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GAO-14-438R 1 (2014-04-01)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaahtm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: G A O U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 April 1, 2014 Congressional Committees Afghanistan: Changes to Updated U.S. Civil-Military Strategic Framework Reflect Evolving U.S. Role The U.S. Civil-Military Strategic Framework for Afghanistan is intended to articulate the strategic vision guiding U.S. government efforts to achieve U.S. national goals and to facilitate U.S. civilian and military cooperation and partnership in Afghanistan. The Department of State (State) notes that this framework serves as strategic guidance for all U.S. civilian and military personnel serving in Afghanistan. In March 2012, the framework replaced the Integrated Civilian-Military Campaign Plan, which was first signed in August 2009 by the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and the Commanding General, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. The framework was subsequently updated, in October 2012 and, most recently, in August 2013.1 The August 2013 version of the framework-likely the final update, according to State officials- shows, among other things, a heightened focus on transition in Afghanistan.2 The framework defines transition to mean a shift, through the end of 2014, in security responsibility for Afghanistan to Afghan security institutions and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as well as a shift in U.S. policy toward a more traditional diplomatic and development model. After January 1, 2015, when the last U.S. combat troops are expected to have withdrawn from Afghanistan, the United States plans to continue to support the government of Afghanistan in its efforts to achieve longer-term goals for governance and development. According to State officials, the 2013 revision of the framework was intended to reflect changes in U.S. goals and priorities, better align them with Afghan goals and priorities, and reflect changing circumstances on the ground. Section 1220 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA) mandates GAO to report on any substantial updates to the campaign plan for Afghanistan, which the strategic framework has replaced.3 To satisfy the mandate, this report broadly compares the August 2013 version of the framework with the October 2012 version, summarizing the differences between them. To conduct this work, we reviewed the October 2012 and the August 2013 versions of the Civil- Military Strategic Framework for Afghanistan to identify differences between them. To 1 We previously conducted an analysis of the October 2012 framework. See GAO, Afghanistan: Key Oversight Issues, GAO-13-218SP (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 11, 2013). 2 According to State, the U.S. government will replace the August 2013 version of the framework with a more typical country-level planning document, known as an integrated country strategy, that State produces in other U.S. missions. 3 Pub. L. No. 112-239, § 1220, 126 Stat. 1632, 1991 (Jan. 2, 2013). GAO-14-438R U.S. Civil-Military Strategic Framework Page 1