General Milley Says Civil War In Afghanistan ‘Likely’ After US Withdrawal, Could Lead To 'Reconstitution Of Al Qaeda'

Jennifer Griffin at Fox News offers an interview in Ramstein, Germany with General Mark Milley. 

She asked the general about the military operation to process 17,000 Afghan evacuees headed for the U.S. 

"What they're doing as people come in, they're getting their names registered. They're doing the biometrics. They check their irises. They do their fingerprints. They take a full facial photo," he explained, referencing not only the Department of Homeland Security but officials in the FBI, USAID, the State Department, and Customs and Border Protection.  

… The general was asked whether the U.S. is safer following the complete withdrawal from Afghanistan but said it was too soon to tell.  

"My military estimate is…that the conditions are likely to develop of a civil war," Milley said.  "I don't know if the Taliban is going to [be] able to consolidate power and establish governance." 

The general’s premonition was followed by his concern that the terrorist organizations could use the disorder in Afghanistan as an opportunity to find gains. 

"I think there's at least a very good probability of a broader civil war and that will then, in turn, lead to conditions that could, in fact, lead to a reconstitution of al-Qaeda or a growth of ISIS or other myriad of terrorist groups," he told Fox News.  

"You could see a resurgence of terrorism coming out of that general region within 12, 24, 36 months. And we're going to monitor that," he added. 

The general emphasized that maintaining U.S. security and intelligence gathering in the region will be a more difficult task now that the U.S. has no official presence inside Afghanistan. 

"We'll have to reestablish some human intelligence networks, etc.," he said. "And then as opportunities present themselves, we'll have to continue to conduct strike operations if there's a threat to the United States." 

You can read the rest of the piece and watch the video via the below link:

Milley says civil war in Afghanistan ‘likely’ after US withdrawal, could lead to 'reconstitution of al Qaeda' | Fox News 

Experts: US Exit From Afghanistan 'Celebrated By Jihadists' As Counterterror Becomes 'Harder, Less Efficient'

Ronn Blitzer at Fox News offers a piece on experts stating that U.S. counterterrorism efforts will now be more difficult now that Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban. 

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may be hailed as the end of a 20-year war, but with American forces no longer on the ground there, experts and lawmakers warn that countering terrorists who may seek to attack the U.S. will be more difficult. 

That concern was summed up by Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a combat veteran who served as a Green Beret. After 13 American service members were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport days before the withdrawal was complete, Waltz predicted that the violence will not end there.  

"The War in Afghanistan has not ended. It’s been extended," Waltz tweeted Monday evening. "Terrorism in Afghanistan won’t stay in Afghanistan. It will spread like a cancer and follow us home." 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Experts: US exit from Afghanistan 'celebrated by jihadists' as counterterror becomes 'harder, less efficient' | Fox News 

Bergdahl To Plead Guilty To Desertion, Misbehavior

Bob Fredericks at the New York Post offers a piece on U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Disgraced Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held prisoner by the Taliban for five years, is expected to plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Bergdahl’s decision to admit his guilt rather than face trial marks another twist in a bizarre eight-year drama that caused the nation to wrestle with difficult questions of loyalty, negotiating with hostage takers and America’s commitment not to leave its troops behind.

President Trump has called Bergdahl a “no-good traitor” who “should have been executed.”

It’s unclear whether the Idaho native, 31, will be locked up or receive a lesser sentence that reflects the time the Taliban held him under brutal conditions.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://nypost.com/2017/10/06/sgt-bowe-bergdahl-to-plead-guilty-to-desertion-misbehavior/ 

Bergdahl To Face Desertion Charge In Court-Martial

The Washington Times reports on the upcoming court-martial of Bowe Bergdahl.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will face charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy in a general court-martial, said an attorney for the captured soldier who was released by theTaliban in exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

Attorney Eugene Fidell said Monday the convening authority - a high-ranking officer charged with deciding whether evidence warrants a court-martial - did not follow the advice of a preliminary hearing officer. The officer had recommended that Bergdahl’s case be moved to a special misdemeanor-level military court.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/dec/14/charges-against-bergdahl-being-referred-for-court-/

Special Operations Admiral Cites Progress, Challenges In Afghanistan

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

TAMPA, Fla., May 15, 2013 – Outlining his top priorities as he shapes U.S. Special Operations Command for the future, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the Socom commander, told a forum of special operators and defense contractors yesterday that it all starts with winning the current fight in Afghanistan.

“Every commander that is in my position realizes that you have to take care of the 25-meter target first. For us, that is Afghanistan,” McRaven told several hundred participants in the 2013 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here.

“And I think we are making great strides in Afghanistan,” he said, citing the success of a new command structure that aligns various NATO and U.S. special operations forces under a two-star headquarters.

“We have pulled together the three components of the special operations forces that were in Afghanistan … under a single command,” McRaven explained. This includes the NATO component, Green Berets from Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs focused on building Afghan partnerships, and “the kinetic piece” that involves “capturing or killing bad guys,” McRaven said.

“And let me tell you, we are achieving in the [special operations forces] world probably the best result we have seen in many, many years in terms of synchronizing the effect on the ground on the battlefield by pulling together all three of the SOF components,” he said.

Asked by a reporter about Afghan allegations about misconduct by special operators -- which International Security Assistance Force officials have denied -- McRaven said it’s “easy and shortsighted” to view conditions on the ground through snapshots in time rather than over the long term.

“My perspective is 10 years of watching the development of Afghanistan,” he said. “And what I see is we now have incredible Afghan national security forces. We have a very credible Afghan [special operations force].”

McRaven noted the Afghans’ increasing role in military operations and their country’s security. “We don’t do anything today that the Afghan’s aren’t on the lead on,” he said. As a result, he reported better relations with the Afghan government, which he said had “concerns based on an American footprint forward.”

“Now that we have put the Afghans in the lead, we are getting less pushback from the government of Afghanistan. So we understand that,” McRaven said.

“We understand that Afghanistan is difficult,” he acknowledged. “It is complex, as they say. There are still problems with corruption. There are a lot of problems out there.”

But recalling 2003, when the Afghan capital of Kabul was “a war zone,” the admiral noted progress seen today. The roads are paved and street vendors are out in force, he said. Meanwhile, outside Kabul, an “incredible economic boom” is underway with new buildings rising from the ground.

“They have come a long way,” he said.

As Socom focuses on winning the current fight, McRaven said, he is leading the command on other lines of operation in support of his Special Operations 2020 vision. They include strengthening the global special operations forces network, preserving the force and families, and resourcing responsively in support of special operations forces.

Pentagon Identifies Navy SEAL Killed In Afghanistan Rescue Of Colorado Doctor

The New York Daily News offers a piece on the Pentagon's identification of the brave Navy SEAL who died during a daring rescue operation.

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has identified the Navy SEAL killed during the weekend rescue mission in Afghanistan as Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque of Monroeville, Pa.
A Defense Department statement says the 28-year-old Checque died of combat-related injuries but gave no further details of the mission. He was among members of SEAL Team Six, which freed an American doctor abducted by the Taliban.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a CBS News video of John Miller discussing the incident via the below link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/navy-seal-nicholas-checque-dies-afghanistan-rescue-article-1.1217081

U.S. Navy SEAL Killed In Rescue Operation In Afghanistan

Foxnews.com reports that a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed in action during a rescue operation in Afghanistan.

A U.S. official has told Fox News that a member of the Navy SEAL Team Six -- the same special ops group used for the raid on Usama bin Laden's compound -- was killed during a weekend rescue mission in Afghanistan that freed an American doctor abducted by the Taliban outside of Kabul five days ago.

President Barack Obama praised the special forces on Sunday, saying the mission was characteristic of U.S. troops' "extraordinary courage, skill and patriotism."

You can read the rest of the story via th below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/10/us-special-operations-team-member-killed-rescuing-doctor-from-afghanistan/

Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff Reminds Americans To Remember Meaning Of Memorial Day

By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2012 - In a round of Memorial Day television interviews today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged Americans to reflect on the meaning of this national holiday, a message underscored by the on-going mission in Afghanistan as well as fresh reminders of the military's obligation to be ready to respond if called upon.

"I would ask people to take a solemn moment at some point during the day to remember exactly what we are celebrating and that is we're celebrating our freedom," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told NBC's "Today" show in an appearance from the Pentagon. "The freedom that was purchased by more than two million men and women throughout the course of our history and, of course, more than 64-hundred or so in the past 10 years alone."

On multiple morning news programs, questioning quickly turned to the war in Afghanistan, with Dempsey saying he defines progress there as having Afghans able to provide for their own security and governance.

"Success in Afghanistan will be when the Afghan Security Forces are capable of maintaining stability inside their own country and the central government of Afghanistan is able to provide governance. I think that has always been the definition of success both in Iraq and Afghanistan," he told CNN's "Starting Point" program. "I think we are moving positively toward those objectives."

Dempsey dismissed concerns about a possible resurgence of the Taliban, which Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called 'resilient' on ABC's "This Week" program yesterday.

"I will say the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we entered with Afghanistan should give pause to the Taliban that they simply cannot wait us out," he said on CNN. That agreement, signed by President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul May 2, establishes the basis for cooperation between both countries over the next decade, after the end of the NATO mission. The agreement includes cooperation on counterterrorism and the continued training of the Afghan National Security Forces.

Dempsey's interviews coincided with reports of a massacre of more than 100 civilians in Syria, in apparent violation of a ceasefire between the government of President Bashar al-Asad and his opponents. On "Fox and Friends," the general called reports of the deaths "atrocious," and would not rule out a possible military option if such atrocities continue.

"My job as senior military leader is to provide the president options when a political decision is taken ...and I frankly believe the pressure has to be mounting on Asad and should continue to mount on Asad and if asked for those options at some point, I'll be prepared to provide them," he said.

But Dempsey's central message, as he told CNN, was the day itself, and he continued to return to what it means, including the daily reminder he receives of the nation's sacrifice every morning as he arrives at the Pentagon.

"I drive to work every day past Arlington Cemetery, and there are 260-thousand small American flags planted at each of these gravesites, so I just want to make sure that they know that we will never forget."

Afghan With Ties To The Taliban Convicted On Drug Trafficking And Narco-Terrorism Charges

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information yesterday:

WASHINGTON – An Afghan national with ties to the Taliban was convicted today by a jury in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of conspiracy, distribution of heroin for importation into the United States and narco-terrorism, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Haji Bagcho, from Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, was investigated by the DEA for narcotics offenses. The investigation revealed that Bagcho was one of the largest heroin traffickers in the world and manufactured the drug in clandestine laboratories along Afghanistan’s border region with Pakistan. Bagcho sent heroin to more than 20 countries, including the United States. Proceeds from his heroin trafficking were then used to support high-level members of the Taliban to further their insurgency in Afghanistan.

 

Beginning in 2005 and continuing for the next five years, the DEA, in cooperation with Afghan authorities, conducted an investigation of Bagcho’s organization. With the help of cooperating witnesses, the DEA purchased heroin directly from the organization on two occasions, which Bagcho understood was destined for the United States. They also conducted several searches of residences belonging to Bagcho and his associates, recovering evidence consistent with drug trafficking. During one search, ledgers belonging to the defendant were found. One ledger, cataloguing Bagcho’s activities during 2006, reflected heroin transactions of more than 123,000 kilograms, worth more than $250 million, according to Bagcho’s ledger. Based on heroin production statistics compiled by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime for 2006, the defendant’s trafficking accounted for approximately 20% of the world’s total production for that year.

The investigation also obtained evidence that over several years, Bagcho used a portion of his drug proceeds to provide the former Taliban governor of Nangarhar Province and two Taliban commanders responsible for insurgent activity in eastern Afghanistan with cash, weapons and other supplies so that they could continue their “jihad” against western troops and the Afghan government.

“Haji Bagcho was a prolific and dangerous heroin manufacturer, trafficking in over 123,000 kilograms of the drug in 2006 alone,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Moreover, he used proceeds from his crimes to fund Taliban insurgents and fuel their ongoing ‘jihad’ against the United States and others. The effects of Bagcho’s criminal activity were felt all over the world, and today’s guilty verdict ensures that he will serve a lengthy prison term.”

“One of the world’s most prolific drug trafficker’s reign has come to an end,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart. “Now Haji Bagcho will serve time behind bars on the same soil he sought to destroy with his drugs, and whose troops he sought to kill through his support to the Taliban. DEA stands committed to stopping narco-traffickers, like Bagcho, and their funding of terror.”

A grand jury returned an indictment against Bagcho on Nov. 8, 2006, charging him with distributing heroin, knowing that it would be imported into the United States. A superseding indictment returned on Jan. 28, 2010, added additional charges of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of heroin, knowing or intending that it would be imported in the United States, as well as engaging in drug trafficking knowing or intending to provide something of pecuniary value to a terrorist or terrorist organization. Bagcho was brought to the United States on June 24, 2009. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled before the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle on June 12, 2012.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Matthew Stiglitz and Marlon Cobar of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. The case was investigated by the DEA Special Operations Division in the United States, with assistance from the DEA’s Foreign Deployed Advisory Support Team and Kabul Country Office in Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and in close cooperation with Afghan law enforcement. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided invaluable support.