General John F. Campbell,US Army,commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan,testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee today in one of his periodic briefings on the war to US lawmakers.Soon the Obama administration must decide whether to stick to the President's current plan of a drastically reduced US military presence after 2016 or not.
Based on conditions on the ground,I do believe we have to provide our senior leadership with options different from the current plan-absolutely,GEN Campbell said.The courses of action I have provided provide options to adjust that.We're not going to put options forward that wouldn't lead to success.Presence means influence.*
The Afghans and coalition were surprised when the Taliban were able to take Kunduz.They were able to come in and take over from within the city.Mostly police were defending Kunduz when the Taliban attacked.There are small isolated pockets that continue to fight.I don't think the Taliban intended to stay.They melted away when the Afghan National Army arrived.*
Logistics and sustainment are hard for the Afghan National Army-they are hard even for the US Army.As for their air force,they have two functioning Mi-35 attack helicopters.They have several Mi-17 helicopters.Close air support helicopters are a key gap.We got a late start on their air force.*
To conduct counterterrorism effectively,it would have to be outside of Kabul,not from the US embassy.The current plan reduces the US military presence to 1,000 troops based at the embassy in Kabul by the end of 2016.*
I do not see the same ethnic infighting I saw in Iraq.In Northern Helmand Province,the ANDSF had some issues,but they took Musa Qala and Kunduz back.Afghans are fighters,and,sir,they're warriors.Without a doubt,they deserve US and NATO support.*
We knew this fighting season was going to be tough because this was going to be the first year the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces were on their own.The ADNSF actually started the fighting season in February.There was no lull.The ANDSF didn't have time to regroup over the winter as they previously had.*
Up in Nangarhar Province,we've see the rise of Daesh (the Arab term for ISIL).They want to expand into Khorasan Province and set up Jalalabad as their capital.You see a lot of the TTP,the Pakistani Taliban,go over to Daesh,as well as disaffected Afghan Taliban members.It's a change of tee shirt.Iran is providing money and weapons to the Taliban-mostly in the West and Herat area-to fight Daesh.*
I am comfortable with the resources I have to provide force protection for the US and NATO forces I have.*
The Haqqani Network faction of the Taliban in Pakistan is responsible for the VBIEDs,or vehicle-borne IEDs-as well as the suicide vests and attacks on civilians.We've got to continue to keep the pressure on Pakistan to stop them,GEN Campbell told the senators.*
Showing posts with label Musa Qala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Musa Qala. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Afghan War:Pitched Battle With Taliban - special tactics airmen killed
Late on Tuesday 25 August,Taliban militants overran Musa Qala district centre in Helmand Province,Afghanistan,after a weeklong assault.Musa Qala is strategically important;the whole province would be under threat if Musa Qala remained in Taliban hands,including the provincial capital Lashkar Gah,an Afghan official said.Afghanistan has about 300 district centres.
Heavy fighting between the Taliban and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces erupted as the district centre and surrounding villages were overrun.Mohamed Sharif,administrative chief of Musa Qala District,said they abandoned his office,police headquarters and the central hospital.They also asked for reinforcements several times without success.Eventually more soldiers and police arrived from Kabul and were supported by NATO airstrikes,as well as NATO advise and assist personnel.
We can confirm the US has conducted multiple kinetic strikes in Musa Qala over the past 72 hours,NATO said.The warplanes struck the army and police headquarters in Musa Qala.On 30 August,the ANDSF said it had recaptured Musa Qala district centre,inflicting huge casualties on the Taliban and re-establishing control there.Up to 220 Taliban were killed,while 33 ANDSF were killed or wounded.US airstrikes alone had killed up to 40 Taliban on 26 August.Over the weeklong Taliban assault,there were 18 US airstrikes;additionally,there had been 380 other airstrikes between January and July,indicating a much wider air campaign in Afghanistan than had been previously thought.*
Even as the battle of Musa Qala progressed,on 26 August two US Air Force special tactics airmen serving in Operation Freedom's Sentinel were killed near Camp Antonik,Helmand Province.They had stopped their vehicle at a checkpoint and two men in ANDSF uniforms opened fire on them,the Air Force said.NATO service members returned fire,killing the gunmen.It isn't clear if the incident was related to the Taliban assault on Musa Qala;it is under a joint US-Afghan investigation.
Those killed were US Air Force Academy graduate Captain Matthew D. Roland,27,of Lexington,Kentucky;and Staff Sergeant Forrest B. Sibley,31,of Pensacola,Florida.They are survived by their parents.Both men were combat controllers who had served multiple tours in sensitive areas.SGT Sibley had been awarded four Bronze Stars,including one with V-device for valour.
Both airmen were qualified in terminal attack control;and were also certified as static line jumpers,free fall jumpers and combat scuba divers.Special tactics airmen integrate,synchronise,and control air and space power to enable global access,precision strike and personnel recovery for special operations.
Heavy fighting between the Taliban and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces erupted as the district centre and surrounding villages were overrun.Mohamed Sharif,administrative chief of Musa Qala District,said they abandoned his office,police headquarters and the central hospital.They also asked for reinforcements several times without success.Eventually more soldiers and police arrived from Kabul and were supported by NATO airstrikes,as well as NATO advise and assist personnel.
We can confirm the US has conducted multiple kinetic strikes in Musa Qala over the past 72 hours,NATO said.The warplanes struck the army and police headquarters in Musa Qala.On 30 August,the ANDSF said it had recaptured Musa Qala district centre,inflicting huge casualties on the Taliban and re-establishing control there.Up to 220 Taliban were killed,while 33 ANDSF were killed or wounded.US airstrikes alone had killed up to 40 Taliban on 26 August.Over the weeklong Taliban assault,there were 18 US airstrikes;additionally,there had been 380 other airstrikes between January and July,indicating a much wider air campaign in Afghanistan than had been previously thought.*
Even as the battle of Musa Qala progressed,on 26 August two US Air Force special tactics airmen serving in Operation Freedom's Sentinel were killed near Camp Antonik,Helmand Province.They had stopped their vehicle at a checkpoint and two men in ANDSF uniforms opened fire on them,the Air Force said.NATO service members returned fire,killing the gunmen.It isn't clear if the incident was related to the Taliban assault on Musa Qala;it is under a joint US-Afghan investigation.
Those killed were US Air Force Academy graduate Captain Matthew D. Roland,27,of Lexington,Kentucky;and Staff Sergeant Forrest B. Sibley,31,of Pensacola,Florida.They are survived by their parents.Both men were combat controllers who had served multiple tours in sensitive areas.SGT Sibley had been awarded four Bronze Stars,including one with V-device for valour.
Both airmen were qualified in terminal attack control;and were also certified as static line jumpers,free fall jumpers and combat scuba divers.Special tactics airmen integrate,synchronise,and control air and space power to enable global access,precision strike and personnel recovery for special operations.
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