Training Coaching US troops on Iraqi culture

As part of their pre-deployment training, US armed forces are enjoying increasingly sophisticated immersion exercises. BBC has a great article on "Mojave Viper", a new pre-deployment cultural training course established to prepare US forces for "irregular warfare" in Iraq. We've posted on these elaborate training exercises in an earlier post, with particular focus on the difficulties in finding appropriate role players.

'Barack Salmoni, deputy director of the centre, says the focus reflects a 2006 military assessment that "developing broader linguistic capability and cultural understanding is critical to prevail in the long war and to meet 21st century challenges".

During the six- to eight-week course, the marines learn about 200 basic words in Arabic - enough to allow them to deal with local people on the ground in Iraq...

But, Mr Salmoni says, the US military became aware of the need to give the troops' mission in Iraq "civil and cultural dimensions" when the Bush administration decided to establish a new Iraqi government.

The US military is trying to teach troops how to build trust with Iraqis.

"We noticed that we had the military tactics but lacked the knowledge of Iraqi laws and traditions so we needed to learn about them all. I am afraid we didn't anticipate all these bifurcations."

Since January, newly established PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) have increased their operations in Iraqi cities.

The military is becoming more involved in "civil affairs", which entails helping to build local infrastructure.'

Iraq- Pentagon tries to learn from Madison Ave. Washington Post - MSNBC.com

'In the advertising world, brand identity is everything. Volvo means safety. Colgate means clean. IPod means cool. But since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003, its "show of force" brand has proved to have limited appeal to Iraqi consumers, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. military.'

This is the observation of a Rand Corp report commissioned by the US Joint Forces Command. There seems to be some dry humor in the report, we particularly liked the 'We will help you' brand- wasn't that the underlying rhetoric back in 2003?:

'Helmus and his co-authors concluded that the "force" brand, which the United States peddled for the first few years of the occupation, was doomed from the start and has lost ground to enemies' competing brands. While not abandoning the more aggressive elements of warfare, the report suggested, a more attractive brand for the Iraqi people might have been "We will help you." That is what President Bush's new Iraq strategy is striving for as it focuses on establishing a protective U.S. troop presence in Baghdad neighborhoods, training Iraq's security forces, and encouraging the central and local governments to take the lead in making things better.'

This video must be part of the 'show of force' brand that apparently hasn't worked....

UN Investigations of various abuses by peacekeeping troops

The United Nations is investigating allegations of widespread sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers serving in Ivory Coast. A UN statement said the latest allegations had been uncovered by an internal inquiry, and a full investigation was now under way.

While the accused contingent has not been named publicly, apparently the entire unit has been confined to base while the investigation continues.

In 2007 alone, there have been investigations into sexual abuse claims in the Sudan, Liberia, Haiti and Ivory Coast, and reports that sexual abuse allegations have doubled over 2006.

This new investigation follows on the heels of an ongoing probe of Indian peacekeepers stationed in eastern DRC, who allegedly were trafficking in gold and guns. The accusations suggested that the Indians were trading food rations for gold with Rwandan rebels.

Update: AlertNet stated the nationality of the suspended peacekeeping troops in Ivory Coast is Moroccan.

Iraq- Danish army evacuates 200 Iraqis

BBC reports that the Danish military has secretly airlifted out 200 Iraqis who had been employed as aides and translators to Danish armed forces serving in Iraq. This is a pleasant surprise, to see armed forces at once rewarding the service of their national staff, while recognizing that such service could put same staff at mortal risk. One only assumes that the families of such staff were also evacuated. The Danish contingent will soon leave Iraq, ending Denmark's contribution to MNFI.

This action stands in stark contrast to the US and UK, who have been- to be polite- 'reluctant' to carry out similar protection of staff whose employment with their forces have put their lives at risk.

Update: a more recent article has the top US diplomat in Iraq proposing to grant immigrant visas to the US to all Iraqis working with the Americans.

Afghanistan- Canadian CIMIC provides village medical outreach

Video report by Canadian Armed Forces Army News, profiling the 'village medical outreach' program of the Canadian Contingent in southern Afghanistan. While the report highlights the medical support being offered to Afghan women, the whole exercise looks like a heavily militarized operation. The soldiers interviewed confirm this view, explaining that they can do more- and presumably more effective- humanitarian operations since they have been obliged to add more robust force protection.

Jobs- UN Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Officer

UNDP is recruiting for a UN CMCoord officer based in Kabul. It's a lengthy ad, one that situates the position at a strategic level within UNAMA and at the intersection of the contentious civil-military relationship in Afghanistan.

Of note are the qualifications for the position- a dream candidate with a solid military background, coupled with some years of pure, civilian humanitarian experience:

'Education: Masters' Degree preferably in political or social science, international studies, public administration, economics, or the equivalent combination of education and experience in related area. (civil-military coordination).

Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian affairs, civil-military coordination in humanitarian operations, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or other related area, including at least 3 years of field experience in complex emergencies, including humanitarian efforts.

Extensive experience in working with humanitarian organizations and military forces;

Significant experience as a UN CMCoord Officer and/or completed UN training in civil–military coordination;

Thorough knowledge of international laws of armed conflict (international humanitarian law) and humanitarian principles.'

Lebanon- Peacekeeping with Hizballah's Help | TIME

TIME has an excellent piece on the challenges facing the relatively successful UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. The peacekeepers are apparently being forced to 'shake hands with the devil'- in order to improve their force protection, and reduce further threats from yet another metaphoric devil. The suggestion is that UNIFIL is obliged to maintain contacts with Hizbollah, in order to protect themselves from further Al-Qaeda attacks:

'The contingents comprising the peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL have good cause for concern. Last month, six Spanish and Colombian UNIFIL soldiers were killed in a bomb ambush, the deadliest attack against the peacekeeping mission in its 29-year history. In a video message released this week, Al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri hailed the attack as "a response against those invading Crusader forces who were occupying a beloved part of the land of Islam". And, UNIFIL officials fear, given the worsening security situation in Lebanon, there could be more attacks on the way. "The major difficulty we are going to face for sure is this kind of terrorist attack because even if we have no idea yet who could be the perpetrators... another attack can come," Major General Claudio Graziano, UNIFIL's commander, told TIME in an interview at his headquarters in the southern coastal village of Naqoura.'


Whatever contacts may exist between UNIFIL and Hizbollah, there was also another roadside bomb that struck a peacekeeping vehicle, the second such incident in a month.

More on AFRICOM

When it rains, it pours- more on AFRICOM:

NYT reports on the announcement of a commander for AFRICOM- pointing out that General William E. Ward is 'the Army's only black four-star general'.

DefenseLink has a more comprehensive press release on the same nomination. DefenseLink now has a dedicated page to AFRICOM.

Job- Senior Programme Officer: African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme- ACCORD

The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) is recruiting for the position of Senior Programme Officer: African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme. The following is from their website:

'The African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme seeks to enhance coherence across the peace, security, humanitarian, development and human rights dimensions of African peacebuilding operations. The purpose of the Programme is to improve the planning and coordination dimension of African peacebuilding operations. The Programme will work towards this overall objective through four output areas: (a) Training personnel responsible for planning and coordination and establishing a database of those trained; (b) Refining the training material already developed in the field and developing new training material; (c) Undertaking applied research that can inform policy development and training; and (d) Facilitating policy development aimed at assisting the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Regional Mechanisms, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and African Member States to develop and adopt policies and operating procedures that will facilitate the system-wide coordination of peacebuilding operations.

Key Responsibilities:
- Day-to-day implementation of the African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme;
- Planning and conducting activities and training interventions;
- Liaison with donors, training partners and UN and AU Mission personnel;
- Research, analysis and writing;
-Preparing budgets and assuming responsibility for financial management of the Programme;
- Report-writing;
- Representing the Programme at regional and international conferences and meetings;
- Assisting with the strategic planning of the Programme and preparing annual proposals;
- Travel within and beyond the continent to implement the Programme.'

AFRICOM Update

There's quite a bit being written about AFRICOM, including a few previous posts we've done (also here and here).

- The US Department of State website has a briefing by Ryan Heny, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. The transcript gives a good preamble to the raison d'etre of AFRICOM. ''When it comes to the security or the defense part of this, AFRICOM is not meant to fight wars. It is one that is based on building partnership capability and in the areas of security cooperation. The missions that AFRICOM will emphasize are those of humanitarian assistance, civic action, the professionalism of militaries, assistance in border security and maritime security, and again the area of security cooperation and response to natural disasters.' The proposed comand structure is presetned as being a sort of non-linear/de-centralized HQ with 'nodes' spread across Africa.

- The International Relations and Security Network (ISN) has an exhaustive overview of AFRICOM- 'Questioning AFRICOM's intentions'. The piece explains:
'The Pentagon reportedly plans to establish another dozen bases in the region; in Algeria, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia.

But for now, AFRICOM remains an orphan without an African home, with Algeria and Libya rejecting the idea outright, and Morocco being distinctly cool.

The Transition Team will be housed temporarily at the US Army's Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart-Mohringen, Germany until the issue can be resolved. AFRICOM initially will be a sub-unified command, subordinate to EUCOM, also based in Stuttgart, with a projected Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by October 2007. As the Defense Department continues to search for a suitable African host country, high among its concerns is providing for the safety and security of an estimated 500 American personnel and their families who will staff the command.'

- Commentary on a recent WSJ article by UFPPC.

- Also, keep an eye out in September for an upcoming book entitled, 'Beyond Humanitarianism: What You Need to Know About Africa and Why it Matters'. The book will be a compilatoin of recent work by the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs.

AFRICOM- North Africa Reluctant to Host U.S. Command

A US delegation visiting north Africa found little interest to host the planned African Command, AFRICOM. Close ally Morocco turned down the offcer, while Algeria and Libya not only refused to host the headquarters, but voiced opposition that neighouring countries host it either.

CIMIC in UN & African Peace Operations Resource: CIMIC in UN & African Peace Operations

The following is an excellent resource that I have been meaning to post for some time, available on the website of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Dispotes (ACCORD):

'This CIMIC in UN & African Peace Operations Manual is a product of all the partners of the African Civil-Military Coordination (ACMC) Programme. It was jointly produced by: the Peace Support Training Center (PSTC)/ German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Agency in Nairobi, Kenya; the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana; the South African National War College (SANWC); and ACCORD.

The ACMC Programme is funded by the Government of Finland. The German Government, through GTZ, supports the participation of the PSTC in the ACMC Programme.'

The manual is an excellent resource, including insructor tools, exercises, policy documents and videos (the bibliography alone is a good resource, includes descriptions of the videos). Further details on the manual, including contacts for the editor are found on the website.

Insight: Threats keep U.S. diplomats bottled up

The Columbus Dispatch ran provides insight on the direct and indirect effects of security restrictions on US diplomats.

Responding to threats abroad, US diplomats have quite evidently been obliged to adopt meaures to mitigate the risks, ranging from severe travel restrictions, to bunkering themselves into 'fortress-like compounds'. These measures affect embassies and consuls in 28 countries currently. To give soe scope to the restrictions: mission where employees receive danger pay has soared from 2 to 26 since the 1980's. Non-family missions, from 10 to 21.

These changes are having a clear 'operational impact': '"Security concerns have forced embassies to close publicly accessible facilities and curtail certain public outreach efforts, sending the unintended message that the United States is unapproachable," it said in the little-publicized April 26 report.

An internal review by the State Department in 2005 concluded that security concerns "often require a low-profile approach during events, programs or other situations, which, in happier times, would have been able to generate considerable good will for the United States."'

The indirect effects continue beyond negative perceptions of the US government- it is manifest primarily in the difficulty to recruit new staff, or to find staff willing to serve in higher-risk areas.

These insights can be constrasted with the realities of a separate article announcing the the re-opening of a US Diplomatic Unit in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. There the intersection of internal security concerns and national security interests is better expressed: 'With its lawless, island-dotted Atlantic shoreline, Guinea-Bissau has become a major hub for smuggled Colombian cocaine on its way to lucrative markets in Europe and elsewhere, prompting calls for international action to stem the trade.... The instability, along with high-level corruption, makes it fertile ground for drugs and gangs, security experts say.'

Thanks to the Security Management Initiative for the post.

Who polices the United Nations?

Our friends over at the blog Sudan: The Passion of the Present cross-posted an interesting article: Who polices the United Nations? by Toni Oyry.

Centred on the MONUC mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the article gives an overview of a string of incidents that have gone without serious investigation or action by the UN. The conclusion is foregone:

'The Chatham House debate offered alarming insights into the United Nations, where internal politics are preventing effective criminal investigations into personnel operating in peacekeeping missions.'

Iraq - Engineers build new Female Training Police Station

Short piece on the Operation Iraqi Freedom website:

“The Corps of Engineers is building a new Female Training Police Station (FTPS) in An Najaf Province,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jan Carter, senior project manager, Gulf Region South (GRS), Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I). “It is a three-story facility with offices, jail cells, an armory, a communications room, guard towers, sleeping quarters and a courtyard for training new female police officers.”

“The objective for building the $134,000 female training police station is to help advise, organize and train Iraqi female officers on basic infantry tactics from squad to battalion level to further enhance the Iraqi police stations,” Carter said.

Resource- International Policing Guidelines

A new pubication of interest to readers: 'Peace Support Operations: Information and guidance for UK police personnel'. These guidelines are a resource on specific aspects of policing in PSOs, and include case studies and best practices for users.

'In addition to explaining why the UK makes a contribution to PSOs, the Guidelines outline, among other things, international policing principles, the legal context in which such missions operate, the kinds of tasks UK officers might perform, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. There is nothing similar available either nationally or internationally. The handbook will reinforce officers' pre-deployment training and act as an aide-memoire whilst on mission.'

The UK Internatinal Policing website which hosts the document is also an excellent resource.

Jobs- Humanitarian Operations Advisor, Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance

The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance in Honolulu is recruiting for the position of Humanitarian Operations Advisor.

'The Humanitarian Operations Advisor would support programs at the Hawaii-based Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (http://coe-dmha.org), specifically in the Humanitarian Affairs and Practice Unit. The unit provides the Center with resident expertise on the conduct of civilian humanitarian operations and access to an extended network of experienced humanitarian practitioners that enables the integration of current humanitarian practice and emerging trends in the international relief community into civil-military training and education programs. Working with key civilian partners, the unit also seeks to identify new requirements that meet the education and training needs of the international humanitarian community.'

Recruiting Ads for Armed Forces- ComingAnarchy.com

The ComingAnarchy has a great post with some embedded recruiting ads by various armed forces- have clipped one below, but the Russian and Ukranian examples deserve a watch as well.

Kofi Annan Launches Global Humanitarian Forum

A formal announcement has finally been made concering the Global Humanitarian Forum, a new organization created by from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan with support from the Swiss Government. Based in Geneva, the Forum will help people in poor countries play a greater role in finding solutions to their developmental and humanitarian problems.

While the former SG is vague on precisely what the organization will do, he does provide one precise example of what they might do:

'For example, he says the United Nations and other members of the humanitarian community would not have been able to deal with natural disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami and the earthquake in Kashmir without the help of the military.

"If the military had not come in and provided heavy logistical support … many more people would have died as we would not have been able to get to them," said the former U.N. chief. "And, so the military have become important players in humanitarian relief. And, yet, when we get together to discuss humanitarian issues, they are not around, they are not at the table."

"I think we would want to bring them to the table to discuss with humanitarian actors how we could cooperate. And, from my own previous experience, I know it is not an easy relationship," he added.

Mr. Annan says he recognizes private aid groups are not comfortable working with the military. He says he hopes the Forum can improve this relationship.'

UN decides to split Department of Peacekeeping Operations

The United Nations General Assembly decided by consensus to split the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), creating a new Department of Field Support to look after management and logistic under the supervision of an Under-Secretary-General. The Peacekeeping Department will now concentrate on operations and will also be headed by an Under-Secretary-General.

'...Ban sees it [the splitting of DPKO] as an important part of the reforms process and asserts that it would increase the overall efficiency at a time when the world body is being asked to take on more and more responsibility of peacekeeping.'