AFGHANISTAN UPDATE

11 January 2008

No. 27: 21 December 2007 - 10 January 2008

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Summary:

• U.S. Marines open "court of inquiry" into Afghanistan shooting
• U.S. Department of Defense considers sending more troops to Afghanistan
• NATO General predicts bumper poppy crop for Afghanistan
• Complications for prison at Bagram military base
• Senior U.N. and EU officials expelled from Afghanistan
• Top U.N. envoy expresses concern over Afghan security
  

U.S. Marines open "court of inquiry" into Afghanistan shooting
The U.S. Marine Corps opened a rare "court of inquiry" this week to investigate allegations that a special forces unit killed 19 and injured as many as 50 Afghan civilians in March after an explosives-rigged minivan crashed into their convoy. The inquiry, which is scheduled to last two weeks, will focus on the actions of the commander of the 120-person unit and a platoon leader. While accounts of the incident and number dead remain in dispute, the court expects to cover such issues as rules of engagement and the "command climate" of the company.

U.S. Department of Defense considers sending more troops to Afghanistan
The Pentagon is considering sending 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan to bolster coalition forces against a suspected spring offensive by the Taliban. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, will review a proposal from U.S. commanders in Afghanistan on Friday, however, no final decision is expected. The proposal comes as commanders complain that 7,500 troops promised by NATO member countries have never arrived in the theatre. If approved, the troops would likely be stationed in Helmand province, a stronghold of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

NATO General predicts bumper poppy crop for Afghanistan
General Dan McNeill, the U.S. general in charge of NATO forces in Afghanistan, stated he is expecting "explosive growth" in the poppy crop this year. Last year Afghanistan produced ninety-three percent of the world's opium. Serious debates over counter drug proposals continue to stall action on poppy field destruction. However, it has been determined that NATO will not be directly involved in the eradication of the poppy fields. McNeill estimated that insurgents gain twenty to thirty percent, or more, of their income from narcotics. In parts of the country crop-replacement programs have had some success, but in less secure areas poppy cultivation is still rampant.

Complications for prison at Bagram military base
The Bush administration recently experienced both logistical and diplomatic difficulties when it attempted to transfer several prisoners from Bagram prison to another, Afghan administered, high security prison. The Afghan government has rejected the adoption of a Guantanamo Bay style prison and "enemy combatant" legal frame work currently used by the United States. The Bagram Theater Internment Facility is a U.S. run internment camp established at the Bagram military base. The prison was opened shortly after U.S. troops arrived in Afghanistan in 2001, and was used as a screening facility. Today it holds approximately 630 prisoners. The International Red Cross is protesting the indefinite detentions and swelling numbers. The U.S. government claims all but 30 occupants are Afghan nationals and Taliban fighters.

Senior U.N. and EU officials expelled from Afghanistan
Two senior development officials left Afghanistan on 27 December after the Afghan government accused them of holding unauthorized talks with the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand. The two officials-one the EU's acting mission head and the other a senior political advisor with the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan-left Thursday morning on a regular charter flight to Pakistan. While both organizations dismiss the row as the result of a "misunderstanding," the government insists that "no way is left open" for the pair's return. The expulsions, rarely seen in Afghanistan, highlight the growing strains between the Karzai government and the international community over how best to bring the Taliban to the government's side. With the lines often blurred between Taliban members, sympathizers, and foreigners hostile to the central government, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, William Wood, called on all parties to engage in closer communication and dialogue.

Top U.N. envoy expresses concern over Afghan security
On 30 December, outgoing U.N. envoy Tom Koenigs stated that he was concerned with the security situation currently developing in Afghanistan, especially in the south. Koenigs stressed the need to bring "hospitals, schools, and jobs to the people" of Afghanistan in order to rebuild the country and secure peace. He also said that reparations are needed for past human rights abuses.

Candice Boyer and Andrew Imbrie, BASIC

Please note: BASIC does not necessarily endorse comments, editorials, or reports listed in this update.

Stories and Links:

Afghans favor U.S. attacks in Pakistan: Al Qaeda sanctuary, Jason Straziuso, AP via DAWN, 10/1
http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/10/int9.htm

Poland near deal on bigger Afghanistan role, Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters, 9/1
http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSL09871356

34 killed in Afghan snowfalls, AFP, 9/1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080109/wl_afp/afghanistandisasterweathersnow_080109141433

U.S. reviews fight against Qaeda in Pakistan, Daily Times (Pakistan), 8/1
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\01\08\story_8-1-2008_pg1_2

Roadside Bomb Kills 4 in Southern Afghanistan, VOA News, 7/1
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-07-voa20.cfm

ISAF, Afghan Collaboration to Bring Prosperity, ISAF, 6/1
http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/pressreleases/2008/01-january/pr080106-007.html

U.N. insists its envoys did not talk to Taliban, Pajhwok Afghan News, 4/1
http://www.pajhwak.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=48035

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Controls Over Ex-Taliban David Hicks 'Excessive', Stephen de Tarczynski, IPS News, 3/1
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40666

ISAF Commander Predicts Afghan Militancy Upsurge in 2008, China View, 2/1
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/02/content_7355523.htm

21 Killed in Taliban attacks across Afghanistan, AP, 31/12
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/31/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Violence.php

1 NATO Soldier Killed, 4 wounded in South Afghanistan; Taliban Kill 8 in convoy attack, AP, 30/12
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/30/asia/AS-GEN-Afghanistan.php

Little hope for Afghans in 2008, David Loyn, BBC News, 30/12
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7156338.stm

Mullah Omar sacks top Taliban commander, UPI, 29/12
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/29/mullah_omar_sacks_top_taliban_commander/4990/

Editorials, Transcripts and Reports:

After Bhutto, Afghanistan Shudders, Greg Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations Backgrounder, 7/1
http://www.cfr.org/publication/15173/after_bhutto_afghanistan_shudders.html?breadcrumb=%2Fregion%2F279%2Fsouth_asia

ISAF Press Conference - General Dan McNeill, NATO-ISAF Website, 3/1
http://www.nato.int/isaf/media/video/2008/index.html#pc080103a

Operation Mountain Lion: CJTF-76 in Afghanistan, Spring 2006, Col. Michael A. Coss, Military Review, January/February 2008
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/JanFeb08/CossEngJanFeb08.pdf

Challenges 2007-2008: Spate of Suicide Bombings Auger Ill for Pakistan, Ashfaq Yusufzai, IPS News, 24/12
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40587

Recommendations to the Independent Panel on Canada's Future Role in Afghanistan, Senlis Council Report, December 2007
http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/manley_report

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