Jordanian contributions to Afghanistan

The former commander of a Jordanian task force shares details of his mission to Helmand province

Col. Ibrahim Alharahsheh/Jordanian Special Operations Command

In the Helmand region of Afghanistan, a Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) task force was seen as a moderating influence. Although a steadfast ally of the International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan and the United States in the war on terror, many of Jordan’s other efforts to influence outcomes in the region exist just below the radar. In Afghanistan, for example, Jordan’s main task was counterinsurgency. The troops offered assistance to fellow Muslims, and encouraged rural Afghans not to embrace the Taliban. This was part of an effort to bring a moderate Islamic voice to remote regions of Afghanistan where the Taliban and other extremists, preaching a radical fundamentalist ideology, were often the only voice. The JAF Task Force (TF) 300B in Helmand stood proud as a Muslim nation alongside its coalition force partners, and continued to combat the terrorists and spread good will to the people of the nation of Afghanistan.

Female Engagement Team

JAF TF 300B believed women were a powerful yet ignored influence in the village who had the potential to make a great impact. JAF TF 300B’s mission was to engage the local population, primarily women and children, to build relationships and establish contact to gain their trust and cultural respect. In Jordan, a man can approach and talk to any woman. In Afghanistan, that is not how it works. Only the male head of household or family members can talk to women in that family. That was where we — the JAF TF 300B — came in. Our job was to get the women and children’s side of the story and hear their concerns. Training and repetition were essential. Our Female Engagement Team (FET) had five weeks of training in the Pashto language, cultural awareness and security awareness, which helped us engage Afghan women in their own language.

As a part of Jordan’s humanitarian mission in Afghanistan, the FET was working to raise awareness of Afghan women’s rights and provide educational and health assistance. TF 300B also routinely held religious seminars and broadcast radio programs focused on the Amman message, which seeks to clarify the true image of Islam.

Our FET could also provide culturally appropriate assistance in the war effort by performing body searches on women and dealing with the women of the house during house-to-house searches. We believed women were the key to changing the mindset of Afghan villagers, who might otherwise embrace the Taliban or al-Qaida. 

Imams

Four years ago, Jordan began sending imams into Afghan villages. Their mission was to preach moderate Islam to Afghan males. We engaged key leaders and members of the Helmand Ulema Council. The key leaders came to our camp and discussed issues with me, as the commander of TF 300B, and my senior imam concerning humanitarian assistance and Islamic instruction for the people of Helmand and the Afghan Army in Shorbak. They also asked us to offer lectures to the mullahs in Shorbak to teach them how to administer Friday prayer.

Every Tuesday, our imam gave a speech on the local radio station addressing many subjects important to the residents of Helmand and educating them on the basics of Islam. Initially, only a few people attended the lectures, but the numbers increased over time. After that they had the courage to discuss many issues — Islam related or otherwise — that touched on their security. One topic was the Taliban’s behavior toward the people of Afghanistan.  

About the author: Col. Ibrahim Alharahsheh is the Jordanian liaison officer to U.S. Special Operations Command. He has served as an airborne platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander for the Jordanian special forces, as well as chief of staff for the special forces brigade. He was also the deputy commander of the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center. He was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal from U.S. Special Operations Command in December 2014 for his service in Afghanistan.