A Butterfly Flaps Its Wings...

To say the last few days have been filled with angst would be an understatement.  I asked one of my fellow CPTs if the Koran burning at BAF was the most significant non-CIVCAS, non-border incident they have had during their deployment, and he replied in the affirmative.  The international news stories are too numerous to list but below are a few.  Bottom line is this -- the actions of one soldier has had devastating affects across the AO this week, from two American soldiers KIA to dozens of Afghan civilians KIA/WIA to untold strategic and operational affects.  I am trying to be restrained in my commentary here but know this -- this event has been as emotional for CF as for Afghans.  Sometimes the reaction to the event speaks even louder volumes than the event itself.  And for a public forum, I'll leave it at that.

POTUS SEND LETTER OF APOLOGY TO POA  (AP) The Afghan president's
office says it has received a letter from President Barack Obama
formally apologizing for the burning of Qurans at a U.S. military base
in Afghanistan.  In the letter, which is quoted in the statement, Obama
expresses his "deep regret for the reported incident" and offers his
"sincere apologies."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HO
ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-02-23-07-58-09

AFGHANISTAN'S KARZAI  SAYS U.S. OFFICER BURNED KORANS  (REUTERS)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday blamed a U.S. military officer
for the burning of Korans at a major NATO base which triggered three
days of violent protests.  Karzai told MPs at his presidential palace
that the officer acted "out of ignorance and with poor understanding" of
the Koran's importance as Islam's holy book, a presidential statement
said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/23/us-afghanistan-korans-karzai-i
dUSTRE81M11L20120223

IN KABUL, AFGHAN POLICE SYMPATHIZE WITH PROTESTORS ANGRY OVER KORAN
BURNING (WA-PO)
Some of those same Afghan police officers showed few qualms Thursday in
telling a foreign reporter that their mission left them deeply uneasy.
What their government was asking, they said, was for police officers to
quell protesters whose cause they fully shared.  "Afghans and the
world's Muslims should rise against the foreigners. We have no patience
left," said one police officer in central Kabul, who has worked at the
same checkpoint since he joined the force seven months ago. He looked at
his colleague, who stood next to him, nodding. "We both will attack the
foreign military people."  Police officers interviewed at four posts in
the Afghan capital voiced the anti-American sentiments on the same day
that two U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan were fatally shot by a man
wearing an Afghan army uniform. The killings were the latest apparent
incident of fratricide aimed at Americans within a nominally united
U.S.-Afghan force, and they have added to misgivings among many U.S.
troops about the loyalty of their Afghan counterparts.  "Those behind
the act should be asked about their deed and must be punished," said an
officer near a U.S. military base in Kabul. "If I find the opportunity,
I would shoot them in the head."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/two-us-soldiers-killed-in-afghanista
n-obama-apologizes-for-koran-burning-as-taliban-calls-for-revenge/2012/0
2/23/gIQALNKIVR_story.html

Post-Conflict Resolution

One of the CPTs I work with sent this article to me today because it talks about rule of law and reintegration, another area I have been pulled into.
http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/02/01/afghanistans_injustice_system

Then I began thinking about some of the things the article raises -- the level of corruption in the judicial system, the choosing of expediency over principle, and reconciliation and accountability when it comes to the reintegration program (Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program or APRP).  There is an element of reconciliation to the program -- insurgents are vetted and the community has to essentially agree that they should be admitted into the program.  But there hasn't been the same kind of buy in that is desired of a post-conflict resolution mechanism such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa or war crimes tribunals in Rwanda and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.  Is it because Afghan is not yet a post-conflict state?  Or because there are more than 2 sides at play?  Sure, there are coalition forces aligned with ANSF and GIRoA versus the Taliban and other insurgent groups.  But that's the simplistic view.  The reality on the ground is much different when the Taliban have shadow governments that are in some cases providing people with a system of justice that is more consistent and predictable (if incredibly harsh) than what they can expect from GIRoA.  

Always On the Go

My command's terminology for me is a "roving" ROLFSO (Rule of Law Field Support Officer). The whole ROLFSO acronym/title is bad enough.  My command itself is ROLFF-A so now when I enter the staff room, one CPT in particular is fond of yelling "ROLFFA!!!!!!!!!!!" in his best WWF imitation voice.  Yup, I sure am mighty -- I am the Rule of Law after all.  But anyhow so I'm "roving."  As I've mentioned before I am traveling quite a bit.  This past week involved stays at two different COPs and another FOB before coming back "home" to the FOB where I actually have a bed and a desk.  I also spent time at the provincial governor's compound and two different district centers.  A lot of conversations this week revolved around judicial security after the incidents last weekend.  Not a new topic -- assassination of GIRoA officials is far too common -- but I think Kabul is finally paying attention to the need for increased AUP security for the judicial sector the way that AUP is assigned to District Governors for example.  Other highlights of the week included another public trial in one of my districts on Valentine's Day.  We got the media there so in addition to 100 Afghan men staring as much at me as the proceedings (so much attention from men on Valentine's Day...I'm such a lucky girl), there's a decent chance my mug ended up on Afghan television.  Hmmm not sure how I feel about that.  During another Afghan meal I made my first go at Afghan fish, straight out of the river that divides our AO no doubt.  Thank goodness for those malaria pills.  And I was able to dodge some bad weather here and there to make it back "home" for the first Sunday in a while.  Sundays are days of rest -- or at least no staff huddle or CUB which is as much as one can hope for deployed.  I look forward to returning to the days of my gym bag and coffee being the last things I grab on the way out the door.  But for now, my ruck, kit, and rifle are pretty handy :)

A Rough Couple Days For Justice

This weekend a judge and court employee in my province were killed and another shot but will survive his wounds.  All killings were targeted because of their work with the judicial system.  I don't know what else to say except this isn't a new tactic -- the targeted assassinations of GIRoA officials is not new and the Taliban are very open about their strategy of going after those who work for or support GIRoA.  The judges and prosecutors I work with talk about their security every time I meet with them and unfortunately I am largely helpless and have no solutions to offer.  My command is very aware of the issue and perhaps support will eventually trickle down.  The problem is that despite the overwhelming number of ANSF forces (300,000+), the security threats are too great for each GIRoA official to have a personal security detail.  It's not just the judges and prosecutors -- one of those killed was a low-level courthouse employee.  Poor security only feeds the corruption and bribery that exists within the judicial system (no more or less than in other sectors of GIRoA I suspect).  I am regularly told that they receive threatening phone calls when a case is coming up and the disposable nature of SIM cards makes it very difficult for AUP to investigate.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

As I've gotten into a pretty steady battle rhythm out here, I've come to see scheduling rotators as just another logistical hurdle in my week.  Being non-lethal and all, so is the air that I book (contractor - not green air).  Also being non-lethal, while my mission is I believe vital to the long term success of Afghanistan, day to day it falls into the "nice to do" category.  Which means that weather and other operational requirements sometimes push my missions to the right and I am constantly bugging the air guys to do the same with my flights or send me somewhere else.  I was finally told today "don't worry ma'am, they know your name" -- now I'm not sure if it's my name or "that damn JAG" asking for another flight change.  Pretty sure the pilots recognize me by now too.  Part of the challenge in being one of the few females most CF see out here is that they all know and remember me.  While I like to think I'm a pretty quick study in learning people's names, roles, etc. there's just no way to keep up with all the bases I rotate through on a weekly basis and different platoons I go out with.  And now the Cheers reference is making me crave a beer.  Guess near beer will have to do.

Away From Home

The hardest part about being away from home is not being able to be there for loved ones when they are going through tough times or facing health problems.  T, you have certainly been on my mind a lot this past month.  And Mrs. D, my thoughts and prayers are definitely with you today.  I brought my L'Occitane travel kit with me today and wore lipstick for the first time on deployment -- so that just today I can add a touch of femininity to my deployed toughness because you are two of the many strong women in my life.  Love you both!

Do You Talk To Each Other?

Communication communication communication.  It's an issue in every organization I have been involved in and Afghanistan is no different.  What is a little different is that Americans (I think) are at least used to working together within their organizations and recognize the necessity of communicating outside their line of operations.  I'm re-reading and am already confused...

Example.  The branches of the military have their friendly rivalries and turf wars but at the end of the day they HAVE to work together and know it is in their best interest to do so.

Example.  Prosecutors and police/investigators work very closely together.  In their own corners they blame one another for blowing an investigation or trial.  But they still work together and learn from one another.

Example.  The states deride the federal government's inability to take on big issues and the federal government goes after certain states over certain policies -- ok usually more of a political whose in power than fed v. state but you see the point.

None of the above examples of begrudging cooperation functions even remotely well in Afghanistan.  Judges don't talk to prosecutors who don't talk to AUP/NDS.  Not only do they not talk to one another, in many instances they believe that to do so would make them somehow less "independent."  Districts are also not good at requesting resources from provincial who also fail to do the same from Kabul.  As a result a big role for CF (lethal and non-lethal) is opening those lines of communication and helping all GIRoA actors see the value in working with one another.  A lot of this I'm sure is not only cultural and due to a system still rife with bribery and corruption, but also the fact that what "we" (CF and the international community) see as one nation-state with defined borders, many Afghans still view in tribal terms.

So there it is, my trick of the trade for the week.  The question that now is weaved (often several times) into every KLE -- "Do you talk to X?"