August 25,2008:
Afghanistan is once more becoming
a gathering place for special operations (commando) operators from dozens of
countries. This has led to the development of a new strategy, of trying to
destroy the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership. Several years worth of experience
and information collected by the thousands of commandos has provided a way to
do this. Commandos could track the terrorist leaders, and also use a network of
informants they had developed along the border, on both sides, over the years.
In addition, the U.S. had developed electronic and visual surveillance
capabilities that provide the commandos with additional eyes, and weapons. The
commandos are particularly fond of Predator and Reaper UAVs, which come
operators describe as having a full time spy satellite overhead. Commandos, as
well as smart bombs and Hellfire missiles.
These
"decapitation" operations have increased this year, and are expected
to keep increasing into next year. The Taliban and al Qaeda have already
figured out what is going on, and are increasingly paranoid when it comes to
informers, using their own cell or satellite phones, and any unidentified
aircraft in the area. The terrorists keep changing the way they meet and
communicate, yet they keep getting killed. While the terrorists can replace
leaders and technical specialists, they cannot replace them with people of
equal experience. And as they move into the shallow end of the talent pool,
more mistakes are made. Al Qaeda operatives who have fled Iraq to Afghanistan, have
noticed, and commented on, the lower level of technical expertise among their
Afghan brothers. While most Iraqi terrorists were literate, and some even had
formal technical training, most Afghans are illiterate, and any technical
training they might have was acquired informally. This has led to more bombs
that don't go off on cue, or, worse yet, explode while being worked on, or
emplaced. This sort of thing will happen more, as the talent pool gets diluted.
The terrorists have a nearly inexhaustible supply of gunmen and suicide bombers
from the hundreds of pro-terror religious schools in Pakistan. Plenty of cash
is available from contributions and criminal activities (particularly working
for the heroin gangs in Afghanistan). But leadership cannot be bought, nor can
you hire technical people to work the high risk (and high death rate) border
areas. You have to develop your own leaders and technical people. And if the
enemy kills off those leaders and techies too rapidly, the terror operations
will collapse. That's how the Israelis crippled Palestinian terrorist
operations several years ago, and how the Americans crushed al Qaeda in Iraq,
and throughout the rest of the world. Now that solution is being applied to the
terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and commandos from over a dozen nations
are in charge.
From the
beginning, in September, 2001, Afghanistan was very much a special operations
war. The United States asked all of its allies to contribute their commando
forces, and most eagerly obliged. This enthusiasm came from the realization
that this part of the world was particularly difficult to operate in, and would
be a welcome challenge to men who had trained hard for years for missions like
this. In addition, most nations saw Islamic terrorism as a real threat, and
knew that key terrorist leaders were still hiding out in Afghanistan, Pakistan
and Iran. Even after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which many Western and
Middle Eastern nations opposed, they kept sending their commandoes to
Afghanistan. But few commandos were allowed into Pakistan, where most of the
Taliban and al Qaeda leadership were hiding. Efforts to operate in Pakistan
created growing hostility from Pakistani intelligence agencies, which contained
many al Qaeda sympathizers. The Pakistani government was reluctant to come down
too hard on the Taliban and al Qaeda members on their Afghan border. So the
commandos proceeded to learn all about the pro-Taliban tribes in Afghanistan,
and secretly sneaked across into Pakistan as well.
Most of these
commando operations have been kept secret. This is typical for commando
operations, but in this case, many of the nations involved don't want it known
that they are involved. This has especially been the case with Arab nations
that have contributed commando units. The only time any information gets into
the media is, typically, when a commando contingent returns. In that way, the
Norwegian media covered the return of their special forces from, as it was
described, "another mission" to Afghanistan. Many nations have either
sent their commandoes to Afghanistan in shifts, maintaining a near continuous
presence, or send some in for a few months, or up to a year, then bring them
home for a year or so, before sending them back. For many nations, this is the only
combat experience any of their troops are receiving. These countries are often
officially hostile to the U.S. effort in Iraq, and refuse to send combat troops
to Afghanistan. But commandos in Afghanistan are another matter, partly because
nearly all commandos are eager to go.
Afghanistan has been called "the Commando
Olympics," because so many nations have contingents there. While the
different commando organizations aren't competing with each other, they are
performing similar missions, using slightly different methods and equipment.
Naturally, everyone compares notes and makes changes based on combat
experience. That's the draw for commandoes, getting and using "combat
experience." Training is great, but there's nothing like operating against
an armed and hostile foe. This is all a real big thing, as the participating
commandoes are becoming a lot more effective. But you can't get a photograph of
this increased capability, and the commandoes aren't talking to the press. So
it's all a big story you'll never hear much about, except in history books,
many years from now.