july 2008 . Vol 1 . Issue 8

After Action Report: tribe. Two sub-tribes in Zerok make up was also engaged. This time, the enemy the population base of the district. The was able to kill two ANA soldiers and Nuanced Diplomacy in people subsist on farming and small damage several vehicles. Zerok, trade. The district is approximately 33 square miles and sits just 12 miles from I immediately met with the elders, shura By Captain John G. Gibson, U.S. Army the Pakistan border. members, the district governor and the ANP chief at the Zerok District Center. enemy machine gun fire and Rocket Corruption and collusion were the I discussed security, governance and Propelled Grenades (RPGs) slammed into bedrock of operations focused development in the district. I asked the my convoy as two tracer rounds punched on the destabilization of Zerok district. shura members if they knew anything through the turret of my up armored The first three weeks of my deployment about the enemy forces operating in vehicle. My third firefight in four days consisted of several operations designed the area. The entire room responded and the summer was only starting. It was to simply assess the environment with a resounding “no.” Frustrated by mid-June 2007 in the mountains of the and create relationships with local the response, I reminded the group that sprawling . I quickly district leaders, Afghan National jobs and economic development were realized that the enemy knew my name, impossible without security. number of vehicles, departure times and “The members of the shura plans; I had just left a meeting with its I moved my entire convoy element back informants, the Zerok tribal shura. began to claim allegiance down the route to Forward Operating to the government Base Orgun. My battalion was planning I was a company commander responsible a major operation in the Zerok area for Sar Hawzeh, Naka and Zerok districts and provide names of and we were to start preparations and in northern Paktika Province. Zerok contractors. The contracts rehearsals during the next few days. district is part of the tribal arc. The We departed Zerok COP under cover Zadran tribes span from the mountains of began, and for the first time of darkness. Five miles south of my Pakistan’s tribal areas to the in a year attacks stopped.” outpost we were hit again. My convoy Afghan cities of and Ghazni. The stayed the night at the location of the Zadran claim, as one of their own, the firefight. We spent the next 24 hours pro-Taliban leader Jalaluddin Haqqani. combing the area, talking to Afghans After six years of progress in Afghanistan, Police, elders and shura members. and searching for intelligence. A tip Zerok district remained a haven for Counter-insurgency doctrine states came from an unexpected source. foreign fighters, Taliban, Haqqani that creating separation between the One of my paratroopers received a tip network fighters and corrupt government enemy and the people is the first step from a police officer at the Zerok COP. officials. In May 2007, however, the 10th of transforming the environment. I Sharing a coveted American cigarette, Mountain Division created a series of spent the month of May and the first the policeman told us that the Taliban small combat outposts near and along the two weeks of June 2007 attempting to were in the district center and knew Afghan-Pakistan border, and I inherited create separation by using a technique the exact moment our patrol departed a combat outpost called Zerok COP. called Key Leader Engagement (KLE), or the COP for FOB Orgun. It turned out The outpost housed a small number of Village Engagement (VE). My company that enemy forces were operating in the paratroopers and a large mortar tube. It completed a series of patrols focused on district center that shared a wall with was co-located with an Afghan National meeting as many Afghans as possible in my combat outpost. This, of course, Army (ANA) contingent and shared a wall the neighboring district of Naka. caused me to suspect that many of my with the Zerok District Center. I was able Afghan leaders were enemy or openly to quickly interact with the tribal leaders I had one platoon at the Zerok COP supporting them. (the shura) and the district governor. and planned to re-enforce the outpost Upon the departure of my counterpart, with my headquarters, another platoon Taking a Hard Line: No Development the Zerok COP was ready for operations. and several jingle trucks.1 On June 13, My district was rife with enemy Zerok district would become the setting however, one of my platoons responded corruption and active collusion. I had for a lesson in corruption, violence and to an attack along the only useable two shura members and a district governor hope. road leading to the Zerok COP. Enemy that began meeting with me in secret. fighters engaged a combat engineer One of my platoon leaders confirmed Identify the Problem route assessment patrol with machine that the police chief actually allowed the Zerok district sits as the most northern gun, RPG and AK-74 fire. My platoon Taliban to climb into the towers of the district in Paktika Province. Paktika responded and was also engaged in a district center to survey our activities. comprises 18 districts that create a firefight with the same insurgents. The The district governor was disillusioned border province in the southeast of following day, my headquarters, several with the provincial government by a Afghanistan. The capital is the city of jingle trucks, an ANA platoon and a personality conflict with the provincial Sharona. Nine districts form eastern U.S. platoon moved up the same route to governor. He was also ineffective due Paktika, the Area of Operation Eagle. re-enforce the Zerok COP. That convoy to the elders and members of the shura Zerok district consists of two main being a de facto Taliban organization. unpaved roads, 9,000-11,000 foot 1 “Jingle trucks” are local flat-bed vehicles that are used Only two individuals in Zerok pursued mountains, and people from the Zadran for transport purposes. me to talk seriously about the problems july 2008 . Vol 1 . Issue 8 facing the people of Zerok district. of each weekly meeting was projects. government. Projection of Afghan Repeatedly, the shura suggested that security and Afghan governance in Two elders became my trusted agents and projects would benefit the district. I the sanctuary of an insurgent force the core of my battalion commander’s continued to remind the leaders that will sway the people of Zerok far security shura initiative. LTC Michael security was the only requirement. greater than a thousand projects or R. Fenzel ordered us to develop trusted Meanwhile, my other two districts an outpost. I often thought about the agents that would discuss important flourished with projects. New road challenges of leaders in past conflicts issues honestly. Not to be confused construction, well construction projects, and kept returning to this quote by T.E. with intelligence sources, the security and humanitarian and civic assistance Lawrence from The Seven Pillars of Wisdom: shura members talked about politics, missions took place in each district, “[War] upon rebellion was messy and personalities, development, governance except Zerok. slow, like eating soup with a knife.” and security. My two security shura men War in districts such as Zerok is slow began to make secret trips to visit me, In March 2008, I began to plan projects and messy indeed. and over cups of hot chi told me how for Zerok district as preparation for to proceed with Zerok. They explained improved security. A municipal water CPT John Gibson is an Infantry Officer that the Taliban were directly testing system for a small village, two new water currently serving with 1-503rd Infantry the will of my unit and, further, the task wells, three mosque refurbishments, a (Airborne), 173rd ABCT. He recently force. I decided to take a hard line with flood abatement wall, a solar light array, completed company command in the Zerok shura. I called a meeting in two school roofs and a food distribution Afghanistan after 13 months deployed in the district center and admonished the were announced to the shura. The support of Operation Enduring Freedom tribal council for not providing security projects represented an employment VIII. CPT John Gibson also served in OIF for the people of Zerok and informed the opportunity for more than 150 Afghans. I and OEF VI. CPT Gibson graduated council that no new economic project The members of the shura began to from the U.S. Military Academy, West would come to Zerok until security claim allegiance to the government Point, in 2000 with a BS in International was established. I told the shura that my and provide names of contractors. The & Strategic History and Latin American forces and the ANA would inform the contracts began, and for the first time Studies. CPT Gibson’s awards include the people of Zerok that the shura decided in a year attacks stopped. The district Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Airborne no projects or humanitarian and civic remained quiet for 47 days. Enemy badge, and the Ranger Tab. assistance should come to the district. activity was reported by locals in the The meeting was terrible and the elders bazaar, Afghan contractors and several were upset. shura members. I was confident that the population was effectively separated The two security shura men were from the enemy. Real transformation surprised at this decision. They later seemed possible for the first time. reported that the shura fully expected me to announce the start of an economic Conclusion initiative. The head of the shura, Haji Zerok District is a microcosm of Tadai, was furious. Haji Tadai’s nephew Afghanistan. Day-to-day life in the area was a Taliban commander in northern has not changed drastically in the last Paktika Province, working for Haqqani. 200 years. The people have vehicles The situation in Zerok was treacherous, and a few telephones, yet farming and and the next 11 months proved family ties rule the day. The situation in difficult and violent. In 13 months, my Zerok is ripe for progress. For example, company fired more than 3,590 120mm compare this small area with the mortar rounds, directed 79 airstrikes, progress of the area surrounding Kabul participated in 21 firefights, received 43 or even the provincial seat, Sharona. enemy rocket and mortar attacks and The government of Afghanistan makes spent more than $2 million on projects improvements and reaches the people in districts other than Zerok. near significant population centers, but small districts such as Zerok Small Steps of Progress are not relevant to the provincial or We continued to engage the population national government. Nevertheless, of Zerok in meetings, patrols and the government must focus on remote, behind closed doors. My battalion was isolated, under-developed districts. able to assist me in removing three Taliban and forces opposed to the corrupt police officials. The provincial Afghan government place critical government replaced the district importance on the mental and physical governor twice. We talked to the people disposition of districts such as Zerok. and continued to spend money in other Remote districts, left unattended, districts. The elders continued to harbor provide the Taliban with sanctuary, the Taliban as attacks persisted and food, men, weapons and fertile ground security waned. The resounding theme for continued opposition to the Afghan