Postcards from Kabul
Dstl Front Line’ certainly lives up to its name – the department
and its predecessors have had a vital role in UK front line operations
for decades.
Lately, it has been involved in Kabul and here’s a snapshot of
what the department’s work there has entailed - for reasons of
operational security, the individuals involved are known simply as ‘Analyst
A’ and ‘Analyst B’ throughout this article:
On 11 September an operational analyst from Dstl’s Front Line
department was on a routine course when news came of the terrorist attacks
on New York and Washington DC.
And, while the world watched events unfold on their television sets,
he was rounding up his sleeping bag and army fatigues.
Such is the life of a Front Line analyst – wherever there is
a conflict likely to involve UK forces, one or more of the team is likely
to be sent ‘in-theatre’ to gather information, analyse data
and advise those in command, both on the ground and back home.
The formula worked to great effect in Bosnia, with the IFOR operation
and in the Gulf War, with Desert Storm. Military commanders have been
able to take Dstl analysts’ information concerning the successes
or failings of an ongoing operation and adjust strategy accordingly.
In Kabul it was business as usual, with Dstl involved in operations
with the commanders of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
“Once they realise we are a help and not a hindrance to operations
we usually find that we are welcomed with open arms,” says Analyst
B. “Because Front Line is at the sharp end of the analytical chain,
we all have basic field training, including weapons’ awareness,
crash survival and NBC preparation.”
With a foot in the door it was all go for Dstl’s two field analysts
on the ground in Afghanistan. The core team based at Front Line’s
Farnborough HQ received regular ‘sitrep’ (situation report)
notices from the pair, which included updates of the information they
have been gathering, personal notes and feedback from the armed forces.
“Our role in a situation such as Afghanistan stems from the total
operational requirement,” says Analyst B. “In the case of
ISAF, this requirement was to make Kabul secure and assist the interim
government. The field analysts conducted an ongoing ‘measurement
of success’ study for the commander of ISAF to help monitor the
situation.”
The analysts say this was not so much rocket science, but the careful
collection, collation and analysis of information available to those
prepared to look in the right place. This work was assisted by specialist
software bought in or developed by Dstl.
“We got our information from a variety of sources,” adds
Analyst B. “It can come from ISAF forces – which include
other nations as well as the UK – policing forces and the interim
Afghan government.”
This information and recommendations were fed to ISAF command.
Let me make a call sir…
“There was a situation where Front Line capabilities proved to
be invaluable,” explains Analyst A. “The General Officer
Commanding, Major General McColl (in charge of ISAF operations) requested
details regarding crime rates. He wanted a detailed comparison between
Kabul and equivalent cities around the world.”
This required more than just the expertise provided by the field analysts.
A call was immediately made to Analyst A, who co-ordinated an effort
within Dstl to find out more from the UK Home Office, other government
departments and even online sources.
“I was basically providing access to the whole of Dstl and the
many experts therein,” says Analyst A. “There is a wealth
of knowledge at our fingertips and as ‘reach-back’ I have
to know where to look and who to ask. We were able to find the information
required to meet the tight deadline of 6pm the next day and Major General
McColl was said to be very impressed with the speed of delivery and
quality of the data.”
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