Security Info Net

Who Wins and Who Loses with the Proposed Defense Budget on January 2012

2012-02-08T12:49:00.002-05:00

The unveiling of the proposed Pentagon defense budget with its deep cuts has everyone wondering who wins and who loses. According to an online article by Foreign Policy wrote by Robert Haddick the winners are long-range bombers, aircraft carriers, submarines (and cruise missiles), special operations forces, drones, and cyber operations. The losers are ground forces, pay and benefits, old ships and planes, Joint Strike Fighter, and bases. Read his article "This Week at War: Winners and Losers of the Defense Budget" (January 27, 2012).

See "Defense Budget Priorities and Choices" by the Department of Defense, January 2012.
http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Budget_Priorities.pdf

See "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense", by the Department of Defense, January 2012
http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf

Troubles Along the Afghanistan Pakistan Border

2012-02-02T03:17:00.000-05:00

A recent Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) FRONTLINE program details the problems in denying the Taliban sanctuary in Pakistan and stopping its fighters from crossing the Afghan Pakistan border. See the video at the link below.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1908468892

View more news about the Afghan war at the link below.

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/

Peace Talks with the Taliban

2012-01-24T08:44:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while we see a flurry of activity on the diplomatic front concerning the prospect of peace talks with the Taliban. Over the past several years there have been several peace talk initiatives - mostly hidden from the glare of the media. It appears we are in the midst of one of those initiatives - where different parties (U.S., Taliban, Karzai, Pakistan and others) are maneuvering to be at the peace talks table. Each side is articulating their starting positions. For instance, the U.S. has recently indicated that for the Taliban to participate they will have to denounce ties to international terrorism. Hmmmm. Read more on this in "US Envoy: Taliban Must Renounce Terrorism to Participate in Talks", Voice of America, January 22, 2012. Read more news about past Afghanistan peace talks and reconciliation attempts.

CIA's Open Source Center

2012-01-23T08:50:00.008-05:00

A little known fact is that much of today's "intelligence" is information gleaned off the Internet from web sites and social media. The CIA is out in front on this with their "Open Source Center". While the Open Source Center is somewhat secret it's existance is well-known to some that track the intelligence world. A recent news article entitled "CIA Tracks Public Information For The Private Eye", National Public Radio, January 22, 2012 provides information about this organization.

Solar Panel Energy for VSO Sites in Afghanistan?

2012-01-19T08:08:00.000-05:00

A recent news article on Army.mil provides information on a solar energy experiment to provide energy efficient power to deployed units located in austere locations. There was a recent demonstration of different technologies available held at Bagram AFB to include microgrids and hybrid solar power systems. The Energy Initiative Proving Ground (EIPG) will soon be placing a hybrid solar power system into a Village Stability Platform. The introduction of solar energy systems into remote locations where Village Stability Operations (VSO) are conducted will save energy, reduce costs, and lessen the work load of the logistics personnel supporting VSO. Read the article entitled "Money-saving energy initiatives get spotlight in Afghanistan", Army.mil, January 17, 2012.

AfPak Hands Program in Afghanistan

2012-01-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

One of the more innovated programs established to support the war in Afghanistan is known as the AfPak Hands Program. Established in September 2009 by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, the AfPak Hands Program's purpose was to develop a cadre of military and senior civilian experts that specialize in the language, culture, history, and other aspects of Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to a recent news article the program is highly successful. Read more in "AfPak Hands Program Pays Dividends in Afghanistan, Pakistan", American Forces Press Service, January 4, 2012.

Learn more about the AfPak Hands Program here.

Critique of "Human Terrain" Program

2012-01-07T23:48:00.006-05:00

A blogger has posted a recent article critical of the effort to acquire knowledge about the "human terrain" in Afghanistan. He believes that a lot of intelligence support to the counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan got side-tracked into accumulating data that has not helped us win the conflict in Afghanistan. Read "Counterinsurgency, What Do You Really Know?", by Keith Boyea, January 6, 2012.

Corruption in Afghanistan

2012-01-02T21:55:00.002-05:00

Despite the best efforts of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and other Western organizations corruption continues to be an imposing problem in Afghanistan. Learn more about one of the reasons that much of the population is disenchanted about the Afghan government and lends their support to the Taliban - see Corruption in Afghanistan.

Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Program in RC North Under Review (Afghanistan)

2011-12-26T21:49:00.001-05:00

Early news reports indicate that the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) program administered by Regional Command North (RC North) in four northern provinces of Afghanistan is under review. The CIP program may either be closed down or its units and activities transferred to Afghan control. The CIP security guards are paid by ISAF using Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) funds. The news accounts state that President Karzai was "unaware" these units were operating in the north and under the control of Regional Command North. Visit the following link to learn more about the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) program.

Avian Influenza - A Threat We Should be Ready For

2011-12-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

Recent news reports have detailed the research conducted by Dutch virologists that created an extremely contagious strain of the avian influenza - sometimes called H5NI or "bird flu". Two things that are troubling about these reports is that the research was conducted in the first place and the willingness of the researchers to provide comprehensive details on how to replicate the experiments to scientific journals for publication. Just what we need - online instructions that terrorists can follow to create biological weapons. Read a concise explanation of this new development in "Making Avian Influenza As Contagious as Season Flu", Lawfare, December 23, 2011.

Sectarian Violence in Iraq May Start Again with U.S. Withdrawal

2011-12-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

With the last U.S. troops in Iraq now home attention has turned to the situation in Iraq to try and gauge the future of that country. A big fear is that there will be a return to sectarian violence which saw its peak in 2006-2007. Many think that the Shias will attempt to consolidate its hold on the government and completely shut out the Sunnis from being able to participate. There is also the worry that the current Iraqi government will turn to Iran for more support thus increasing Iran's influence over Iraq. Another concern is a possible move against the Kurds in the north in an attempt to diminish the Kurds autonomy and control of oil in Kurdistan. Read the transcript from a recent discussion on Fox News entitled "Renewal of Iraqi Sectarian Violence", December 22, 2011.

Dim View of of Afghan Local Police (ALP) in Afghanistan by Critics is Unwarranted

2011-12-24T08:37:00.006-05:00

Many observers of the war in Afghanistan are taking a hard look at the Afghan Local Police (ALP) effort of the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior that is supported by ISAF. Unfortunately, the conclusions they draw are off the mark - see "ISAF's Plans for Afghan Local Police Are Shortsighted", Trevor Keck, Foreign Policy Association, December 23, 2011. Critics too easily attach the label "local militia force" to the ALP. These same critics fail to recognize that the ALP is an Afghan security force selected from members of the local community and vetted at the district, provincial, and national level by authorities in the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MOI). The ALP members are equipped, trained, supervised, and paid by the Ministry of Interior. This differentiates the ALP from local militias organized and paid by regional warlords.

There are problems associated with the ALP - but if you look hard enough you will find problems with every aspect of the Afghan military, police, and government. ISAF has prepared a response to criticism of the ALP program by a recent Human Rights Watch report that can be read here. Not understood by critics is the strategic significance of gaining the support of the people at the local level through the introduction of security, governance and development. The ALP helps establish security at the local level thus aiding governance and development. It truly is a key to transition in Afghanistan. Learn more about the Afghan Local Police.

Counter Terror Expo in Washington DC (May 16-17, 2012)

2011-12-23T07:58:00.002-05:00

The Counter Terror Expo 2012 will be held in Washington, DC on May 16-17, 2012. The venue is the Washington Convention Center. The former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter, will be the keynote speaker. The Counter Terror Expo focuses on the collective efforts and shared responsibilities of the Counter Terror community - Federal, State, Local and Private-sector partners to maintain critical homeland security capabilities.

www.counterterrorexpo.us

Special Operations and the Afghan Local Police (ALP) - Important Key to Transition

2011-12-22T08:25:00.002-05:00

A recent online post on the Foreign Policy web site cites the importance of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) program to the successful transition to Afghan security forces and exit of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The post also poses a number of concerns of the Special Operations assisted ALP endeavor. Read the article in "Keeping control of bad choices", The AFPAK Channel, December 20, 2011. The author of The AFPAK Channel post, Rachel Reid, also co-authored a critical report about the ALP while working for Human Rights Watch entitled "Just Don't Call it a Militia" published in September 2011. A recent memorandum by ISAF on December 6, 2011 has responded to the Human Rights Watch piece and can be viewed here on the ISAF website.

CAAT is now COMISAF Advisory and Assistance Team

2011-12-16T21:18:00.010-05:00

The Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT) established in late 2009 has now been renamed the COMISAF Advisory and Assistance Team. COMISAF is short for Commander International Security Assistance Force. The CAAT was formed to assist in the overall counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan by advising and assisting commanders at all levels to enable effective and integrated counterinsurgency operations. Learn more about the COMISAF Advisory and Assistance Team.

SO/LIC Symposium & Exposition (Feb 2012) in Washington, D.C.

2011-12-15T07:01:00.001-05:00

The Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict Symposium and Exhibition will be held February 6-8, 2012 in Washington, D.C. A description is provided below taken from the NDIA website.

"The 23rd Annual NDIA SO/LIC (Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict) Symposium & Exhibition will examine the changing roles of Special Operations Forces (SOF) and General Purpose Forces (GPF) in the new world dynamic. As major combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan diminish, SOF and GPF will face new challenges. A continuing threat from global terrorists, popular uprisings and a rapidly shifting political landscape, the coming need to employ military forces in small teams across vast distances, and the likelihood of declining budgets all require SOF and GPF leaders to develop new synergies between their forces and with our Interagency partners. Speakers will discuss increasing interoperability between SOF and GPF, how to enhance the inherent capabilities of the SOF warrior, and how SOF, its enablers, and Interagency partners support global objectives in the new world dynamic."

Learn more about the conference at the link below:
http://www.ndia.org/meetings/2880/Pages/default.aspx

Check our conference and exhibition listing for other related security and defence events:
http://www.securityinfonet.com/Security_Conferences_and_Seminars.htm

Special Operations Glossary

2011-12-14T07:02:00.002-05:00

A Special Operations glossary can be found online at the www.specialforcestraining.info website. Check out the listing and explanation of terms and phrases used by special operators at the link below.

Special Operations Glossary

Afghan Local Police (ALP) May Triple in Strength According to Admiral McRaven

2011-12-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

The Afghan Local Police (ALP) may triple in strength according to Admiral McRaven - the commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Read more in "Tripling Afghanistan's community watch with AK-47s", CNN Security Clearance Blog, December 11, 2011. Learn more about the Afghan Local Police (ALP).

Reintegration of Afghan Insurgents a Slow Process

2011-12-11T08:36:00.009-05:00

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2011 – Permanently removing insurgents from the fight and reintegrating them into their Afghan communities is a gradual process that will take time, the International Security Assistance Force officer directing coalition support to that Afghan-led effort said today.

British Royal Marine Maj. Gen. David Hook, director of ISAF’s Force Reintegration cell, briefed Pentagon reporters today by video link from Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Afghan Peace and Reintegration program has so far helped 2,970 former insurgents rejoin Afghan society, Hook noted, and is working with another 1,200 fighters who represent “reintegration opportunities.”

While the program is nationwide and directed by the central government in Kabul, he added, it is implemented at the district and provincial level throughout Afghanistan. Most reintegrated former fighters, he said, have come from the nation’s northern and western provinces, but numbers in the southern and eastern areas are increasing slowly.

Read the rest of the story at "Afghan Reintegration Program will Take Time", U.S. Department of Defense, December 8, 2011. Learn more about reintegration of insurgents.

Movie - "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

2011-12-10T10:55:00.003-05:00

A new movie has been released entitled Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. This should prove to be a classic and of great interest for those who work in or want to know more about the intelligence field; and of course, it should prove to be great entertainment for many more as well. The movie is based on the book Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre and is set in the Cold War era when western agents and Soviet bloc agents were spying on each other. LeCarre is a former British intelligence operative who retired and became a famous writer of espionage novels. Read a recent movie review of the film by Peter Rainer in The Christian Science Monitor here. Click here to view a book review on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Hope for Afghanistan? Assessment by Linda Robinson

2011-12-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

Linda Robinson, a well-known author, has a piece in The AFPAK Channel blog on Afghanistan. She has visited Afghanistan four times this year (2011) and interviewed numerous military and civilian officials of the coalition and Afghan government. Her assessment is spot on and a good read which will provide a great understanding of the current situation in Afghanistan. Of note is her stance that we need to partner more with Afghan security forces, support the Afghan Local Police (ALP) program, and get the Afghan security forces engaged more in the counterinsurgency fight. See her article entitled "Is there hope for Afghanistan?", The AFPAK Channel, Foreign Policy, November 29, 2011 at the link below:

http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/11/29/is_there_hope_for_afghanistan

Irregular Afghan Forces in Afghanistan

2011-11-30T08:10:00.001-05:00

The war in Afghanistan has seen a multitude of units and forces engaged in the fight. Units from the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, ISAF, US military and other entities populate the battlefield. Lesser known entities include the private security companies, contract organizations, and the various Afghan militias that are throughout the country. Some of these more 'private' entities have a storied past. Read more in "After the US pulls out, will CIA rely on Afghan mercenaries", The Christian Science Monitor, November 16, 2011.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) - "Bad Guys" or "Worse Guys"?

2011-10-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

A recent news article by Luke Mogelson entitled "Bad Guys vs. Worse Guys in Afghanistan" ( The New York Times, October 19, 2011) explores the benefits and problems associated with the Afghan Local Police (ALP). The ALP is a Ministry of Interior (MoI) program where local police are formed and trained at the community or village level in rural areas of Afghanistan. The coalition element responsible for oversight on the ALP is CFSOCC-A or Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan. Mogelson's article, which is not entirely complimentary, is extensive and delves into the dynamics of ALP within Baghlan Province in northern Afghanistan. The ALP is an integral part of Village Stability Operations or VSO - the methodology that CFSOCC-A is using to help the Afghans implement security, governance, and development in a bottom-up approach.

British Ex-Marines Fighting Pirates off Africa Coast

2011-10-19T08:18:00.001-04:00

A recent news report states that a large contingent of former British Marines are now being used as shipboard security guards on ships that transit the East Africa coast. The world shipping industry has suffered huge losses to Somali pirates preying on unguarded vessels. The ships are seized and then the crew, cargo, and ship are held for ransom. They are employed by a firm called Protection Vessels International Ltd. Read more in "Ex-Marines Fighting Pirates Off Africa as World Shipping Lanes Attacked", Bloomberg, October 18, 2011. Learn more about piracy and maritime security firms.

The Business Cyber Security Summit 2011 - London, UK (21-23 November 2011)

2011-10-19T07:57:00.000-04:00

The Business Cyber Security Summit 2011 will be held on 21-23 November, 2011 at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel in London. The summit brings together industry experts to discuss the latest solutions and strategies in order to combat this ever present danger. Learn more at the link below:

The Business Cyber Security Summitt 2011