< A f g h a n i s t a n i n 2 0 1 0 : T h e E e a r Ii n RIeL i- w >I TH Y C V v e M

L I T A R Y F U S I O N C E N TCRv E- M i l i t a r y i il

F u s i o n C e nt r e

Afghanistan Team

2010 Annual Report

< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

C i v i l - M i l i t a r y F u s i o n C e nt r e

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Foreword Acronyms & Abbreviations Introduction >> Erin Foster

From London to Lisbon: Conference Wrap-Up >> Anne-Catherine Claude Chapter 1. Governance & Participation >> Anne-Catherine Claude Chapter 2. Economic Development & Infrastructure >> Steve Zyck Chapter 3. Humanitarian Affairs >> Erin Foster Chapter 4. Security >> Kathleen Hughes Chapter 5. Rule of Law >> Anne-Catherine Claude Chapter 6. Socio-Cultural Development >> Erin Foster

Contact the Afghanistan Team

Cover page photos: ISAF Media and UNAMA

< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

C i v i l - M i l i t a r y F u s i o n C e nt r e

FOREWORD

s the Director of the Civil Military Fusion Centre, it is my pleasure to provide this Afghanistan Team 2010 Annual Report to CimicWeb Account Holders for their

review and study as well as for their commentary. The document presents a wide range of information on the civil and military developments which in Afghanistan throughout the past year, including coverage of comprehensive approach issues and matters pertaining to Governance & Participation, Economic Development & Infrastructure, Humanitarian Affairs, Security, Rule of Law and Socio-Cultural Development. Adequately addressing these broad topics in a report such as this is a complex task. However, I am sure that you will find that this report is a concise and accurate reflection of the key events occurring in Afghanistan from January to December 2010, the year during which the international community commenced its discussions regarding a potential withdrawal or downsizing in the country in 2011. I owe the CFC Afghanistan Team my full gratitude for their efforts not only in creating this report but also for their dedication in advancing improvements in civil-military interaction. NATO, the United Nations, the European Union, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic centres and many other institutions deal with crisis management within the paradigm of the comprehensive approach. However, one thing is certain. While differing opinions concerning and approaches to information sharing, civil-military cooperation and civil-military coordination may abound, the CFC will remain steadfast in its resolve to bridge the different communities, despite the distances between them. Whether you share this commitment or have another point of view, we welcome your comments. With regards,

Joergen Jessen
Joergen Jessen

CFC Director

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< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

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INTRODUCTION

he following report gives the reader a brief overview of some of the most significant events that took place in Afghanistan in 2010 and closely follows the CFC Weekly Afghanistan Reviews produced over the course of the past year. The report is organised into seven major sections including: international conferences; governance; economic development & infrastructure; humanitarian affairs; security; rule of law and socio-cultural development. The first section of the report investigates three major international conferences held in London, Kabul and Lisbon, which included key stakeholders from and working in Afghanistan. The year started with the London Conference in January 2010 that sought to align international military and reconstruction efforts with Afghanled strategies for development and reconciliation. Meanwhile, key Afghan and international community leaders attending the Kabul Conference in July 2010 emphasised the importance of strengthening the role of the Afghan government in overseeing international assistance efforts and sought 50% of development funding to be directed through Afghan government budgets. Participants also agreed to the handover of security to Afghan forces in 2011 with the deadline for the withdrawal of international troops set for 2014. The year ended with the Lisbon Conference in November 2010 at which the transition of security from international to Afghan forces by 2014 was further discussed by NATO Heads of State and Government. In some of the most heavily reported news of the year, Chapter 1 captures coverage of the Afghan parliamentary elections, changes to electoral law and processes, fraud cases and challenges faced by female candidates. The elections were originally scheduled for May 2010 but postponed until 18 September 2010 due to security concerns that officials feared would prevent citizens from reaching the polls. Prior to the start of the elections, President Karzai approved revisions to electoral law that changed the number and required qualifications of candidates in response to complaints about the reported failings of the 2009 presidential election. However, the changes were met with opposition from Afghan lawmakers, a fact which foreshadowed post-election allegations of fraud. The sheer size of and difficulty in investigating election fraud cases delayed the announcement of winning candidates until 24 November 2010. Arguments pertaining to the validity of results continued until the end of 2010 by members of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) and the Attorney Generals Office (AGO). Finally, the chapter discusses the pressures being placed upon the Afghan government to address corruption in the country. Corruption is a common concern for the international community who want to make the flow of money in Afghanistan more transparent as well as local Afghans. President Karzai expanded the authority of the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption (HOOAC) in March 2010 in an effort to reduce institutional graft and allow for the investigation of senior officials, though corruption within the political spectrum remains an ongoing challenge. Chapter 2 highlights progress made regarding regional economic partnerships and future investment projects while noting ongoing challenges related to harnessing natural resources and energy for economic development. Some examples explored are the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), proposed railway

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< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

C i v i l - M i l i t a r y F u s i o n C e nt r e

construction projects and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Natural Gas Pipeline project. The chapter continues by presenting the highly visible Kabul Bank Crisis that resulted from a loss of confidence in the Afghan banking system and further fuelled concerns about corruption in the financial sector and by government authorities. Meanwhile, counter-narcotics activities proved successful in 2010 with UNODC reporting 20 of 34 provinces to be poppy free and opium production cut in half. Finally, efforts to Afghanise economic activity, such as the Afghan First policy introduced by NATO in April 2010, and key economic events are presented alongside a review of the impact of economic development and infrastructure projects. The humanitarian assistance community responded to a series of events in Afghanistan in 2010, discussed in Chapter 3, which include: the movement of people - refugee returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) natural disasters, security threats and planning measures. Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan in record numbers (104,000) between March and October 2010 according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A significant number of those who returned (95,000) cited destruction caused by extensive flooding to refugee camps in Pakistan and a perceived improvement in living conditions in Afghanistan as motivation for their return. The displacement of Afghans within the country continued in 2010 and in one instance nearly 4,000 families were reportedly displaced as a result of military operations. A series of natural disasters, including extensive flooding, heavy snowfall and earthquakes, are also profiled in this chapter. One of the most visible humanitarian assistance news events involved the death of ten International Assistance Mission (IAM) workers in August 2010. This episode sparked debate about humanitarian security and how to access communities with humanitarian aid in light of ever-growing criminal groups operating outside governmentcontrolled areas. A surge of US and NATO troops in 2010 resulted in the amplification of counter-insurgency efforts in Afghanistan. In Chapter 4, key events that took place in the security sector are presented and include major security incidents, development of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), major military operations and Private Security Companies (PSCs). There was a reported 300% increase in kinetic events in 2010 with both planned and seasonal episodes. Targeted attacks by the Taliban against Afghan police and civilians associated with the police force were a concerning trend for the ANSF in 2010. Civilian casualties rose concurrently with the rise in kinetic activity. Both the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police reported an increase in recruits while discussions continued about the 2014 timeframe for international force withdrawal. This chapter concludes with discussions of two major military operations ( Moshtarak and Hamkari) both targeting major Taliban held areas, and also addresses the proposal to ban private security companies in Afghanistan. Found in Chapter 5 is a presentation of key reconciliation and reintegration efforts, counter-narcotics campaigns and reported challenges for the Afghan National Police. 2010 was a particularly significant year for Afghan-led reconciliation and reintegration efforts. President Hamid Karzai announced the start of a process to reintegrate Taliban into society at the London Conference, while talks between the Afghan government and Taliban commanders allegedly took place. Counter-narcotic efforts were marked by increased raids on poppy crops, though some argue more is needed to address the concerns of farmers in traditional poppy areas. The chapter continues by profiling initiatives to build the capacity of the national police and underlines success in the growth of the police force to 120,000, including women. Nevertheless, concerns persist regarding reported illiteracy, drug use, corruption and desertion rates within their ranks. The final section of the report, Chapter 6, highlights some of the key challenges and successes observed in 2010 related to efforts to improve the lives of the Afghan people and sustain socio-cultural development. Civilian casualties as a result of conflict was a recurrent theme in the media in 2010, with anti-government elements cited as causing 76% of all incidents according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Positive developments were observed in the health sector with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)

< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

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undertaking numerous vaccination campaigns to inoculate more than 7.8 million children against polio, as well as responding to various disease outbreaks. The global summit on the Millennium Development Goals was held in September 2010, with the MoPH emphasising the importance of the reduction of child and maternal mortality. Education and child protection efforts saw both improvement and decline in 2010 with some schools reopening while others were closed due to increased violence and several gas attacks on girls schools. Attempts to restrict the recruitment of children into Afghan security forces and to improve under-age child labour practices were bolstered by the development of a national committee on child rights in July 2010.The chapter also discusses the many obstacles faced by women in realising their rights throughout Afghanistan, with the example given of an abused and tortured woman, Aisha, who captured international media attention last year. The chapter concludes by noting positive developments in efforts to protect the environment, several archaeological discoveries and the rise of the Afghan national cricket team.

In summary, the year could be characterised as a push to further Afghanise the security and development sectors of Afghanistan in the face of ongoing security threats while strides were taken to boost reconciliation and reintegration efforts as well as measures to protect and assist the Afghan people.

< Afghanistan in 2010: The Year in Review >

C i v i l - M i l i t a r y F u s i o n C e nt r e

About the NATO Civil-Military Fusion Centre Recognising the challenges of contemporary crisis contexts, NATO Supreme Allied Command Transformation Headquarters dedicated the manpower and resources to establish the "CivilMilitary Fusion Centre" (CFC), which began operating in January 2008. Founded as a functioning prototype and a tool to "facilitate information sharing between civilian and military actors during natural and man-made crisis situations, in order to enhance their sense of shared situational awareness", the Centre has now successfully entered its third year and continues to serve as a unique and world class organisation promoting greater interaction between civilian and military actors by providing a venue to communicate and collaborate in order to create a shared holistic view of the civil-military engagement space.

The CFCs Afghanistan Team The Afghanistan Team has been operating since the beginning of the CFC. Staffed by personnel with extensive field experience in the realms of humanitarian affairs and international development with major international

organisations, including the United Nations and NGOs. The Afghanistan Team is committed to ensuring that up-to-date information concerning the crisis in Afghanistan is accessible and comprehensible to both civilian and military actors.