Regional Command East

Overview

Demographics and Terrain

Regional Command East (RC East) is comprised of fourteen provinces: Bamyan, Ghazni, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, and Wardak.¹ RC East spans nearly 120,000 square kilometers and is roughly the size of Pennsylvania.² It is the most heavily populated of the five regional commands in Afghanistan, with roughly 7 to 10 million residents.³ RC East is home to 400 Afghan tribes and a wide variety of ethnicities; however the population is predominantly Pashtun, Tajik and Hazara.

The Hindu Kush Mountains dominate the terrain of the northern and western provinces in RC East. The Safed Koh Mountains jut into the southeastern portion of RC East and cover parts of Nangarhar, Paktiya, Logar, Paktika and Khost Provinces. Because agriculture is the primary source of income for 80 percent of the population in RC East, the Kabul River Valley and the Argendaub watershed region contain the major population and agricultural centers. The Kabul River flows from the west of Kabul in Wardak Province east into Pakistan. While it is extremely narrow as it flows through Sorubi (just east of Kabul), the Kabul River Valley expands into a broad, fertile plain where the Laghman, Surkh Ab and Kunar Rivers join the Kabul River in the vicinity of Jalalabad. The Kabul River Valley narrows again on its approach to the Afghan-Pakistani border and flows into Pakistan along a separate track north of the Khyber Pass. The Kabul River Valley, its center at Jalalabad, and the Khyber Pass form a crucial strategic and economic corridor connecting Kabul with Peshawar and the whole of Pakistan.

The Argendaub watershed region, southwest of Kabul, is a fertile plain, containing the tributaries of the Argendaub River. It provides a critical line of communication and supply from Kabul south and contains the southeastern portion of the Ring Road. Additionally, the 480 kilometer-long Kunar River provides water for agriculture in the provinces of Kunar, Nuristan and Nangarhar. It joins the Kabul River in Nangarhar.

Security

The enemy groups in RC East are diverse. Forces loyal to Jalaluddin Haqqani, the most influential commander of the Haqqani Network, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), are the main enemy groups in the east. The Haqqani Network has strong links to the Zadran tribe in the provinces of Khost and Paktiya.

Fighters from Pakistani Islamist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Tehreek-e Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) also operate in the area, especially in Kunar and Nuristan. The region is the main area of operation for Al-Qaeda fighters operating in Afghanistan.⁴ Many local warlords, drug smugglers and local criminal gangs also heighten insecurity in RC East.

Insurgent activity is more prevalent in Kunar, Ghazni, Nuristan and Paktika than the other provinces in RC East. Security in Kabul’s neighboring provinces of Wardak and Logar has also deteriorated in 2007-2008 as the Haqqani Network has established a presence there. The provinces of Parwan, Bamyan, and Kapisa are relatively peaceful. Violence in RC East is concentrated in specific areas. Roughly half of all violent incidents occurred in twelve of the 158 districts in RC East.⁵ Three-quarters of attacks occurred in just 30 districts. This has prompted ISAF to dispatch additional forces to RC East to fill vacuums in the most problematic areas.

RC East shares a 450-mile border with Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).⁶ The provinces of Khost and Paktika border the FATA's North Waziristan region. Jalaluddin Haqqani, his son Sirajuddin, and the Haqqani Network are said to be based in the Miram Shah District of North Waziristan, only a few dozen kilometers from Khost and Paktika.⁷ Baitullah Mehsud and his Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are based in South Waziristan, adjacent to Paktika. Likewise, several enemy groups are based in Peshawar, on the Pakistan side of the Khyber Pass: TNSM, led by Sufi Muhammad, and HIG, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Finally, Al-Qaeda is said to base its leadership in Chitral, adjacent to Kunar Province. Fighters who do not originate in Afghanistan primarily infiltrate into RC East through the provinces of Khost, Paktika, Nuristan and southern Kunar.

Border Coordination Centers (BCCs) have been built along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in RC East, enabling ISAF, the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Pakistani Army to cooperate and carry out joint efforts to curb cross-border infiltration. Of the 160 planned border posts, six BCCs are planned for RC East’s border with Pakistan. ISAF Forces, in coordination with ANA and Pakistani Troops, launched Operation Lionheart along the border in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Konar and Laghman Provinces to deny enemy infiltration from a safe haven in Pakistan.⁸ There are two ANA Corps conducting operations in RC East—the 201^st Corps and the 203^rd Corps, also known as Radu Barq IV and V.⁹

Economic Development and Counternarcotics

Agriculture is the primary sector in the economy of RC East. Counternarcotics efforts have largely been successful in RC East, where eleven of the fourteen provinces were declared poppy-free in 2008. The three provinces of Laghman, Kunar and Kapisa produced small amounts of opium last year and are expected to become opium-free in 2009.¹⁰ To further improve socioeconomic conditions at the local level, the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) budget was increased from $480 million in 2008 to $680 million this year.¹¹

Construction of roads and highways linking the provinces in RC East to each other as well as to other parts of Afghanistan and neighboring countries has significantly helped boost security and trade in the region. A 221-kilometer highway has already been reconstructed connecting Kabul to Jalalabad and the Khyber Pass into Pakistan.¹² The road has facilitated humanitarian assistance and repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Most of the US and NATO’s military and non-military supplies from Pakistan are transported along this road.

Another highway – funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and constructed by the Louis Burger Group – connects Kabul to Gardez, the provincial capital of Paktiya. In April 2008, USAID also funded construction of a road connecting Gardez to the provincial capital of Khost Province.¹³ Once completed by the end of 2009, the road will not only connect Khost to the Ring Road that circles Afghanistan’s other regions, but also to Pakistan’s tribal areas of North Waziristan. It is believed to significantly improve security and economic opportunities in the region. Khost, despite being an agricultural and economic hub in the east, is currently isolated from the rest of the country and is more tied to North Waziristan than to Kabul.
One major development program in RC East is Nangarhar Inc., a regional growth plan jointly coordinated by the 173^rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and USAID.¹⁴ Nangarhar Inc. is chiefly aimed at improving agriculture in the region, but also the construction of roads, an airport, hydroelectric dams, irrigation systems, farms, factories and other development projects.

ISAF

The United States leads ISAF forces in RC East through a two-star headquarters, Combined Joint Task Force-101 (CJTF-101), built around the 101^stAirborne Division under the command of Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser (2008-2009). ISAF headquarters for RC East are located at Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. The United States contributes most of the troops in the region, while some small contingents from seven other nations, including France, Poland and Turkey, are also deployed. Each province in RC East has its own Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) – with the exception of Parwan and Kapisa, which share one. The United States leads all PRTs in RC East, except for Logar (Czech Republic), Bamyan (New Zealand) and Wardak (Turkey).¹⁵ There is also a Forward Support Base at Bagram.

Two organic brigades of the 101^stAirborne Division are present in Afghanistan. An additional 3,500 soldiers from the 3^rd Brigade, 10^thMountain Division, of Fort Drum, NY, deployed to RC East in January 2009. They assumed responsibility for Wardak and Logar Provinces, where there had been few US or ISAF Troops prior to their arrival.¹⁶ Soldiers of the 3^rd Brigade, 10^th Mountain Division were also sent to Kunar Province. French Troops operate in Kapisa Province and the Polish are currently responsible for Ghazni Province.¹⁷

The 82^nd Airborne Division headquarters will redeploy to RC East to replace the 101^stAirborne Division this spring. Maj. Gen. Mike Scaparrotti, who commands the 82^ndAirborne Division, will lead the RC East Task Force that includes US Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, NATO Troops, and other US military and civilian officials.

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Provinces

Nuristan Province top

Governor: Tamim Nuristani

Chief of Police: Asil Tuta Khail

Capital: Parun

Demographics and Terrain

Nuristan Province is located in eastern Afghanistan, and it borders the FATA in Pakistan. The terrain is mountainous and heavily forested.¹ The province has a population of about 130,000 and is divided into six districts. The population is overwhelmingly rural and agriculture is the main source of income for most households in the province.

Nuristanis constitute a distinct ethno-linguistic group, renowned for a fiercely independent, egalitarian, and martial culture, and defiance to external authority. Their societal structures and politics are shaped by an especially rugged, demanding natural environment – even by Afghan standards; perpetual internal struggles over limited resources; and intermittent conflict with encroaching Pashtun tribal foes and the Pashtun-dominated external government. Once known as Kafiristan (Land of the Infidel), because the locals practiced a form of ancient Hinduism, the region was conquered and systematically converted to Islam starting in 1895. Since its forced conversion, Nuristani society has developed one of the most intensely devout Muslim populations in Afghanistan.

Security

The Taliban and Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin operate in the province, particularly in the border districts of Kamdesh, Narguram, and Waygal. Much of eastern Nuristan is considered to be under the influence of HIG.²

Al-Qaeda and affiliated Islamist organizations recognize Nuristan as a strategically vital platform for guerrilla operations against the Kabul government. It is remote, contains forbidding terrain accessible from the Pakistani highlands, overarches the Kabul River Valley, stretches to within reach of Kabul’s eastern gateway at Sorubi, and is inhabited by a people inherently skeptical of central government rule and protective of their own conservative Islam.

The local population is generally antipathetic to the Taliban, particularly following their murder of popular provincial jirga member Hajji Younis.³ However, a majority of residents in Nuristan also have an unfavorable opinion of NATO and US Forces.⁴

Counternarcotics

Despite poppy eradication, narcotics smuggling persists.⁵

Kunar Province top

Governor: Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi

Chief of Police: Abdul Jalal Jalal

Capital: Asadabad

Demographics and Terrain

Kunar Province is located in eastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan’s FATA and NWFP. Kunar’s terrain is mountainous. The Kunar River Valley flows into Afghanistan from the Chitral district in Pakistan and runs roughly parallel to the Afghan-Pakistani border. An important, but poorly maintained, highway runs through Kunar. The province is divided into twelve districts and has a population of roughly 400,000.⁶

The Kunar population is overwhelmingly Pashtun, including Safi—the largest tribe in the area and the historic enemy of the Nuristanis—Tarkalanri, Mohmand, and Shinwari Pashtuns. Each of these tribal groups is also located on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line: Tarkalanri form the majority of the Bajaur Agency’s population; Mohmand and Safi inhabit the Mohmand Agency; in addition to their population in Kunar, Shinwari tribesmen are located in both Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan and the Khyber Agency in Pakistan.

Security

Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin and the Taliban are present and active in Kunar Province, making it one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan.⁷Foreign fighters also operate throughout the province, and Kunar is one of the few places in Afghanistan where Al-Qaeda is present. Al-Qaeda fighters can easily hide in the forested and mountainous terrain of Kunar Province. Kunar's proximity to the FATA and the NWFP in Pakistan is one of the advantages that HIG, the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have in the province.

A US-led PRT is based in Asadabad. US Combat Company of the 1^st Battalion of the 10^th Mountain Division’s 32^nd Infantry Regiment is stationed in Kunar.⁸ US Army Col. John Spiszer, Task Force Duke, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Infantry Division, is leading American forces in the four provinces of Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan and Nangarhar.⁹

Economy

While the Kunar River Valley provides usable land for farming and grazing, the local economy at the higher elevations revolves around a competition over limited natural resources—especially timber and marble. The timber trade is particularly lucrative, causing extensive deforestation and smuggling.

The PRT has carried out a great deal of reconstruction work in the province, especially in building roads and developing agriculture in the province. All of the fourteen districts of Kunar are connected to the capital city of Asadabad. The PRT has spent over $70 million from the Commanders Emergency Response Program to build and reconstruct roads and bridges in the province.¹⁰In April, the PRT began construction of a 40-kilometer road linking the two volatile districts of Khas Kunar and Sirkanay in the east of the province.¹¹

Nangarhar Province top

Governor: Gul Agha Sherzai

Chief of Police: Sayed Ghaffar

Capital: Jalalabad

Demographics and Terrain

Nangarhar Province is located in eastern Afghanistan and borders the FATA in Pakistan. The province is divided into twenty-two districts and has a population of about 1.35 million.¹²The population is overwhelmingly Pashtun; less than ten percent are Pashai, Tajik, Arab, or other minorities.

The Kabul River Valley flows from Laghman Province into Nangarhar, where it joins the Surkh Ab and Kunar Rivers in the vicinity of the provincial capital Jalalabad. The river valley narrows on approach to the Afghan-Pakistani border and flows into Pakistan north of the Khyber Pass. The Safed Koh Range and its extensions bound the Kabul River Valley zone to its south, west and east. The Kabul River Valley, with its center at Jalalabad, and the Khyber Pass in Nangarhar form a crucial strategic and economic corridor connecting Kabul with Peshawar and the whole of Pakistan.

Security

Nangarhar remains volatile due to its common border with Pakistan. Typically, security in the southern districts is worse than in the northern areas of Nangarhar Province.¹³ Fighters –mainly those under the leadership of Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin Haqqani and Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin – are most prevalent in the southern districts of Khogiani, Pachir Wa Agam and Chaparhar.¹⁴ Tribal warlords pose further security risks. Armed robbery is common in Jalalabad.

Generally speaking the tribes in close proximity to the fertile river valley are supportive of the Kabul government. Taliban and other anti-government groups work at the fringes of this zone at higher elevations to stage attacks and infiltrate deeper into Afghanistan.

A US Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is based in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar. Established in 2003 by the US Army, the PRT is made up of active-duty Air Force and Army, National Guard and Reserve Army personnel, along with civilians from the Department of State, USAID and USDA. Over $40 million was spent in reconstruction projects in the province by the US military in 2008.¹⁵US Army Col. John Spiszer, Task Force Duke, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Infantry Division, is leading American Forces in the four provinces of Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan and Nangarhar.¹⁶

Economic Development and Counternarcotics

The Jalalabad plain is one of the principal agricultural areas of Afghanistan. The strong agricultural base, coupled with the crucial trade route connecting Kabul with Peshawar, makes the Kabul River Valley one of the more economically diverse and functional areas of Afghanistan.

Until the efforts of Governor Gul Agha Sherzai in 2007 and 2008, Nangarhar Province was the country’s second largest opium poppy producer. The provincial government persuaded many poppy farmers to transition to legal crops by working through tribal and political structures as well as offering incentives; it should be noted, however, that this transition was possible because the fertile Kabul River Valley supported staple crop farming and the coincident spike in world food prices drove local farmers to drop poppy because they could actually get more money growing wheat and other staple crops.

However, the illicit narcotics trade remains well-organized and is prevalent throughout the province. Both opium poppies and cannabis are still grown. Additionally, illicit labs produce heroin and hashish, particularly in the southern districts but also elsewhere in the province.¹⁷

Bamyan Province top

Capital: Bamyan

Governor: Habiba Sarabi

Police Chief: Brig Gen Muhammad Awaz Nazari

Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Lead Country: New Zealand

Demographics and Terrain

Bamyan Province is located in the central highlands of Afghanistan. Its terrain is mountainous or semi-mountainous.¹⁸ The provincial capital is Bamyan City, which is the cultural capital of the Hazara ethnic group. There are six districts in the province - Kahmard, Panjab, Sayghan, Shibar, Waras and Yakawlang. Hazaras make up the majority ethnic group, and more than 96% of the residents speak Dari. Nearly 80% of the province’s 500,000 residents live in rural areas. A majority of the population is involved in subsistence farming, which has been severely impacted by drought.

Security

Bamyan is one of the safest provinces in Afghanistan, but deteriorating security in neighboring provinces - particularly in Ghazni, Wardak and Uruzgan – may destabilize the province. Due to Bamyan’s predominantly Hazara population, the ethnic-Pashtun Taliban have little influence. However, armed groups sympathetic to the Taliban reportedly operate in the districts of Saighan, Kahmard and Shibar. Crime, such as robbery, is also prevalent.

New Zealand leads the PRT in the province.¹⁹ Col. Richard Hall is the commander of the PRT. A small New Zealand Police Training Team also runs a program for the Afghan National Police in the province. ISAF forces operate out of three Forward Operating Bases, located in the districts of Kahmard, Yakawlang and Waras.

Economic Development and Counternarcotics

Bamyan is one of the most underdeveloped provinces in Afghanistan, and its residents suffer from acute poverty. Electricity and water supply systems are non-existent. The average literacy rate in the province is 29 percent. While Bamyan was listed as poppy-free in the 2008 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey, the lack of development assistance to generate alternate income sources may prompt farmers to again grow opium.²⁰

To improve infrastructure and spur economic development, construction has begun on a road linking Bamyan City with Yakawlang District.²¹ The project is part of a plan to link all Afghan provinces to the Ring Road.

Ghazni Province top

Capital: Ghazni City

Governor: Muhammad Osman Osmani

Police Chief: Khan Muhammad Mujahid

PRT Lead Country: United States

Demographics and Terrain

Ghazni Province is located in southeastern Afghanistan, along the Kabul-Kandahar highway. The southeastern regions of the province are arid and flat, while the northwest is mountainous and humid.

Ghazni has nineteen districts and is one of the most ethnically diverse provinces in Afghanistan. Of the province’s one million residents, 90 percent are Pashtun or Hazara. Tajiks, Hindus and other ethnic minorities comprise the remaining ten percent of the population. While the Tajik population in Ghazni is small, it is concentrated in the provincial capital of Ghazni City, where 55 percent are Tajik, twenty percent are Pashtun, fifteen percent are Hazara, and a small percentage are Hindu.

Security

The security situation in Ghazni Province deteriorated from 2007 to 2009. Taliban forces loyal to the Mullah Omar-led Quetta Shura and fighters led by Jalaluddin Haqqani are operating in the province. They have expanded their control in remote areas and villages, particularly in the Pashtun-dominated district of Ajristan. Violent incidents such as bombings, assassinations and kidnappings are increasing. Armed groups have closed schools in several districts of the province, including Qarabagh, Andar, Ajristan, Zana Khan, Dih Yak, Ab Band, Giro and Gelan. The worsening of security in Ghazni has negatively impacted travel via the Kabul-Kandahar road.

In October 2008, roughly 1,600 Polish troops assumed responsibility for security in Ghazni. The Pashtun inhabited districts are more lawless. However, concern persists that ISAF lacks the troops required to secure the province.

Kapisa Province top

Governor: Khoja Ghous Abubaker

Chief of police: Maj. Gen. Matiullah Safi

Capital: Mahmud-e Raqi

Demographics and Terrain

Kapisa Province lies to the north of Kabul. Its terrain ranges from mountains to flat plains. The province is divided into seven districts and it has a population of almost 400,000.²² The population is overwhelmingly rural and agriculture is the main source of income.

Security

Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, an insurgent group led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, continues to wield influence in the province.

A US-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) based in Bagram Airfield in the province of Parwan serves as the PRT for both Parwan and Kapisa Provinces. French Troops are also stationed in the province. In addition, two detachments of special operations forces, one from Romania and another from the United States, called Forward Operational Bases (FOBs) also operate in the province. An Afghan Army battalion is stationed between the two FOBs.²³

Economic Development and Counternarcotics

The closest PRT is headquartered in the neighboring province of Parwan; it is headed by South Korea and the United States.

Laghman Province top

Governor: Mohammad Golab Mangal

Chief of police: Abdul Karim Omaryar

Capital: Mehterlam

Demographics and Terrain

Located in eastern Afghanistan, Laghman province is mainly mountainous, with fertile, river valleys. The province is divided into five districts and has a population of almost 400,000.²⁴ Roughly half of the people are Pashtun; another quarter is Pashai; and a final quarter is Tajik. Agriculture is the main source of income in Laghman Province.²⁵

Security

Laghman province is used as a transit route for the Haqqani Network and Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, particularly in the northern districts of Alishing and Daulatshai.²⁶ Local warlords also pose a security threat and undermine the central government’s authority. These armed groups rely on improvised explosive devices, indirect rocket fire, ambushes, and intimidation of the local population.²⁷Criminality is also prevalent in Laghman, but it is primarily related to smuggling and kidnapping.²⁸

Counternarcotics

The cultivation of opium poppy has decreased in the last few years, but Laghman remains a major smuggling center in eastern Afghanistan.²⁹

Paktiya Province top

Governor: Juma Khan Hamdard

Chief of police: Wakil Abdul Rahman Mangal

Capital: Gardez

Demographics and Terrain

Paktiya Province is located in eastern Afghanistan and shares a border with Pakistan in the east. Although the province is small, it is divided into eleven districts. The provincial capital is the city of Gardez. Most of the province is mountainous.³⁰ Paktiya has a population of roughly 500,000, 96 percent of which live in rural areas.³¹ The province is predominantly Pashtun, with a small Tajik population.³²

Security

Baitullah Mehsud’s Pakistani Taliban is believed to operate in the districts of the province along the border with Pakistan.³³ The Zormat District poses security concerns, as it is large, sparsely populated, and difficult to govern. The Shah-i Kot Valley, located in this district, is a historic hub of insurgent activity. In the northern districts of Jaji and Chamkani, roughly 40 percent of the population is sympathetic to the Taliban.³⁴ Afghan police are sparsely deployed and continue to be targeted by the Taliban.³⁵ More than half of the population in the province has received threatening letters from the Taliban in the last few years.

A US-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is based in Gardez, provincial capital of Paktiya.

In April, 2008, USAID funded a $98-million project for the construction of the Khost-Gardez road. Upon completion by the by the end of 2009, the road will serve as an extension of the 122-kilometer highway linking Kabul to Gardez. It will also reduce travel time from Khost to Kabul by almost four hours, greatly facilitating trade and business between Khost and Kabul as well as other parts of the country. The road will also help improve security in the region as the province of Khost shares border with North Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal agency where Al-Qaeda and Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups are actively operating. Construction of the road will facilitate faster deployment of troops and equipment to the region.

Maydan Wardak Province top

Governor: Muhammad Halim Fidai

Chief of police: Mozafaradeen Wardak

Capital: Kowt-i Ashrow

Demographics and Terrain

Maydan Wardak is a small province located west of Kabul, although it is part of Regional Command East. The province is divided into eight districts. The capital is the small town of Maydan Shahr. Maydan Wardak is mountainous, with the Kott-i Baba Range in the north and the Paghman Range in the east. Most of the land is used to raise livestock, but there are some irrigated areas for crops.³⁶

The province has a population of about half a million.³⁷ Roughly 70 percent of the population is Pashtun; Hazaras and Tajiks comprise the remainder of the population. The Tajiks live primarily in northern districts of the province, while the Hazaras live in the western part of the province. Maydan Wardak also has a small population of Qizilbash, who are ethnically Persian and practice Shi’a Islam. The major Pashtun tribes are the Ghilzai (of the Hotak and Kharoti clans) and Wardak.³⁸

The Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribe, not only in Maydan Wardak Province but in Afghanistan as a whole. They form the majority in the Jalriz and Nerkh districts in the northeastern part of the Maydan Wardak province.³⁹ The Ghilzai formed the backbone of the Taliban movement in its early stages. They are fiercely independent and resent the Durrani Pashtuns—of which President Karzai is part (Karzai is a member of the Popalzai sub-tribe of the Durrani). As the largest Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan, the Ghilzai desire increased political power.

The Wardak tribe of the Pashtun is politically influential, although less numerous in Afghanistan. Large populations of the tribe live in every district except the predominantly-Hazara districts of Markaz-i Behsud and Hassah-i-Ahwal-i-Behsud in the western part of the province. Elements of the Wardak tribe, like the Ghilzai, are sympathetic to the Taliban’s ideology.⁴⁰

Security

The security landscape dramatically deteriorated after 2007. Ambushes of convoys have become more frequent, especially along the Highway One transportation corridor to Kabul. The Sayadabad district witnessed many enemy ambushes, especially during the summer of 2008. Throughout the province, but particularly in Sayadabad, there have been numerous reports of night letters threatening those who work for or are associated with the government. The governor of neighboring Ghazni Province narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Taliban while visiting Wardak Province in 2008.⁴¹District government headquarters are also targeted, and several girls’ schools have been burnt since 2007. Non-governmental organization workers are frequently harassed in the province.⁴²

In 2008 and early 2009, Maydan Wardak residents perceived the Taliban to be in control of six of the eight districts in the province. The population also tends to be anti-government and anti-Coalition, with only seven percent holding a positive view of NATO and US Forces.⁴³

Turkey is leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Wardak. US Forces are also operating in the province.. Blackhawk Company, 2^nd Battalion, 87^th Infantry Regiment, is stationed in Wardak.⁴⁴

Counternarcotics

While opium cultivation was eradicated in 2007, narcotics smuggling continues to plague Maydan Wardak Province.⁴⁵

Logar Province top

Governor: Attiqullah Ludin

Chief of police: Mustafa Husseini

Capital: Pol-i Alam

PRT Country Lead: Czech Republic

Demographics and Terrain

Logar Province is located in eastern Afghanistan. The terrain is dominated by the Logar Valley and surrounding mountains. The Spin Range spans the east and south of the province. Logar Valley has irrigated fields, gardens, and cropland, as well as rocky, rugged terrain. The province is divided into eight districts. About 60 percent of Logar’s 350,000 residents are Pashtun; Tajiks and Hazaras form the remainder of the population.⁴⁶ Agriculture, animal husbandry, day labor, and small business form the primary employment in the province.⁴⁷

Security

Security in Logar is of concern, although some districts are more stable. The most troublesome district is Pol-i Alam, although Kherwar and Mohammad Agha are also problematic. Logar has a considerable support base for Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin and even Taliban forces loyal to Haqqani and Mullah Omar, although it is not as pronounced as in the provinces bordering Pakistan.⁴⁸

Recent insurgent activities have targeted Western NGOs and local government officials. The Taliban assassinated the former governor of Logar, Abdullah Wardak, in September 2008 and a local legislator the following month.⁴⁹ Persistent risks in Logar province are the landmine attacks on Afghan National Army personnel and nighttime insurgent attacks.⁵⁰ A large proportion of the population of Logar feels unsafe.⁵¹

Economic Development

A Czech-led Provincial Reconstruction Team, comprised of roughly 200 Czechs, was established in Logar in March 2008.⁵² Since their arrival in March 2008, they have been continuously targeted by the Taliban. The PRT headquarters in the town of Shank is repeatedly targeted and was hit by indirect fire in September 2008.⁵³

Khost Province top

Governor: Arsala Jamal

Chief of police: Mohammad Ayoub

Capital: Khost City

Demographics and Terrain

Khost Province is located in eastern Afghanistan, bordering the FATA of Pakistan. The province is mountainous, and is crossed by the Khost Valley. The mountain ranges run from Gorbuz District in the south to Jaji Maydan District in the north. The mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border are heavily forested. Khost has a population of a little over half a million.⁵⁴ Pashtuns form the largest ethnic group, and a small percentage of the population is Tajik or another minority.

Security

Although the security in Khost Province has improved slightly in the last few years, the province remains volatile. Taliban fighters loyal to Haqqani and other insurgent groups such as the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin frequently conduct ambushes, improvised explosive device attacks, and suicide bomb attacks. The suicide attacks include person and vehicle-borne explosives. The main targets of their attacks are government representatives and property, as well as ISAF Forces.⁵⁵

The Haqqani Network and other insurgent groups operating in the province also use propaganda and intimidation tactics. There are reports of kidnappings and beheadings of government employees and supporters.⁵⁶

Because Khost borders Pakistan, cross-border infiltration is problematic. There has been increased activity in 2007-2008 by groups such as the Haqqani Network, based in Waziristan in Pakistan. Infiltration is facilitated by the mountainous, and therefore porous, border.⁵⁷

Paktika Province top

Governor: Mohammad Akram Khpalwak

Chief of police: Sardar Mohammad Zazay

Capital: Sharan

Demographics and Terrain

Paktika Province is located in eastern Afghanistan and shares a border with Pakistan. The Shinkay Hills run through the center of Paktika, and the Toba Kakar Mountain Range runs along the border with Pakistan. The southern districts are irrigated and cultivated, while the central and northern districts are used primarily for rangeland. The districts of Ziruk, Nika, Gayan, and Bermal are heavily forested.⁵⁸

Paktika has a population of almost 390,000.⁵⁹ The primary ethic group is the Pashtun, but there are smaller numbers of Tajiks, Arabs and Pashais.⁶⁰

Security

The security situation in Paktika is very volatile and has deteriorated since 2007. The Suleimankhel tribe has been providing young men as recruits for the Haqqani Network and other anti-Coalition forces. Insurgency is widespread along the border with Pakistan, and suicide attacks are very common.⁶¹The Haqqani Network is very active in the province, particularly along the border with Pakistan. The rugged, mountainous terrain grants an ability to cross into Afghanistan undetected.⁶²Suicide attacks, primarily by the Taliban, but also by the Haqqani Network, are common. The Haqqani Network is believed to have established relationships with Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin and Al-Qaeda. These organizations are reappearing in Paktika Province.⁶³

Parwan Province top

Governor: Jafar Takwa

Chief of police: Abdul Rrahman Siadkhel Mowlana

Capital: Charikar

Demographics and Terrain

Parwan Province is located in eastern Afghanistan, north of Kabul. Parwan has mostly mountainous terrain, with the Kott-i-Baba Range in the southwest, the Panjshir Range in the north, and the Paghman Range in the southeast. Two main rivers cross the province—the Ghowr Band River and the Panjshir River. Crops are grown along the fertile river valleys and livestock are raised throughout the province. Mountains in the high-altitude Ghorband and Shinwari Districts are covered with snow year-round.⁶⁴

Parwan Province is divided into ten districts and has a population of almost 600,000.⁶⁵ The main ethnic groups are Pashtuns and Tajiks, but there are small numbers of Uzbeks, Qizilbash and Hazaras as well.

Security

Parwan is one of the safest provinces in Afghanistan. There are very few security incidents, and they are usually minor. Security incidents in Parwan usually involve grenade attacks on the residences of government officials or roadside bombs. Casualties from security incidents are generally low.

Counternarcotics

Opium poppy cultivation has been eradicated in Parwan, although narcotics trafficking continues.

Panjshir Province top

Governor: Hajji Bahlul

Chief of police: Mohammad Waliullah

Capital: Bazarak

Demographics and Terrain

Panjshir Province is located in eastern Afghanistan. The Panjshir Valley is the primary terrain feature and it is surrounded by the Panjshir mountains to the north and the Kuhestan mountains to the south. Snow covers the mountaintops year-round. Panjshir has small areas of cultivated land.⁶⁶

Panjshir is divided into seven districts and the province has a population of approximately 140,000.⁶⁷ Ethnic Tajiks form the majority of the population, but there are small numbers of Hazaras and Pashtuns as well.

The Panjshiri have played an important political role in Afghanistan since the defeat of the Taliban in 2001.The Massoud brothers – Ahmad Shah Massoud, the renowned Northern Alliance commander assassinated by the Taliban, and his brother, Ahmad Zia Massoud, currently the First Vice President of Afghanistan—are ethnic Tajiks from the province.⁶⁸

Security

The security situation in Panjshir Province is generally stable. Although there have been no reports in recent years of anti-government or anti-coalition attacks, criminality and local disputes persist. Because Panjshir has been the traditional capital of the Tajik mujahideen movement, there continues to be the problem of illegal weapons stockpiles stored throughout the province.⁶⁹

Unexploded landmines left behind from past conflicts cause some civilian casualties.⁷⁰

The Panjshir Valley was a stronghold of the Northern Alliance, and popular attitudes toward the Taliban are negative. The population is supportive of the government. In 2004, President Karzai split what today makes up Panjshir Province from Parwan in what is seen as an effort to make the Panjshir Tajik population supportive of the government.⁷¹

Endnotes

¹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Nuristan Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies.
² Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, " Nuristan Provincial Profile," 10.
³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Nuristan Executive Summary,”Program for Culture and Conflict Studies.
⁴Naval Postgraduate School, “Nuristan Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5.
⁵ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Nuristan Provincial Profile," 10.
⁶ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Nuristan Provincial Profile," 10; United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Nuristan Provincial Profile.
⁷ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Kunar provincial profile," 10; Naval Postgraduate School, “Kunar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies.
⁸ Philip Smucker, “U.S. troops face clever relentless opponents in Afghanistan,” McClatchy News Service, March 29, 2009.
⁹ Maj. Chevelle Thomas, “Afghans Hold Nangarhar, Nuristan, Konar and Laghman Joint Security Conference,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, February 6, 2009.
¹⁰ North Atlantic Treaty Organization Press Release 2009-080, “Provincial Government Assisted by Konar PRT Helps Fight Polio,” January 27, 2009.
¹¹ ‘PRT Builds Road In Kunar,” Quqnoos News, April 2, 2009.
¹² United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Kunar Provincial Profile.
¹³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Nangarhar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 8.
¹⁴ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Nangarhar Provincial Profile," 13.
¹⁵ "Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team Takes Reconstruction to New Level,” Soldier of Fortune Magazine, November 5, 2009.
¹⁶ Maj. Chevelle Thomas, “Afghans Hold Nangarhar, Nuristan, Konar and Laghman Joint Security Conference,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office, February 6, 2009.
¹⁷ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Nangarhar Provincial Profile," 13.
¹⁸ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "BamiyanProvincial Profile," 13.
¹⁹ New Zealand Defence Force, Provincial Reconstruction Team 13.
²⁰ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan Opium Survey 2008: Executive Summary.
²¹ Hadi Ghafari, “Karzai opens road project in Bamyan,” Pajhwok Afghan News, August 14, 2008.
²² United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Kapisa Provincial Profile.
²³ Joshua Foust, “Kapisa Province: A COIN Case Study in Afghanistan,” World Politics Review, March 31, 2009.
²⁴ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Laghman Provincial Profile.
²⁵ Naval Postgraduate School, “Laghman Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 1.
²⁶ Naval Postgraduate School, “Laghman Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 4.
²⁷ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Laghman provincial profile," 10.
²⁸ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Laghman provincial profile," 10.
²⁹ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Laghman provincial profile," 10.
³⁰ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Paktya provincial profile," 10.
³¹ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Paktya Provincial Profile; Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Paktya Provincial Profile."
³²Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktia Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 1.
³³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktia Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6.
³⁴ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktia Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6.
³⁵ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktia Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6.
³⁶Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies.
³⁷ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Wardak Provincial Profile.
³⁸ Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6-7.
³⁹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6-7.
⁴⁰ Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6-7.
⁴¹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 8.
⁴² Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Wardak Provincial Profile," 12.
⁴³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Wardak Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 8.
⁴⁴ Army 1st Lt. Christopher Stachura, “Task Force Soldiers Build Relationships in Central Afghanistan,” American Forces Press Service, April 7, 2009.
⁴⁵ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Wardak Provincial Profile," 12.
⁴⁶ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Logar Provincial Profile.
⁴⁷ Naval Postgraduate School, “Logar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 1.
⁴⁸ Naval Postgraduate School, “Logar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 4-5.
⁴⁹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Logar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5.
⁵⁰ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Logar Provincial Profile," 11.
⁵¹Naval Postgraduate School, “Logar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, p. 5-6; North Atlantic Treaty Organization Press Release, "PRT opens in Logar Province” ISAF, March 19, 2009.
⁵² North Atlantic Treaty Organization Press Release, “Czech-led PRT opens in Logar Province,” March 19, 2009.
⁵³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Logar Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 6.
⁵⁴ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Khost Provincial Profile.
⁵⁵ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Khost Provincial Profile, 10.
⁵⁶ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Khost Provincial Profile, 10.
⁵⁷ Naval Postgraduate School, “Khost Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5.
⁵⁸ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktika Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 1.
⁵⁹ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Paktika Provincial Profile.
⁶⁰ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan: Paktika provincial profile, 1.
⁶¹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktika Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5-6.
⁶² Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktika Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5-6.
⁶³ Naval Postgraduate School, “Paktika Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 5-6.
⁶⁴ Naval Postgraduate School, “Parwan Provincial Overview,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies.
⁶⁵ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Parwan Provincial Profile.
⁶⁶ Naval Postgraduate School, “Panjshir Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 1.
⁶⁷United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Afghanistan's Provinces: Panjshir Provincial Profile.
⁶⁸Naval Postgraduate School, “Panjshir Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 2.
⁶⁹Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Panjshir Provincial Profile," 10.
⁷⁰ Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of Afghanistan, "Panjshir Provincial Profile," 10.
⁷¹ Naval Postgraduate School, “Panjshir Executive Summary,” Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, 7.

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