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The US forces in Afghanistan dropped a Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB), also dubbed the mother of all bombs, over eastern Afghanistan on April 13th. This was the first use of the most powerful nonnuclear ordinance in the US arsenal. The aim was to destroy the network of caves and tunnels used as safe havens by an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliated group. This terrorist group called Islamic State in Khorasan (IS-K) has established a foothold in Afghanistan since 2015. Its ranks have grown, initially from disaffected Taliban, but now includes terrorists from Uzbekistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. Their declarations and brutal actions make IS-K even more hardline and deadlier than the Taliban. IS-K and ISIS think that the Taliban are not hardcore enough, which is one source of tension and competition between the two groups. They have fought many battles for the control of territory in Afghanistan.

The bomb detonated over the Achin area with a huge flash and a ball of fire. It also made a flash of another sort in the US media. Commentators in print and other media praised the action not only as a tool to inflict heavy damage on ISIS, but also as a message to other belligerent actors that President Donald Trump means business. CNN's Fareed Zakaria called the U.S. strikes against the Assad government in Syria the moment "Donald Trump became president of the United States." Afghanistans National Unity Government (NUG) said that they were consulted by the Americans. And although NUG showed a tepidly favorable reaction, other Afghans including the former president Karzai were incensed. Many said that Afghanistan is being used as a proving ground for American weapons. The US Commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, lauded its tactical usefulness saying it was the right weapon for the right target. But MOABs efficacy is still in question in terms of the damage inflicted on IS-K. Neither NUG nor the US forces has released an after-action report to ascertain the number of IS-K killed and other casualties.

Furthermore, two more American troops were killed in the bombing area in clashes with IS-K on April 26th. This indicates that even dropping the most powerful bomb might not have any immediate effect. IS-K is a danger to Afghanistan, but it is not as big a threat as the Taliban who now control big swaths of territory. On April 20th the Taliban suicide bombers attacked an Afghan military base in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. This was the deadliest attack on a major Afghan military base since 2001, resulting in 140 dead and scores injured. The brazen attack on the Afghan National Army 209 Shaheen Corps Headquarters effectively doused MOABs flash and silenced its thunder. The Taliban sent a message that they are the force to be reckoned with. Their murderous action effectively turned MOABs huge boom into a dud.

What MOAB Left Behind

The Taliban then went a step further by formally announcing their current spring offensive, dubbed Operation Mansouri. It is named after their leader Mullah Mansour killed by a US drone strike in Pakistan in 2016. Buoyed by their latest attack, the Taliban announced that they hold half of the country and will build their political base. Operation Mansouri will use all means necessary to continue to attack the Afghan and the international forces stationed in the country. The Taliban spokesman indicated that they will also concentrate on building institutions in the areas under their control.

In the absence of a comprehensive Trump Afghan policy, the US General on the ground has asked for a surge of several thousand additional US troops. But it is not clear how the additional troops will be used and what they will achieve. Amid the uncertainties, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Kabul recently, holding talks with Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan President.

The protracted political infighting within NUG is another complicating factor in Afghanistan. Afghanistans first vice president, Rashid Dostum, is under house arrest for torturing a political opponent. The Afghan judiciary has so far been unable to deal with this case. Dostums supporters in the northern Jowzjan province have taken to the streets in support of this former notorious warlord. In another move, Mr. Ghani just fired another political ally, Zia Massoud, from the Northern Alliance group. Massoud advised Ghani on reforms and good governance. Corruption, lack of reforms and lack of good governance are some of the major internal catalysts for instability in Afghanistan. Another notorious warlord, Gulbudin Hekmatyar, with whom Mr. Ghani signed a peace treaty, is returning to the Afghan capital Kabul. Hekmatyar, nicknamed the butcher of Kabul has Afghan and American blood on his hands. He was responsible for half of the destruction of Kabul following the fall of the communist government in the early 1990s. As the leader of Hizb-e-Islami residing in Kabul, not only will he reopen old wounds, but will also be an added challenge to the already shaky NUG.

Afghanistan Among the Regional Players

Whatever the Trump Afghan doctrine may entail, it should take into consideration the dysfunctional Afghan NUG limitations as a partner. Any increase in the US troop levels and/or financial aid should be contingent upon Afghan leaders cleaning house. The regional dimension of the Afghan conflict has been mostly ignored thus far. Pakistan, the sustainer of Taliban, will not stop its support without certain assurance and entente with India. China, Iran and Russia have regional interests tied to Afghanistan. Not only does Afghanistan need to fix its internal problems, a serious diplomatic approach at the regional level may be necessary for eventual stability in Afghanistan. Big bombs alone may create temporary spectacular flashes, but they may end up as duds.

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MOAB's Bright Flash turns Into a Dud in Afghanistan - Huffington Post

Soldiers transfer the remains of Army Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Rodgers and Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas, 23, of Kettering, Ohio, were killed during a raid in Afghanistan. Cliff Owen/AP hide caption

Soldiers transfer the remains of Army Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Bloomington, Ill., at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Rodgers and Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas, 23, of Kettering, Ohio, were killed during a raid in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department says it is looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two U.S. service members killed in a raid on ISIS leaders in eastern Afghanistan this week.

According to a statement released by the headquarters of United States ForcesAfghanistan, "USFOR-A is investigating the possibility that the two Rangers were accidentally killed by friendly fire during the more than three-hour fight. We have informed both of their families of this possibility and we have appointed a team to investigate the Soldiers' deaths."

Preliminary details of the raid against ISIS-Khorasan were reported in the Two-Way yesterday.

The statement added, "We investigate all combat deaths of U.S. service members, and because we believe that there is a possibility of friendly fire in this case, it is appropriate to notify the families. Once the investigation is complete, USFOR-A will provide the results to our chain of command."

The slain soldiers were identified in a subsequent statement issued by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

"The families and fellow Rangers of Sgt. Joshua "Josh" Rodgers and Sgt. Cameron Thomas have my respect and sympathies. Fighting alongside their Afghan partners, Josh and Cameron proved themselves willing to go into danger and impose a brutal cost on enemies in their path. They carried out their operation against ISIS-K in Afghanistan before making the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation and our freedoms. Our nation owes them an irredeemable debt, and we give our deepest condolences to their families."

The Mattis statement makes no mention of the friendly fire investigation.

The raid targeted an ISIS-K leader named Emir, Abdul Hasib. The USFOR-A statement said two Army Ranger platoons and an equivalent number of Afghan Special Security Forces were dropped by helicopter into the Mohamand Valley in Nangahar Province. They killed several high-level ISIS-K leaders and more than 35 fighters. But the statement says the death of Emir has not yet been confirmed.

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The Pentagon Investigates Possible Friendly Fire Deaths In Afghanistan - NPR

JONO GALUSZKA

Last updated15:53, May 1 2017

ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ

Investigative journalist and author Nicky Hager will speak about his book 'Hit and Run' in Palmerston North on Wednesday.

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager says he is still hearing from people in the military, months after publishing a book alleging SAS involvement in the death of Afghanistan civilians.

Hager is heading to Palmerston North on Wednesday to give two public talks about Hit and Run, a book he co-authored with Jon Stephenson.

The book details a raidthe SAS was involved in in Afghanistan in 2010, where it is alleged civilians were killed.The Defence Force has denied killing civilians.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ

Journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson at the book launch for Hit and Run.

Hagersaid the focus of his talks would be on how the incident highlighted problems with how the military operated.

READ MORE: *What we know, and don't know, about the SAS raid allegations from Hit and Run * No basis for probe into Hager book allegations, says English * Afghan villagers engage NZ lawyers over 'Hit and Run' SAS raid * Hit and Run authors concede they got the location for a raid wrong in their book * Defence Force chief slams 'major inaccuracies' in SAS Afghanistan allegations * Can we trust claims by Hager and Stephenson about SAS raid?

"Jon [Stephenson] and I are still hearing from people in middle and lower [ranks] of the Defence Force who are glad we did the book and are giving more information."

The pair called for an inquiry into the incident, but Prime Minister Bill English has said there was no basis for one.

The Defence Force was also critical of the book.

Hager said he was not disappointed with how things had gone, as he expected the road to an inquiry would be long and hard.

"Jon [Stephenson] and I are obliged and morally committed to those people [in Afghanistan] to stay with this so it can get sorted out in the end."

But he wanted to reassure people he was not attacking the "military family", saying the book would never have happened if people inside the military had not told him what went on.

He was especially keen to get that point across in Palmerston North as it was a "military town", he said.

Hit andRun is the first book Hager has co-authored an experience he said was tough at times.

"Both of us would probably find it much easier working on our own."

But it had made sense to collaborate, with Hager doing work in New Zealand while Stephenson worked in Afghanistan, a place where Hager said he "wouldn't last five minutes".

Hager will speak at Massey University's Social Sciences Lecture Block room 6 on Wednesday at noon, and at the Palmerston North City Library at 7pm.

-Stuff

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Nicky Hager not giving up on inquiry into SAS actions in Afghanistan - Stuff.co.nz

At 15 years and counting, the war in Afghanistan is by far America's longest war and among its most costly. We're draining our resources, sustaining military casualties and spending huge amounts of money as the conflict grinds to a stalemate.

No U.S. official seems to want to talk about our policy in Afghanistan and where we are going. The media has largely forgotten it. Basic questions about our national interests in that country, our objectives and how we are going to meet those objectives are largely ignored.

As our policy drifts, the situation in Afghanistan is dire.

The Afghan government is divided, ineffective in fighting corruption and in unifying and governing the country. Among many Afghans, we are not welcomed in their country. In denouncing the American military's recent use of a giant American bomb on an Afghanistan cave cluster occupied by ISIS militants, former president Hamid Karzai vowed to try to oust the U.S. from the country.

Much of the economy is illicit, driven by drugs and criminality.

As the war intensifies, the military situation is bleak. The Taliban are resurgent. They may not represent anything close to a majority of Afghans, but they have strong support in parts of the country and are not going away.

The Afghan military commanders have not been truthful about the readiness of their troops. They have been almost entirely on the defensive while the Taliban gain more territory. There are record casualties, including more than 100 deaths in a deadly attack this month that lead to the resignation of the defense minister and the Army chief of staff.

Our ally Pakistan is supporting elements of the Taliban. Iran and Russia remain active in the region. Russia sought unsuccessfully to gather representatives from China, Iran, Pakistan and India (but not the United States) to participate in peace talks.

There is talk of starting a peace process in which all the major players try to negotiate the end of the conflict. But the talk is vague, and nothing significant seems to be happening on the diplomatic front.

Under these difficult circumstances, Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. Forces, has called for a surge of several thousand additional American troops.

One can understand why more troops, and more economic and political aid, would be sought. But from my point of view, we should know the answers to the basic questions about Afghanistan before we send more troops into harm's way and expend many more dollars.

We have about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, down considerably from previous levels, but still a significant number. We have spent scores of billions of dollars, much of it to equip and train the Afghan National Defense and Security forces. But those forces have deep internal divisions and have been ineffective.

Under U.S. law, aid is subject to Afghanistan making progress in preventing corruption, fighting drug trafficking and improving human rights and women's rights. But the certifications are routinely approved every year, and the funds are made available, even though progress is by no means apparent.

We need to reassess where we are in Afghanistan. We need to demand answers to a series of questions. What are our interests in Afghanistan? What are our objectives? What is our strategy for meeting those objectives? In short: What is the end game? How long are we prepared to stay there? And for what purpose?

If we decide to stay in Afghanistan, we have a full plate. We need to find ways to fix the frictions that are rampant within the Afghan government. And the Afghan government must demonstrate a sense of urgency and support for reform.

The Pakistanis have to decide whose side they're on. We have to stop sending money and equipment to the Afghan forces that end up in the hands of our adversaries because of corrupt Afghan leadership. We must insist the government deal with corruption, act with basic competence and govern the country effectively.

Without doubt, President Donald Trump inherited a tough, messy situation in Afghanistan. But he has said little about the situation and has done nothing to clarify objectives and policies. We should not expect miracles or quick solutions, but we should demand clear objectives and goals. The lack of clarity in U.S. policy and strategy is not fair to our military forces, not fair to the American people and ultimately not fair to the people of Afghanistan.

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After Years Of War, U.S. Policy In Afghanistan Is A Mystery - Huffington Post

NATO is considering sending additional military personnel to Afghanistan and increasing the timeframe of the deployment in the view of the challenging security situation, the alliances secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, told the German Die Welt daily.

The additional troops are expected to join the NATO Resolute Support mission which it says is aimed at training, assisting and advising Afghan security forces in their fight against violent insurgents and various extremist groups.

The training mission, after the majority of combat troops were withdrawn, currently involves 13,000 servicemen, with around 8,400 of them being from the US.

The decision concerning further troops deployment is to be taken by June, Stoltenberg told Die Welt.

The military alliance is also expected to approve a new prolonged deployment procedure, he said. Instead of extending the mission every year, NATO would prolong it for a longer term to be able to develop long-term strategies.

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NATO would like to take more initiative and responsibility in the fight against global terrorism, Stoltenberg said, noting however, that operations aimed at training local troops and security forces are the best way to fight terrorism.

We already do it to some extent, for example, in Afghanistan and Iraq but we have a potential to do even more, he said. In such a way, we make them capable of stabilizing their land on their own. It is better than sending NATO troops that have then to defend those countries.

NATOs new strategy announcement comes as the situation in Afghanistan becomes increasingly tense.

US-led forces invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban from power more than 15 years ago, following the attacks of September 11, 2001. However, the extremist group, which advocates hardcore Islamist rule, is still active and continues to attack Afghan military targets and carry out terrorist attacks.

US Army General John Nicholson recently described the situation in Afghanistan as a stalemate as he briefed the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Lately, the US has concentrated on fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists in eastern Afghanistan while also supporting Afghan National Security Forces against the Taliban.

In an unprecedented show of force on April 13, the US dropped an 11-ton mother of all bombs in the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, killing 94 IS terrorists, according to the latest estimates.

Meanwhile last week, some 140 Afghan soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a Taliban attack on a military base in northern Afghanistan, according to Afghan officials. Taliban fighters also overran the Sangin district of Helmand province in late March.

On Saturday, it was reported that the US Marines returned to Afghanistans southernmost Helmand province amid the deteriorating security situation in the area. The arrival of the Marines comes a day after the Taliban announced this years spring offensive, pledging to keep the pressure on Afghans security forces.

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NATO may boost its presence & prolong 'training' mission in Afghanistan Stoltenberg - RT