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Good News for the COIN Fight in Afghanistan
August 19, 2008 | Posted by Kip - 12:00am | 15 Comments
Perhaps the most important news since 2006 in our counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan happened last week when the NY Times broke this article.
Secretary Gates looks ready to create nearly a single command structure in Afghanistan and set to expand the Afghan National Army by fifty percent over its current authorized size.
At the same time, the US seems prepared to take command of Regional Command South by 2010 and has been successful in having the Dutch and British agree to one year tours of duty for the next two Regional Command South commanders. Moreover, the commander of ISAF seems posed to gain control over CSTC-A, the command responsible for training and advising Afghan Security Forces. There is also talk of a command relationship between General McKiernan, the US Commander of ISAF, and the senior US military official in Pakistan in order to facilitate a more effective regional approach to the conflict.
At the same time, GEN McKiernan will have a direct line and subordinate relationship to CENTCOM.
Kip has often described the confounding command structure in Afghanistan, a structure that inhibits the real day-to-day life of soldiers on the ground and leaves no one really in charge and accountable.
This would be a huge step in the right direction, and Kip hopes to see it carried to fruition.
Secretary Gates looks ready to create nearly a single command structure in Afghanistan and set to expand the Afghan National Army by fifty percent over its current authorized size.
At the same time, the US seems prepared to take command of Regional Command South by 2010 and has been successful in having the Dutch and British agree to one year tours of duty for the next two Regional Command South commanders. Moreover, the commander of ISAF seems posed to gain control over CSTC-A, the command responsible for training and advising Afghan Security Forces. There is also talk of a command relationship between General McKiernan, the US Commander of ISAF, and the senior US military official in Pakistan in order to facilitate a more effective regional approach to the conflict.
At the same time, GEN McKiernan will have a direct line and subordinate relationship to CENTCOM.
Kip has often described the confounding command structure in Afghanistan, a structure that inhibits the real day-to-day life of soldiers on the ground and leaves no one really in charge and accountable.
This would be a huge step in the right direction, and Kip hopes to see it carried to fruition.
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