Well, that's that then. P4 is no more. Welcome A4. Not the paper. General John Allen has taken over command from Gen David Petraeus and now commands the NATO led International Security Assistance Force as well as the US Operation Enduring Freedom. Actually, not the best week to take over. The change in command comes as, under the transition plans, we start passing control of some areas to its Afghan counterparts. On Sunday, ISAF handed control of Bamiyan Province back to the Afghans - It was the first of seven areas to be passed to Afghan security forces under the plan announced by President Karzai in March. That day, I was involved in the operation that dealt with the aftermath of the attack on the compound of President Karzais' senior adviser, Jan Mohammed Khan, which ended in his death, along with that of another senior parliamentarian. The same night Afghan and NATO troops fought an overnight gun battle during which we called in almost constant air strikes on a series of Taliban-held compound strongholds. To top the evening off, I attended a ramp cermony for 7 French soldiers killed over the weekend, where we watched their bodies being loaded onto the flight back to their homeland. Yesterday, Canada's most senior officer in Afghanistan, Brig Gen Dean Milner, flew out of Kandahar with the last of Canada's combat troops there. That day, the Police Chief was killed in a bomb blast and a spokesman for the governor of Helmand said seven members of the Afghan National Police Force were killed by gunmen at a checkpoint in Lashkar Gah. Central Lashkar Gah is due to be handed over by British forces to Afghan control tomorrow. The same day, the Taliban released a video showing the execution of 16 Pakistani policemen captured in a raid, the British lost a soldier, killed by a member of the Afghan National Army, ISAF lost 15 killed or wounded and a number of children were killed when their bus hit a mine.
It's only Tuesday morning. I don't know how A4 is feeling, but I'm tired already. It would appear that insurgents have stepped up attacks on troops and senior Afghan officials, whilst maintaining their indiscriminate targetting of innocent civilians. He must be wondering what he has let himself in for. Typical of many American military commanders and units, General Allen has a catchphrase, which he uses to sign off on all his meetings, conferences and briefings. It's a trait I have mentioned before among the Americans. General Allen concludes everything with the words 'Speed and velocity". He did it today at his first morning update which we monitor by video conference. The Australians in our ops room, with their typical enthusiasm and eagerness to banter/belittle/barrack, immediately yelled they are the same. In my very polite, very British and, perhaps, very condescending way (they are Australian!) I pointed out that they weren't. Speed refers to how fast an object is moving. Velocity is speed with a direction. You can take one pace forward and one back repeatedly and have speed but no velocity as you aren't going anywhere. The newly crowned King is getting at least part of his wish. There is a lot of speed. Everything is being done at a frenetic pace. Operations, partnering, mentoring, transition and withdrawal. At least I think it's speed. It could be haste, but that's another matter and depends on where you are standing. It's the velocity I think is the real issue. Everything seems to me to be heading in different directions. To train, equip, develop, prepare and then leave the Afghans is the stated direction. To do it all in the next 2 years is the stated timeline. 2 days into his reign, losses continue, enemy activity intensifies, withdrawals occur and security is threatened. The crown must weigh heavy.
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