Feral Jundi

Monday, September 6, 2010

Afghanistan: Taliban Paid Bounties For Kills, Thanks To Iran And Others

Filed under: Afghanistan,Al Qaeda,Bounties,Iran — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:57 AM

The money is said to come from protection rackets, taxes imposed on opium farmers, donors in the Gulf states who channel money through Dubai and from the senior Taliban leadership in Pakistan. 

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The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors.

The profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks – including the Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Mahmood – to Tehran and Dubai.

From these countries, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala to be dispersed to the Taliban fighters.

“This means the companies involved in funding the insurgency can cover their tracks easily. It makes it harder for us to trace the cashflow,” a senior Afghan intelligence officer said.

He said the Iranian companies had been formed with the intention of winning contracts funded by foreign aid so the donors’ cash could be channelled into the insurgency. 

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    In the past I have talked about this market of force concept in which the enemy is able to attract combatants that are contracted for the killing of our troops.  The Taliban pay better and they offer incentives that give the possibility of even more pay. The incentive here is bounties, and the money comes from foreign donor sources or from drug sales and extortion rackets.  In other words, the enemy is creating an industry that profits off the death of our troops. A system of bounties also attracts those that are the most proficient or creative in their abilities to kill, both local and foreign.

    Below I posted three stories that all highlight exactly how this Taliban market of force works.  From assigning values to equipment being destroyed, to individuals being killed. I am also speculating that these foreign mercenary sniper teams were not only contracted, but also allowed to receive bounties for each kill.  It would make sense, just because they too would be rewarded for their deadly skills and inclined to stay in the fight to rack up kills.

    Also, other Taliban fighters will be drawn to the most target rich areas of the country with the greatest chance of getting away with their kills. They will also go for the easiest kills possible, which would be either IED’s or sniping. In those cases, they need witnesses or video via cellphone camera, etc. to confirm the kill and get payment.

     If they attacked in force in some kind of coordinated effort, I am sure the entire unit would be rewarded and they would split the prize. In that case, those fighters interested in more profit would probably be interested in joining the best teams with the highest kill ratios. Much like how the best privateer companies attracted investors during the American Revolutionary War, or how the best pirate companies in Somalia attract wannabe pirates seeking a chance to get wealthy.

    The other thing that is attractive about a system of bounties is that a Taliban commander can use their averages as a means of recruitment.  He can tell potential recruits that he pays $245 a month, but his guys also have the highest bounty collections rate in the area. Everyone loves to join a winning team in this high dollar hunting game.

     I wonder though how suicide bombers are viewed in this game? I am sure if they were part of the attack, then I would assume the Taliban commander and his team would collect some payment for the deaths that these human bombs created? With that said, I am sure there is some form of a prize court that these guys go through in order to work these issues out. –Matt

Taliban paid bounties for kills

Four mercenary snipers hired by the Taliban are zapped from the air by British soldiers in Afghanistan

Taliban win £1,600 bounty for each Nato soldier killed

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Taliban paid bounties for kills

Miles Amoore

September 06, 2010

IRANIAN companies in Kabul are using their offices to covertly finance Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

They are paying bounties of $US1000 ($1090) for killing a US soldier and $US6000 for destroying a military vehicle, a treasurer for the insurgents says.

Afghan intelligence and Taliban sources said at least five front companies, set up in the past six months, provide cash for a network of district Taliban treasurers to pay battlefield expenses and bonuses for killing foreign troops and destroying their vehicles.

The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors.

The profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks – including the Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Mahmood – to Tehran and Dubai.

From these countries, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala to be dispersed to the Taliban fighters.

“This means the companies involved in funding the insurgency can cover their tracks easily. It makes it harder for us to trace the cashflow,” a senior Afghan intelligence officer said.

He said the Iranian companies had been formed with the intention of winning contracts funded by foreign aid so the donors’ cash could be channelled into the insurgency.

Western officials believe the network may have been set up by the al-Quds force, an elite branch of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.

(more…)

Music: JFCOM Contractor Sings The ‘Jiffy Com Blues’ Over Closure

Filed under: Industry Talk,Music — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:33 AM

     Boy, it sucks to hear about other contractors losing their jobs. Hopefully these folks will be able to get work elsewhere in the defense industry. Maybe Bobby will have his music as a possible back up plan? –Matt

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JFCOM contractor sings the blues over closure

By Bill Sizemore

09/06/2010

Went to work, got a bit of bad news

Went to work, got a bit of bad news

Ol’ Bobby G said here’s your fate, gonna shut you down, gonna lock the gate

Now we all have the Jiffy Com Blues.

– “Jiffy Com Blues,” by Bobby “BlackHat” Walters

It’s not even a done deal, but the impending closure of the Joint Forces Command already has made its way into Hampton Roads’ pop culture.

Bobby “BlackHat” Walters, a civilian contractor at JFCOM who moonlights as a blues musician, has channeled his angst into a song.

Less than three weeks after the planned closure was announced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, “Jiffy Com Blues” has been written and recorded and is getting local radio airplay.

“It was a song that needed to be written. It wrote itself,” Walters, a Coast Guard retiree, said Friday. “Sometimes the blues can help you through a bad situation.”

“Jiffy Com” is a longstanding nickname for the command among workers – one that is frowned upon by the brass, Walters acknowledged. But he said he didn’t use it with mean-spirited intent.

“I thought that if I could write the song in such a way that it would bring a smile to people’s faces, it could put a lighter edge on a very sensitive subject,” he said.

Story here.

Iraq: Suicide Assaulters Kill 12 In Swarm Attack At Iraqi Base, US Troops Engage In Combat

Filed under: Afghanistan,Al Qaeda,Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:18 AM

     I wanted to put this up as another indicator of the latest evolution of suicide attacks in this war. As you can see, these jihadists are operating exactly like they have been operating in Afghanistan and Somalia.  It’s as if operationally they are all being told to conduct this same type of attack where ever they can. They get close to the target wearing police or military uniforms, they start the attack with an explosive breach, they swarm in with multiple suicide assaulters and fight their way into pockets of human concentration and then detonate their suicide vests. With this scenario, keeping them from breaching is a priority of the defense.

    The good news is that we are seeing the prepared defenses in this war slaughter these fools and stop them cold. It is pure comedy to hear about these dorks trying to penetrate the defenses of large bases.  When they have to detonate in the open desert because their attack fails, and all they do is destroy a tumbleweed in their quest for martyrdom, I can’t help but to laugh. That is the reward for a good defense, and I salute those of you out there that have worked hard to achieve that.

    The other thing that comes to mind is the importance of accurate fire. These assaulters could have rifle plates or similar under their suicide vests. The idea is so they can survive a gun shot and continue to fight their way into the heart of the compound or building. The ability to accurately shoot these guys in the head to shut them down, should be a consideration when discussing training for such an attack. Accuracy should already be a priority as a security specialist, and this kind of accuracy will certainly save lives. Of course any kind of heavy volume of fire upon the attackers is a good thing, and everyone will be trying to bring these animals down.

    Finally, the idea that combat in Iraq is over is kind of stupid.  In reality, this is far from the truth and I believe the insurgency will continue to test Iraqi forces and their US partners. We will also continue to see indirect fire land in the big bases that troops and contractors are stationed at. More than likely this indirect fire will increase at the various bases and we might even see some swarm attacks like we have been seeing in Afghanistan at a few of the large bases. I should note that Iraq has been on it’s highest terror alert this last week or so, and everyone is expecting the insurgency to conduct more of these types of attacks. –Matt

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Twelve killed in suicide assault on Iraq army base

Sep 5 2010

By Muhanad Mohammed

Up to six suicide bombers, some armed with rifles, tried to storm an army base in Baghdad on Sunday, killing 12 people and wounding 36 less than a week after Washington declared U.S. combat operations in Iraq over.

The assault began when a minibus packed with explosives was driven at the back gate of the base, followed by one or two suicide bombers on foot who blew themselves up when they came under fire.

A final pair of gunmen fought an hour-long battle with troops inside a nearby building, security officials said.

The U.S. military said its troops opened fire and provided air support for Iraqi forces during the gunbattle. U.S. forces are no longer officially on a combat mission in Iraq, but nearly 50,000 remain to train and assist the Iraqi military.

Sunday’s assault took place in broad daylight, just over two weeks after dozens of Iraqi army recruits and soldiers were killed by another suicide bomber at the same compound and a few days after the August 31 end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq.

Insurgents are targeting Iraqi police and troops as the U.S. military gradually pulls out more than seven years after invading, while the failure of Iraq’s leaders six months after an election to agree a new government has also stoked tensions.

(more…)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

PMC 2.0: Paying Your Local Guard Force With ‘Mobile Cash’

Filed under: Afghanistan,Africa,Finance,Industry Talk,Iraq,PMC 2.0,Strategy,Technology — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:47 AM

     This is an excellent article that discusses a very unique solution to a problem that we are dealing with in the war zones and other places throughout the world.  When companies subcontract with local guard companies for security, you often hear about how the managers screw over their guard force by skimming off the top of their pay.  They do all sorts crappy things to their people, and it can do a lot of damage to the morale of the guard force.

     The idea of mobile cash is about how the customer that pays for this guard service, can ensure that their contracted guard force is getting paid on time and in full via cell phone/text messaging.(read the article below for details) This is especially pertinent in war zones where telecom might be up and running, but not much else. Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq all have thriving telecom markets, and everyone has cell phones, and this is one more way to tap into this technology for the good of the company and mission.

     In order to maintain the edge in this market of force, and not lose folks to the enemy or a competitor, you need to make sure every last penny you are spending on these guard contracts is accounted for.  It also makes it very hard for your subcontracted field managers to take from the guards, which will also help in your market of force optimization. Anything you can do to minimize the potential for corruptive activities is a good thing.

     Now on to some ideas with this ‘mobile cash’ concept that the authors could have expanded on.  I have talked before about COIN and SMS, and this kind of cell phone payment system will make it easier to crowd source and spread messages. Some of the ideas I was thinking of is to offer bounties through the same system for any individuals that can locate wanted enemies or provide information. You could also provide bonuses to guards that participate in surveys.  How about an english learning program, which would make it a game for guards to learn english?  There are a ton of things you could ask the guards to do in order to get ‘feedback gold’ before they could collect their paycheck. I guess the point is, is just offering payment through this convenient service will be reward enough for anything you need them to do.

     The other thing that you could do with this concept for government related services, is to constantly ask police, military, and government folks to identify issues that need to be addressed within their organizations–before they collect their paycheck via phone. You don’t want to piss them off by making them go through too many hoops, but you could definitely tap into all of these ‘human sensors’ throughout the organizations, and get a feel for what is going on and collect data.

     I really like the commerce angle on this.  If this mobile cash concept makes transactions more transparent with better record keeping, then that will make banks more accountable. Especially when you have dorks like Karzai’s family in charge of the Kabul Bank, and because they keep playing games and writing checks to all their friends, that now you have a bank in trouble. (and I will pull my hair out if the US bails out this bank…pfffft) Hell, if there was a way to bypass corrupt local banks and maybe use international banks or even try a telecom bank type system?  Who knows, but either way the cell phone transaction will only add more record keeping to the whole thing.

     Now for the future.  I believe in several years, the smart phone market will catch up in these war zones.  People might joke, but locals in the cities will purchase these things because they are status symbols. The car, motorcycle, satellite dish, cellphone, and the soon to become a hit ‘smart phone’ are all status symbols that locals in these countries want to have. These devices will also be within their reach just because there will be such a large supply of them throughout the world.  The telecom industries in these countries will also do their best to keep up with this latest trend.  That is just my thoughts on the future of this stuff.

     Now imagine a local Afghan businessman with basically a computer in his pocket?  The apps, the online payment systems of international banks, the social networking, all of it, will be available to these folks in developing countries. It will be wise for us to take advantage of this new reality, and develop strategic communications plan that utilizes these devices as a means to reach out. Good article and a big hat tip to the guys at Small Wars Journal for putting it out there. –Matt

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One Cell Phone at a Time: Countering Corruption in Afghanistan

by Dan Rice and Guy Filippelli

September 2, 2010

Download the full article: One Cell Phone at a Time

American commanders are preparing for a major offensive in Afghanistan to attack one of the most formidable enemies we face in country: corruption. Despite sincere efforts to promote governance and accountability initiatives, Afghanistan has slipped from 112th to158th place on Transparency International’s global corruption index. One reason the international community has been unable to effectively tackle corruption in Afghanistan is that our own reconstruction efforts perpetuate the problem. As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently acknowledged, “Corruption, frankly… is not all an Afghan problem.” Money appropriated to secure and stabilize the country is too easily siphoned and redirected as it changes hands, inevitably making its way to local powerbrokers, insurgent networks, and offshore bank accounts, rather than the individuals who need it most. One solution to this problem lies in the palm of our hands: the mighty cell phone.

(more…)

Friday, September 3, 2010

Maritime Security: In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates

Filed under: Maritime Security,Somalia — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 1:06 AM

While local government officials in Hobyo have deputized pirate gangs to ring off coastal villages and block out the Shabab, down the beach in Xarardheere, another pirate lair, elders said that other pirates recently agreed to split their ransoms with the Shabab and Hizbul Islam, another Islamist insurgent group.

The militant Islamists had originally vowed to shut down piracy in Xarardheere, claiming it was unholy, but apparently the money was too good. This seems to be beginning of the West’s worst Somali nightmare, with two of the country’s biggest growth industries — piracy and Islamist radicalism — joining hands. 

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Mr. Garfanji is believed to have hijacked a half-dozen ships and used millions of dollars in ransom money to build a small infantry division of several hundred men, 80 heavy machine guns and a fleet (a half dozen) of large trucks with antiaircraft guns — not exactly typical pirate gear of skiffs and grappling hooks.

While some of his troops wear jeans with “Play Boy” stitched on the seat, others sport crisp new camouflage uniforms, seemingly more organized than just about any other militia in Somalia. 

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     Interesting articles. There were all sorts of tidbits that caught my attention.  From the deputizing of pirates for coastal protection against jihadist pirates (letter of marque anyone?), to pirates raising small armies with the money they get from hijacking ships to protect their operations on land. The jihadist privateering concept is starting to catch on as well and no telling what Al Shabab and company will do with this capability. Piracy is an industry that is getting wealthier, bigger, more organized, more lethal and everyone wants a piece in Somalia.

     The other little detail I wanted to mention is that both authors of these articles below have taken two different approaches to the piracy issue. Mr. Gettlemen focused on the security threat and true intentions of the pirates, and the dork from AFP focused on what the pirates wanted him to write about. Which was ‘countries are stealing our fish, and it is our duty as pirates to hijack ships’ (hundreds of miles away from your shores? really?). sniff sniff….I weep for the pirate…lol Read the two stories and you will see exactly what I am talking about. –Matt

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates

In the heart of a Somali pirates’ lair

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In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

September 1, 2010

HOBYO, Somalia — Ismail Haji Noor, a local government official, recently arrived in this notorious pirate den with a simple message: we need your help.

With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.”

He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat.

“Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

For years, Somalia’s heavily armed pirate gangs seemed content to rob and hijack on the high seas and not get sucked into the messy civil war on land. Now, that may be changing, and the pirates are taking sides — both sides.

While local government officials in Hobyo have deputized pirate gangs to ring off coastal villages and block out the Shabab, down the beach in Xarardheere, another pirate lair, elders said that other pirates recently agreed to split their ransoms with the Shabab and Hizbul Islam, another Islamist insurgent group.

(more…)

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