Nawa-I-Barakzayi District
Encyclopedia
Nāwa-I-Barakzāyi District ( /) is an administrative district in Helmand Province
, Afghanistan
located south of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah along the Helmand River
. It is bordered by the districts of Lashkar Gah
, Nad Ali
, Garmsir
, and Rig
, as well as the provinces of Nimruz and Kandahar
. It falls within the area known as Pashtunistan
, (land of the Pashtuns), an area comprising most of southeast Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The dominant language is Pashto and many of the 89,000 residents practice the traditional code of Pashtunwali
. Nawa-I-Barakzayi's name reflects the dominant Pashtun tribe in the district, the Barakzai
. Prior to the 1970s, it was called Shamalan after a small village at the south end of the district
It is one of the top opium
-producing districts in Afghanistan with 6% of Afghanistan's total crop being grown there. This has made the Nawa-i-Barakzayi district a central hub in the opium and heroin trade. Nawa-i-Barakzayi has also been the scene of heavy fighting during the Helmand province campaign
. It was a Taliban stronghold until the summer of 2009, when United States Marines were deployed there as part of Operation Strike of the Sword
. Thereafter, it became a United States Marine Corps stronghold. It has become a success story: Afghan President Hamid Karzai
and International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) commander General Stanley McChrystal visited the district in January 2010 to highlight the success ISAF has had there combating the Taliban.
militia from Nawa-i-Barakzayi. The Russians also had a major operations base near Lashkar Gah with at least 2500 soldiers, including the 22nd Spetznaz Brigade. The main Russian strategy in central Helmand was to cut a deal with the main mujahideen commander, Mullah Mohammad Nasim Akhundzada which divided the province into the Soviet areas (Lashkar Gah and Gereshk
) and the mujahideen areas (everywhere else). After repeatedly taking indirect fire
from mujahideen units operating in the Nawa area, the Soviets launched a clearing operation there in 1987 and setup a Sarandoy (Armed Police) Battalion. According to the local residents, over 20% of their homes were destroyed during the Soviet occupation.
The Soviet Occupation also saw the rise of poppy growing in Nawa District. During the Eighties the Akhundzadas gradually consolidated power over most of Helmand, eliminating other Mujahideen factions. Two prominent pro-government commanders in the Nawa area during this time were Khano and Allah Noor. Allah Noor was actually a native of Nawa-i-Barakzayi (Khano was from Farah Province
); both individuals recruited their militias from unemployed youths in the province. After the Soviet withdrawal, they administered the area for the Afghan government until they were overrun by the Akhundzadas in 1993. The Akhundzada victory was short-lived, however, as the Taliban conquered Nawa-i-Barakzayi along with rest of Helmand in late 1994 and early 1995.
. In October 2008 the British launched a series of unsuccessful sweeps aimed at driving the Taliban out of Nawa. That same year there was one Afghan NGO working on an irrigation intake off the Helmand River with some 700 men and vehicles at work.
In 2009 the Taliban began moving even more men into Nawa, possibly for additional attacks against Lashkar Gah. On May 13, they launched an attack against the Afghan National Police
in the district, that overwhelmed several posts. By late spring they had established a solid foothold in the district. On July 2, 2009, Marines from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines occupied the district as part of Operation Strike of the Sword
. They set up their headquarters in Forward Operation Base (FOB) Geronimo
. In December they were replaced by 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. In the late summer and early fall the Marines detained Haji Adam, one of Nawa's main drug lords, and turned his house into Combat Outpost (COP) Sullivan. In November two local officials were assassinated. On December 17, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
, visited Patrol Base Jaker
and touted the security gains by touring the Nawa district center without wearing body armor. Several weeks later Afghan President Hamid Karzai
and ISAF
commander General Stanley McChrystal also visited Nawa on January 2, 2010. On January 9 British journalist Rupert Hamer
and two Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device
(IED) in the district.
In mid-May 2010 1st Battalion 3rd Battalion was relieved by 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Partnering with Afghan National Army
soldiers from the 215th Corps, the battalion found itself in an area awash with money as the U.S. Agency for International Development was in the process of spending $30 million in an attempt to increase agricultural production (and create jobs for thousands of otherwise-potential Taliban recruits), but was also resulting in tensions between the local community council and tribal elders. In-mid June, Lima Company took part in Operation New Dawn, establishing observation posts in southern Shorshork, an area in between Nawa and Marjeh. In late July, the battalion suffered the loss of Corporal Joe Wrighstman, who drowned in the Helmand River
while attempting to save the life of an Afghan National policeman
. Just days later they had to secure the crash site of Dealer 54, an HMLA-369
helicopter which had crashed near Lashkar Gah, killing the two pilots. Around this time, India Company conducted Operation Thresher and later Operation Mako in areas of Nawa District under heavy Taliban influence, finding several cache sites and taking some detainees. In September, while providing pre-election security for the Afghan parliamentary elections
the battalion suffered another loss when 1st Lieutenant Scott Fleming was shot and killed. Nevertheless, on election day Nawa District was the one location in Helmand Province with no reported Taliban attacks. Residents claimed that the Marines from 3rd Battalion had implemented good security measures and encouraged the people to cooperate with the government, preventing the Taliban from firing a single shot. By the end of 3rd Battalion's deployment in the fall of 2010, Nawa was regarded by many as "a model of counterinsurgency operations and the most stable district" in southern Afghanistan.
promised would be a 21,000 strong surge. The Marines planned a series of operations to assault Taliban strongholds and then consolidate the Afghan government's position in the region. The first was Operation Strike of the Sword
, which would target Taliban positions in Nawa-i-Barakzayi and Garmsir. According to Marine Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, the operation was aimed to improve security ahead of presidential elections, allowing voter registration where before there was none. The BBC said that while that was the official goal of the operation, the real goal was the change the momentum of the war, which had previously favored the Taliban, and create the perception that security in Afghanistan was improving.
On July 2, hundreds of Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were lifted by helicopter into the district, encountering sporadic resistance. The conflict began around 1:00 am local time when Marines were dropped by CH-47s and UH-60s helicopters of the 82nd Airborne Division, into dirt fields around the district capital of Nawa-I-Barakzayi. The first shots of the operation were fired at daybreak (around 6:15 am) when a Marine unit received small-arms fire from a tree-line. Cobra attack helicopters
were called in and made strafing runs at the tree line from where the fire was coming from. Marines also encountered a group of about 20 militants holed up in a mud-brick compound. The Marines refrained from calling in a fixed-wing
airstrike and instead used the 20mm guns
from their AH-1W SuperCobra
helicopter gunships to avoid the risk of civilian casualties. The militants managed to escape. Taliban forces withdrew to Marjah while observing the Marines.
in the north, first issued a fatwa
legalizing poppy cultivation in Helmand Province in 1981. After their victory over government forces, the Akhundzadas turned Nawa-I-Barakzayi into one of Afghanistan's top opium-producing areas: in 1994 farmers in the district cultivated an estimated 6,074 hectares of poppy, or 8.5% of Afghanistan's total. Under Taliban rule, Nawa-I-Barakzayi's opium production plummeted to as low as 505 hectares in 1996, although it would steadily increase throughout the late Nineties. With the resurgence of the Taliban in 2005/2006, opium cultivation would explode in the district, hitting 10,168 hectares of poppy (or 6% of Afghanistan's total). Only Nad-i-Ali and Nahri Sarraj districts had higher levels. This has made the Nawa-i-Barakzayi district a central hub in the opium and heroin trade. One local dealer allegedly moved his poppy to heroin-producing labs as far away as Badakhshan
and Takhar Provinces.
, which flows from the Hindu Kush
to the Sistan Basin
in Iran. The basin has several slightly salty lakes and marshes. Barley, corn, fruits, wheat, and poppy are grown in the Helmand Valley. Temperatures in Nawa-i-Barakzayi average about 46F in January and about 92F in July. The average annual precipitation ranges from 0 to 0.8 inches. Very little snow falls in the region.
The area is a flood plain that had been farmed for centuries with farmers taking water from the river via small locally built intakes. In the 1950s and 1960s the United States sponsored the Helmand Valley Authority
, a desert reclamation project to help turn parts of the Helmand River Valley into fertile farmland. In Nawa, a branch of the Boghra canal, the Shamalan canal, was built by the Helmand Valley Authority
replacing the old system, increasing the water supply, improving water distribution and bringing new lands under irrigation. Additional irrigation in the 1970s brought more water into the southern reaches of Nawa, more land under cultivation, and allowed new land settlement.
. There is also a large minority of tribesmen from the Noorzai Tribe. Prior to the 1970s, it was called Shamalan after a small village at the south end of the district. As a result of land settlement, by 1975 there were 16 other tribes and ethnic groups in the area. The villages are located along the rivers, where irrigation is possible. Drought has affected this district since the late 20th century, reducing the number of livestock that can be sustained. A 2003 UN census recorded a population of 66,263 but a 2008 Afghan government survey counted 89,814 people. Most of the inhabitants are Pashtun
. The district center is also called Nawa-I-Barakzayi
.
in the area is led by Captain Saki Dad. The International Security Assistance Force
main representative is Lieutenant Colonel Matt Baker of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines
. Ian Purves is a British stabalization advisor from the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team
. Scott Dempsey is the representative from USAID. Abdul Manaf was appointed District Governor in the summer of 2009.
ed roads. As of February 2010 its bazaar
had more than 100 shops, as opposed to 6 before Operation Strike of the Sword
. After the Taliban fled in 2009 the district marketplace reopened, irrigation canal clearing projects started, and a local community council was established. By 2010 millions of dollars were being pumped into public works projects, including a town hall and police station. There were also numerous agricultural projects spearheaded by various NGOs, including USAID. In 2009 they delivered wheat
grain seeds to 6,000 farmers. As of 2010 250 workers had been hired to construct plastic crop tunnels
that function like a greenhouse and 4,000 farmers had signed up to receive the tunnels along with seed to plant alternative crops.
The main problems were still a lack of Afghan security forces
, teacher
s, agricultural advisers and doctor
s. The main road through the district is Route 605
. There are currently plans to build a road linking Nawa and nearby Garmsir District
with the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
joined the Marines during their 2009 deployment in the Nawa District.
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
located south of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah along the Helmand River
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
. It is bordered by the districts of Lashkar Gah
Lashkargah District
Lashkar Gah is a district in the east of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, surrounding the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. Its population is 45% Pashtun and 20% Baluch, with ca. 30% Tajiks, 5% are Hindus and Hazara; the population was estimated at 85,800 in 2005...
, Nad Ali
Nad Ali District
-References:* , dated 2002-12-31, accessed 2006-08-03 .-External links:*...
, Garmsir
Garmsir District
Garmsir District is located in the southern part of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The district is large, but all the villages are along the Helmand River. The rest is a desert. The district capital - Garmsir is located in the northwestern part of the district on the east bank of Helmand River. The...
, and Rig
Rig District
Rig District is a district in Ganaveh County, Bushehr Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 12,827, in 2,761 families. The District has one city: Bandar Rig....
, as well as the provinces of Nimruz and Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. It falls within the area known as Pashtunistan
Pashtunistan
Pakhtunistan or Pashtunistan, meaning the "land of Pakhtuns" or "land of Pashtuns", is a modern term used for the historical region inhabited by the native Afghans or Pashtun since at least the 1st millennium BC...
, (land of the Pashtuns), an area comprising most of southeast Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The dominant language is Pashto and many of the 89,000 residents practice the traditional code of Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow. Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as "Pathanwali". Its meaning may also be interpreted as "the way of the Pashtuns" or "the code of...
. Nawa-I-Barakzayi's name reflects the dominant Pashtun tribe in the district, the Barakzai
Barakzai
- History :Barakzai is a common ethnic name among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan/Pakistan and it means . Barakzai is also a Pashtun tribe in Pakistan, and more predominantly, in Afghanistan...
. Prior to the 1970s, it was called Shamalan after a small village at the south end of the district
It is one of the top opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
-producing districts in Afghanistan with 6% of Afghanistan's total crop being grown there. This has made the Nawa-i-Barakzayi district a central hub in the opium and heroin trade. Nawa-i-Barakzayi has also been the scene of heavy fighting during the Helmand province campaign
Helmand province campaign
The Helmand province campaign is a series of military operations conducted by ISAF forces against Taliban insurgents in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan...
. It was a Taliban stronghold until the summer of 2009, when United States Marines were deployed there as part of Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the...
. Thereafter, it became a United States Marine Corps stronghold. It has become a success story: Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
and International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF) commander General Stanley McChrystal visited the district in January 2010 to highlight the success ISAF has had there combating the Taliban.
Afghan Civil War
In 1978 the Afghan Communist Party seized control of the government and began a program of rapid modernization. Among the many institutions they targeted were the local landlords, known as the khans. In Helmand Province groups of local warlords and armed resistance fighters quickly rose in opposition to the government and filled the power vacuum left by the khans. Most resistance in Helmand was carried out on tribal lines; without a significant tribal base, Nawa-i-Barakzayi became a major government stronghold. During the Soviet occupation, the Afghan Communists recruited many of their KhalqKhalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
militia from Nawa-i-Barakzayi. The Russians also had a major operations base near Lashkar Gah with at least 2500 soldiers, including the 22nd Spetznaz Brigade. The main Russian strategy in central Helmand was to cut a deal with the main mujahideen commander, Mullah Mohammad Nasim Akhundzada which divided the province into the Soviet areas (Lashkar Gah and Gereshk
Gereshk
Gereshk is a town in Gerishk District in Helmand province on the Helmand River in central Afghanistan, some northwest of Kandahar at 817 m altitude. Gereshk is the centre of a rich agricultural region with the Kajakai dam upriver diverting water to the Boghra Irrigation Canal. Gereshk was...
) and the mujahideen areas (everywhere else). After repeatedly taking indirect fire
Indirect fire
Indirect fire means aiming and firing a projectile in a high trajectory without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire...
from mujahideen units operating in the Nawa area, the Soviets launched a clearing operation there in 1987 and setup a Sarandoy (Armed Police) Battalion. According to the local residents, over 20% of their homes were destroyed during the Soviet occupation.
The Soviet Occupation also saw the rise of poppy growing in Nawa District. During the Eighties the Akhundzadas gradually consolidated power over most of Helmand, eliminating other Mujahideen factions. Two prominent pro-government commanders in the Nawa area during this time were Khano and Allah Noor. Allah Noor was actually a native of Nawa-i-Barakzayi (Khano was from Farah Province
Farah Province
Farah is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border...
); both individuals recruited their militias from unemployed youths in the province. After the Soviet withdrawal, they administered the area for the Afghan government until they were overrun by the Akhundzadas in 1993. The Akhundzada victory was short-lived, however, as the Taliban conquered Nawa-i-Barakzayi along with rest of Helmand in late 1994 and early 1995.
Operation Enduring Freedom
In July 2006 the Taliban chased out the police and seized control of the town of Nawa-I-Barakzayi. They held it for two weeks before being driven out by NATO and Afghan soldiers. In 2007, Nawa was described as "relatively peaceful". In 2008 the Taliban launched their spring offensive, Operation Ebrat, aimed at isolating Lashkar Gah, using Nawa-i-Barakzayi as a staging area for men and equipment coming north from GarmsirGarmsir
The village of Garmsir is the center of Garmsir District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is situated on the East bank of Helmand River on at 714 m altitude and 63 km South-West of Lashkar Gah. The major road at Garmsir is Route 605...
. In October 2008 the British launched a series of unsuccessful sweeps aimed at driving the Taliban out of Nawa. That same year there was one Afghan NGO working on an irrigation intake off the Helmand River with some 700 men and vehicles at work.
In 2009 the Taliban began moving even more men into Nawa, possibly for additional attacks against Lashkar Gah. On May 13, they launched an attack against the Afghan National Police
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
in the district, that overwhelmed several posts. By late spring they had established a solid foothold in the district. On July 2, 2009, Marines from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines occupied the district as part of Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the...
. They set up their headquarters in Forward Operation Base (FOB) Geronimo
FOB Geronimo
FOB Geronimo in Afghanistan is a military expeditionary base built by the United States Marine Corps. It is in along the Helmand River Valley in Nawa-I-Barakzayi District. It was originally built by 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in 2009.-See also:...
. In December they were replaced by 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. In the late summer and early fall the Marines detained Haji Adam, one of Nawa's main drug lords, and turned his house into Combat Outpost (COP) Sullivan. In November two local officials were assassinated. On December 17, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
, visited Patrol Base Jaker
PB Jaker
Patrol Base Jaker in Afghanistan is a military expeditionary base used by the United States Marine Corps. It is in along the Helmand River Valley in Nawa-I-Barakzayi. It was originally built by the British Army of Task Force Helmand in 2008. In June 2009, it was transferred to the Marines of 2nd...
and touted the security gains by touring the Nawa district center without wearing body armor. Several weeks later Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
and ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
commander General Stanley McChrystal also visited Nawa on January 2, 2010. On January 9 British journalist Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer (journalist)
Rupert James Hamer was a British journalist and, at the time of his death, was the defence correspondent for the Sunday Mirror.-Career:...
and two Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
(IED) in the district.
In mid-May 2010 1st Battalion 3rd Battalion was relieved by 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Partnering with Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
soldiers from the 215th Corps, the battalion found itself in an area awash with money as the U.S. Agency for International Development was in the process of spending $30 million in an attempt to increase agricultural production (and create jobs for thousands of otherwise-potential Taliban recruits), but was also resulting in tensions between the local community council and tribal elders. In-mid June, Lima Company took part in Operation New Dawn, establishing observation posts in southern Shorshork, an area in between Nawa and Marjeh. In late July, the battalion suffered the loss of Corporal Joe Wrighstman, who drowned in the Helmand River
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
while attempting to save the life of an Afghan National policeman
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
. Just days later they had to secure the crash site of Dealer 54, an HMLA-369
HMLA-369
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Huey utility helicopters...
helicopter which had crashed near Lashkar Gah, killing the two pilots. Around this time, India Company conducted Operation Thresher and later Operation Mako in areas of Nawa District under heavy Taliban influence, finding several cache sites and taking some detainees. In September, while providing pre-election security for the Afghan parliamentary elections
Afghan parliamentary election, 2010
The Afghan parliamentary election, 2010 to elect members of the Wolesi Jirga took place on 18 September 2010. The Afghan Independent Election Commission - established in accordance with the article 156 of the Constitution of Afghanistan for the purpose of organizing and supervising all elections in...
the battalion suffered another loss when 1st Lieutenant Scott Fleming was shot and killed. Nevertheless, on election day Nawa District was the one location in Helmand Province with no reported Taliban attacks. Residents claimed that the Marines from 3rd Battalion had implemented good security measures and encouraged the people to cooperate with the government, preventing the Taliban from firing a single shot. By the end of 3rd Battalion's deployment in the fall of 2010, Nawa was regarded by many as "a model of counterinsurgency operations and the most stable district" in southern Afghanistan.
Operation Strike of the Sword
By the spring of 2009 Helmand was perceived as being one of the key centers of the Taliban movement. By early June 2009 over 10,000 Marines had poured into southern Afghanistan, the first wave of what President ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
promised would be a 21,000 strong surge. The Marines planned a series of operations to assault Taliban strongholds and then consolidate the Afghan government's position in the region. The first was Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the...
, which would target Taliban positions in Nawa-i-Barakzayi and Garmsir. According to Marine Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, the operation was aimed to improve security ahead of presidential elections, allowing voter registration where before there was none. The BBC said that while that was the official goal of the operation, the real goal was the change the momentum of the war, which had previously favored the Taliban, and create the perception that security in Afghanistan was improving.
On July 2, hundreds of Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were lifted by helicopter into the district, encountering sporadic resistance. The conflict began around 1:00 am local time when Marines were dropped by CH-47s and UH-60s helicopters of the 82nd Airborne Division, into dirt fields around the district capital of Nawa-I-Barakzayi. The first shots of the operation were fired at daybreak (around 6:15 am) when a Marine unit received small-arms fire from a tree-line. Cobra attack helicopters
AH-1 Cobra
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois...
were called in and made strafing runs at the tree line from where the fire was coming from. Marines also encountered a group of about 20 militants holed up in a mud-brick compound. The Marines refrained from calling in a fixed-wing
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
airstrike and instead used the 20mm guns
M197 Gatling gun
The M197 electric cannon is a three-barreled electric Gatling gun developed primarily for use by United States Army helicopter gunships.Development of the M197 began in 1967 after experience in the Vietnam War revealed the inadequacy of the 7.62 mm Minigun for gunship use...
from their AH-1W SuperCobra
AH-1 SuperCobra
The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the US Army's AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra...
helicopter gunships to avoid the risk of civilian casualties. The militants managed to escape. Taliban forces withdrew to Marjah while observing the Marines.
Economics
Mujahideen commander Mullah Mohammad Nasim Akhundzada, based out of Musa QalaMusa Qala
Musa Qala is a town and the district center of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, at and at 1043 m altitude in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its population has been reported in the British press to be both 2,000 and 20,000...
in the north, first issued a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
legalizing poppy cultivation in Helmand Province in 1981. After their victory over government forces, the Akhundzadas turned Nawa-I-Barakzayi into one of Afghanistan's top opium-producing areas: in 1994 farmers in the district cultivated an estimated 6,074 hectares of poppy, or 8.5% of Afghanistan's total. Under Taliban rule, Nawa-I-Barakzayi's opium production plummeted to as low as 505 hectares in 1996, although it would steadily increase throughout the late Nineties. With the resurgence of the Taliban in 2005/2006, opium cultivation would explode in the district, hitting 10,168 hectares of poppy (or 6% of Afghanistan's total). Only Nad-i-Ali and Nahri Sarraj districts had higher levels. This has made the Nawa-i-Barakzayi district a central hub in the opium and heroin trade. One local dealer allegedly moved his poppy to heroin-producing labs as far away as Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
and Takhar Provinces.
Climate and Geography
Nawa-i-Barakzayi is located in the southwestern part of Afghanistan, which consists mainly of desert or semidesert land. The region is crossed by the Helmand RiverHelmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
, which flows from the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
to the Sistan Basin
Sistan Basin
The Sistan Basin is an inland endorheic basin encompassing large parts of southwestern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran, one of the driest regions in the world and an area subjected to prolonged droughts...
in Iran. The basin has several slightly salty lakes and marshes. Barley, corn, fruits, wheat, and poppy are grown in the Helmand Valley. Temperatures in Nawa-i-Barakzayi average about 46F in January and about 92F in July. The average annual precipitation ranges from 0 to 0.8 inches. Very little snow falls in the region.
The area is a flood plain that had been farmed for centuries with farmers taking water from the river via small locally built intakes. In the 1950s and 1960s the United States sponsored the Helmand Valley Authority
Helmand Valley Authority
The Helmand Valley Authority was an agricultural project financed by the United States of America in Afghanistan from 1949-1963 along the Helmand River and Arghandab River.-References:*...
, a desert reclamation project to help turn parts of the Helmand River Valley into fertile farmland. In Nawa, a branch of the Boghra canal, the Shamalan canal, was built by the Helmand Valley Authority
Helmand Valley Authority
The Helmand Valley Authority was an agricultural project financed by the United States of America in Afghanistan from 1949-1963 along the Helmand River and Arghandab River.-References:*...
replacing the old system, increasing the water supply, improving water distribution and bringing new lands under irrigation. Additional irrigation in the 1970s brought more water into the southern reaches of Nawa, more land under cultivation, and allowed new land settlement.
Demographics
Nawa-I-Barakzayi's name reflects the dominant Pashtun tribe in the district, the BarakzaiBarakzai
- History :Barakzai is a common ethnic name among the Pashtuns of Afghanistan/Pakistan and it means . Barakzai is also a Pashtun tribe in Pakistan, and more predominantly, in Afghanistan...
. There is also a large minority of tribesmen from the Noorzai Tribe. Prior to the 1970s, it was called Shamalan after a small village at the south end of the district. As a result of land settlement, by 1975 there were 16 other tribes and ethnic groups in the area. The villages are located along the rivers, where irrigation is possible. Drought has affected this district since the late 20th century, reducing the number of livestock that can be sustained. A 2003 UN census recorded a population of 66,263 but a 2008 Afghan government survey counted 89,814 people. Most of the inhabitants are Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
. The district center is also called Nawa-I-Barakzayi
Nawa-I-Barakzayi
Nawa-I-Barakzayi is a village and the district center of Nawa-I-Barakzayi District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located at 744 m altitude near the Helmand River....
.
Government
As of February 2010 the Nawa-i-Barakzayi district is governed by Abdul Manaf. He lives in a compound next to a Marine base. The District Administrator is Haji Mohammed Khan. The District Chief of Police is Haji Muhammed Nafex Kahn. The Afghan National ArmyAfghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
in the area is led by Captain Saki Dad. The International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
main representative is Lieutenant Colonel Matt Baker of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines
1st Battalion 3rd Marines
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine...
. Ian Purves is a British stabalization advisor from the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team
Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team
The Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team is helping the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan deliver government and security in the southern province of Helmand.- History :...
. Scott Dempsey is the representative from USAID. Abdul Manaf was appointed District Governor in the summer of 2009.
Infrastructure
A 2008 survey by the Afghan government recorded 49 villages, 18 Community Development Councils, 12 Primary Schools, 7 Secondary Schools, and 4 Health Centers, with 10 km of asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
ed roads. As of February 2010 its bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
had more than 100 shops, as opposed to 6 before Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the...
. After the Taliban fled in 2009 the district marketplace reopened, irrigation canal clearing projects started, and a local community council was established. By 2010 millions of dollars were being pumped into public works projects, including a town hall and police station. There were also numerous agricultural projects spearheaded by various NGOs, including USAID. In 2009 they delivered wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
grain seeds to 6,000 farmers. As of 2010 250 workers had been hired to construct plastic crop tunnels
Row cover
In horticulture, row cover is any material used as a protective covering to shield plants, usually vegetables, primarily from the undesirable effects of cold and wind, and also from insect damage....
that function like a greenhouse and 4,000 farmers had signed up to receive the tunnels along with seed to plant alternative crops.
The main problems were still a lack of Afghan security forces
Military of Afghanistan
The military of Afghanistan is composed of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Army Air Force . Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan has no navy, and the private security forces who are sometimes seen wearing military uniforms are not part of Afghanistan's military...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s, agricultural advisers and doctor
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
s. The main road through the district is Route 605
Route 605 (Afghanistan)
Route 605 is the main road between Garmsir District and Lashkar Gah, the Capital of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This 71 kilometer road goes through Nawa-I-Barakzayi District Center and Marja...
. There are currently plans to build a road linking Nawa and nearby Garmsir District
Garmsir District
Garmsir District is located in the southern part of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The district is large, but all the villages are along the Helmand River. The rest is a desert. The district capital - Garmsir is located in the northwestern part of the district on the east bank of Helmand River. The...
with the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
Filmography
Nawa and the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were featured in the independent documentary film Patrol Base Jaker (2011). The film features Abdul Manaf in his role as the Nawa District Governor and Haji Mohammed Khan as the Nawa District Administrator. Filmmaker David ScantlingDavid Scantling
David Scantling has led start-up technology teams at Uprizer, Econex, Grey Haven and Storage Continuity. As a senior executive at IBM, Hewlett-Packard and the US Department of Defense, he worked on major business transformation, Internet and telecommunications initiatives...
joined the Marines during their 2009 deployment in the Nawa District.
External links
- Nawa district profile
- Nawa District Map
- Music in the Afghan North - Contains several pictures of Nawa-i-Barakzayi's bazaar