Archive for the ‘Afghanistan’ Category

Taliban-Linked Source: U.S. Ready for ‘Withdrawal Plan’ in …

The U.S. made the proposal, which would allow the United States to maintain three military bases in Afghanistan, during the latest round of dialogue between American and Taliban representatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This week, the U.S. and the Taliban participated in a two-day round of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi in the presence of officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the UAE the only countries that officially recognized the terrorist groups regime during its five years of oppressive rule in Afghanistan and are believed to have sway over the jihadi organization.

Taliban terrorists have long insisted on the complete withdrawal of United States-NATO troops, a move that appears to be on the same page with the many Americans who have grown tiredof the war and want U.S. troops to return home.

An unnamed source close to the Taliban negotiators told the Times:

The major focus is on ceasefire now. The Americans have been asking for a six-month ceasefire and are also ready to give a withdrawal plan. They want at least three bases in Afghanistan but have assured they would not interfere in Afghanistans internal affairs. Security will be the responsibility of the Afghan security forces. The bases would only serve to safeguard their interests in the region especially against Russia and China.

In June, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also indicated that the Trump administration is open to discussing the withdrawal.

Months before the latest round of negotiations, the Trump administration came out in support of Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis offer to the Taliban of a truce and official recognition as a legitimate political power.

Trump administration officials have made reconciliation between Kabul and the Taliban the top priority of its strategy to bring Americas longest foreign war to a close.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the Trump administrations special representative in charge of the talks for Afghan reconciliation to the war, is leading Americas peace-seeking efforts.

During the recent talks, the envoy indicated that the U.S. discussed the future of the American military presence in Afghanistan and an offer of a three-month cease-fire during which the insurgents and the Afghan government could have negotiations, the New York Times (NYT) noted.

Khalilzad reportedly demanded, Assurances that Afghanistan will not become a haven for terrorists who want to target the United States.

While ruling out a pre-9/11 situation in Afghanistan, Khalilzad told TOLO News he had told the Taliban that if the menace of terrorism is tackled, the United States is not looking for a permanent military presence in the country, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.

According to the Pentagon, the Afghanistan-Pakistan region is home to the highest regional concentration of terrorist groups in the world.

In August, the United Nations reported that the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the jihadi allies behind the 9/11 attacks on the American homeland, remains firm.

After the talks this week, a spokesman for the Taliban also stressed that the recent discussions focused on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, a long-stated goal of the terrorist group.

Khalilzad is leading the Trump administrations intensified efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, raging since October 2001 at the cost of nearly $1 trillion, 2,276 U.S. military fatalities, and 20,415 injuries.

Terrorists, primarily Taliban jihadis, control or contest about 45 percent of Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a watchdog agency, reported earlier this year.

The Long War Journal, a component of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think-tank, estimated last month that the Taliban and its Haqqani Network allies have between 28,000 and 40,000 jihadis in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it was pulling out of Syria, prompting the Associated Press (AP) to suggest that Afghanistan may be next.

If hes willing to walk away from Syria, I think we should be concerned about whether Afghanistan is next, Jennifer Cafarella, the director of intelligence planning at the Institute for the Study of War, told the AP.

The president has defended his decision to pull out of Syria, writing on Twitter Thursday:

Getting out of Syria was no surprise. Ive been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & other are the locla enemy of ISIS. We were doing [their] work. Time to come home & rebuild. Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever?

Several U.S. military officials have said the war in Afghanistan is at a stalemate.

Echoing other assessments, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted this week, Taliban officials have shown in their talks with the U.S. since July some willingness to moderate the groups absolutist demands, accepting, for example, an incremental withdrawal of American forces over an extended period of years, people familiar with the talks say.

Citing the Talibans ongoing refusal to meet with the Taliban, Khalil raised doubts Thursday about the Talibans desire to end the 17-year war, AFP acknowledged.

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Taliban-Linked Source: U.S. Ready for 'Withdrawal Plan' in ...

US defense chief quits as Trump pulls from Syria, Afghanistan

Washington (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned Thursday, leading a chorus of protests at home and abroad after President Donald Trump ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria and a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Trump steadfastly defended his sudden push for retrenchment, vowing that the United States would no longer be the "policeman of the Middle East" and saying the 2,000-strong US force in Syria was no longer needed as the Islamic State group had been defeated.

Mattis, a battle-hardened retired four-star general seen as a moderating force on the often impulsive president, made little attempt to hide his disagreements with Trump.

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," Mattis said in a letter to Trump, "I believe it is right for me to step down from my position."

Mattis hailed the coalition to defeat Islamic State as well as NATO, the nearly 70-year-old alliance between North America and Europe whose cost-effectiveness has been questioned by the businessman turned president.

"My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues," Mattis wrote.

One day after the surprise announcement on Syria, a US official told AFP that Trump had also decided on a "significant withdrawal" in a much larger US operation -- Afghanistan.

Some 14,000 troops are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of the longest-ever US war, launched in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than half would be returning.

Trump has surrounded himself with former military men and shown an uncharacteristic public deference toward Mattis, a bookish 68-year-old who has disagreed with the president behind the scenes on issues from Russia to Iran to accepting transgender soldiers.

He hinted at Mattis's departure as far back as October, telling CBS: "It could be that he is (leaving). I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth... He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves."

On Twitter Thursday, however, Trump had only praise for his defense secretary, who will serve until the end of February, crediting him with achieving "tremendous progress."

- 'National security crisis' -

US lawmakers across the political spectrum voiced concern over a rebirth of the Islamic State group in Syria and sounded an alarm as Mattis unmoors from the unpredictable administration.

Senator Marco Rubio, a member of Trump's Republican Party, said Mattis in his letter "makes it abundantly clear that we are headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation, damage our alliances and empower our adversaries."

Democratic Senator Mark Warner called Mattis "an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration" and voiced fears of policy driven by "the president's erratic whims."

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was unusually pointed, calling for the US to "maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter."

He said he was "particularly distressed that he is resigning due to sharp differences with the president on these and other key aspects of America's global leadership."

Trump was quick to note that he has ramped up military spending, but he has been most interested in deploying troops at home to carry out his key domestic goal of cracking down on unauthorized immigration.

"Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight," he tweeted.

- Putin praises Trump -

The US withdrawal will make Russia, which has deployed its air power in support of President Bashar al-Assad, the pre-eminent global power in the Syrian conflict.

"The fact that the US has decided to withdraw its troops is right," President Vladimir Putin said during an annual year-end press conference, saying that "on the whole I agree with the US president" on the level of damage inflicted on Islamic State.

Putin, who has described the fall of the Soviet Union as a historic geopolitical disaster, sees Moscow's longtime ally Syria as a key asset in preserving influence in the Middle East.

Iran's Shiite clerical regime has also strongly backed Assad, a secular leader from the heterodox Alawite sect.

Turkey opposes Assad and may be emboldened by Trump to attack Kurdish fighters inside Syria, who fought alongside US troops against the Islamic State group.

Turkey links Kurds who dominate the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to a decades-old insurgency at home, but had been reluctant to strike for fear of setting off a crisis if the United States suffered casualties.

Mustefa Bali, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the fighters would keep up the battle against Islamic State -- but that all bets were off if Turkey attacks.

- Worries in Europe -

Bali said the Kurdish forces would keep locked up the Islamic State extremists in their custody -- but alleged that Turkey may target prisons to sow chaos once US troops leave.

The Islamic State movement has claimed credit for a slew of attacks around the world, including the 2015 coordinated assault on Paris, and experts estimate that thousands of sympathizers remain.

Meanwhile Germany, which has taken in more than one million refugees stemming in large part from the Syria conflict, questioned Trump's assessment that the threat was over.

While fighting has largely subsided in Syria and the Islamic State group holds little territory, a political solution remains elusive in ending the war that has killed more than 360,000 and displaced millions since 2011.

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Operation Enduring Freedom – Wikipedia

Operation Enduring FreedomPart of the War on TerrorDuring Operation El Dorado in May 2004, U.S. Marines from Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, startle the owner of a compound who refused to open his door for a search.Belligerents

In Afghanistan: (completed)

In the Philippines: (completed)

In Somalia/Horn of Africa:

In Georgia: (completed)

In Kyrgyzstan: (completed)

In Afghanistan:

In the Philippines:

In Somalia:

In Sahara:

45,000+ killed 2,437 killed[4](2,414 in Afghanistan, 17 in the Philippines, 4 in Nigeria, 2 in Somalia) 456 killed[4] 158 killed[4] 89 killed[4]

In Afghanistan:

In the Philippines:

In Somalia:

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for the Global War on Terrorism. On October 7, 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced that airstrikes targeting Al Qaeda and the Taliban had begun in Afghanistan.[10] Operation Enduring Freedom primarily refers to the War in Afghanistan,[11][12] but it is also affiliated with counterterrorism operations in other countries, such as OEF-Philippines and OEF-Trans Sahara.[13][14]

After 13 years, on December 28, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the end of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.[15] Continued operations in Afghanistan by the United States' military forces, both non-combat and combat, now occur under the name Operation Freedom's Sentinel.[16]

Operation Enduring Freedom most commonly refers to the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, which is a NATO military alliance between the United States, United Kingdom and Afghanistan.[11][12] OEF is also affiliated with counter-terrorism operations in other countries targeting Al Qaeda and remnants of the Taliban, such as OEF-Philippines and OEF-Trans Sahara, primarily through government funding vehicles.[13][14]

The U.S. government used the term "Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan" to officially describe the War in Afghanistan, from the period between 7 October 2001 and 31 December 2014.[17][24] Continued operations in Afghanistan by the United States' military forces, both non-combat and combat, now occur under the name Operation Freedom's Sentinel.[25]

The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice", but as similar phrases have been used by adherents of several religions as an exclusive description of God, it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims, who are the majority religion in Afghanistan.[26] In September 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush's remark that "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while", which prompted widespread criticism from the Islamic world, may also have contributed to the renaming of the operation.[26]

The term "OEF-A" typically refers to the phase of the War in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are only loosely or nominally connected, such as through government funding vehicles.[13] All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities.

Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan, which was a joint U.S., U.K., and Afghan operation, was separate from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was an operation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations including the U.S. and the U.K.[27] The two operations ran in parallel, although it had been suggested that they merge.[28]

In response to the attacks of 11 September, the early combat operations that took place on 7 October 2001 to include a mix of strikes from land-based B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, carrier-based F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters, and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both U.S. and British ships and submarines signaled the start of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan (OEF-A).

The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W. Bush in his 20 September Address to a Joint Session of Congress and his 7 October address to the country, included the destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure within Afghanistan, the capture of al-Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan.[29][30][31]

In January 2002, over 1,200 soldiers from the United States Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) deployed to the Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in their push to uproot terrorist forces on the island of Basilan. Of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.[32] The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the local people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles.[33]

In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier. The stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. Similar to OEF-P, the goal of humanitarian aid was emphasized, ostensibly to prevent militant organizations from being able to take hold amongst the population as well as reemerge after being removed.

The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training and equipment to the armed forces in the region. The humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people.

Since 2001, the cumulative expenditure by the U.S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150billion.[34]

The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command.

Seizing upon a power vacuum after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan after their invasion, the Taliban had the role of government from 19962001. Their extreme interpretation of Islamic law prompted them to ban music, television, sports, and dancing, and enforce harsh judicial penalties (See Human rights in Afghanistan). Amputation was an accepted form of punishment for stealing,[35][36] and public executions could often be seen at the Kabul football stadium.[37][38] Women's rights groups around the world were frequently critical as the Taliban banned women from appearing in public or holding many jobs outside the home.[citation needed] They drew further criticism[by whom?] when they destroyed the Buddhas of Bamyan, historical statues nearly 1500 years old, because the Buddhas were considered idols.

In 1996, Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden moved to Afghanistan upon the invitation of the Northern Alliance leader Abdur Rabb ur Rasool Sayyaf.[39] When the Taliban came to power, bin Laden was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his al-Qaeda organization. It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the 055 Brigade were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001. It has been suggested that the Taliban and bin Laden had very close connections.[40]

On 20 September 2001, the U.S. stated that Osama bin Laden was behind the 11 September attacks in 2001. The US made a five-point ultimatum to the Taliban:[41]

On 21 September 2001, the Taliban rejected this ultimatum, stating there was no evidence in their possession linking bin Laden to the 11 September attacks.[42]

On 22 September 2001 the United Arab Emirates and later Saudi Arabia withdrew their recognition of the Taliban as the legal government of Afghanistan, leaving neighboring Pakistan as the only remaining country with diplomatic ties.

On 4 October 2001, it was reported that the Taliban covertly offered to turn bin Laden over to Pakistan for trial in an international tribunal that operated according to Islamic shar'ia law.[43] On 7 October 2001, the Taliban proposed to try bin Laden in Afghanistan in an Islamic court.[44] This proposition was immediately rejected by the US. Later on the same day, United States and British forces initiated military action against the Taliban, bombing Taliban forces and al-Qaeda terrorist training camps.[45]

On 14 October 2001, the Taliban proposed to hand bin Laden over to a third country for trial, but only if they were given evidence of bin Laden's involvement in the events of 11 September 2001.[46] The US rejected this proposal and military operations ensued.

The UN Security Council, on 16 January 2002, unanimously established an arms embargo and the freezing of identifiable assets belonging to bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the remaining Taliban.

On Sunday 7 October 2001, American and British forces began an aerial bombing campaign targeting Taliban forces and al-Qaeda.[47]

The Northern Alliance, aided by Joint Special Operations teams consisting of Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group, aircrew members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), and Air Force Combat Controllers, fought against the Taliban. Aided by U.S. bombing and massive defections, they captured Mazar-i-Sharif on 9 November. They then rapidly gained control of most of northern Afghanistan, and took control of Kabul on 13 November after the Taliban unexpectedly fled the city. The Taliban were restricted to a smaller and smaller region, with Kunduz, the last Taliban-held city in the north, captured on 26 November. Most of the Taliban fled to Pakistan.

The war continued in the south of the country, where the Taliban retreated to Kandahar. After Kandahar fell in December,[48] remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaeda continued to mount resistance. Meanwhile, in November 2001 the U.S. military and its allied forces established their first ground base in Afghanistan to the south west of Kandahar, known as FOB Rhino.[49]

The Battle of Tora Bora, involving U.S., British and Northern Alliance forces took place in December 2001 to further destroy the Taliban and suspected al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. In early March 2002 the United States military, along with allied Afghan military forces, conducted a large operation to destroy al-Qaeda in an operation code-named Operation Anaconda.

The operation was carried out by elements of the United States 10th Mountain Division, 101st Airborne Division, the U.S. special forces groups TF 11, TF Bowie, TF Dagger, TF K-Bar, British Royal Marines, the Norwegian Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK), Hrens Jegerkommando and Marinejegerkommandoen, Canada's 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canada's Joint Task Force 2, the German KSK, and elements of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and of the New Zealand Special Air Service and the Afghan National Army.

After managing to evade U.S. forces throughout the summer of 2002, the remnants of the Taliban gradually began to regain their confidence. A U.S. and Canadian led operation (supported by British and Dutch forces), Operation Mountain Thrust was launched in May 2006 to counter renewed Taliban insurgency.

Since January 2006, the NATO International Security Assistance Force undertook combat duties from Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan, the NATO force chiefly made up of British, Canadian and Dutch forces (and some smaller contributions from Denmark, Romania and Estonia and air support from Norway as well as air and artillery support from the U.S.) (see the article Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006). The United States military also conducts military operations separate from NATO as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in other parts of Afghanistan, in areas such as Kandahar, Bagram, and Kabul (including Camp Eggers and Camp Phoenix.)

The United States was supported by several nations during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan in 20012003 and in subsequent coalition operations directly or indirectly in support of OEF. See the article Afghanistan War order of battle for the current disposition of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The U.S.-led coalition initially removed the Taliban from power and seriously crippled al-Qaeda and associated militants in Afghanistan. However, success in quelling the Taliban insurgency since the 2001 invasion has been mixed. Many believe[who?] the Taliban cannot be defeated as long as it has sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan[50] and that Operation Enduring Freedom has transformed into a continuing full-fledged war with no end in sight.

On 9 October 2004, Afghanistan elected Hamid Karzai president in its first direct elections. The following year, Afghans conducted the Afghan parliamentary election, 2005 on 18 September. Since the invasion, hundreds of schools and mosques have been constructed, millions of dollars in aid have been distributed, and the occurrence of violence has been reduced.

While military forces interdict insurgents and assure security, Provincial reconstruction teams are tasked with infrastructure building, such as constructing roads and bridges, assisting during floods, and providing food and water to refugees. Many warlords have participated in an allegiance program, recognizing the legitimacy of the government of Afghanistan, and surrendering their soldiers and weapons; however, subsequent actions have led to questions about their true loyalties.

The Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and Afghan Border Police are being trained to assume the task of securing their nation.

On 31 December 2014, Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan concluded, and was succeeded by Operation Freedom's Sentinel on 1 January 2015.[51]

AFP, reporting on a news story in the Sunday, 3 April 2004, issue of The New Yorker,[52] wrote that retired Army Colonel Hy Rothstein, "who served in the Army Special Forces for more than 20 years, ...commissioned by The Pentagon to examine the war in Afghanistan concluded the conflict created conditions that have given 'warlordism, banditry and opium production a new lease on life'..."

The conduct of U.S. forces was criticised in a report entitled Enduring Freedom Abuses by U.S. Forces in Afghanistan by U.S.-based human rights group Human Rights Watch in 2004. Some Pakistani scholars, such as Masood Ashraf Raja, editor of Pakistaniaat, have also provided a more specific form of criticism that relates to the consequences of the Global War on Terrorism on the region.[53]

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Al Harakat Al Islamiyya, is deemed a "foreign terrorist organization" by the United States government. Specifically, it is an Islamist separatist group based in and around the southern islands of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily Jolo, Basilan, and Mindanao.[54]

Since inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion in their fight for an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.[54] Its claimed overarching goal is to create a Pan-Islamic superstate across the Malay portions of Southeast Asia, spanning, from east to west, the large island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago (Basilan and Jolo islands), the large island of Borneo (Malaysia and Indonesia), the South China Sea, and the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar).

Jemaah Islamiyah is a militant Islamic terrorist organization dedicated to the establishment of a fundamentalist Islamic theocracy in Southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, the south of Thailand and the Philippines. Jemaah Islamiyah originally used peaceful means to achieve its goals, but later resorted to terrorism because of its connections with al-Qaeda.[55]

Financial links between Jemaah Islamiyah and other terrorist groups, such as Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaeda, have been found to exist.[56] Jemaah Islamiyah means "Islamic Group" or "Islamic Community" and is often abbreviated JI.

Jemaah Islamiyah is thought to have killed hundreds of civilians. Also, it is suspected of carrying out the Bali car bombing on 12 October 2002, in which suicide bombers attacked a nightclub killing 202 people and wounding many more. Most of the casualties were Australian tourists. After this attack, the U.S. State Department designated Jemaah Islamiyah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Jemaah Islamiyah is also suspected of carrying out the Zamboanga bombings, the Metro Manila bombings, the 2004 Australian embassy bombing and the 2005 Bali terrorist bombing.

In January 2002, 1,200 members of United States Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) were deployed to the Philippines to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in uprooting al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf. The members of SOCPAC were assigned to assist in military operations against the terrorist forces as well as humanitarian operations for the island of Basilan, where most of the conflict was expected to take place.

The United States Special Forces (SF) unit trained and equipped special forces and scout rangers of the AFP, creating the Light Reaction Company (LRC). The LRC and elements of SOCPAC deployed to Basilan on completion of their training. The stated goals of the deployment were denying the ASG sanctuary, surveiling, controlling, and denying ASG routes, surveiling supporting villages and key personnel, conducting local training to overcome AFP weaknesses and sustain AFP strengths, supporting operations by the AFP "strike force" (LRC) in the area of responsibility (AOR), conducting and supporting civil affairs operations in the AOR.[57]

The desired result was for the AFP to gain sufficient capability to locate and destroy the ASG, to recover hostages and to enhance the legitimacy of the Philippine government. Much of the operation was a success: the ASG was driven from Basilan and one U.S. hostage was recovered.[57] The Abu Sayyaf Group's ranks, which once counted more than 800 members, was reduced to less than 100. The humanitarian portion of the operation, Operation Smiles, created 14 schools, 7 clinics, 3 hospitals and provided medical care to over 18,000 residents of Basilan. Humanitarian groups were able to continue their work without fear of further kidnappings and terrorists attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group.[33][58]

Unlike other operations contained in Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF-HOA does not have a specific terrorist organization as a target. OEF-HOA instead focuses its efforts to disrupt and detect terrorist activities in the region and to work with host nations to deny the reemergence of terrorist cells and activities. Operations began in mid-2002 at Camp Lemonnier by a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) augmented by support forces from Fort Stewart, Fort Hood, and Fort Story. In October 2002, the Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) was established at Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier, taking over responsibilities from the CJSOTF. CJTF-HOA comprised approximately 2,000 personnel including U.S. military and Special Operations Forces (SOF), and coalition force members, Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150). The coalition force consists of ships from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, India, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The primary goal of the coalition forces is to monitor, inspect, board and stop suspected shipments from entering the Horn of Africa region. Since 2003, the U.S. Military also conducts operations targeting Al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Somalia, these operations had reportedly killed between 113 and 136 militants by early 2016. On 7 March 2016, a further 150 were killed in U.S. airstrikes on an al Shabaab training camp north of Mogadishu.[59]

CJTF-HOA has devoted the majority of its efforts to train selected armed forces units of the countries of Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency tactics. Humanitarian efforts conducted by CJTF-HOA include the rebuilding of schools and medical clinics, as well as providing medical services to those countries whose forces are being trained. The program expands as part of the Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Initiative as CJTF personnel also assist in training the forces of Chad, Niger, Mauritania and Mali.[60]

"Operation Enduring Freedom"

Anti-piracy operations were undertaken by the coalition throughout 2006 with a battle fought in March when US vessels were attacked by pirates. In January 2007, during the war in Somalia, an AC-130 airstrike was conducted against al-Qaeda members embedded with forces of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) operating in southern Somalia near Ras Kamboni. US naval forces, including the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, were positioned off the coast of Somalia to provide support and to prevent any al-Qaeda forces escaping by sea. Actions against pirates also occurred in June and October 2007 with varying amounts of success.

"Operation Resolute Support/Freedom's Sentinel"

Effective 1 January 2015, Secretary of Defense Hagel announced that the new U.S. mission in Afghanistan will focus on training, advising, and assisting Afghan security forces and designated as Operation Freedom's Sentinel.19 About 13,500 U.S. troops are expected in Afghanistan through2015 and will be assisted by troops from NATO allies.

Since 2002, the United States military has created military awards and decorations related to Operation Enduring Freedom

NATO also created a military decoration related to Operation Enduring Freedom:

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Operation Enduring Freedom - Wikipedia

Afghanistan: Reported US covert actions 2018

Data released by US Forces Afghanistan show seven strikes hit Helmand on this day. One of these US strikes caused a number of civilian casualties.

The UN mission in Afghanistan's preliminary findings indicate that as many as 23 civilians have been killed and a further three injured in a strike in Helmand's Garmsir district.

Most of those killed were likely women and children, the UN has found. It is working to verify information indicating that up to 10 children were killed along with eight women, and three children were injured, including an eight-year-old boy.

The strike hit during an operation involving Afghan and international forces, with the US carrying out a strike during a fire-fight on the ground. The US has stated that a secondary explosion occurred after the strike, which they put down to explosives being inside the compound hit.

The US responded to the reports stating:

Local media reported on the strike shortly after, saying it hit a civilian home. An unnamed local official said 16 civilians were killed in that strike, which they said was carried out by "foreign forces" (the US is the only known force to be carrying out strike missions aside the Afghans). A further 16 Taliban members were also killed, according to the official.

Helmand Governor Mohammad Yasin Khan confirmed civilian and Taliban casualties in an air strike, although he did not specify whether Afghan or US forces carried out the strike.

One resident, going by the name of Nafi, said the strike hit the house of Haji Akhtar Mohammad, killing 17 people including women and guests. The brother of Haji Akhtar Mohammad said 30 people were killed, including guests. Only a kid and a dog of the house survived the attack, all others killed and the house totally destroyed, he told Pajhwok.

A doctor in Lashkargah Emergency Hospital said one injured child was transferred to the hospital from the incident area. Family members of this child told me that more than 20 people killed in an airstrike on their house as many of them were still trapped under the ground, he reportedly said.

The Taliban also confirmed the incident. The groups spokesman said that bombardments happened in Goshta and Zanziri Drab areas of Garmsir district last night. He said that an airstrike targeted the house of a local resident named Akhtar Mohammad and killed 23 people including children and women.

The Taliban's spokesperson said the strike killed 23 people, including women and children.

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US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Afghanistan

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Associated Press Published 5:13 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2018

US soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division US Army stand at attention during the Army Safety Excellence Award ceremony inside the Forward Operating Base Arian at the Ghazni province on May 20, 2013.(Photo: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR, AFP/Getty Images)

KABUL, Afghanistan The U.S. military says an American service member has died in a non-combat-related incident in Afghanistan, without offering further information.

The militarys statement says the incident happened on Thursday and is being investigated.

The service members identity was being withheld until his family could be notified.

About 14,000 U.S. military personnel are serving in Afghanistan, training and assisting Afghanistans beleaguered national forces, which come under near daily attacks by the Taliban who hold sway over nearly half the country.

The U.S.-led NATO mission handed off Afghanistans security to Afghan troops in December 2014, but they have struggled to quash the insurgency, which has grown to include an Islamic State affiliate.

Washington has spent nearly $1 trillion in Afghanistan since the Talibans ouster in 2001.

More: 3 American service members killed in Afghanistan roadside bombing

More: Washington governor praises Army Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, soldier killed in Afghanistan

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US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Afghanistan