Briefing
Operation Enduring Freedom 2001 1. UNIT COLORS 1.1. US COALITION NA Junbish Islam: Grey/Beige NA Jamiat Islami: Yellow/Yellow Hazara: White/Light Blue Eastern Alliance: White/Blue Pashtuns: Black/White Dostams Tajiks: Red/Brown US Military: Blue/Green UK: Teal/Brown 1.2. AFGHAN EMIRATE( SARACENS ) Taloqan Mil.: Teal/Black Konduz Mil.: Green/Black Samangan Mil.: Brown/Black Nimruz Mil.: Red/Black Helmand Mil.: Pink/Grey Zabol Mil.: White/Grey Paktia Mil.: Green/Grey MeS Mil: Black/Grey Kabul Mil.: Grey/Dk. Grey Pers. Talib.: Grey/L.Grey Supply Res.: Black/L.Grey Garrisons, AD: White/Black Al Qaida: Grey/Red 2. BACKGROUND The attacks on the US on 9/11/01 gave the country the long awaited wake up call. The evidence pointed to Osama Bin Ladin, whose Al Qaida network was based in Afghanistan and supported by the Taliban regime. They hoped that such an attack would create fear in the American people and rally all muslims to stage a jihad against the west. They also figured that the US would be afraid to get involved in Afghanistan due to the fact that the modern Soviet military was unable to subdue that country in a long bitter 10 year war. By luring the US into another Vietnam would expose the weakness of its military and give heart to many muslims to join in the jihad. But things did not work out as they had hoped for. First, President Bush formed a coalition of nations to wage a war against terror, clearly stating it was not a war against Islam. This act met with great success. On Sept. 20, he made a historic speech to rally the free world, and demanded from the Taliban to turn over Bin Ladin or face the consequences. The Taliban responded that Bin Ladin was their guest and that their medieval customs did not allow them to comply with that request. So the stage was set for war. The American people backed their president and couldnt wait to go saracen( a term used by medieval crusaders for turban headed islamic warriors) hunting. Hunting season was just around the corner and timing was perfect. The northeastern portion of Afghanistan was occupied by the mujahedeen Northern Alliance which lost Kabul to the taliban in 1996 and since then was just barely holding on to their 10% of the nation. On Sept. 9th, they suffered a severe blow when their heroic general, Ahmed Massoud was assasinated by taliban agents. The first action the US coalition did was to supply and arm NA troops and to cut off terrorist financial bases. Then a carrier task force was deployed to the Arabian Sea. Military advisors and special forces units were sent to the neighboring countries with small incursions into Afghanistan. But the biggest weapon the US had was precision guided technology. 3. EVENTS The NA was hesitant at first about going on the offensive until the air campaign showed significant results. So all their ground units will be inactive until Turn 20. There is a small chance that on Turn 7 Iraq gets agressive, terrorists detonate a nuclear device in the US , and taliban agents disrupt the cohesion of NA units. This will result in the temporary withdrawal of air power to deal with Iraq. NA units will go into shock for 4 turns. The capture of key objectives by the US coalition will result in reinforcements and the permanent dissolution of Taliban units in that area. That dissolution can spread over a 10 day period. 4. STRATEGY 4.1. US COALITION Use your airforce to destroy taliban AA Sams around Kabul, Herat, and Kandahar. Watch the bombing campaign which goes on till NA activates on Turn 25. On Turn 18 your SF units arrive, get them to Jairatan ASAP, occupation of that town and hexes to the east enable Dostams army to assault Mazar e Sharif. Capture that city, Konduz, Kabul, Jalalabad, receive reinforcements and cause the collapse of taliban units. Finally capture Kandahar airport, which will cause the gradual collapse of the large garrison there. You must destroy all Al Qaida, they are fanatics and do not dissolve or surrender. While all this goes on , use your SF and their helicopter transport to occupy all deployable hexes, you dont want stray saracen units popping up and disrupting supply lines. If you get unlucky on turn 7 , the taliban can come charging at you with their scimitars. That only lasts 4 turns, after which you can launch a devastating counterattack. Just hold on to Faizabad at all costs during that crisis. 4.2. AFGHAN EMIRATE Just watch your units get bombed, and feel the wrath of US technology. If you get lucky on Turn 7, make a dash for Faizabad, but dont attack along the entire front, on Turn 12, the air units return from Iraq and NA units are back to full strength. You can lose the game quickly if you go overboard. Just pray that Bush loses his temper and retaliates with a nuke, only then do you have a chance to win. Make sure you then occupy all deployable hexes in NA territory and the game can end. Also if US SF are slow, occupy Jairetan quickly to prevent Dostams army from entering the fight from Uzbekistan. You really dont have a prayer against an opponent with half a brain. If you just fortify all your units and do nothing against the computer, then you may pull off a draw. The A.I tends to be skittish. Howerver it is most entertaining to watch the A.I. play both sides. It plays this campaign pretty well. 5. DESIGNER NOTES This is my very first scenario. I have been a wargamer for decades and just love this program. The OOB was a challenge, I assigned the stronger T-72 to the NA and Al Qaida just to show that they were better equipped than the poorer taliban. The main battle tanks were the T-62 and T-55. US and UK ground forces were so tiny at the outbreak that these spotter units were not worth the trouble to create. I used the SF on turn 20 to show a presence and later the arrival of the marines and the 10th mountain, however the war was won by then and all they do is guard airports. I hope you all have fun with this, and for those ancient history buffs, check out my site at www.illinoismysterycave.com. Paul Schaffranke

Briefing

Operation Enduring Freedom 2001

1. UNIT COLORS

1.1. US COALITION

NA Junbish Islam: Grey/Beige
NA Jamiat Islami: Yellow/Yellow
Hazara: White/Light Blue
Eastern Alliance: White/Blue
Pashtuns: Black/White
Dostams Tajiks: Red/Brown
US Military: Blue/Green
UK: Teal/Brown

1.2. AFGHAN EMIRATE( SARACENS )

Taloqan Mil.: Teal/Black
Konduz Mil.: Green/Black
Samangan Mil.: Brown/Black
Nimruz Mil.: Red/Black
Helmand Mil.: Pink/Grey
Zabol Mil.: White/Grey
Paktia Mil.: Green/Grey
MeS Mil: Black/Grey
Kabul Mil.: Grey/Dk. Grey
Pers. Talib.: Grey/L.Grey
Supply Res.: Black/L.Grey
Garrisons, AD: White/Black
Al Qaida: Grey/Red

2. BACKGROUND

The attacks on the US on 9/11/01 gave the country the long awaited wake up call. The evidence pointed to Osama Bin Ladin, whose Al Qaida network was based in Afghanistan and supported by the Taliban regime. They hoped that such an attack would create fear in the American people and rally all muslims to stage a jihad against the west. They also figured that the US would be afraid to get involved in Afghanistan due to the fact that the modern Soviet military was unable to subdue that country in a long bitter 10 year war. By luring the US into another Vietnam would expose the weakness of its military and give heart to many muslims to join in the jihad. But things did not work out as they had hoped for. First, President Bush formed a coalition of nations to wage a war against terror, clearly stating it was not a war against Islam. This act met with great success. On Sept. 20, he made a historic speech to rally the free world, and demanded from the Taliban to turn over Bin Ladin or face the consequences. The Taliban responded that Bin Ladin was their guest and that their medieval customs did not allow them to comply with that request. So the stage was set for war. The American people backed their president and couldnt wait to go saracen( a term used by medieval crusaders for turban headed islamic warriors) hunting. Hunting season was just around the corner and timing was perfect. The northeastern portion of Afghanistan was occupied by the mujahedeen Northern Alliance which lost Kabul to the taliban in 1996 and since then was just barely holding on to their 10% of the nation. On Sept. 9th, they suffered a severe blow when their heroic general, Ahmed Massoud was assasinated by taliban agents. The first action the US coalition did was to supply and arm NA troops and to cut off terrorist financial bases. Then a carrier task force was deployed to the Arabian Sea. Military advisors and special forces units were sent to the neighboring countries with small incursions into Afghanistan. But the biggest weapon the US had was precision guided technology.

3. EVENTS

The NA was hesitant at first about going on the offensive until the air campaign showed significant results. So all their ground units will be inactive until Turn 20.

There is a small chance that on Turn 7 Iraq gets agressive, terrorists detonate a nuclear device in the US , and taliban agents disrupt the cohesion of NA units. This will result in the temporary withdrawal of air power to deal with Iraq. NA units will go into shock for 4 turns.

The capture of key objectives by the US coalition will result in reinforcements and the permanent dissolution of Taliban units in that area. That dissolution can spread over a 10 day period.

4. STRATEGY

4.1. US COALITION

Use your airforce to destroy taliban AA Sams around Kabul, Herat, and Kandahar. Watch the bombing campaign which goes on till NA activates on Turn 25.
On Turn 18 your SF units arrive, get them to Jairatan ASAP, occupation of that town and hexes to the east enable Dostams army to assault Mazar e Sharif. Capture that city, Konduz, Kabul, Jalalabad, receive reinforcements and cause the collapse of taliban units. Finally capture Kandahar airport, which will cause the gradual collapse of the large garrison there. You must destroy all Al Qaida, they are fanatics and do not dissolve or surrender. While all this goes on , use your SF and their helicopter transport to occupy all deployable hexes, you dont want stray saracen units popping up and disrupting supply lines. If you get unlucky on turn 7 , the taliban can come charging at you with their scimitars. That only lasts 4 turns, after which you can launch a devastating counterattack. Just hold on to Faizabad at all costs during that crisis.

4.2. AFGHAN EMIRATE

Just watch your units get bombed, and feel the wrath of US technology. If you get lucky on Turn 7, make a dash for Faizabad, but dont attack along the entire front, on Turn 12, the air units return from Iraq and NA units are back to full strength. You can lose the game quickly if you go overboard. Just pray that Bush loses his temper and retaliates with a nuke, only then do you have a chance to win. Make sure you then occupy all deployable hexes in NA territory and the game can end. Also if US SF are slow, occupy Jairetan quickly to prevent Dostams army from entering the fight from Uzbekistan. You really dont have a prayer against an opponent with half a brain. If you just fortify all your units and do nothing against the computer, then you may pull off a draw. The A.I tends to be skittish. Howerver it is most entertaining to watch the A.I. play both sides. It plays this campaign pretty well.

5. DESIGNER NOTES

This is my very first scenario. I have been a wargamer for decades and just love this program. The OOB was a challenge, I assigned the stronger T-72 to the NA and Al Qaida just to show that they were better equipped than the poorer taliban. The main battle tanks were the T-62 and T-55. US and UK ground forces were so tiny at the outbreak that these spotter units were not worth the trouble to create. I used the SF on turn 20 to show a presence and later the arrival of the marines and the 10th mountain, however the war was won by then and all they do is guard airports. I hope you all have fun with this, and for those ancient history buffs, check out my site at www.illinoismysterycave.com.

Paul Schaffranke