DIA director meets with key villagers, discusses security

HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

10.07.2011

Story by Sgt. Dayan Neely 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Key village leaders attended a shura, which included Afghan and coalition force leaders and the Defense Intelligence Agency director, who was visiting Mirmandab village, Nahr-e Saraj district, Oct. 7.

During his visit, Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, DIA director, discussed the growth of village security with influential village elders, Haji Malik Allahdad, Haji Satar, and the Mirmandab village Afghan local police commander, Haji Halim.

The village elders were thankful for the director’s attendance and spoke highly of the combined forces’ efforts to improve security in the Mirmandab area. The elders explained the village had been attacked with bombs and effective gunfire on a daily basis. They agreed the combined forces brought peace and stability to the Mirmandab villagers.

“The ALP connects with the populace, while the insurgents [have] killed innocent men, women, and children,” Allahdad said. “The local [villagers] turned on the insurgents due to their lack of concern for the people.”

The elders claimed the increased security allows for Afghans to live in peace without the threat of insurgent intimidation.

The visit was an important opportunity to provide the DIA leadership with a ground-truth understanding of how the security situation has developed in Helmand province.

“The visit went well,” said a coalition Special Operations Forces member. “The director gained an important perspective on the capabilities and limitations of [our operations].”

Burgess told the village elders he would use Mirmandab as an example to brief key leaders in Washington D.C. on the situation in Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 10.07.2011
• Date Posted: 10.13.2011 12:34
• Story ID: 78445
• Location: HELMAND PROVINCE, AF