q Flooding assistance q More ISAF-ANSF C-IED q ANA Air Corps wheels up q PRTs aid local communities In this month’s Mirror August 2007 Contents Staff Sgt. Timothy Jones 4 NATO & HQ ISAF Cover unpacks shoes donated to q street children at Kabul’s New parliamentarians briefed Global Point Afghanistan 16 RC-South June 23. q The ISAF Mirror is a HQ ISAF Public UN, NATO chart ISAF approach Photo by Technical Sgt. James Fisher q Bulgarians take FP at KAF Information product. Articles, where possible, have been kept in their origi- q Citizens foil suicide bombing 5 A-10 show of force Helping Kabul nal form. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily q Taliban claims proving hollow kids ........... 17 PRT Qalat reflect official NATO, JFC HQ Brunssum turn to page 10. or ISAF policy. Photo credits are attrib- q Situation in south improves uted to the authors of the submission, unless otherwise stated. Submissions 6 RC-Capital q Taliban use human shields can be e-mailed to: q BGs conduct outreach 12 RC-East 18 4th of July [email protected] Articles should be in MS Word format 7 ANSF focus q Polish BG overcomes q (Arial), photos should be at least 4.5cm American Forces share celebration and 300 dpi resolution. The ISAF Mir- q ANSF, ISAF tackle IEDs language barrier ror is published monthly and aims to 19 Chowreh secured be available by the first Friday of the month. 8-9 OP Shukran 13 Flood relief q ISAF, ANSF take it back q For more information, please call the q ANA Air Corps on display IRoA, ISAF assist in Gayan q Canadians honour Afghan generals editor at 0799 511230. q Ghazni Leaders talk progress The electronic version of this magazine 10 More from RC-C can be downloaded online at: q ISAF troops help NGO, kids 14 Real kiterunners 20 RC-West www.nato.int/isaf q Polish BG provides kites, fun q Kids learn about mine dangers EDITORIAL STAFF 11 RC-North 15 Pech flooding 21 Free clinic in Farah Lieutenant Colonel Maria Carl q Meymaneh activities q ISAF, IRoA help residents q PRT provides medical care Chief, Public Information Technical Sgt. James Fisher 22 Chaghcharan Editor q Op Shukran PRT conducts vaccinations Staff Sgt. L. Ray Winstead Photographer An Afghan National q PRT honours Ghowr governor Army soldier marches into the Musayi val- ley on patrol during 23 Compass Points Operation Shukran in RC-Capital. The event q Canada Day was the first use of ANA Air Corps aircraft q Actor Jude Law visits An Afghan Back boy flies a in an operational ca- pacity. kite in Andar For more on the District, Ghaz- Photo by Sgt. L. Ray Winstead Correction ni province. operation ..... It is the official policy of NATO that cover Photo by Specialist the Former Yugoslav Republic of Mac- Micah E. Clare turn to edonia should be referred to as such in pages 8-9. official publications. In the July edition of the Mirror, there were several references to “Macedonia” made in the story about the football championship at HQ ISAF. These references were incorrect. 2 ISAF MIRROR August 2007 3 NATO and HQ ISAF NATO & HQ An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft sits ready at Parlimentarians Exercise UN, NATO chart Show of force Bagram Air Field. Photo by Sgt. Ruud Mol get breifed at validates JFC Afghanistan NATO, SHAPE rotation of NATO approach at (News at press time from NATO staff re- ports) From July 8-12, some 50 parliamen- Response Force Rome meeting tarians from NATO and partner countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan will Allied Joint Force Command Headquar- Speaking at a conference in Rome, July meet the Alliance’s top civilian and military ters Naples (JFC Naples) took over com- 3, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop leaders to get the latest inside views and mand of the latest rotation of the NATO Scheffer said success in Afghanistan re- information on NATO’s operations, roles Response Force (NRF 9) July 1. The change quired the fulfilment of six key priorities. and challenges. of command was validated and certified The priorities are a major increase in The intensive series of meetings is the during Exercise Steadfast Jackpot 2007. development; stepping up training of the Assembly’s eighth New Parliamentarians JFC Naples took over from Allied Joint Afghan army and police; a sustained in- KABUL – ISAF provided an aerial show of force July 2 when “As sometimes happens, all that was needed from the air was Programme, aimed at legislators who are Force Command Headquarters Brunssum ternational military presence; reducing the Taliban extremists attacked the Afghan National Police and inno- a show of force, to secure a situation and deter the enemy,” said new to parliament or who have recently (JFC Brunssum). loss of civilian life and property; engaging cent civilians in a village in Por Chaman district. Lt. Col Maria Carl, ISAF spokesperson. become involved in their parliament’s com- Some 2000 personnel from all 26 NATO Pakistan; and a comprehensive approach Early that morning, the extremists surrounded the village and- Based on a request from the Afghan National Army, ISAF mittees or delegations which deal with in- countries participated in the exercise, which involving civilian and military actors. began firing at the ANP and civilians alike, wounding three police. called in two A-10 aircraft whose show of force resulted in the ternational relations and security. took place simultaneously in Italy, Turkey, Need for more coordination After the aircraft flew over, the extremists reportedly fled. extremists fleeing into the mountains. The Programme is open to legislators Norway and Spain, from 4 to 23 June. “The international efforts to bring from member countries as well as countries The computer-assisted exercise was de- peace and stability to Afghanistan are al- and nations in the Middle East and North signed to validate and certify the chain of ready considerable,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer a few buildings in remote areas, and then equipment was found. Africa (MENA), but this is the first time command and control elements dedicated told the conference, “But more remains to only for several hours,” Thomas said. Fur- “Successful operations of this nature that the programme has been opened to to NRF 9. be done.” Taliban claims ther, claims June 19 of insurgent control of have an immediate positive affect on the legislators from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Exercise events were based on a ficti- During the conference, the secretary Ghowrak district center were accompanied local population,” Thomas said. In welcoming their involvement, As- tious scenario involving a NATO-led oper- general discussed progress in Afghanistan of capturing with no corraborating evidence. sembly President José Lello (Portugal) said, ation conducted under Chapter VII of the with President Hamid Karzai and UN Sec- “They seem to have no basis in fact,” “The New Parliamentarians Programme is UN Charter. The main focus was to train as retary General Ban Ki-moon. district centers he said. one of the assembly’s success stories. It a Combined and Joint Force. This included the need to step up train- “The enemy, who are unable to win on OP Maiwand provides participants with excellent, up- The NATO Response Force works on a ing of Afghan security forces, the issue of proving hollow the battlefield, seem to be trying to influ- to-date information about NATO which rotational basis, where each member state civilian casualties, and greater coordination HQ ISAF staff reports ence public perception by trying to pull becomes model helps them perform their tasks as parlia- commit forces to go through training and among the international community. KABUL, Afghanistan – ISAF officials “The effective application of a compre- off symbolic stunts that have no military mentarians. certification, to guarantee the permanent challenged June 20 recent Taliban extremist Military planners are saying that Opera- hensive approach by the whole of the inter- value,” Thomas said. Parliamentarians approve defence budg- availability of a combat-ready force. claims of success in taking district centers tion Maiwand is a model for future opera- national community will enable us to win ets and authorize the use of their armed The exercise was organised by JFC Na- in southern Afghanistan, countering that tions throughout the country where the not just the conflict, but also the peace,” he forces in operations. They are also key ples, supported by the Joint Warfare Centre such efforts are only enemy attempts to ANSF will eventually take the lead on all stressed. participants in their own national debates in Stavanger, Norway. The Land Compo- create an impression of strength that is not Search of IED military operations. De Hoop Scheffer and Ban Ki-moon on foreign affairs and international secu- nent Command (Madrid, Spain) deployed backed by an ability to control geographi- The objective was to remove the shad- also discussed the ongoing Security Coun- rity. This Programme ensures that they are 68 people. Other units taking part included cal areas. ow of the former Taliban government and cil discussions on the future status of the factory turns up well-informed about NATO and – equally the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps (Ita- “The enemy may be controlling the to secure the Andar district of Ghazni. Serbian territory of Kosovo. importantly – it allows legislators to express ly), the Air Component Command Head- headlines, but they are not controlling stra- About 600 ANSF forces from the 203rd The conference on rule of law in Af- weapons their own concerns and perspectives direct- quarters (Izmir, Turkey), the UK Maritime tegically significant areas,” said Major John Combined Task Force, supported by Force, the Special Operations Component ghanistan was organized by the Italian gov- ly to the most senior NATO officials”.