Mision FAS: Afganistán

[emka]

Esto es un peñazo pero acaso ¿tambien miente?

No me gustaría vivir en un pais que quien tiene en sus manos nuestros destinos nos estuvieran mintiendo.
¿Donde está el acta de lo acordado en el Parlamento de las Misiones de los militares españoles para su colaboración con ISAF? ojo ¿Naciones Unidas , u OTAN?. pero ¿Cuales son las tareas encomendadas por mandato del Parlamento?
__________________________________________________________

http://www.mde.es/actu_ministro/interve ... ESEDEN.pdf

[emka]

Con toda seguridad que no noslo merecemos, ¿Pero se merecen ellos estar donde están? bueno, si, porque lo ha dicho la mayoría.Pero esta mayoria no elige mentirosos.

[Loopster]

Alonso mintió sobre los BMRs, este último hace algo mucho más político... no dice toda la verdad.

A mí me gustaría que en la web del MinisDef colgaran PDFs de las actas de las misiones y operaciones en las que participamos, donde se diga a las claras a que nos hemos comprometido. Las ROEs con las que trabajamos y los miles de caveats que nos autoimponemos para intentar escabullirnos de las tareas más peligrosas.

Eso si seria democracia.

[blackjack]

Jamás pensé que el comentario "estopa de la buena" hiriese sensibiliades.

No lo hice por la alegría de que hayan muerto terroristas (que también) lo hice porque tengo compañeros allí y me siento identificado con ellos.
Me solidarizo con unos militares que están en una guerra y que deben actuar en desventaja debido a las reglas de enfrentamiento que se les imponen y que lógicamente los terroristas se pasan por el forro.
Si aun así son capaces de contraatacar sin sufrir bajas y mermando las fuerzas de el enemigo, es que militarmente hablando se están haciendo las cosas bien.
La gente está confundia, el ejército no es una ONG, puede que repartan ayuda humanitaria pero lo que llevan son armas y para eso están.

Por cierto, al final no eran legionarios, era un equipo del MOE.

[kilo009]

Equipment offers poor protection for British soldiers in Afghanistan

By Tom Coghlan, Caroline Gammell, Nick Allen
Last Updated: 2:54PM BST 18/06/2008

Snatch Landrovers used by British forces have been repeatedly criticised for the poor protection they offer against roadside bombs.
A shortage of helicopters means much of the military's movement in Afghanistan is by road, making them sitting targets for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) triggered by remote control.

British military intelligence officers believe Iran’s Quds Revolutionary Guards are supplying the Taliban with the same bomb-making equipment they provide to insurgents in Iraq.

On one occasion last year 50 roadside bombs and timers were found in lorries crossing the Afghan border from Iran.

The lorries were tracked by members of the SBS and contained materials to make explosively formed penetrators (EFPs).

They work by concentrating explosive force through a concave copper plate, which is projected as a molten missile through a vehicle’s armour.

To work properly, the components have to be made to factory specifications requiring technology and machines.

Iran, a Shia Muslim state, has denied supplying the Taliban, pointing out that it was a Sunni militia.

Iranian officials allege US and British claims that it is involved in the Afghan conflict are part of a propaganda campaign to build a case for war against Iran.

While many of the devices use old munitions for the explosive component, such as artillery shells, rockets and even mortar bombs, the method of detonation has become steadily more sophisticated in recent months.

There is increasing use of a remote control detonating device called a 'Spider', a specific bomb making component which is thought to have originated in Iran.

It is detonated through a mobile phone, generally by the use of a code number sent by text message.

The Taliban have also used command wire devices and pressure plates, the latter often constructed from the simple but effective use of two saw blades held apart by a piece of wood and encased in a car tyre inner tube.

A vehicle passing over the buried device connects the saw blades and triggers the device.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is also accused of giving the Taliban the expertise to build powerful explosives which could destroy a tank, let alone an armoured vehicle. Officials in Tehran deny the charge.

The British Army is fighting back with equipment which can disable IEDs gradually being fitted to armoured vehicles.

Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) either jam or scramble the bomb's mechanism, but not every vehicle carries the device.

The Taliban constantly seek new ways around these counter-measures and Western intelligence officials have recently noted a learning curve on the part of the bomb makers and increasingly imaginative devices some of which use combinations of different detonation methods.

For British soldiers the best defence would appear to lie in the armour of heavier vehicles such as the newly developed Mastiff armoured car and the Jackal armoured Landrover.

Lo de siempre:

-Pocos helicópteros
-Las fuerzas Quds iraníes envían material a elementos terroristas en Irak y Afganistán.
-El SBS detecta movimientos de estos explosivos en la frontera irano-afgana, y se ha detectado que para su fabricación hace falta maquinaria y tecnología proveniente del otro lado de la frontera.
-Además de lo anterior, los talibanes no son para nata tontos fabricando explosivos caseros.
-Por último, los británicos también tienen problema con la protección y con los inhibridores de frecuencia.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ojo con los combates en el sur de Afganistán, pueden haber movimientos hacia el norte, mucho más desprotegido (en el caso de la zona española). Por ahora la OTAN está dando duro en Kandahar y Zabur, además de que en Farah no se para.

[kilo009]

Novedades en Zona de Operaciones:

-Un empresario francés, Johan Freckhaus, que había sido secuestrado (29/05/08, carretera Kabul-Kandahar) en Afganistán junto a sus dos acompañantes afganos a finales de mayo, fue liberado ayer y se encuentra bien de salud. Huele a un pago de rescate.

-Estados Unidos y Rusia están hablando del suministro de armas rusas para las Fuerzas Armadas afganas.

-En Kandahar 4 miembros de la OTAN murieron el sábado a causa de la explosión de una bomba.

-Un miembro de la OTAN muere junto a 5 civiles afganos (2 niños entre ellos) a causa de un atentado suicida (un terrorista) en Gereshk (Helmand). Estaban realizando una patrulla por un mercado.

-Fuerzas del ANA y de la OTAN eliminaron a 56 talibanes en Arghandab (Kandahar), apoyados por elementos aéreos. Eso se llama política de reinsercción.


Afghan and NATO troops backed by warplanes drove Taliban militants from villages within striking distance of southern Afghanistan's main city on Thursday, killing 56 of them, Afghan officials said.

[kilo009]

Veamos de quiénes se compone nuestro PRT en Badghis:

Equipo de Reconstrucción Provincial (PRT) Badghis - ISAF (256 militares)

-Brigada de La Legión (BRILEG)
-Mando de Operaciones Especiales (MOE)
-Mando de Ingenieros (MING)
-Batallón CIMIC
-Unidad PSYOPS del Regimiento de Inteligencia I
-Escuadrón de Apoyo al Despliegue Aéreo (EADA)
-Equipos de Adquisición y Control del Apoyo de Fuegos (ACAF)

PD: El Royal Army de mano de sus Apache ha disparado misiles Hellfire AGM-114N (arma termobárica) contra cuevas y lugares cerrados donde se escondían talibanes. El éxito ha sido tal que quieren emplearlas también desde UAV Rapper de la RAF

[kilo009]

Seguimos con noticias de Z. O. :

-Los talibanes han obtenido unos $100m in 2007 a través del cultivo del opio. Enlace

-En China está entrando heroína a punta pala. El método de los narcotraficantes es esconderlas en alfombras tejidas en Afganistán y Pakistán.

-La tensión sigue creciendo entre Afganistán y Pakistán. El domingo fueron lanzados desde Pakistán 5 cohetes (miembros de Al-Qaeda) contra bases de la OTAN en Khost, muriendo 3 niños y quedando un afgano herido. También allí han estado de combates, con 45 insurgentes muertos.

-Los alemanes están pensando enviar a 1000 tíos más al sur de Afganistán. Sería una gran contribución a la ISAF.

[kilo009]

En Herat han pillado a un agente iraní intentando infiltrarse en el ANA. Lo han pillado en el aeropuesto de Herat. En su poder tenía:

-Planos del aeropuerto de Herat
-Datos sobre una oficina de Naciones Unidas
-Datos sobre la base militar de Herat.

Casualmente esto ocurre justo después de que los británicos digan que los iraníes están armando a los terroristas en Afganistán e Iraq.

Otra cosa, a ver como se mueve el gobierno pakistaní, y su combate contra los talibanes que se mueven en su país, en todo caso no dejarán que miembros del ANA entren a combatir en las zonas pakistaníes. Las tensiones cada vez son más fuertes, incluso un cargo afgano ha acusado al ISI de intentar cargarse a Karzai hace poco

[kilo009]

Interesante artículo de la Fundación Jamestown, Global Terrorism Analysis:

Rotation of Coalition Forces Brings New Hope to Helmand Province

By Waliullah Rahmani

With the onset of a wide operation against the Taliban in Garmsir district of Helmand province, once again the lawless Helmand province has become the focus of national and international circles. On April 30, the U.S. Marines announced they had recaptured Garmsir district from Taliban control and entered governmental buildings (BBC Persian.com, April 30). Since this operation was launched, at least 10 insurgents have been reported killed or injured every day during the Marines’ operations in different areas of Helmand.

The return of U.S. forces to this volatile southern province has been accompanied by rumors in Helmand and Kabul that the U.S. forces will eventually be replaced by British troops who were in charge of Helmand for the past two years. Such a development would be generally unwelcome in the province. Meanwhile, the redeployment of U.S. troops to Helmand has brought hopes for the betterment of security and easing of the insurgency in at least parts of this neo-Taliban-dominated province. These developments in Helmand over the last two months, however, need to be examined so that there can be a clear vision of where Helmand stands and to distinguish the status of the leading players there.

The General Situation of Helmand

Following U.S. operations in Garmsir district and raids by NATO forces on Musa Qala and other areas of Helmand, there have been reports that violence has eased in the center of neo-Taliban power. An aware resident of the Nawamish area of Helmand province told Jamestown that in comparison to last year, the movement of the Taliban in Helmand for now is very low and few in number. On the condition of anonymity, the resident said that by the start of the spring and good weather, people were expecting more attacks and violence from the Taliban, but stressed that this year the situation in the province has changed (Author’s interview with a Nawamish district resident). Meanwhile, another source who did not want to be named told Jamestown that the general mood and morale of the Taliban is very weak in comparison to last year. He admitted that even in Musa Qala district, once called the Taliban’s “university of terror,” the insurgents are weak and have lost their power to maneuver (Author’s interview). This assessment was confirmed by an Afghan MP from Helmand province, who says that the Taliban’s tactic of attack and escape has seen only limited use since the start of 2008 and they have not been successful in putting serious pressure on government forces or international troops. That said, the Taliban are in control of some districts of Helmand and have recently divided into two groups as well. Reports confirm a rift within the local Taliban and say that in comparison to last year, the Taliban’s ability to coordinate in Helmand is in question.

Rift within the Helmand Taliban

Among the public in Helmand’s Lashkar Gah district there are rumors of a wide rift between the different Taliban groups. In interviews with Jamestown, many residents of Lashkar Gah admitted this rift and said that a high-ranking Taliban official who had recently joined the government was killed by his former comrades. These residents point out that the murder of this influential former Taliban leader—who still had many loyalists among the neo-Taliban of Helmand—caused deep divisions between two groups of insurgents (Author’s interviews with Laskhkar Gah residents and individuals).

Meanwhile, an Afghan official, on condition of anonymity, admitted the gap between the Taliban forces. He named the murdered influential Taliban leader as Haji Abdur Rahman who had joined the government and was based in the city of Laskar Gah. He said that recently Haji Abdur Rahman had been on a trip to Marjah district, where he wanted to solve some problems among the Taliban. On his way back to Lashkar Gah city—the provincial capital—a group of Taliban killed him together with his associates.

Meanwhile, there are reports of changes in the Taliban administration of Helmand. The neo-Taliban forces have set up provincial administrations for every province of Afghanistan. For Helmand, the Taliban announced a governor, district chiefs and judges. During the last few years, the Taliban governor of Helmand was someone named Mullah Abdur Rahim Akhund who was appointed to control Helmand and lead the Taliban insurgents there. But now the Taliban have announced the replacement of Mullah Abdur Rahim Akhund with a new governor named Mullah Mistari Akhund. Although the names are fictitious, some sources confirm these changes among the top officials of the local Taliban.

The Taliban’s Power Base in Helmand

The Taliban’s main base of power is now in some districts of Helmand province which were gained by the insurgents during the last two years. On March 3, Amrullah Salih of the National Security Department of Afghanistan confirmed that four districts of Helmand province are still under the control of Taliban insurgents; namely, Deshu, Khanshin, Baghran and Washir (Tolo TV, March 3). In his March 3 speech in Afghanistan’s parliament, the head of the National Security Department of Afghanistan never mentioned the Taliban’s control over Garmsir district, which is now controlled by U.S. forces.

Two months after Amrullah Salih’s comments, some sources maintain the Taliban still control these provinces. One official said that the districts of Washir, Barghran, Khanshin and Nawzad are not under the control of the Afghan government (Author’s interview). Nawzad district has a variety of passages to the western Farah province where insurgent activity has increased in the last year. The districts of Khanshin and Deshu are located on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan and have many ways into the neighboring country’s territory. Khanshin also has routes to the insurgents’ bases in the southwestern province of Nimruz.

The Taliban in Helmand can resist government and Coalition forces partly because of the support they receive from either Pakistan or the neighboring Nimruz and Farah provinces. An Afghan MP from Helmand, Niamathullah Ghafari, told Jamestown that whenever the Taliban feel themselves to be under pressure, they escape to Farah, Nimruz or Pakistan. According to Ghafari, the Taliban’s control over these four districts of Helmand is due to the fact that they have never been confined to these districts (Author’s interview with Ghafari).

The Taliban’s Chain of Command

In Helmand the Taliban are reported to be controlled by Mullah Berader Akhund, the deputy of Mullah Omar. Although it is not confirmed whether Berader is directly engaged in the planning, coordination and implementation processes of the insurgents’ operations against the government and international forces, it is clear that he has been given the power to be the core commander of the Taliban in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Oruzgan.

Aside from Mullah Berader, some residents of the Nad Ali district of Helmand province say that they have heard Mullah Naqib Akhund is back at the frontlines in Helmand. This claim has not been confirmed, as it was recently announced that Mullah Naqib was injured and arrested by government forces and was supposedly in prison. The other well-known commanders of the Helmand Taliban are said to be the aforementioned former Taliban governor of Helmand, Mullah Abdur Rahim Akhund, and his replacement, Mullah Mistari Akhund.

Helmand Public Opinion of Afghan and International Forces in Helmand

The majority of Helmandis appear to be optimistic about the performance of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in Helmand province. The ANA forces have been widely welcomed by different groups of Helmand citizens who are supportive of these forces (Author’s interview with many residents of Lashkar Gah city). Some people said that the National Army forces were doing their duty in accordance with Afghan culture and traditions. Many people, however, were negative regarding the performance of that part of the Afghan Police forces called the “Helping Police.” These police forces were deployed during the last two years, but it is reported that the new governor of Helmand province has removed most of the so-called “Helping Police,” whom the people claim are mostly drug addicts and members of criminal groups.

Meanwhile, Helmand MP Niamathullah Ghafari told Jamestown that most of Helmand’s citizens are happier with the Afghan forces than the British troops. He added that the people also have a good opinion of the U.S. forces.

According to Ghafari, many Helmandis know that four decades ago the Americans built a great deal of infrastructure in Helmand. They point to the work done by Americans in Lashkar Gah city, including the U.S.-built school and hospital and the U.S.-built Bughra dam. On the other hand, many still have negative impressions of the British occupation of Afghanistan, particularly during the period of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80).

In what was once called the center of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, there are at most 3,000 Taliban insurgents still in the field. The current situation in Helmand is expected to improve in comparison to that of the last two years. There are expectations that with the redeployment of U.S. troops and nearly 6,000 Afghan National Police and ANA to Helmand, the insurgency and related violence will ease in the near future

-¿Crítica hacia los británicos por la forma de llevar las operaciones en Helmad? ¿Ciudadanos de Helmad con buena opinión sobre estadounidenses y malas sobre británicos?
-Interesante lo que comenta el artículo de que los talibanes tienen la moral baja y están habiendo "puñaladas" entre líderes.
-Sobre el ANA, es bastante bueno que la población los esté aceptando tanto, e importante también es que realicen su trabajo según la cultura y tradiciones de la zona.
-Muy bueno para el apoyo civil las contrucciones (vías, hospitales, escuelas...)
-Unos 3000 talibanes en Helmad

Artículo de la ONU sobre drogas, parte afgana:
http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_ ... ng_web.pdf