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Aswad -> A view from Meymaneh (Faryab, Afghanistan) (8/26/2012 11:59:08 AM)
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There was a series made about one part of the Norwegian ISAF presence in Afghanistan, specifically a period in the timeline of Provincial Reconstruction Team Meymaneh (PRT#15) when it was under the command of Col. Rune Solberg, later promoted to heading up the HV-016 elite homeland defense detachment. I figured I would use it to illustrate something about the situation in Afghanistan, what my own country is doing there, and why the international community is not succeeding in reaching out to the locals and curbing Taliban activity.
All episodes are 20-30m, have closed captions / subtitles available, and much of the dialogue is in English.
Except for episode 6, it does not contain blood and gore, though some combat encounters are included.
Episode 1 - Begins prior to departure. An introduction to the mission parameters and the people involved. Preparations, briefing, family day, taking pictures for official use in case of casualties, saying goodbye, some reflections and the departure are the first part. Then arriving at Camp Meymaneh, with its 500 troops (of which 350 are from Norway). Formalities such as the handover follow. Briefing by the departing commander. Tactical considerations to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. Settling in. Having a look around. Briefing for the first deployment.
Episode 2 - Heading out to Russian Hill, in one of the Taliban controlled areas. Some background on Afghanistan. Meeting the locals. The Pashtun ethnic group and its relation to the Taliban. Meeting the Afghan National Army. Solberg's initial reflections. Goat joust (bushkasi, may be offensive to some). Task Unit misdeployment and relocation. First patrol, with IED disposal on helmetcam. Situation update. Supporting the ANA in an encounter. Assessment by the US ISAF in a meeting.
Episode 3 - Aftermath of 27/6 when an IED hit an Iveco in Almar. Four dead, ages 21 through 41. Solberg shows his human side while reflecting on losing his men. Defense minister and CIC escort the caskets. Colleagues and friends grieve before preparing to cover the upcoming election. The role of dark humor. Situation update. View of the election. A local rich guy explains "why we don't want democracy". Solberg attempts to explain the role of the PRT to the ANA again. Mentor force works with the ANA. Solberg reflects on the importance of the election representing the Pashtun interests properly. The ethnic conflict is exposed, as well as the lack of interest in establishing security in Taliban controlled areas by the new Afghan government. Taliban poppers shut down the ballot delivery to the only voting locale open to Pashtun in the area. The Afghan government and ANA are completely disinterested. Solberg, PRT and mentor force frustrated. Officials conclude election a 100% success. Population left turning to the Taliban to represent their interests.
Episode 4 - Ambush. Gunner reflects on his partner and kids back home. Crisis meeting of commanders in Faryab province gets convened, headed by Gen. Maj. Hans W. Fritz of Germany. Task unit comes under fire with ANP. ANSF proposes an operation. Solberg cautions against it. ANSF decides to go ahead anyway. PRT teaches the ANA to use maps to reduce risk of friendly fire. Mission briefing. Deployment with PRT task unit as support. The ANP forces misdeploy and almost get themselves shot, except the PRT realizes they're not competent enough to be Taliban. Operation is a failure. 200 to 400 Talibans escape. Two Pashtun are arrested by ANP and beaten. PRT concludes they're not Taliban and lets them go. ALFA men's magazine drops by for photo job and interview.
Episode 5 - PRT frustrated with lack of progress by the ANA and ANP. Solberg reflects on Army being too limited to have the kind of presence he would prefer. Controversy back home about statements made on the ground by troops not trained in how to relate to the media. Many have a perception that these are the Boy Scouts, selling cookies to the locals, and ethics reinforcement training commences to bring reality in line with the perception. Solberg starts the handoff process. Introduction to local corruption problems. Pashtun problems revisited. Solberg criticizes aid effort for focusing on the areas with the least need, rather than areas with greater need, because of security issues that exist due to poverty fuelling the Taliban. Visit to Baghdisi village. Encounter with the poverty. Spending the night in insurgent territory before moving on. Harrasment during the night. Construction issues. Solberg tries to get representatives of the Afghan government into Faryab. No interest. Meeting with a minor warlord from the Taliban. Combat getting back out. Another meeting with the warlord to emphasize need for Taliban to step down to permit construction of a health clinic to proceed. Solberg tries to explain rules of engagement and concept of positive identification to Afghan security forces.
Episode 6 (Warning: Suicide bombing early on.) - The US contingent in Meymaneh has lost one to an IED. Memorial. Officials report insurgents have recruited suicide bombers. These just back from training in Pakistan, concrete suspicion of planned attacks against the officials and PRT officers. Attack almost successful. Solberg reflects on security deteriorating and the motives needed for a teenager to become a suicide bomber (it is common). Norwegian Aeromedical Detachment treats the injured. Special forces attack Taliban leaders in the region, remove key figures. A strategy for reintegration of Taliban fighters is begun. Solberg meets with captured Taliban fighters to learn more about them and their situation. Then meets with Afghan officials about reintegration programme. Officials are unwilling to commit to reintegration. Programme effectively disbanded. More on ethnic, cultural and financial conflicts and tensions. Final attempt at getting government officials to visit the province to get an understanding of the situation and the core of the problem. Meeting with ANA brigade XO. Meeting more Pashtun in Ghalbala, and meeting Khabir Khan again. Concerns about Kharzai. Officials do not show up. Solberg frustrated again. Criticisms of the international aid effort, and in particular Norway (which is allied with the Uzbek group, which is in conflict with the poorer Pashtun group; our aid people increase the differences, due to not being willing to go to the unsecured regions and not being willing to use the military for the aid work). Logistics and culture difficulties. Situation deteriorates; conclusion that foreign presence has strengthened the Taliban so far. Final handoff at end of rotation. Return to Norway.
Solberg's final prediction: the Taliban will not be defeated, and must be part of the future of Afghan politics to get anywhere.
At the time of the recording of these episodes (a six month period), I suspect Col. Solberg was not made aware of simultaneous offensive operations in the area by the FSK commando units which were arresting Taliban leaders and burning opium poppy crops that had been delivered to the Taliban for refinement at the time. This may have adversely impacted his efforts to build bridges in Afghanistan, although it is also perfectly understandable from an operations security perspective. Most of the problems he points at are cultural and political.
I'm curious how others see the situation there at the moment, and the road ahead for the region.
IWYW,
— Aswad.
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