Image Source:  NATO International Security Assistance Force

General Security Situation

In a year that has seen a dramatic increase in military fighting and civilian deaths, the renewed Taliban insurgency has regained footholds in nearly three-quarters of Afghanistan. Attacks such as the Dec. 10 firefight with Afghan police officers and the Dec. 17 raid which killed three civilians indicate that the Taliban have become highly embedded throughout the country, making it more difficult for coalition forces to distinguish between friend and foe. A Dec. 15 Taliban suicide bombing by a young boy shows the extent to which the organization will go to attack coalition troops, even if it means killing a child.

Pakistan saw most of its attention diverted away from Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in late November. However, several attacks by Taliban militants against NATO supply lines in Peshawar and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, including an attack which destroyed 100 NATO supply trucks, prove that the Taliban remains a major threat to the stability of the country. U.S. air strikes continued in December, killing an estimated 15 people.

The United States plans to send upwards of 20,000 more troops to Afghanistan, with all additional troops needed coming from other NATO countries. The United Kingdom has answered the call, but will only send 300 more soldiers, indicating that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will have a tough time convincing NATO allies to boost their troop levels.

Regional Command Capital

Dec. 22, 2008: U.S. Forces Kill Six

In an operation striking at the Taliban in Kabul, the United States killed six insurgents and arrested three. The military strike targeted a Taliban leader who was responsible for coordinating attacks throughout Kabul and surrounding provinces.

Regional Command North

Dec. 8, 2008: Three Afghans Brutally Murdered

Two women and a young child were murdered in Takhar province by unknown assailants. Their bodies were found chopped into pieces by an ax.

Regional Command South

Dec. 1, 2008: Suicide Bomber Kills Seven

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest near a police car in a crowded marketplace in Helmand province. The blast killed five civilians and two police officers and also wounded 27 more.

Dec. 4, 2008: Seven Militants Killed in Helmand

A U.S.-Afghan patrol in Helmand province killed seven militants.

Dec. 6, 2008: Canadian Death Toll Surpasses 100

Three Canadian soldiers were killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during a patrol in Kandahar province. Canada has lost over 100 troops since it began operations in Afghanistan.

Dec. 10, 2008: U.S. Troops Accidentally Kill Afghan Police Officers

In a case of mistaken identity, U.S. forces opened fire on a house which contained Afghan police officers. Six officers were killed. The U.S. maintains that the police officers fired first and that it was later discovered that they were not militants. Spokesmen for the Afghan police insist that the police did not fire first.

Dec. 12, 2008: U.S. Soldiers Open Fire on Public Bus

U.S. soldiers opened fire on a public bus that was driving towards an American foot patrol. The U.S. troops gave several warning shots, but the bus did not stop. Four passengers were killed.

Dec. 12, 2008: Young Boy Kills British Soldiers

A small boy detonated a bomb that he was hiding under a stack of newspapers as he approached a group of British soldiers. The explosion killed the boy, along with three British troops. The Taliban denied that the bomber was a child, but the militant organization has recruited children for suicide missions in the past.

Dec. 15, 2008: Bomb Kills Three Police Officers

A bomb hidden in a pushcart detonated, killing three police officers and injuring 11 more in Kandahar province.

Dec. 20, 2008: Coalition Forces Kill Four Militants

In an operation in Zabul province, coalition forces killed four armed militants and captured five more.

Dec. 21, 2008: 2.5 Tons of Marijuana Found in School

Afghan forces discovered and destroyed 2.5 tons of marijuana stored in a school in Kandahar province. The Taliban have long used revenue from drug sales to fund their operations throughout the country.

Regional Command East

Dec. 4, 2008: U.S. Forces Target Taliban Leader

U.S. forces targeted a militant leader known for coordinating Taliban activities in Ghazni province. Three militants were killed. Initial reports did not indicate if the leader was killed.

Dec. 6, 2008: Coalition Troops Target Hizb-e-Islami Network

In an operation targeting the Hizb-e-Islami network in Kapisa province, coalition forces killed three and detained four. Multiple weapons and grenades were confiscated from the stronghold.

Dec. 10, 2008: Roadside Bomb Network Disrupted

Coalition troops arrested five militants involved in the Haqqani terrorist network. The raid targeted a Haqqani commander responsible for multiple roadside bomb attacks.

Dec. 14, 2008: Taliban Kidnaps Seven

Taliban militants kidnapped seven Afghan civilians, including six musicians and one election worker, in Ghazni province. One of the musicians was later found dead. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying the musicians had ignored a ban on music.

Dec. 15, 2008: ANA Kills Three Taliban

In a clash in Ghazni province, the Afghan National Army (ANA) succeeded in killing three Taliban militants. Reports indicate that the fighting started when the Taliban ambushed an ANA convoy.

Dec. 16, 2008: Suicide Bomber Hits District Office

ANA soldiers shot a suicide bomber before he detonated his explosive. The bomber was wounded, but still able to detonate his device as he entered the Yaqoobi District office in Khost province. The explosion wounded one soldier.

Dec. 17, 2008: U.S. Raid Kills Civilians

American forces killed three civilians in an assault against a house along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The soldiers blasted through the front entrance, killing the father and mother. A 4-year-old boy was killed by an attack dog. The U.S. forces claim that they were harboring an al-Qaida operative and that grenades and guns were confiscated from the home.

Dec. 18, 2008: Roadside Bombs Hits ANA Convoy

An Afghan National Army truck was struck by a roadside bomb in Ghazni province. According to the ANA, only one truck was destroyed and no one was injured. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bomb, stating that two trucks were destroyed with multiple casualties.

Regional Command West

Dec. 5, 2008: Coalition Troops Kill Three

During a search operation in Herat province, coalition forces killed three militants and arrested two.

Dec. 7, 2008: Taliban Release Four Policemen

The Taliban have released four police officers that were taken hostage during a Nov. 27 raid in Badghis province. The police officers were released after successful talks between tribal elders and Taliban officials.

Dec. 15, 2008: Bomb Injures Three

A bomb exploded in a central marketplace in Herat province, injuring three civilians. No one claimed responsibility.

Pakistan

Dec. 2, 2008: Militants Attack NATO Supply Line

Militants destroyed 12 NATO supply trucks in Peshawar. Two people were killed in the attack.

Dec. 5, 2008: Bomb Kills 29 in Peshawar

A bomb exploded in a central bazaar in Peshawar, killing 29 and wounding over 90. Initial reports indicate that the bomb was located near a Shiite mosque. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Dec. 7, 2008: Militants Destroy 100 NATO Trucks

Taliban militants attacked a supply of 100 NATO trucks in Peshawar. The trucks contained U.S. military supplies, including Humvees. The militants were easily able to overwhelm the lax security measures at the supply compound, and used rockets and grenades to destroy the trucks. One guard was reported killed.

Dec. 11, 2008: U.S. Missile Kills Six

An alleged U.S. strike near Azam Warsak, a region in Pakistan believed to be an al-Qaida stronghold, killed six. No information has been released on the identities of the dead.

Dec. 15, 2008: U.S. Strike Kills Two

A suspected U.S. missile attack in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region of Pakistan killed two militants and wounded three.

Dec. 16, 2008: Pentagon Wants to Give More Aid to Pakistan

Pentagon spokesmen have indicated that there is a push for $2.64 billion to be given to Pakistan in order to buy better weapons and provide more training. This shows the importance that the United States places on Pakistan as a major player in the war in Afghanistan.

Dec. 22, 2008: U.S. Missile Kills Seven

A suspected U.S. missile hit a Taliban compound in the FATA region of Pakistan, killing seven.

Other News

Dec. 2, 2008: Two U.S. Soldiers Found Guilty of Misconduct

Two U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan, Capt. Roger T. Hill and 1st Sgt. Tommy L. Scott, were the subject of an Article 32 investigation  into allegations that they had abused Afghan detainees.

Dec. 4, 2008: Afghanistan Governor Fired

Rahmatullah Raufi announced that he was abruptly fired from his position as the governor of Kandahar by the central government. The government refused to give further details.

Dec. 5, 2008: Karzai, Zardari Pledge Cooperation

The presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan pledged to increase cooperation in the fight against militants along their shared border.

Dec. 9, 2008: 20,000 More U.S. Soldiers for Afghanistan

In a press conference in Rome, Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, stated that 20,000 of the troops that are needed in Afghanistan would be supplied by the United States. Any more troops that are needed should be supplied by other NATO countries. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates estimated that three of the four U.S. brigades could be in Afghanistan by the summer of 2009.

Dec. 11, 2008: Canada May Cede Kandahar Command

Canadian officials issued statements that indicated that Canada would cede its Kandahar command to U.S. forces before it pulls all of its troops out of Afghanistan in 2011. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has called for Canada to remain beyond 2011, but Canada has reiterated that it will not.

Dec. 12, 2008: Japan to Keep Small Presence in Afghanistan

Japan was able to agree on a law to extend its naval refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, allowing Japan to remain a small, but important, part of the war in Afghanistan. Due to Japan’s post-World War II constitution, which renounces Japan’s right to wage war, the refueling mission is controversial and is renegotiated every year.

Dec. 14, 2008: Brown Visits Afghanistan

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated that the United Kingdom could send more troops to Afghanistan to participate in the U.S. military buildup.

Dec. 15, 2008: U.K. to Send 300 More Troops

Following a visit to Afghanistan by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the United Kingdom has announced they will send 300 more troops.

Dec. 17, 2008: Governor: Wardak Getting Safer

The governor of Wardak province, Mohammad Halim Fidai, insisted that the security conditions in his province were improving. He stated that misinterpretation of criminal activity for Taliban violence was causing confusion. He said that his province successfully trained over 400 new recruits and confiscated nearly 650 weapons from illegally armed groups.

Dec. 18, 2008: Gates Approves Aviation Brigade

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates approved the deployment of an aviation brigade to Afghanistan early next year. The brigade will consist of approximately 3,000 troops.

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