Taliban Increasing Afghani Resolve To Resist Them

Afghan Civilians, Government Join Forces to Defeat and Remove Taliban
ISAF Joint Command More Stories from ISAF Joint Command RSS

Date: 04.27.2010
Posted: 04.27.2010 08:35

KABUL, Afghanistan – Gizab District, locked centrally in the Hazarajet region of Afghanistan, recently was the scene of community resolve and determination when citizens took action to remove a Taliban threat from their village. The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, with minimal involvement by coalition forces, is assisting Gizab residents in their effort to purge the Taliban from the area.

With harassment by the Taliban increasing, local villagers held a shura and decided to establish a road block Wednesday in an effort to detain insurgents. This action led to the apprehension of several insurgents as well as their weapons and motorbikes. A Taliban commander, responsible for coordinating attacks against coalition special forces in the area, was among those apprehended at the road block.

Later that afternoon, Taliban insurgents armed with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades were preparing to attack the village. Local citizens, defending their homes and families, engaged the insurgents in a battle that lasted more than three days.

A combined patrol of Afghanistan national security force and International Security Assistance Force partners was conducting an operation nearby and responded, enhancing security at the village stronghold.

After three days of fighting, the insurgents were defeated and driven out of Gizab. Between the villagers and combined patrol, several insurgents were killed and four were arrested.

In the subsequent days, hostile action in the area has diminished, providing an opportunity for the governor of Dai Kundi, the provincial governor of neighbouring Uruzgan province, the local Malik and 20 other community leaders to travel to Gizab District for a meeting to announce their support for GIRoA and elect a district chief of police.

The combined force also attended the meeting Saturday to demonstrate their support for the people of Gizab and GIRoA. The combined force was warmly received by the villagers and leaders who said they were grateful for GIRoA’s support.

During the meeting, the deputy governor placed a phone call to President Hamid Karzai, who spoke to local elders and leaders and voiced his pleasure with the cooperation between the different elements, which ultimately removed 50 active Taliban fighters from the region.

“The villagers’ decision to react was fueled by Taliban members routinely exerting their influence and control over the people in the southern District of Gizab,” said Capt. Rebecca Lykins, a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan spokesman. “Their reaction is a testament to their confidence in GIRoA’s ability to protect and serve the populace.”

Taliban Reintegrated in Baghlan

ISAF Joint Command
Date: 04.26.2010
Posted: 04.26.2010 04:50

KABUL, Afghanistan – Eight Taliban insurgents walked up to the gates of a forward operating base in Puza-i-Eshan Saturday to turn themselves in to Afghan national security forces.

The departure from the Taliban came in the midst of Operation Taohid II, an Afghan-led operation in the north designed to defeat the insurgency, provide humanitarian supplies to the people and enable development projects in the area.

Gen. Murad Ali Murad, Afghan national army 209th Corps commander held a shura with the Taliban members to negotiate the terms of their reintegration. Brig. Gen. Frank Leidenberger, Regional Command-North commander also attended.

“This is your country, when you fight against us here you fight against your own country,” Murad said. “An hour ago, you were part of the black name of the Taliban, but now we welcome you back as our brothers.”

Operation Taohid II is the largest operation the ANSF have led in the north. About 1,000 combat-ready Afghan national army troops are taking part in the operation, supported by ISAF troops from Germany, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Croatia and Belgium.

One indicator of the operation’s success was the securing of the Kuk Chenar (Dutch) Bridge and the return of large groups of civilians who had been frightened away by insurgents.

Civilian freedom of movement is now being further improved as work continues around the bridge’s base along the river. A large number of trucks have been removing loads of the river’s sludge to aid the flow of the river. Guard posts have been stationed on either end of the bridge to provide safe passage for residents.

Also:

Afghan Civilians, Government Join Forces to Defeat and Remove Taliban

Gizab District, locked centrally in the Hazarajet region of Afghanistan, recently was the scene of community resolve and determination when citizens took action to remove a Taliban threat from their village. The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, with minimal involvement by coalition forces, is assisting Gizab residents in their effort to purge the Taliban from the area.
04.27.10, Courtesy Story

Afghanistan Surge Providing Progress

Air Strike in Afghanistan Kills Senior Insurgents

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2010 – A senior militant commander in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province and two of his top advisors were killed in a precision air strike in northern Kunduz this morning, military officials reported.

The senior insurgents were driving through a rural desert area northeast of Kunduz City when they were struck by precision air fire.

The senior Taliban commander was involved in all aspects of insurgent operations in Kunduz province, officials said. He was responsible for setting target priorities, weapons distribution and directing attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.

In other recent operations in Afghanistan:

— In Kandahar province this morning, a combined Afghan-international security force detained several suspected insurgents for questioning.

— In Helmand province’s Nad-e Ali district yesterday, a combined patrol found an assault rifle, magazines, 130 rounds of ammunition and 30 pounds of homemade explosives.

— Coalition forces patrolling in the Dzadran district of Paktia province yesterday found 17 rocket-propelled grenades, nine fuses, four rear stabilizers and 300 heavy machine gun rounds. One individual was detained.

— An Afghan-international security force killed one militant and detained a few others as they pursued a Taliban leader in Kunduz the night of April 24. As the combined force approached a compound after intelligence reports of militant activity, they were confronted by an armed man, who was shot and killed.

— In Helmand on April 24, a combined force tried to stop a vehicle driven by the suspected militants. The driver didn’t comply and tried to escape. Shots were exchanged, and three insurgents were killed, including a Taliban commander responsible for assigning fighters and setting attack priorities in his area and involved in weapons delivery and battle-damage assessments after attacks on coalition forces. A search of the vehicle uncovered an automatic rifle and multiple grenades.

— Also on April 24, an Afghan civilian directed a combined patrol in Helmand’s Washer district to a cache containing 25 pounds of refined opium, an assault rifle, several magazines and a chest-bomb rig.

— In Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district April 24, an Afghan-international patrol found and destroyed five 60 mm mortar rounds.

— A combined Afghan-international security force captured a Taliban subcommander and a suspected insurgent and killed several other insurgents in Logar province April 24. As the assault force conducted a call-out, they were confronted by armed men, who were shot and killed. The Taliban subcommander, believed to be involved in planning suicide attacks, surrendered. A search of the area found several weapons, including an automatic rifle and pistols.

— In Kunduz’s Archi district the night of April 23, a combined Afghan-international security force was engaged with small-arms fire. The combined force returned fire, killing several insurgents and detaining a few others. Two of those killed were Taliban commanders, one of them being the target of the raid, who was responsible for distributing insurgent funds, designating targets and planning bombings. Though women and children were in the compound buildings, none were injured during the operation. The homeowner told the patrol the Taliban had forced their way into the compound for the night. International forces will reimburse the homeowner for minor damage to his property. A search of the buildings yielded automatic rifles, a machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade, hand grenades and other weapons.

— In Khost province April 24, a combined force detained a suspected insurgent while hunting for a Haqqani terrorist network commander.

— In Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district April 24, a combined patrol found two shotguns, 40 pounds of opium, small-arms ammunition and various electrical components, as well as another cache consisting of two pressure plate initiation devices 40 pounds of homemade explosives.

— One militant was killed and several others captured by an Afghan-international security force pursuing a Taliban facilitator in Ghazni province the night of April 22. As the force approached the targeted compound, several men ran away. One insurgent moved toward the security force in a hostile manner and was shot and killed. Several other suspected insurgents were captured.

— Also on the night of April 22, a combined force in Khost’s Terezai district captured a Haqqani network bombing-attack facilitator and another suspected insurgent. Ammonium nitrate, aluminum powder and rifles were found on site.

— In Kunduz province’s Chahar Darah district the night of April 22, a combined security force detained a suspected insurgent for questioning. An armed man ran from the compound and later fired on the security force. He was shot and killed.

— In Nangarhar province’s Khogyani district the night of April 22, a combined force captured a Taliban subcommander responsible for directing roadside-bomb and rocket-propelled grenade attacks on coalition forces, along with another suspected insurgent.

— The same night in Helmand’s Reg-e Khan Neshin district, a combined force found a roadside bomb, three roadside-bomb power sources, five spools of copper wire, an intelligence radio, two assault rifles with ammunition, brass knuckles and 88 pounds of raw opium. After coordination with the village elder, the combined force detained more than 20 men in the compound.

— In Helmand’s Garm Ser district that night, an Afghan-international patrol acting on a tip from an Afghan civilian found 50 chest rigs and 19 magazines.

— A combined patrol found nine grenades, four rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms ammunition, homemade explosives, a timer and detonation cord in the Chorah district of Uruzgan province April 22.

–– A combined security force in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district killed five insurgents the night of April 22 after receiving sustained heavy gunfire from a compound. A search yielded multiple automatic rifles, armor-piercing rounds, bomb-making materials and blasting caps. A Taliban suicide attack commander with ties to the Haqqani network was killed in the firefight, along with four other insurgents.

Two U.S. servicemembers died of wounds suffered in the firefight.

No civilians were reported harmed in these operations, officials said.

Taliban Fading In Afghanistan

Afghan, International Troops Capture Taliban Commander

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2010 – Afghan and international forces last night captured several insurgents in Afghanistan, including a Taliban commander suspected in several attacks against coalition forces, military officials said.

A combined Afghan-international force captured the commander during a search of a compound southwest of Kandahar City after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The man is suspected in a prison attack and assaults on coalition forces, and is believed to be part of the Taliban’s media efforts.

Combined forces captured several other militants during that search and others around the country last night.

In the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, a combined force searched a series of compounds and detained several militants for further questioning.

In Khost, a combined force captured several militants while pursuing a Haqqani terrorist network subcommander. The force searched a compound in the Sabari district after intelligence indicated militant activity, detained the militants, and found automatic rifles, grenades, fuses, ammunition and a large amount of explosives.

In Kunduz, a combined force searched a compound northwest of Kunduz City after intelligence indicated militant activity. The force detained two suspected militants for further questioning.

No shots were fired and no Afghan civilians were harmed in those operations.

Meanwhile, Afghan and international forces are investigating two unrelated incidents of civilian deaths.

Four Afghan children were wounded today during a firefight between insurgents and international troops in Kapisa province. The children were medically evacuated to an International Security Assistance Force medical facility. One of the children reportedly has died from the wounds.

It is unclear who caused the children’s injuries, and the case is under investigation, military officials said.

Also, combined forces in Helmand’s Nahr-e Saraj district discovered the bodies of two women, an elderly man and a child, along with four dead militants, following a prolonged battle with insurgents yesterday. The bodies were found inside a compound insurgents were using as a firing position. Coalition forces, unaware of the possible presence of civilians, directed defensive air assets against the compound, officials said.

Afghan and ISAF military officials have launched an incident assessment team to review the factors leading up to the incident.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

Push In Kandahar Is Under Way

Kandahar Shaping Operations Under Way, Official Says

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 30, 2010 – U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan are laying the groundwork for their much-anticipated efforts to combat extremists in Kandahar, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said in a Pentagon news conference today.

Morrell said combat operations will begin in earnest in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, he said, troops are engaged in what military officials refer to as “shaping” operations in preparation for the upcoming offensive there.

“The truth is they have begun,” Morrell said of shaping operations taking place in Kandahar, the spiritual center of the Taliban. “They have been months in the making.”

A U.S. Stryker brigade combat team arrived in southern Afghanistan last summer, marking the beginning of operations there. The Stryker vehicles are used to secure routes in and out of Afghanistan’s second-largest city, while other preparatory work, such as tribal engagements by U.S. special operations forces, are also under way.

Shuras – meetings of influential community leaders – are a critical component to shaping the eventual operation by gaining local support, Morrell said.

“So clearly, a lot of the preparatory work, the shaping operations that will be essential to ultimate success in Kandahar, are under way, and have been under way, frankly, for months now,” he said.

Morrell wouldn’t speculate on a timetable for major offensives to begin in Kandahar, but more forces will be dedicated to operations there in the weeks ahead, he said. More civilian support also will be required from NATO and the Afghan government to be successful there, he added.

“Ultimately, we need a more sizeable force to be successful there than we currently have in place,” he said.

Coalition and Afghan security forces are building on successful operations in Helmand province to launch similar operations in Kandahar city and province. However, Morrell stressed that forces in Kandahar would constitute more of a “facilitating” role, because the city has “some semblance of government control, unlike Marja, which was mostly entirely in the hands of the Taliban.

“There may be some foundation on which to build,” he said of operations in Kandahar and its government. “Therefore we would more in the role of facilitating additional government assets and support and security elements coming in, and that they could be more the providers of security and better government services.”

Kandahar will be an important operation to establish security in the country. The operation alone will not decide the overall outcome in Afghanistan, but it’s a necessary step to root out the Taliban, given the city’s historical significance to the Taliban movement, Morrell said.

“[Kandahar] is the likely next stop on a 12-to-18-month-long campaign,” he said. “It will clearly be a very important operation. We certainly hope it will be one that will break the back, to a large extent, of the Taliban who have called it home and who have used it as a sanctuary for some time.”

Kandahar Operations Kill Terrorists

Combined Forces Kill, Detain Militants

American Forces Press Service
KABUL, March 30, 2010 – Afghan and international forces killed several militants and detained numerous suspected militants in recent operations, military officials reported.

No Afghan civilians were harmed in the operations, officials said.

— An Afghan-international security force detained several suspected insurgents for further questioning after searching a compound in north Kandahar city last night.

— In Paktika province’s Bermal district last night, several militants were killed when they threatened a combined Afghan-international security team. The combined force detained several additional militants and found automatic rifles and multiple rocket-propelled grenades at the compound.

— In Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district last night, an Afghan-international force captured a Taliban weapons facilitator accused of buying and selling large amounts of weapons, munitions and explosives for other militant networks. The security force also detained a few other suspected militants.

— In Zabul province’s Shinkai district last night, a combined force went to a rural area where intelligence information indicated militant activity. Two militants engaged the approaching force and were killed. During a follow-on search the combined force found radios, an automatic rifle, ammunition and a rocket launcher with multiple rounds.

— In Farah province’s Shewan district yesterday, an Afghan civilian turned in two 155 mm rounds and an improvised explosive device to a security force.

— On March 28, a combined Afghan-international force noticed suspicious movements in an uninhabited area outside of Shindand in Herat province and launched an illumination round. Insurgents then opened fire on the force, causing no injuries. The security force returned fire with small arms and mortar fire, forcing the insurgents to flee. Upon searching the area, the security force found more than 300 pounds of explosives, an 82 mm mortar round, four artillery shells, two grenades, three anti-tank rockets, a 122 mm anti-tank round and small-arms ammunition. The cache was destroyed.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

Taliban In The Nad-e Ali District Of Helmand

Forces in Afghanistan Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2010 – Afghan and international forces detained several suspected insurgents in Marja, Afghanistan, yesterday and found numerous weapons caches in recent operations, military officials reported.

Officials also provided details on two incidents involving civilian casualties.

In the Marja operation, a combined Afghan-international force searched a compound in the southeastern part of the town in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province after intelligence information indicated militant activity. During the search, the combined force detained several suspected insurgents for further questioning.

In Ghazni province last night, an International Security Assistance Force patrol recovered a weapons cache after it was reported by an Afghan civilian. The cache contained a hand grenade, 62 mortar fuses and shotgun ammunition.

An ISAF patrol in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak province last night found a weapons cache containing a 107 mm rocket, four rocket fuses, two 82 mm mortar rounds, two mortar fuses and nine Russian-made projectile fuses.

In the Bala Boluk district of Farah province yesterday, a combined Afghan-international patrol found a cache containing more than a half ton of suspected ammonium nitrate, a banned fertilizer often used in making homemade bombs.

An Afghan-international patrol in Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district found a cache containing seven assault rifles, two shotguns, a rifle, two 9 mm pistols, various machine-gun ammunition, pressure-plate initiation devices and various bomb-making materials.

Another Afghan-international patrol in Nad-e Ali found a cache containing 15 82 mm mortar rounds, a rocket-propelled grenade and two fragmentation charges, each containing 25 pounds of homemade explosives.

In other news from Afghanistan, three injured children were brought to an ISAF forward operating base near Tarin Kowt today after ISAF soldiers had completed a training exercise involving live ammunition. They received immediate medical attention and were evacuated for further treatment, although none of the injuries initially appear to be life-threatening, officials said.

An investigation is under way, officials said, and compensation for injuries or property damage caused by ISAF activities will be offered according to local customs.

Meanwhile, preliminary investigation results of a March 24 incident in the Bak district of Khost province indicate that a combined ISAF-Afghan force accidentally caused the deaths of two civilians and injuries to four others when the force was returning indirect fire against an insurgent attack nearby.

The injured civilians initially were brought to a nearby military compound by villagers. Afghan commandos and coalition medics provided immediate medical treatment, and the injured people subsequently were taken to an ISAF military hospital for further treatment.

A boy later was taken to Bagram Airfield for more treatment, and three other injured civilians were treated at the hospital and released.

After the incident, Afghan and coalition leaders immediately met with village elders and relatives to help determine the cause of the incident. The governor and subgovernor also were notified.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this terrible accident and their families,” said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, ISAF Joint Command spokeswoman. “We take accidents such as this very seriously, and we incorporate investigative findings into our operations to improve our procedures. We remain fully committed to the people of Afghanistan, and we take every precaution to prevent civilian casualties.”

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

Mohannad Rahman Salim Muhaymid al-Ani Reported Killed in Baghdad

Key al-Qaida Leader Reported Killed in Baghdad

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2010 – The suspected Baghdad “sharia emir” for al-Qaida in Iraq was killed today during a combined security operation in the northern part of the Iraqi capital, military officials reported.

A sharia emir is responsible for enforcing radical religious rules imposed by groups such as al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Acting on a warrant issued by an Iraqi judge, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched for Sinan, also known as Mohannad Rahman Salim Muhaymid al-Ani, who is believed to be one of the primary approval authorities for al-Qaida in Iraq attacks and assassinations in the Baghdad region.

Before beginning their search, security team members directed those inside a targeted building to come out in an orderly fashion. One man instead fled to the rooftop and jumped to an adjacent building, eventually making his way to the ground and hiding in a stairwell.

Realizing he was surrounded, he first approached the security team as if to surrender. But as he got near, he lunged at a security team member and tried to wrestle away his firearm. Other security team members shot the man, who died at the scene. He later was identified as the wanted man.

No one else was killed or wounded during the operation, officials said.

After preliminary questioning and an initial examination of evidence at the scene, Iraqi forces arrested three of the man’s suspected criminal accomplices.

In other news from Iraq, Iraqi forces captured a suspected regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader during a combined operation today in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.

Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors arrested a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader, who is believed to have been involved in planning multiple coordinated vehicle-borne bombing attacks against the Iraqi government, several of which have taken place in Baghdad.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)

Drone Warfare Is Not A Nintendo Game, But Enemy Propaganda Is A Cause Célèbre

War, we should sadly acknowledge, is not a Nintendo game.
bin Laden has observed that 90 percent of his battle is waged in the media.

CIA director Michael Hayden has said that “By making a safe haven feel less safe, we keep Al Qaeda guessing. We make them doubt their allies; question their methods, their plans, even their priorities,” he explained. Hayden went on to say that the key outcome of the drone attacks was that “we force them to spend more time and resources on self-preservation, and that distracts them, at least partially and at least for a time, from laying the groundwork for the next attack.” Since law-enforcement authorities have uncovered few serious plans against U.S. or European targets, the plan seams to work, at least in part.

Privately, American officials rave about the drone program. One former Bush administration official said that the drones had so crimped militant activity in FATA that they had begun discussing a move to Yemen or Somalia. It has been pointed out that the number people spying on Al Qaeda and the Taliban that have been killed has risen dramatically in the past year. The obvious sign that that the militants are turning on themselves in an effort to root out the sources intelligence for the often pinpoint intelligence that has led to the deaths of close to half of the top militant leaders in the area under attack.

When the dead leaders are replaced by more junior members of the group they lack the experience and quality of leadership. Dennis Blair, the Director of National Intelligence testified befor Congress, reporting that “replacing the loss of key leaders, since 2008, in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas has proved difficult for Al Qaeda.” And that is the point of major significance, the quantity of fighters is not as important as the quality of leadership. Bad leadership can march superior numbers into battle only to see them slaughtered.

The truth of the effectiveness and the pain that the drone program has inflicted on Al Qaeda surely must be a reduction in the number of audio and videotapes that the terrorist group has released through its propaganda arm. bin Laden has observed that 90 percent of his battle is waged in the media, and the leftards have joined the battle. As Sahab authored close to 100 tapes in 2007. After the drone war started in 2008, the number of releases dropped by a significant number, again, clear indication that the group’s leaders were in disarray and concerned more with their survival then propaganda.

Between 2002 and 2004, al Qaeda leaders had opted for the perceived safety of Pakistan’s teeming, anonymous cities. They failed to realize that activities such as making cell phone calls or making Internet connections targeted their locations exactly or or provided clues as to the whereabouts of Al Qaeda operatives. As a result, in the first few years after September 11, many key Al Qaeda operatives were captured. Following a series of arrests, Al Qaeda members and remaining leadership moved to the areas of Pakistan not tightly controlled by the central government, this made them easy targets in the drone war.

There has been a concerted effort to inform the Pakistan people about the dangers of the Taliban, al Qaeda nexus. Dramatic efforts to drag the civil population in the war has resulted in a muted anti-government campaign in their MSM and a feeling that such propaganda is an unpopular form of expression. Terrorist attacks on civilians generally are a concession that they have lost, or have diminishing support. Taliban and al Qaeda YouTube channels have engaged in a war of words with Pro-Pakistan Patriotism YouTube channels, a bald face admission that they fear the loss of the educated and prosperous sectors of the population. The areas of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas which are subject to strikes by “drones”, are barren earth to grow a YouTube audience. Conversely, the well educated, connected population centers that have been the point of attack from the terrorists, will generate a larger number of people committed to their defeat.

The conventional wisdom in the MSM and leftard bolggers is that the drone program is unpopular among Pakistanis. They of course ignore the people polled in the FATA that say the drone strikes are accurate and are damaging the militant organizations. Fewer than half said that anti-American sentiment in the area had increased due to the drone attacks. The only people surprised by this have never had a large group of religious nuts take over their neighborhood, kill their family, kidnap or rape their children and steal food or household furnishings, deliver night mail and institute a rule of law that violates their religious tenets. To them, the occasional missiles falling from the sky must look like a gift from God (Allah).

In any case, fears of infringement on their sovereignty and general anti-Americanism can be whipped up by the MSM and bloggers in America and Pakistan. Pakistan Priminister Gilani has told CNN that there was no agreement between his government and the Americans to allow the strikes. The experienced listener considers the fact that years old satellite photos reveal the presence of advanced drones on Pakistani soil. And a shallow parsing of this statement would reveal that it does not exclude the possibility that Pak military may be in control of the operational aspect of the drone attacks. Even the Senate “drone” Feinstein has said, “As I understand it, these are flown out of a Pakistani base.”

The militants have actually understood the political reality on the ground. They used the drone attacks as an excuse to strike. The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, has said that attacks were “in retaliation for the continued drone strikes by the U.S. in collaboration with Pakistan on our people.”

In large part due to terrorist, MSM and blogger propaganda the United States is the victim of an unfavorably opinion held by four out of five Pakistanis. This not being bad enough, a majority of Pakistani people blame the United States for the violence plaguing their country. I consider this to be a symptom of the old human conditioning to believe that “the enemy you know is better than the enemy you don’t know”.

Pakistani officials have gone to great pains to distance themselves from the drone attacks and at the same time taken no actions to stop them.

Special Forces SOCOM Competion

Special Forces SOCOM Competion

Special Forces SOCOM Competion

Special Forces SOCOM Competion

Fuerzas Commando 2009 was a military skills competition between some of the top special forces teams in the western hemisphere. The event was hosted by Brazil from June 17 24, 2009. Security forces from 21 countries took part part in the challenging contest, which promoted military-to-military relationships, increased interoperability and improved regional security.

The Brazilian military hosted Fuerzas Comando 2009 with Special Operations Command South serving as the lead U.S. military organization for coordination of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-sponsored exercise.

More than 300 military, law enforcement and civilian personnel from the 22 participating nations (see list below) took part at the peak of the exercise. About 150 U.S. service members from all the services were involved.

Fuerzas Comando 2009 tested the participants physical and psychological endurance through many obstacles both on land and in water. It included two parts: a multinational special operations skills competition and a senior leader seminar (see below).

Multinational competitions like this build the required capacity to collectively confront direct threats. Many of todays transnational threats, such as kidnappings, international gangs, terrorism, drug trafficking and illicit activities, cannot be defeated by traditional military means alone. Defeating these threats require common goals and cooperation with our regional partners.

The Fuerzas Comando exercise series is part of a longstanding set of multinational and bi-lateral exercises that foster regional relations and cooperation against trans-national threats, maintain partnerships and alliances and promote cooperative security arrangements.

Multinational Special Operations Skills Competition:

The skills competition was designed to improve multinational regional cooperation, enhance mutual trust and confidence, and advance the training, readiness and interoperability of participating special operations forces in tactics, techniques, and procedures. The skills competition had two events:

Assault team competition

A physical fitness test; a confidence course; close-quarters combat; a rucksack march; water event; and an obstacle course.

Sniper team competition

The sniper team competition will consist of five events: a physical fitness test; marksmanship; shoot and move; range estimation; and stalk and shoot events.

Each participating nation sent a judge, a five-person Special Operations assault team and a two-man sniper team to compete in challenging tests and evaluations of their skills in special operations tactics, techniques and procedures used in counter-terrorist operations.

Senior Leader Seminar:

The senior leader seminar, hosted by the Brazilian military, helped to develop, refine and improve political and military relations and multinational cooperation in fighting terrorism and other transnational threats. Participants included a commander and a senior level representative from each nation involved in making counter-terrorism decisions and policy making. The seminar took place in Goinia June 23 25.

Nations Participating:

Special operations military and police forces from Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States, and Uruguay will participate in the exercise

Background:

This was the sixth consecutive year Fuerzas Comando has taken place in SOUTHCOMs area of focus.