Guest Authors

UNCLASSIFIED

2012-11-S-002
For Immediate Release

ISAF Joint Command daily operational update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Nov. 2) – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Kandahar province today.

The arrested leader is suspected of being responsible for organizing improvised explosive device operations, kidnappings, and attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

Read more: ISAF Joint Command morning operational update: 02 November 2012

Published: 01 November 2012

October 31, 2012 — Written By: R. Hossain

Introduction

The spike in green-on-blue attacks (also known as "insider attacks") in Afghanistan in 2012 is a worrying development that has the potential to endanger the International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF) mission to train and prepare Afghan security forces for the challenges of stabilizing the country. It is important to establish both the scope of the green-on-blue threat as well as the context in which the attacks occur.

General trends in green-on-blue attacks

From 2007 to 2012, there have been 69 documented green-on-blue attacks. It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the principal causes of these attacks given the small total number of incidents, but there are discernible trends.

Read more: Afghanistan: Green-on-Blue Attacks in Context

01 November 2012

Written By: Paul Wolfowitz | October 31, 2012
AEI-Ideas

It is hard to understand why Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, in discussing the US response to the attacks on two US facilities in Benghazi, Libya, offered this novel principle as a guide for US action – or inaction – during that crisis: “A basic principle is you don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on.”

Of course, no such “basic principle” governs the conduct of US military personnel in Afghanistan and elsewhere, who regularly go “into harm’s way” without “knowing what’s going on,” particularly when they know that American lives are in danger.

Panetta’s comment made it inevitable that people would question – as I did myself – President Obama’s claim that “The minute I found out what was happening . . . I gave the directive to make sure we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do. I guarantee you everybody in the CIA and military knew the number-one priority was making sure our people are safe.” If that was true, did Panetta’s comment mean that the military was disregarding a clear instruction from the president?

Read more: Distrust but verify