26, 2010) – U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson today said that the United States looks forward to working closely with the Government of Pakistan to reconcile its outstanding claims for 2009 Coalition Support Funds (CSF). She noted that just this week the United States made a payment of $349 million to Pakistan for all validated claims from 2008.

The Coalition Support Fund was established by the United States in 2001 to support allies for some of the legitimate costs they incur in the fight against extremist violence. Payments to Pakistan slowed recently because of the inability of Embassy personnel who process the payments to obtain Pakistani visas and/or visa extensions.

“Prime Minister Gilani’s offer to work with the United States to establish a transparent process on visas that will enable us to undertake the full range of activities to support our strong bilateral relationship including reimbursing legitimate and verifiable claims was a positive development,” Ambassador Patterson said. “We look forward to the creation of a visa mechanism that will enable U.S. officials to do our jobs without interference.”

Source: US CENTCOM.

Petraeus visits Pakistan

US Embassy - Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (Feb. 24, 2010) - U.S. Central Command commander Gen. David Petraeus visited Pakistan, Feb. 22-24, to consult with Pakistan leaders and U.S. Embassy officials here.

While in Pakistan, Gen. Petraeus met with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari; Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani; Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff; and several other senior Pakistani government officials. He also visited the Pakistan Military Academy in the North-West Frontier Province near Abbottabad and addressed students there.

During his meetings, Gen. Petraeus briefed the Pakistani leadership on the progress being made by the Afghan, US and international forces in the battle against extremism in Afghanistan. He promised continued support for the Pakistan military as it combats violent extremists in Pakistan and anticipated that vigorous progress by Pakistani security forces in the coming months will lead to major improvements in conditions in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Gen. Petraeus praised Pakistan's efforts to confront violent extremists and honored the sacrifices being made every day by the Pakistan military, government and people in their fight to restore peace and stability. He was impressed by the progress Pakistan's security forces have made throughout the country in places like South Waziristan and Swat to defeat anti-government militants who threaten Pakistan's way of life. He reinforced the United States' long-term commitment to Pakistan and expressed his appreciation for the leadership role Pakistan continues to provide in achieving the mutual goals of a peaceful and secure South Asia region.

Gen. Petraeus has visited Pakistan five times during the last twelve months to consult with Pakistan's leaders on the current U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and other regional security issues.

PHOTO 1: Gen. Petraeus shakes hands with officer training instructors at the Pakistani Military Academy, Feb 24, in Kakul near Abbottabad in the Northwest Frontier of Province, Pakistan.

PHOTO 2: Gen. Petraeus meets with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, General Ashvaq Parvez Kayani, Feb 24th, in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Source: CENTCOM.

Optimism grows among villagers as Moshtarak continues

ISAF Public Information Office.

KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 22, 2010) — Clearance operations continue to make progress and the operation is firmly on track. In Nad-e Ali, the combined force encountered limited small arms engagements throughout the area.

On the west side of the city, shuras continue to determine which compounds can be used as patrol bases. Engineers continue upgrading roads in order to enable the effective delivery of stabilization supplies. Patrols in the eastern portion of the operating area continue to enable freedom of movement on local roads.

Cautious optimism is growing in Nad-e Ali as early signs indicate a return to normality. The 2,000 people that have registered for the cash for work program are working on initiatives including bazaar clean-up, canal repairs and community refurbishment projects.

Determined resistance from small pockets of insurgents continues in Marjah. The combined force's main effort continues to be clearing IEDs and bunkers throughout the area. These clearing operations have enabled the opening of several roads in Marjah.The development situation in Marjah is progressing slowly due to ongoing resistance by the insurgents. There has been an increase in displaced persons with 542 families registering yesterday. The local government has provided assistance and relief to approximately 1,430 people. Out of all those registered, five families have requested shelter since the clearing operation began. RC-S is looking at ways to facilitate the delivery of aid to address UN concerns of a lack of food and water in Marjah. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team, Manoeuvre Enhancement Brigade and others are working together to establish how further assistance can be delivered within Marjah.

The goal of Operation Moshtarak - a Dari word for "together" - is for the combined force (ANA, ANP, ISAF and the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team) to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in asserting its authority in central Helmand, thereby demonstrating the Afghan government's commitment to the people living there.

The operation is being conducted at the request of the Afghan government and the governor of Helmand. The security forces involved are serving side-by-side, representing partnership in strength.

PHOTO: Afghan and British soldiers conduct a town meeting with village elders in Badula Qulp, Helmand Province, Afghanistan...

Source: CENTCOM feed.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.