Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan
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(This page left intentionally blank) Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan June 2016 Report to Congress In Accordance With Section 1225 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 113-291), as amended. Preparation of this report cost the Department of Defense a total of approximately $233,000 in Fiscal Year 2016. This includes $3,000 in expenses and $230,000 in labor. Generated on May 27, 2016 Ref ID: 5-C8A03CB This report is submitted in accordance with section 1225 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 (P.L. 113-291) as amended by sections 1213 and 1531 of the NDAA for FY 2016 (P.L. 114-92). It includes a description of the strategy of the United States for enhancing security and stability in Afghanistan, a current and anticipated threat assessment, as well as a description and assessment of the size, structure, strategy, budget, and financing of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. This report is the third in a series of reports required semi-annually through calendar year 2017, and it was prepared in coordination with the Secretary of State. This report describes efforts to enhance security and stability in Afghanistan from December 1, 2015, through May 31, 2016. It complements other reports and information about Afghanistan provided to Congress, and is not intended to be the single source of all information about the combined efforts or the future strategy of the United States, its coalition partners, or Afghanistan. A classified annex accompanies this report. The next report will include an analysis of efforts to enhance security and stability in Afghanistan from June 1 to November 30, 2016. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 Section 1 – Strategy and Objectives ............................................................................................... 7 1.1 U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan ................................................................................................. 7 1.2 U.S. Objectives in Afghanistan ............................................................................................. 7 1.3 U.S. Counterterrorism Mission ............................................................................................. 8 1.4 NATO-led Resolute Support Mission ................................................................................... 9 1.5 Indicators of Effectiveness .................................................................................................. 20 Section 2 – Threat Assessment .................................................................................................... 24 2.1 Importance of Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations ................................................................... 24 2.2 Current Security Conditions ................................................................................................ 25 2.3 Anticipated Security Conditions ......................................................................................... 33 Section 3 – Overview of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces .............................. 34 3.1 Strategy................................................................................................................................ 34 3.2 Budget ................................................................................................................................. 35 3.3 Force Size and Structure .................................................................................................... 36 3.4 Capabilities .......................................................................................................................... 39 3.5 Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 42 Section 4 – Ministry of Defense and Afghan National Army ...................................................... 43 4.1 Ministry of Defense ............................................................................................................. 43 4.2 Afghan National Army ........................................................................................................ 56 Section 5 – Ministry of Interior and Afghan National Police ....................................................... 76 5.1 Ministry of Interior .............................................................................................................. 76 5.2 Afghan National Police ....................................................................................................... 87 Section 6 – Financing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces ................................... 97 6.1 Holding the Afghan Ministries Accountable ...................................................................... 97 6.2 U.S. Contributions ............................................................................................................... 97 6.3 International Contributions ................................................................................................. 98 6.4 Afghan Government Contributions ..................................................................................... 98 Annex A – Indicators of Effectiveness for the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior ..................................................................................................................................................... 102 Annex B – Acronyms.................................................................................................................. 106 I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have begun their third year in the lead for security in Afghanistan and the second year in which they have full security responsibility with limited U.S. or coalition support on the battlefield. During the December 1, 2015, to May 31, 2016, reporting period, the ANDSF addressed key capability gaps as they recovered from a tough 2015, maintained a high operational tempo during the winter months amidst challenging security conditions, and developed and began to implement an offensive campaign plan as they headed into the traditional spring and summer fighting season. Through Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS), United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) continue to conduct two well-defined and complementary missions: training, advising, and assisting the ANDSF through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Resolute Support (RS) mission and supporting counterterrorism operations against the remnants of al Qaeda and its associates. In recognition of the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (also known as Daesh) outside of its Iraq-Syria base and the emerging foothold of an affiliate in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region, in this reporting period President Obama authorized USFOR-A to conduct offensive counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State – Khorasan (IS-K) (also known as the Islamic State – Khorasan Province), the ISIL affiliate in Afghanistan. Consistent with the President’s October 2015 announcement that U.S. forces would maintain a force posture in Afghanistan of up to 9,800 military personnel through most of 2016, USFOR-A maintained its forces at or below this level throughout the reporting period.1 These U.S. forces served alongside approximately 6,876 forces from NATO Allied and partner nations who are committed to Afghanistan’s continued development. In particular, the continued U.S. and coalition presence in Afghanistan is focused on making progress in developing the ANDSF into a more effective, sustainable, and affordable force that can protect the Afghan people and contribute to regional and international security. This force presence will also help prevent threats to the homeland, U.S. allies, and U.S. interests abroad from terrorist actors in the region, particularly al Qaeda, and it will maintain pressure on other terrorist groups such as IS-K. THREAT ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY CONDITIONS The security situation in Afghanistan continues to be dominated by a resilient insurgency; but the Afghan government remains in control of all major population centers and key lines of communication, and the ANDSF continues to deny the Taliban strategic ground throughout the country. Although the Taliban maintained a higher-than-usual operational tempo over the winter, overall levels of violence this reporting period were consistent with historical trends of a seasonal decrease in violence over the winter months and an uptick leading into the traditional spring and summer fighting season. Over the last six months, both ANDSF and insurgent casualties have increased, continuing their upward trend from the previous reporting period. 1 Per the reporting requirement outlined in section 1213 of the NDAA for FY 2016, because there was no drawdown of U.S. forces during this reporting period, this report does not contain an assessment of the risks to the mission in Afghanistan of such a drawdown. 1 Increased insurgent fighting in urban areas has also contributed to record-high civilian casualties, primarily caused by insurgent and extremist groups. During the early part of the reporting period, insurgents maintained consistent pressure in Helmand Province against a diminished Afghan