Charts of Coalition Combat KIAs per Afghan Province 2006-2009

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Defense Strategy Review

from flit, 29 September 2009.
http://www.snappingturtle.net/flit/archives/2009_09_29.html

The following charts show combat KIAs per province, starting in 2006. It indicates where the truly heavy fighting is, and where insurgents are making inroads.

KIA per province 2006

Fighting has just started in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in earnest. Fatalities are observed throughout the west and eastern regions, while the north is immune. Konar, Nuristan, Uruzgan and Kabul provinces (the little comma-shaped one) are the next highest.

KIA per province 2007

The first coalition KIAs in the north, around Mazar and Kunduz. Helmand gets worse, while Kandahar and Uruzgan stay about the same. The fighting in the east worsens as well in Nangarhar, Paktia and Paktika provinces.

KIA per province 2008

Again, Helmand worsens. Kandahar and Uruzgan and Zabul stay about the same. Coalition casualties increase in all regions over the year before, but particularly in Konar and Kabul provinces. Ghazni and Wardak provinces also see increases in fatalities as attacks on and around Highway 1 between Kandahar and Kabul trend up.

KIA per province 2009 (first nine months)

Partial results for the first three-quarters of this year show where the fighting continues to intensify. (Keep in mind that some of these provinces will get pinker still.) Notably Wardak and Kabul provinces have become significantly more dangerous to Coalition forces this year, as well as Kunduz in the north. Kandahar has also had more combat KIAs this year than last (49 vs 46) so by the end of the year it will likely end up redder than before, as well. But Helmand, which has seen 129 fatalities this year, up from 76 the year before, is still well ahead of all the rest. Helmand’s growth in KIAs (as well as Kandahar’s and Zabul)’s are obviously somewhat due to increased Western resources being applied there (more targets) in successive years, but as the majority of these fatalities were due to IEDs, and thus insurgent-initiated, the difference in fatality figures between provinces is very much going to be a reflection of where insurgent strategic-level efforts are on the increase as well, rather than purely changes to coalition op tempo.

Sharp: QDR Mulling U.S. Military Presence in South Korea

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Defense Strategy Review

Fawzia Sheikh. Inside Defense, 29 September 2009.

Excerpt:

…the South Korean air force will maintain a combined headquarters with American forces; this headquarters will be led by U.S. 7th Air Force and report to the head of the ROK military, Sharp added. In this case, the United States is taking the lead because it offers strong air power, which must be fused with the necessary intelligence collection of North Korean activities, he said, adding that in the event of war on the peninsula the air component would “take out the long-range artillery” of the northern adversary and support ground troops as they move north “for the complete destruction of the North Korean military.”