Creating a New Template for Counterinsurgency

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan—(Jan 27, 2010) If a template could be made on how to fight the insurgency in Afghanistan, it would look something like this; three men from different backgrounds and culture, working together for one purpose—keeping young soldiers alive.

The Anti-Taliban Pact is precise, harsh and direct: if any tribal member provides shelter or support of any kind to the Taliban, they would have their house burned down and be expulsed from the tribe and tribal land.  Expulsion is worse than death to a Shinwari Pashtun, to be without your tribe is to be without identity and protection.

For their loyalty, compensation will be given in the form of development projects in areas where the Shinwari live.  What is important is providing jobs to their local tribal members, especially fighting age males. 

The three men who conceptualized this Pact began working together only two months before.  Lt. Col. Randall V. Simmons is Squadron Commander of the 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiments, 48th Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard signed to the active Army’s 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.  Ed Vowell is stationed in Nangarhar for the State Department as a military liaison for governance, and Afghan Border Police (ABP) Colonel Niazy, Commander of the 6th Kandak.

When Simmons and Vowell first met, they discovered they had a shared sense of purpose and engaged the tribal villagers and headmen with Niazy as their cultural guide.


The COIN team
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