Terrorist Kills 14 Children in Khowst Province
Dec 28 at 11:11am by David Tate
According to the US military, the attack on the Mandozayi district center on the morning of December 28, left an additional 58 people wounded, including 40 civilians and roughly 20 members of Afghanistan’s security forces.
Authorities say the bomber was targeting a tribal shura of local elders that was meeting in the compound when the explosives were set off. A security video releaed by the US military shows a pickup truck weaving through security barriers before detonating next to a line of children walking by. The explosion ripped through a nearby primary school and Afghan security post.
It was the last day of school for students who were preparing to receive their graduation certificates. A government spokesman tells the AP that the children ranged in age from 8-10.
The US military is assigning probable blame to the Haqqanni network which is active in the region. CNN says the Taliban is claiming responsibility. A US military spokesman tells me the district is “very stable”, and generally pro-government and coalition.
Americans Preparing to Take Control of Kandahar
Dec 26 at 5:05pm by David Tate
“We will see more US forces and more US investment in southern Afghanistan which will be a game changer.”- Gen. John Nicholson to NBC News from Kandahar, December 2008.
According to Reuters, on December 11 at Kandahar Airfield, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told US troops, during a “town hall” meeting, that he hoped the increase in troop strength would be in place by late spring. The man in charge of this American escalation in the region is Brigadier General John Nicholson who will be filling a new position called Deputy Commanding General for Stability of Regional Command South.
“We are now going to be able to secure the vast majority of the population in the south and deliver the basic services through the government that they were unable to do this point.” Nicholson recently told NBC at Kandahar Airfield.
This all but seals the long expected deal that the United States would eventually take over Kandahar’s security, which the Canadians assumed from the US in February 2006 after a long mission in Kabul early in the war. It also takes the Americans a step closer to assuming responsibility over Regional Command South as the US is also looking to greatly boost troop levels in Helmand and Farah Provinces as well (an idea that is causing quite a stir in Great Britain).
With Canada set to leave in 2011, the Canadians appear to be heading toward a diminished role as that date moves closer. That role would primarily involve support and humanitarian efforts which could evolve into a precursor for a new mandate that will see Canadian troops remain in Afghanistan beyond the current withdrawl date.
Unifier or Divider?
Nicholson is no stranger to Afghanistan. He led 10th Mountain troops as commanding officer of Task Force Spartan and is considered an expert in counterinsurgency. However that past may prove to be an issue as Nicholson’s area of operations will see his army units mixing regularly with US Marine units, who have a recent bad history with Nicholson.
Nicholson upset the Marines command when he publicly called out a Marines Corps Special Operations company following a use of force that killed as many as 19 civilians and wounding dozens during a ten-mile path of gunfire. The event, which happened on March 4, 2007, stained the inaugural deployment for the brand new special ops unit that was highly regarded leading up to that point.
Nicholson ran into problems for going public with his opinion before the full report was concluded saying in May 2007:
“I stand before you today, deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people. We are filled with grief and sadness at the death of any Afghan, but the death and wounding of innocent Afghans at the hand of Americans is a stain on our honor and on the memory of the many Americans who have died defending Afghanistan and Afghan people.”
During the debacle, allegations of inter service rivalry constantly crept up as the incident became an international rally point for those that claim US action in Afghanistan is excessive in its use of force, especially in regards to Afghan civilians.
Initial Goals
According to The Economist, the new strategy taking form in Afghanistan will focus on securing Highway One, which is also called the “Ring Road”, as it connects all of Afghanistan’s major cities to one another (with a big ring). In Kandahar Province, the highway runs through the disputed district of Arghandab, which lies to Kandahar City’s north and is an area notoriously used as a springboard for the Taliban to launch attacks on Kandahar City itself. Arghandab has been identified as one of the five critical districts in Afghanistan the coalition plans on devoting considerable time and resources to secure and rebuild.
I expect that the first major US-led operation in Kandahar will be gaining full, lasting control of Arghandab, followed by an intensive humanitarian move to help that district’s fertile farmland again become the breadbasket of Kandahar. This will most likely happen within the next month so farmers can be on track for the spring growing season.
Overall, the move would pay big dividends by securing Khandahar’s northern side, securing and then promoting its primary food-producing region as well as eliminating the primary area from which the Taliban launch attacks on the country’s second largest city.
Current US troops in the province primarily include 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division based in Maiwand, west of Kandahar on the border with Helmand Province. The battalion, in place less than a year, was originally set to deploy farther north in Regional Command East before being diverted. They represent just over 30% of the combined non-Afghan force in the province.
Big changes are coming to Kandahar, changes that must net results in order for the coalition leaders to convince other member nations that their contributions are not futile.
Public Multimedia, Inc. and The Long War Journal
Dec 23 at 11:11am by David Tate
I would be completely amiss if I didn’t do a complete post on PMI, Bill Roggio and The Long War Journal. I cannot express properly just how important this organization is to, not only my work, but to the most complete assemblage reporting on our world at war today.
When I first stumbled onto Bill’s work in 2007, he was writing under the blog name, “The Fourth Rail”. I instantly realized the awesome resource he was putting out there and I contacted him immediately. A month later, we were in Iraq together. Within those first three days of meeting, Bill launched The Long War Journal and the rest is history.
As I got to know him, it turns out he convinced his wife of this idea, quit his job, secured a loan and a partner then went for it. A true entrepreneur, he took a huge chance and is now moving forward successfully. For the reader, it means the most centralized resource in regards to current events regarding the fight against al Qaeda. It cannot be missing from your favorites.
What’s In It For Me?
While cannot speak for Bill, I can speak about him and what he means to my work. He believes in the independent hard working spirit that he is creating and told me that he supports independents like myself.
His big contributions to me include a major forum to present my first person battlefield observations. He has also graciously provided a letter of accreditation needed for my embed (PMI is recognized by allied forces as a legitimate journalistic outlet), which is on its way to ISAF as we speak.
The biggest thing, however, is the very expensive insurance needed to financially protect myself, and my family, in the event of injury or death. This is as important as it gets and cannot be overlooked by independents.
Because PMI has an ongoing policy, they can add journalists to it while embedded, which they have agreed to do for me. I’m not sure of the cost yet, but it is not cheap. If there is any interest at all in helping this organization out, and ultimately me, this is a great chance.
Here at tax time, people may be interested in a write off. PMI is a legitimate 501(c) organization and is happy for the help. If you want to make it personal, just note it as funds to help pay my combat insurance.
Bill Roggio: billroggio@gmail.com
Paul Hanusz: phanusz@gmail.com
Address:
Public Multimedia Inc.
124 Kettlebrook Drive
Mt. Laurel NJ, 08054
90% There
Dec 22 at 6:06pm by David Tate
So, I have to admit that I have done most of the leg work for this trip prior to revealing my intent in my blog. The main reason for that is the fact that I did not want to tip my hand to some people who may take exception to this trip. Here are the main hurdles I have had to deal with:
Family - Obviously the number one issue to get past is the family. While my wife is, and has always been, supportive, it is something that still has to be dealt with on a case by case basis. The bigger issue in this department is my daughter, Davin. The last time I went abroad, she was just 2 months old. Now, she’s 18 months old and can walk, kind of talk and loves the heck out of her daddy… which will make this trip quite different in the homesick department.
Work - Not being able to do this full time forces me to beg my employer for their approval. The day I told them I wanted to go was the same day our company announced serious budget cuts with more to come. My timing wasn’t the best and I hope to come home to a job. I’ve been assured that is the case, but in this financial climate, it worries me regardless.
The price to pay? I have to use up all three weeks of vacation and take one week unpaid leave. More stress for the family, but worth it in the long run.
Finances - To prepare for this trip I will be personally spending $12,000 to upgrade my equipment. I use Mac Book Pro to edit ($3,000) and Panasonic’s AG-HVX200 HD camera for video ($7,000). An investor has agreed to give me $5,000 for the trip itself. In return, we have worked out a deal where he will earn a percentage of my video royalties.
Credentials - This is the hardest part in getting an embed. Rules stipulate that you must have a “Letter of Accreditation” in order to complete the request packet. For freelancers like myself, this can be very difficult. The main reason is that no one wants to be liable for you in the event you are wounded or killed.
Fortunately, I have two letters coming that will credential me with Getty Images and The Long War Journal. Now I just need to get the letters sent to the public affairs folks in Afghanistan before they will approve my embed. I’m 90% there.
The First Step
Dec 20 at 7:07pm by David Tate
Getting ready for this embed will be relatively easy since I still have all my survival gear from Iraq, 2007. The biggest hurdles come in other places, like juggling finances, profession and everything else needed to be a “family man”.
As I mentioned earlier, I was hoping to be in a position to take this part time job back to full time, but economically, it just would not be a prudent move at this time. So like last time, I needed to hope for the blessings of others in order to make something happen.
People often ask how I do this, or do that, or whatever, and it is a hard question to answer because I am sure I do it my own, unique way (relatively speaking).
The Decision
I had put together a list of embeds, with month of interest, sometime last month. The first embed was decided to be western Helmand Province for several reasons. The two bigs ones are that Helmand is a very active province with Marines in it. That tells me that Helmand is the tip of the spear. Second, the mountains and snow in Kunar at this time of year is likely much more of a problem.
Strategic reasons include the coalition’s announced “winter offensive”, which should be underway at any given time. I expect it to be much like Operation Mountain Storm (March 2004), but on a bigger and more offensive scale. Because I expect it to be a big deal, the historic value of it to me, and Getty Images, makes the trip much more worth it (in regards to what can be lost).
My guess is that the Americans will work hard on the military initiative while other member countries, and the Afghans, will focus hard on the hearts and minds work. The 3-4 month effort will culminate in the spring when as many as 30,000 extra Americans (plus several thousand other member country troops) should be close to being in place.
History Lesson
In July 2004, immediately following Mountain Storm, the Americans launched Operation Lightning Resolve, which essentially just extended the work of Mountain Storm all the way into the election season as the 10th Mountain gave way to the 25 Infantry Division. That is how Afghanistan is shaping up today.
I expect the same type of strategy in 2009, except the offensive initiative will be used more liberally and aggressively. The Americans will be working hard to fully disrupt winter staging areas within Afghanistan, then bring in large amounts of troops to fill the security vacuum with the hopes of allowing the government army to spread as smoothly as possible into contested areas and beyond.
The only difference five years later is that there will be more than three times the troops in Afghanistan, more than seven years after this experiment in democracy began.
A Battlefield Tourist Turns Six… Heading to Helmand
Dec 19 at 10:10pm by David Tate
As my usually on, sometimes off, milblog approaches its sixth birthday in February, I thought it would once again be a good idea to hit the road. This time I have decided to try to go toward western Helmand Province, in southern Afghanistan, and embed with USMC Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment.
Originally I was hoping 2009 would be the year that I would be able to take another stab at this work full time, but with the economy in the crapper, there was really no feasible way to think about leaving the stability of a job I love that still has benefits and a 401k.
With that said, it was decided that I would head toward Helmand for the month of February with a plateful of work that needs to be accomplished. While abroad, I will be working on a plethora of projects that will keep me busy for much of the rest of the year.
The Work
Primarily, I will be focusing on the gathering of documentary archive footage for Getty Images, a company for which I exclusively provide 90% of my material. What makes this year different is that I will be going with High Definition equipment and will be shooting in 16×9 (letterbox) as a stepup in quality alongside the television industry.
I also have (so far) content request inquiries from Soldier of Fortune (magazine), Voice of America (radio), CBS News (TV) and The Long War Journal (online). I will also do my best to update the daily blog for this site which will eventually include the slide shows, videos, etc…
Back to the birthday theme: The point is, when A Battlefield Tourist started, it was envisioned as a ground level look at the ups and downs of a freelance videojournalist interested in covering under reported, conflict-related stories (of which Afghanistan has been my primary focus since 2004).
Starting the year off, I will revert back to that format as much as possible.
If you feel like buying a subscription for my free, original content, you can drop a few $$ at dtate38@cox.net on PayPal. I spend tons bringing this material to the public forum.
Female Militant Wounded and Captured in Afghanistan
Dec 19 at 11:11am by David Tate
A raid against a suspected al Qaeda cell in eastern Khowst Province resulted in three dead militants and five others captured, including a woman.
Afghan National Police, accompanied by a Coaltion force, surrounded a compound where the suspected al Qaeda leader was hiding. After a call for surrender, a man inside the compound opened fire on the coalition, who returned fire, killing the man.
As the force moved in to search the buildings, three other militants were seen trying to maneuver on them with small arms and were fired on, killing two and wounding the third. The surviving militant turned out to be a female who had non-life threatening wounds.
The five militants captured included the targetted operative who is believed to be an al Qaeda liason for communications and fighter infiltration from outside of Afghanistan.
On the Home Front
Dec 4 at 8:08pm by David Tate
We all have our ways of not neccesarily supporting war, but supporting our fellow citizens that have been ordered into harm’s way. That is a major reason why I do this blog in the first place. It’s also the main reason why Ed Kane, of Roanoke County, Virginia, continues doing his work.
Click here to read this wonderful story and see the video I made for it.
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