Last week, more than 800 Marines and Navy corpsmen who serve in 1/23 (1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment - also known as 'The Lone Star Battalion' - at Houston, started to depart Camp Pendleton in California, where they've been training since November, and headed overseas on the first leg of their trip. They will spend seven months in Afghanistan.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Five foreign troops killed in 48 hours
Five foreign coalition troops have been killed throughout Afghanistan in the last two days.
Today (28th Feb) an Italian officer, Lieutenant Massimo Ranzani, was killed in an IED attack in Shindand, western Afghanistan.
Also killed today (28th Feb) were two unidentified NATO/ISAF service members in eastern Afghanistan.
On Sunday (27th Feb) an unidentified NATO/ISAF service member died in eastern Afghanistan and another was killed in southern Afghanistan.
More details at Fallen Heroes
Today (28th Feb) an Italian officer, Lieutenant Massimo Ranzani, was killed in an IED attack in Shindand, western Afghanistan.
Also killed today (28th Feb) were two unidentified NATO/ISAF service members in eastern Afghanistan.
On Sunday (27th Feb) an unidentified NATO/ISAF service member died in eastern Afghanistan and another was killed in southern Afghanistan.
More details at Fallen Heroes
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Hopes of rebuilding giant Buddha statue
10 years ago, Islamic Taliban extremists blew up two giant statues of Buddha in Bamiyan because they believed them to be "idolatrous" and therefore offensive to Islam.
Now, German scientist, Professor Erwin Emmerling from the University of Munich, says he may be able to repair one of the 1,500 year old statues.
For the past five years, he and his team have been visiting Bamiyan to examine what is left of the destroyed statues. Professor Emmerling reckons there is enough of the smaller (35 metre tall) statue to be able to rebuild it into the cliff where it had stood for centuries.
However, before work can start, Professor Emmerling needs to get permission from the Afghan government. If permission was given, he and his team would doubtless need round-the-clock protection, as would the rebuilt Buddha after it was reconstructed.
A story worth following in the future, we think.
Karzai to visit Britain
KABUL, 27th Feb (AFP): Afghan President Hamid Karzai will travel to Britain on Monday for a two-day visit to meet Prime Minister David Cameron and open a major museum exhibition about his country's heritage, an official has said.
A spokesman for Karzai, Siamak Heravi, told AFP that the president would discuss issues including the planned transition of responsibility for security from international troops to their Afghan counterparts in 2014.
"Karzai will meet the prime minister, members of parliament, foreign secretary and defence secretary," Heravi said Sunday 27th Feb.
Read more
Canadian spy detained in Afghanistan
A Taliban spokesman has announced that its militants have detained a Canadian spy during their arrest operations in war-ravaged Afghanistan.
The spokesman said on Sunday that Rutherford Colin Mackenzie was arrested several days ago in Ghazni city while he was collecting secret information, a Press TV correspondent reported.
According to the spokesperson, there are documents, photographs and footage that confirm his espionage activities.
We have no further information at present regarding this report.
10 killed, 17 hurt in Afghanistan blasts
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) 27th February: Eight civilians and two police officers were killed when two mines planted in a playground went off Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, officials said.
The blasts in Arghandab district wounded 12 other civilians and five police officers, the country's interior ministry said.
The explosions took place during a picnic hosted by the former police chief of Arghandab district in the province, said the province's district governor.
No one immediately claimed responsibility.
"The leadership of Ministry of Interior strongly condemns the insurgent's un-Islamic and inhumane action," the ministry said. "The police have launched an investigation in to the case."
Afghan probe accuses NATO of killing 65 civilians
KABUL (27th February): Afghanistan's government said Sunday that its investigations have found NATO killed 65 civilians, many of them children, during recent operations in a remote northeastern militant stronghold.
The death toll from several days of operations in Kunar province comprised 21 boys, 19 girls, 10 women and 15 adult males, President Hamid Karzai's office said in a statement quoting an official delegation.
Karzai has now ordered his security chiefs to "discuss the issue" with international forces, his office said, without providing further details.
In response, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, said it was "deeply sorry... for any civilian casualties that have occurred as part of this operation."
But he disputed the death toll, saying ISAF's assessment only found five to seven civilians "may have been injured." Investigations were continuing, he added.
Our comment: Perhaps NATO should "discuss the issue" of 2,000+ foreign military killings and 10,000+ foreign military injuries in Afghanistan with President Hamid Karzai
The death toll from several days of operations in Kunar province comprised 21 boys, 19 girls, 10 women and 15 adult males, President Hamid Karzai's office said in a statement quoting an official delegation.
Karzai has now ordered his security chiefs to "discuss the issue" with international forces, his office said, without providing further details.
In response, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, said it was "deeply sorry... for any civilian casualties that have occurred as part of this operation."
But he disputed the death toll, saying ISAF's assessment only found five to seven civilians "may have been injured." Investigations were continuing, he added.
Our comment: Perhaps NATO should "discuss the issue" of 2,000+ foreign military killings and 10,000+ foreign military injuries in Afghanistan with President Hamid Karzai
Saturday, February 26, 2011
How to make a killing in Kabul? Become a security guard
In Saturday's British Daily Mail newspaper, a fascinating article about private security firms operating in Afghanistan.
"Western private security firms earn a fortune in Afghanistan, but as Nadene Ghouri reports, they've been accused of funding the Taliban, turning the locals against the British - and murder."
The mobile phone video footage of the attack is grainy and shaky, but the events are clear. A convoy of vehicles – trucks carrying Nato supplies, and four-wheel-drives carrying the armed Afghan and foreign guards who are supposed to protect the trucks – suddenly comes under attack from the Taliban.
A shockwave from a roadside bomb hits the lead vehicle like a huge slap in the face. The driver of the second lorry swerves around the smoking bomb crater. Two more lorries follow close behind. This is the golden rule in a convoy attack: don’t stop.
Behind the last lorry, a four-wheel drive turns off the side of the road to help the stricken vehicle. One of the guards, an Afghan, is hit by a bullet. He screams as his friends drag him behind a wall for cover.
Two of the Westerners jump out and take up position behind the bonnet of the car. One of them shouts into his radio: ‘Mayday mayday mayday’. Back at headquarters, the nearest military base is alerted: the convoy needs help.
Afghan civilian casualties spiral upward
KABUL - More than 200 Afghans were killed in attacks and military operations during the past two weeks, Afghan officials said Saturday, calling it the deadliest period for civilians since the war began.
Two attacks on Saturday added to that toll and fueled fears that violence will climb as winter, typically a slow fighting season in Afghanistan, gives way to spring.
The latest violence comes as U.S. commanders are under heavy pressure to show signs of progress in the nine-year-old war. Insurgent groups, meanwhile, have shown resilience this winter and appear determined to keep the fight raging until foreign troops withdraw.
Read more
Gorbachev: Britain should pull out of Afghanistan
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| Mikhail Gorbachev |
Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, in an interview with British newspaper, The Independent on Sunday, says Britain should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
Mr Gorbachev became President after Soviet forces had occupied Afghanistan, and oversaw the eventual withdrawal of troops in 1989. He points out that Britain advised against the Soviet invasion, saying the Afghans are a special people who live by their own rules, and that Britain should now heed its own advice.
And, in comments that risk provoking outrage in the US, he portrays the war against Islam as a conflict partly of the US's own making.
"It's called the historical and political boomerang," he says, referring to the US's secret funding of Islamic extremists during the 1980s, when the Americans were fighting communism. "[The Americans] were working in secret with those forces with whom they are now fighting. They should accept their part of the blame."
U.S Marine loses both legs in IED blast
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| Cpl. Marcus Dandrea |
A 21-year old U.S Marine corporal was severely injured in an explosion in Afghanistan.
Cpl. Marcus Dandrea had both of his legs amputated at the knee three days ago, after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol, according to his family.
Mark Dandrea said he learned the extent of his son’s injuries in a predawn telephone call from him Friday, according to an interview with Times-Union news partner First Coast News.
Estonian soldiers in Helmand celebrate Independence
Estonian soldiers serving alongside members of the British 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Helmand province took a brief break from their duties this week to celebrate their own country's liberation - achieved 93 years ago.
While Estonia spent 24 February 2011 celebrating a public holiday, the country's soldiers deployed in Helmand took a short break from operations and marked their independence day by enjoying some traditional Estonian foods, including sausage, herring, sauerkraut, black rye bread and root beer.
Most of the 165 Estonian troops in Afghanistan are based in Patrol Base Wahid and surrounding checkpoints in northern Nad 'Ali, where they work alongside the Paras driving out insurgent elements, restoring peace and stability to communities, and developing the capability of Afghanistan's own armed forces.
Most of the 165 Estonian troops in Afghanistan are based in Patrol Base Wahid and surrounding checkpoints in northern Nad 'Ali, where they work alongside the Paras driving out insurgent elements, restoring peace and stability to communities, and developing the capability of Afghanistan's own armed forces.
CIA contractor on trial for murder
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Pakistani court adjourned on Friday (25th Feb) the trial of a CIA contractor charged with killing two Pakistanis until March 3, dismissing U.S. demands for his release.
The contractor, Raymond Davis, shot dead two men in the eastern city of Lahore last month. He said he acted in self-defense and the United States says he has diplomatic immunity and should be repatriated.
Read more
Friday, February 25, 2011
Taliban leader caught by ANS and ISAF Forces
KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 26, 2011): Afghan National Security and International Security Assistance Forces detained the overall Taliban leader for Zharay district along with numerous suspected insurgents during an operation in Kandahar province yesterday.
The leader organized and coordinated Taliban attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the district. He was actively recruiting replacements for two top Taliban leaders who were detained during recent operations. The leader recently returned from Chaman, Pakistan in preparation for the spring fighting season. He had strong ties to Taliban leaders in the area to include the Taliban deputy Kandahar district shadow governor.
Intelligence reports led the security force to the targeted compound in the district, where Afghan forces called for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully before conducting a search. The Taliban leader and numerous suspected insurgents were detained after initial questioning at the scene for involvement in insurgent activity.
15 NATO tankers torched - 4 dead
Peshawar 26 Feb 2011:
In a brazen attack on three parking lots in Garhi Qamardin on the Ring Road, over three-dozen armed militants killed at least four people and wounded 17 others before blowing up and torching 15 oil-tankers supplying fuel to the Nato forces in Afghanistan early on Friday.
A huge blast at around 1:25 am scared thousands of people in the vicinity, followed by several blasts that continued till the afternoon. Soon after the first blast, the attackers also opened fire that lasted almost half an hour.
Eyewitnesses said militants planted explosive devices in the oil-tankers parked in the Aslam Terminal, Jameel Terminal and another parking lot located close to each other on the Ring Road and then opened fire on the fuel tankers. Some eyewitnesses said the attackers were over 100 in number.
A huge blast at around 1:25 am scared thousands of people in the vicinity, followed by several blasts that continued till the afternoon. Soon after the first blast, the attackers also opened fire that lasted almost half an hour.
Eyewitnesses said militants planted explosive devices in the oil-tankers parked in the Aslam Terminal, Jameel Terminal and another parking lot located close to each other on the Ring Road and then opened fire on the fuel tankers. Some eyewitnesses said the attackers were over 100 in number.
New Jersey National Guard prepare to deploy
Soldiers of the New Jersey National Guard have completed pre-deployment training.
The soldiers belong to the Security Forces Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry. They will provide security for a Provincial Reconstruction Team in a part of Afghanistan that is not under the direct control of U.S. forces.
For security reasons, the New Jersey National Guard has not released their exact destination. But the soldiers will serve as teachers and trainers in addition to working security details. They also have been trained to provide first aid.
Bomb and weapons cache seized
Kabul (25th Feb 2011): In Zharay district, Kandahar province, an Afghan National Security Force and ISAF patrol discovered an IED cache consisting of 28 x 3 litre jugs, two 20 litre jugs and eight 5 litre jugs filled with homemade explosives, one pressure cooker filled with HME material, two 18kg containers of heavy machine gun ammunition rounds and one type 65 mortar filled with HME material. All items were wrapped in detonation cord, ready to be emplaced as improvised explosive devices, the ISAF patrol reported.
A second cache site was found in the area consisting of one 2000 litre tank filled with multiple 155 mm rounds, various anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, multiple jugs of homemade explosives, pressure plates and detonation wire.
In Panjwa’i district, Kandahar province, an Afghan and coalition forces patrol discovered a weapons cache consisting of 11 grenades, 200 7.62 mm rounds, three RPG warheads, several loose weapon parts, 20 litres of ammonium nitrate, 75 metres of detonation cord, two rolls of copper wire, and various additional IED components and instruction manuals.
All weapons have been or will be destroyed by security forces.
A second cache site was found in the area consisting of one 2000 litre tank filled with multiple 155 mm rounds, various anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, multiple jugs of homemade explosives, pressure plates and detonation wire.
In Panjwa’i district, Kandahar province, an Afghan and coalition forces patrol discovered a weapons cache consisting of 11 grenades, 200 7.62 mm rounds, three RPG warheads, several loose weapon parts, 20 litres of ammonium nitrate, 75 metres of detonation cord, two rolls of copper wire, and various additional IED components and instruction manuals.
All weapons have been or will be destroyed by security forces.
Insurgent leader captured in Uruzgan
Kabul (25th Feb 2011): Afghan National Security and International Security Assistance Forces today, confirmed the capture of an insurgent leader responsible for improvised explosive devices attacks in Uruzgan province.
The detained insurgent is suspected of being the head of a Baluchi IED cell responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in Baluchi Valley, Uruzgan province.
The detained insurgent is suspected of being the head of a Baluchi IED cell responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in Baluchi Valley, Uruzgan province.
Funeral for British Para killed by IED
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| Pvt. Martin Bell |
The funeral of the 350th British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan will take place in West Yorkshire 25th February 2011.
Pte Martin Bell, 24, from Bradford, was serving with the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment when he died.
The Ministry of Defence said he died in an explosion after disobeying a direct order and going to the aid of another wounded soldier in Helmand province.
Pte Bell died on 25 January. The funeral service will take place at Bradford Cathedral.
The soldier was hailed a hero for his bravery by his commanding officer Lt Col Andrew Harrison who said: "He knew the risks all too well.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
British soldiers reunited with their families
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| Pvt. Liam Tracey and his son, Leo |
Soldiers have been reunited with their families after a six-month tour of Afghanistan.
The 99 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh were welcomed home to their barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire, by more than 300 family and friends.
The troops from B Company - known as Rorke's Drift Company - spent the last six months in Helmand and Kandahar Provinces, where they have been holding ground and rebuilding vital communications routes. It marks the end of two years of operations for the battalion, first deployed to Afghanistan in February 2009.
In the 24 months since then three members of the battalion have lost their lives and many more have been wounded.
In March 2009, Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett, 22, became the 150th British serviceman to die in the country since 2001. Five months later his colleague, Private Richard Hunt, 21, became the 200th. Private James Prosser, 21, was killed in September 2009.
Christian Red Cross worker released from jail
An Afghan Red Cross worker who was arrested last spring for converting to Christianity has been released from an Afghanistan prison.
The worker, Said Musa, 46, was released from prison last week "after aggressive international diplomacy engaged Afghanistan’s government," International Christian Concern, an organization that worked directly with his case, said in a written statement Thursday.
Musa, who left Islam roughly eight years ago, was arrested in May after an Afghan TV report showed locals being baptized and called for the government to crack down on apostasy.
The father of six who lost a leg to a land mine and was working to help amputees reportedly was abused in prison and threatened with death if he did not renounce his faith.
According to ICC, Musa wrote in a Feb. 13 letter that U.S. and Italian Embassies offered him asylum but that Afghan officials subsequently told him that he would only be released if he wrote a statement declaring that he regretted his conversion to Christianity.
Afghanistan: Detained Journalists Released
Press Release: International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the release of three reporters who were briefly detained by US-led NATO forces in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan.
According to information received from IFJ affiliate the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), Syed Abdullah Nezami of the Al Jazeera Arabic news channel and Sadullah Sahil and Zabihullah of the Afghan TV News Service, were detained on February 20 in a remote part of the province where a NATO air strike had reportedly killed up to 50 civilians over the weekend.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Turkey asked to host contact with Taliban
A 10-MAN delegation from Hamid Karzai’s high peace council has flown to the Turkish capital to ask Ankara to host embryonic political contacts with the Taliban.
The council will ask Turkey to host a “Taliban office” or negotiating base where Taliban envoys would be free to meet representatives of Mr Karzai’s government.
Opening such an office would stop short of official recognition of the insurgents, but would show that Kabul and the West were serious about negotiation, sources told The Irish Times.
Bulgarian troops return home
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| Bulgarian soldiers |
The soldiers had been deployed at Kabul Airport. Additionally, there are several teams of army medics who served in the French field hospital, also in Kabul, as well as the Spanish field hospital in Herat and the multinational field hospital at Kandahar Airport, the report said.
Together with the troops, Colonel Veselin Tsekovski, commander of the Bulgarian contingent and Captain Nikolai Nikolov, also returned home.
The troops were deployed to the war-torn state on a rotation basis. Their withdrawal was compensated by the deployment of 200 solders on February 2 2011, from the Fourth Company, Fifth Mechanised Brigade, from the north Bulgarian city of Pleven.
Since 2001, Bulgaria has sent more than 3000 troops to Afghanistan.
Civilian Medic swaps his ambulance for the frontline
An emergency medical technician from Beccles, UK, has swapped the warmth and comfort of his ambulance for the dangers of the Afghanistan frontline.
Robert Willis is currently working as a frontline medic in the Babaji district, after going to the Helmand Province with the Territorial Army (TA).
The former Notre Dame High School student is responsible for the treatment of the infantry soldiers from C Company 2 SCOTS, who he lives alongside.
Private Willis, 24, is part of the 254 Medical Regiment TA and has been attached to the Colchester-based 16 Close Support Medical Regiment since March 2010.
Iowa Guards wounded in bomb blast
Three Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded yesterday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
They are Spc. Adam P. Eilers, 23, of Garber; Spc. Andrew Zimmerman, 20, of Camanche; and Pfc. Caleb J. Redell, 22, of Erie, Ill. They all are members of Company A of the 1-133rd Battalion based in Dubuque, said Col. Gregory Hapgood, a Guard spokesman.
The bomb exploded near the soldiers' armored truck during a morning patrol in Laghman Province, which is in eastern Afghanistan. The men all were taken to a military hospital at Bagram Airfield.
Read more
They are Spc. Adam P. Eilers, 23, of Garber; Spc. Andrew Zimmerman, 20, of Camanche; and Pfc. Caleb J. Redell, 22, of Erie, Ill. They all are members of Company A of the 1-133rd Battalion based in Dubuque, said Col. Gregory Hapgood, a Guard spokesman.
The bomb exploded near the soldiers' armored truck during a morning patrol in Laghman Province, which is in eastern Afghanistan. The men all were taken to a military hospital at Bagram Airfield.
Read more
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Poland to start troops pullout this year
WARSAW (NNI): Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski wants to start the withdrawal of Polish troops from Afghanistan this year, head of the National Security Office (BBN) Stanislaw Koziej said. "This complies with president's earlier declarations and content of his address during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Lisbon last November.
Such position stems from a comparison of Polish national interests with conclusions of analysis and assessment of condition and outlook for the operation in Afghanistan.
Afghan envoys seek to visit Guantanamo Taliban
KABUL (AFP) – Afghanistan's High Council For Peace wants to send a delegation to try and free Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay prison as part of reconciliation efforts, one of its members said Tuesday.
Arsala Rahmani, head of the Council's prisoner release committee, said the delegation would urge the release of figures including Khairullah Khairkhwa, a top Taliban commander detained at the US-run prison in Cuba since 2002.
Read more
Denmark to withdraw troops this summer
COPENHAGEN - Denmark's political parties Tuesday (22nd February) backed a government plan to gradually pull out Danish troops from Afghanistan starting this summer through the end of 2014 and hand over responsibility to Afghan forces.
Most political parties, except far-left groups, backed the plan which will withdraw 30 soldiers this summer from its 750-strong contingent in Helmand province and reduce to 650 soldiers by late 2012, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by AFP.
Denmark will hand over its military bases in the dangerous Patrol Base Line located in the "green zone" in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan to local security forces around August, it said.
Most political parties, except far-left groups, backed the plan which will withdraw 30 soldiers this summer from its 750-strong contingent in Helmand province and reduce to 650 soldiers by late 2012, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by AFP.
Denmark will hand over its military bases in the dangerous Patrol Base Line located in the "green zone" in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan to local security forces around August, it said.
Monday, February 21, 2011
US drone strikes kill 15 militants
Two US drone strikes Monday killed at least 15 alleged militants linked to Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, intelligence officials said.
An unmanned aircraft fired four missiles into a suspected Al Qaeda training centre in the early hours in Birmal area, 13 km west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan district.
'Seven people died in the attack,' a local intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. 'Three Arabs and two Turkmen are among the dead,' the official added. The other two alleged militants were locals, he said.
An unmanned aircraft fired four missiles into a suspected Al Qaeda training centre in the early hours in Birmal area, 13 km west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan district.
'Seven people died in the attack,' a local intelligence official said on condition of anonymity. 'Three Arabs and two Turkmen are among the dead,' the official added. The other two alleged militants were locals, he said.
German Troops Slam Afghan Training after Deadly Attack
Doubts about methods used to train Afghan soldiers are growing among German troops after a deadly shooting last Friday, which killed three. The attacker, a trainee, may have been turned by the Taliban. Bundeswehr troops are concerned that joint missions with Afghan comrades are too dangerous.
The concept is known as "partnering." Rather than merely training Afghan troops in classrooms and on bases, German Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan go on patrol with their local counterparts and fight alongside them during operations. The idea is to ensure that Afghan soldiers will be adequately prepared once they begin taking full responsibility for their country's security in the coming months and years.
Soldier to Doctor: cut my leg off so I can run marathons
A British soldier shot through the heel by a sniper in Afghanistan asked doctors to cut off his leg - so he can run marathons.
Rifleman Matt Fisher, 26, believes he will be able to move faster when his leg is replaced with a prosthetic limb.
And before surgery next month he is throwing a "My Left Leg Leaving Party" with army mates.
Read full story
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Japan asked to send Medics to Afghanistan
TOKYO, 21st February 2011:
The U.N. security mission in Afghanistan has asked Japan to treat injured people under its envisioned plan to dispatch Self-Defense Forces medical officers to the Central Asian country to provide human resources training, Japanese government sources said Sunday.
The International Security Assistance Force, led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has not specified who it wants the Japanese medics to treat, but the possibility that it could include soldiers injured in battle cannot be denied, the sources said.
Brit soldier gets bionic arm
A soldier who lost his arm in a grenade attack in Afghanistan has become the first military amputee to be fitted with a bionic arm.
Corporal Andrew Garthwaite of the Queen's Royal Lancers lost the limb in September in a rocket-propelled grenade attack that killed another soldier.
The 23-year-old was fitted with the device at the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak Hospitals in Birmingham.
Taliban claim ex-Spy executed
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The Pakistani Taliban claimed Saturday it shot dead a retired Pakistani spy who once mentored its Afghan brethren and sided with the U.S. against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
The claim contradicted Pakistani government assertions in January that the ex-spy, Sultan Amir Tarar, died of a heart attack while being held captive by militants in northwest Pakistan.
The claim contradicted Pakistani government assertions in January that the ex-spy, Sultan Amir Tarar, died of a heart attack while being held captive by militants in northwest Pakistan.
Friday, February 18, 2011
108kg of Opium seized in Panjwaii, Afghanistan
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| 108kg Opium haul |
PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan — A frail Afghan man is brought before Capt. Patrick Chartrand, begging for the return of five bags full of drugs that weigh about twice as much as him.
"All the people are growing opium," the man, who appears to be in his 60s, says in Pashto.
"I am a poor man. What can I do?"
A group of Afghan National Army officers mentored by Canadians seized 108 kilograms of what's believed to be opium earlier this week. Military officials will test it later for verification.
Read more
U.S 742nd SMC prepare to deploy to Afghanistan
Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- The South Carolina Army National Guard's 742nd Support Maintenance Company said goodbye to family and friends during a departure ceremony on Friday.
The event was held at the National Guard armory off of Bluff Road in Columbia.
More than 120 soldiers will depart on Sunday to Fort Hood, Texas where they will have one month of final pre-deploying training before leaving for Afghanistan.
Read more
Sanctions Placed on Afghan Exchange
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Friday 18th February against one of the largest money exchange houses in Afghanistan, along with 15 of its executives, on charges that it used billions of dollars transferred in and out of the country to help hide proceeds from illegal drug sales.
Read more at NYT
Read more at NYT
Operation Beckham kicks off in Nimroz province
KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb 18) – Afghan Uniformed Police and a coalition police advisory team patrolled through the city of Delaram in Nimroz province to deliver toys to the children of the Delaram Boys School, Feb 15.
Dubbed as “Operation Beckham” after the famous soccer player, the group began the day by patrolling through the city of Delaram. As they reached their destination, the Afghan and coalition troops prepared themselves for the children eagerly awaiting the donated new soccer balls and jerseys.
“If we take care of the population and take care of their needs, they are less likely to cooperate with the Taliban,” said 1st Lt. Phillip Saunders, the officer in charge of the police advisory team. “We are helping the people, see we are not the bad guys.”
The children grasped for the clothes and shortly after receiving the gifts, they were running and playing soccer.
“It was an experience,” said Sgt. Scott Powers, a squad leader with the police advisory team. “It was our opportunity to give to people who are less fortunate than ourselves.”
British Tornado foils Taliban ambush
A RAF Tornado GR4 crew on a surveillance mission was diverted to launch an air assault on Taliban fighters who had ambushed UK troops on patrol in Helmand.
Ground troops called in an air strike after they were pinned down by enemy insurgents during a fierce fire fight close to a suspected Taliban bomb-making factory hidden in a compound.
Pilot Squadron Leader Tom Hill and weapons systems operator Flight Lieutenant Ben Dempster were providing armed overwatch to another Tornado on a RAPTOR (Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado) surveillance mission when ground commanders called in an air strike.
Within minutes the aircraft was over the compound and had launched a machine gun attack on the insurgent fighters, allowing the UK troops to break off and regroup.
The aircraft remained overhead until British Army Apache attack helicopters arrived. After refuelling, the GR4 team resumed their RAPTOR surveillance task.
Troops later secured the compound, and a search uncovered a significant haul of weapons and bomb-making equipment.
Source: MOD
British soldiers freeze their sperm
LONDON: A number of British soldiers posted in war-torn Afghanistan are said to be freezing their sperm in case they are killed or maimed, a media report said.
The British Army has paid a private firm to store sperm samples as an "insurance policy"; wives and girlfriends would use the semen to become pregnant if their loved ones are killed or can no longer father children, 'The Sun' reported.
The British Army has paid a private firm to store sperm samples as an "insurance policy"; wives and girlfriends would use the semen to become pregnant if their loved ones are killed or can no longer father children, 'The Sun' reported.
Afghan fighting drops to 'virtually nothing' in Sangin
Fighting has "dropped off to virtually nothing" in the Sangin district of Afghanistan, where two-dozen Marines from Camp Pendleton were killed and more than 140 wounded in the fall and early winter, the top Marine general in Afghanistan told reporters Thursday.
After weeks of fighting with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton, those insurgents who survived have either fled or gone into hiding, Maj. Gen. Richard Mills told a group of San Diego reporters via teleconference.
Some have gone north into a mountainous area, with Marines in pursuit, he said.
Read more at Canada.com
Thursday, February 17, 2011
New remote tool to detonate IEDs in Afghanistan
Soldiers in Afghanistan could detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with a remote tool created by researchers in Switzerland.
The technology can activate homemade landmines at a distance of up to 25m by transmitting electromagnetic waves at a range of frequencies. This inducts a current in the devices and causes them to explode.
Researchers from the Swiss technology institute EPFL have worked for two years with the universities of Colombia and Los Andes to overcome the difficulties of removing IEDs, which are especially hard to find because they tend to be mostly made of plastic.
ISAF soldier killed in eastern Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 17) – An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today.
Source: ISAF Command, Kabul
Night patrols lower number of bomb attacks
PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan — Canadian troops working to stabilize one of the most troublesome districts in Afghanistan have been substantially expanding their frequency of night patrols, a nerve-racking venture for the soldiers that seems to be producing big dividends with the local population.
Taliban insurgents have previously owned the nighttime hours in many areas of Panjwaii, using the cover of darkness to plant improvised explosive devices and intimidate villagers. The decision by the Canadians to increase their presence at night has the goal of disrupting both activities.
"If we are there by day, there by night, in vehicles, on foot, everywhere, then the insurgent has nowhere to go," said Maj. Francois Dufault, deputy commander of the current battle group, featuring the 1st battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment based in Valcartier, Quebec.
Bodies of five soldiers arrive in UK
The bodies of five soldiers who died within a week in Afghanistan were repatriated today - including one who had never met his newborn son.
Private Robert Wood, 28, was one of two men from the Royal Logistics Corp who perished in a blaze at Camp Bastion on February 14.
He had been looking forward to returning home to Marchwood, Hampshire, to see his new son Noah when the tragedy happened.
The other Fallen Heroes were:
Private Dean Hutchinson, Lance-Corporal Kyle Marshall, Private Lewis Hendry and Private Conrad Lewis.
Full story and pictures at Daily Mail
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Oklahoma National Guard prepare for Afghanistan deployment
OKLAHOMA CITY - Thousands of friends and family members packed into the Oklahoma City Arena Wednesday morning for a ceremony for the deployment of more than 3,200 Oklahoma National Guard soldiers and airmen who are being sent to Afghanistan.
The troops will leave March 1 for three months training before heading to northeast Afghanistan where they will conduct a variety of "full spectrum operations" according to Col. Joel Ward, who will command the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat team.
Brit soldier shot 5 times and lives
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| Guardsman Ben Ralph |
A brave soldier looked like a "human teabag" after being shot FIVE TIMES in a battle with the Taliban.
Bullets hit Guardsman Ben Ralph, 20, in the back and side but he was saved by his body armour.
Two more rounds lodged in his ammunition pouches and another tore through his trousers.
Ben of 2 Company, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, emerged without a scratch.
Baby-face 'Ninja' foils bombers in Afghanistan
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| Pvt. Grant Barrow, 3 PARA |
A TEENAGE trooper who rooted out five Taliban bombs in Afghanistan has been dubbed a "baby face ninja" by proud comrades.
Private Grant Barrow is 18 years old but his mates reckon he looks more like TWELVE.
Yet despite his tender years and child-like face, 3 Para soldier Grant has the most dangerous job in his unit - looking for bombs hidden by the Taliban in the hope of killing Our Boys.
EU 'Faces Failure' Over Afghan Police
International plans to withdraw foreign troops from Afghanistan by 2015 faced a major setback after a British House of Lords committee concluded that the European Union mission to train local police risked failure.
The damning report, from a committee of 12 peers, chaired by Lord Teverson and including former Chief of the Defence Staff, Field Marshall Lord Inge, said "there is a real risk that the EU will fail in an area in where it should show leadership".
Brit officer "sorry" for firing soldiers by email
The British Army major who sent an email to 38 soldiers saying they were being sacked told pals of his deep regret last night.
The message, which one of the warrant officers received while on the front line in Afghanistan, sparked fury from Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Read exclusive story at The Sun
Brit soldier on front line 7 months pregnant
A British soldier served on the front line in Afghanistan while she was seven months pregnant, it was revealed today.
Sources said Private Kayla Donnelly, 21, did not know she was carrying her baby while fighting in Helmand province from March to September last year.
The machine gunner from 12 Logistic Support only discovered she was pregnant with her son Josh when her contractions began while on holiday in Tenerife.
Grenade Mistake killed British Aid Worker
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| Linda Norgrove |
The grenade that killed kidnapped British aid worker Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan was thrown by the most junior member of the US special forces team sent to rescue her, an inquest in UK has heard.
The operative - identified in court as TM5 - had "genuinely feared for the safety of the lives of his colleagues and himself" when he made the split-second decision to throw the grenade, the inquest's coroner found.
Monday, February 14, 2011
British soldiers sacked by email
British Troops were stunned yesterday after 38 senior heroes including one on the Afghan front line were crassly sacked by EMAIL.
The shocked men - all warrant officers - were informed they were victims of defence cuts.
Each got an impersonal message advising them: "Start planning your resettlement." One stormed: "I thought it was a joke."
The MoD was branded "shameful and callous".
Former Taliban member in UK for secret peace talks
A former senior Taliban member who is said to be in close contact with the group's leader Mullah Omar, is reportedly in Britain for peace negotiations.
Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, a member of the Taliban Government before the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, has met senior British Government officials amid closely controlled security, The Telegraph reports.
The talks were partially funded by the Foreign Office to discuss peace proposals.
During his visit, Zaeef was banned from speaking publicly, but held private meetings with British officials. London has been trying to mediate between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and senior Taliban members.
Last month, a senior Foreign Office official had said that senior Taliban members have been sent out "feelers" about making peace with the Western-backed government in Kabul.
Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, a member of the Taliban Government before the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, has met senior British Government officials amid closely controlled security, The Telegraph reports.
The talks were partially funded by the Foreign Office to discuss peace proposals.
During his visit, Zaeef was banned from speaking publicly, but held private meetings with British officials. London has been trying to mediate between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and senior Taliban members.
Last month, a senior Foreign Office official had said that senior Taliban members have been sent out "feelers" about making peace with the Western-backed government in Kabul.
Two die in suicide attack at Kabul shopping mall
Two people were killed today (14th Feb) in a suicide bombing at a shopping mall that is frequented by foreigners in Kabul, officials said.
The blast happened in Charrahi Ansari area in downtown Kabul. City Center is a shopping mall frequented by foreigners and wealthy Afghans.
Private security personnel guarding the Kabul City Centre shot at the attacker after he tried to enter the mall, said Zamarai Bashiri, Interior Ministry spokesman.
'The bomber managed to explode his vest, and two guards were martyred,' Bashiri said. Two more people were injured.
Mohammad Zahir, head of the criminal investigative department of the Kabul police, said his forces were trying to find out if more bombers were inside the building.
Two police helicopters were hovering over the area while roads to the Share-e-Naw area, where the mall is located, were cordoned off by security forces.
The attack came two days after five bombers attacked police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar, killing 21 people and injuring at least 60.
The blast happened in Charrahi Ansari area in downtown Kabul. City Center is a shopping mall frequented by foreigners and wealthy Afghans.
Private security personnel guarding the Kabul City Centre shot at the attacker after he tried to enter the mall, said Zamarai Bashiri, Interior Ministry spokesman.
'The bomber managed to explode his vest, and two guards were martyred,' Bashiri said. Two more people were injured.
Mohammad Zahir, head of the criminal investigative department of the Kabul police, said his forces were trying to find out if more bombers were inside the building.
Two police helicopters were hovering over the area while roads to the Share-e-Naw area, where the mall is located, were cordoned off by security forces.
The attack came two days after five bombers attacked police headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar, killing 21 people and injuring at least 60.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
British photographer fights for life after Afghanistan explosion
A British photographer is fighting for his life after being hit by a roadside blast in Afghanistan.
Giles Duley was embedded with US troops in Kandahar when he was critically injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Monday.
The 39-year-old has been jetted back to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for further surgery after undergoing multiple amputations at the local UN Hospital in Kandahar.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
U.S permanent bases in Afghanistan?
KABUL: Some parliamentarians on Thursday 10th Feb, voiced support to permanent bases of US military in Afghanistan, arguing it would help prevent neighbours' interference.
President Hamid Karzai confirmed Tuesday that the United States was seeking to establish permanent bases in Afghanistan to target Al Qaeda and Taliban hideouts in the region.
Addressing a press conference in his fortified presidential palace, Karzai said that his government was negotiating with US officials over the legal and strategic details of the agreement.
Australia could begin troop drawdown next month
AUSTRALIA could begin reducing its forces in Afghanistan as early as next month, soldiers serving there have been told.
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed yesterday that the Australian Defence Force had drawn up plans for a reduction of personnel this year. Several Defence sources said it will also hand over eight of its 11 bases in Oruzgan province to Afghan National Army soldiers.
Read full story at SMH
British soldier hunts down insurgent across minefield
An insurgent bomber, caught red-handed laying deadly improvised explosive devices, is facing a life of imprisonment after a British soldier from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards gave chase across a minefield to catch him.
The insurgent, who could have caused the deaths of many troops or Afghan civilians, is facing Afghan justice thanks to Guardsman Lewis Wilby's heroic actions.
Despite being weighed down with more than 60lbs (27kg) of kit, the 26-year-old Irish Guardsman outran the bomber, sprinting across uncleared ground where IEDs were known to have been laid, and caught him as he tried desperately to hide out in a local villager's compound.
Read full story at MOD Defence News
British Bomb Disposal hero - Coroners verdict
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| Sgt. Olaf Schmid |
There was "no evidence" a British George Cross-winning bomb disposal hero killed in a blast in Afghanistan was physically tired on the day he died, an inquest heard.
Cornwall Coroner Emma Carlyon returned a verdict that Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was unlawfully killed while on active service.
She said nothing in the Army operation which led to his death could have prevented his "catastrophic injuries".
India praises Afghan actions against its consulate employee abductors
NEW DELHI, India on Wednesday said it was happy at the way the Afghanistan authorities swung into action against the abductors of its local employee working in the Consulate General of India (CGI) office in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.
A spokesperson of India's External Affairs Ministry said the action was praiseworthy.
"We would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation, to the Afghan authorities, especially Nangarhar governor Gul Agha Sherzai, the province police chief and the Ministry of Interior in Kabul, for the professionalism, seriousness and alacrity, with which they acted against the abductors,” he said in a statement.
Merkel faces questions over airstrike in Afghanistan
Afghanistan 10.2.2001
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier are due to answer questions on a military airstrike that killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan in September 2009.
For over a year a parliamentary inquiry has been investigating the events surrounding the German-ordered airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan which killed more than 100 people and injured 11 in September 2009. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to face the inquiry's questioning.
All soldiers and politicians who participated in the decisions surrounding the deadly strike - including current Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg - have been questioned for hours, and slowly an overall picture of events is being rebuilt.
Korean base in Afghanistan - opening ceremony delayed
SEOUL - South Korea says it is delaying next week's opening ceremony of its new base in due to security concerns.
Three rocket propelled grenades landed inside the base and two others fell outside the base Tuesday. The attack came hours after Seoul's defence minister visited. No one was injured.
Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the opening ceremony would be put on hold indefinitely.
Seoul withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2007 after the Taliban killed two of its citizens in a hostage standoff.
It deployed a provincial reconstruction team to help rebuild the war-torn country last year. More than 320 South Korean troops are stationed there to protect South Korean civilian aid workers and policemen.
Associated Press
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Schoolboy suicide bomber kills 27
A suicide bomber in a school uniform has attacked soldiers at a Pakistani army training camp, killing 27 troops and wounding 40 others, officials said.
The attack in the northwest town of Mardan showed that despite years of army operations against their hideouts along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, Taliban and al-Qaida-linked fighters retain the ability to strike back.
Daddy it's time to come home...
A HERO due back from Afghanistan was killed defusing a Taliban bomb - hours after his little boy phoned to remind him: "Daddy, it's time to come home.
Afghan Red Cross worker to be hanged for being Christian
One-legged Afghan Red Cross worker set to be hanged after converting to Christianity.
An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.
Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison were he claims he has been tortured and sexually abused by inmates and guards.
Mr Musa, who lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s, has worked for the Red Cross for 15 years and helps to treat fellow amputees.
U.S Customs officer killed by suicide bomber
KABUL - A retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was killed and three other U.S. customs workers were wounded in a suicide bombing earlier this week in southern Afghanistan.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement released Tuesday in Washington that David Hillman, a retired customs officer who had worked for the U.S. government for 30 years, died in the blast Monday at the Inland Customs Warehouse in Kandahar.
Afghan police said the suicide bomber detonated a cache of explosives inside the city's customs house compound during a visit by NATO forces.
The Taliban in Kandahar are attacking officials and others who support pro-government forces. Earlier this month, a suicide bomber killed the province's deputy governor.
On Wednesday, a roadside bomb killed a senior district police official in the northern Balkh province, provincial police spokesman Sher Jan Durani said. Four bodyguards were also wounded when the bomb struck the vehicle carrying the director of criminal investigations in the province's Chimtal district, Noor Ahmad.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement released Tuesday in Washington that David Hillman, a retired customs officer who had worked for the U.S. government for 30 years, died in the blast Monday at the Inland Customs Warehouse in Kandahar.
Afghan police said the suicide bomber detonated a cache of explosives inside the city's customs house compound during a visit by NATO forces.
The Taliban in Kandahar are attacking officials and others who support pro-government forces. Earlier this month, a suicide bomber killed the province's deputy governor.
On Wednesday, a roadside bomb killed a senior district police official in the northern Balkh province, provincial police spokesman Sher Jan Durani said. Four bodyguards were also wounded when the bomb struck the vehicle carrying the director of criminal investigations in the province's Chimtal district, Noor Ahmad.
Inquest into bomb hero's death
Published on Wed Feb 09 12:42:57 GMT 2011
Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was hailed as the bravest of the brave after disarming 64 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during a single tour of duty in Helmand Province.
An inquest is beginning into the death in Afghanistan of a George Cross-winning bomb disposal hero from Winchester.
Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was hailed as the bravest of the brave after disarming 64 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during a single tour of duty in Helmand Province.
Afghan Police plan and lead their first Helmand operation
Security and governance have been brought to a previously contested area east of Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, following the first operation in the district to have been entirely planned and led by the Afghan National Police (ANP).
Operation ZMARAY ATTAL 4 (Lion's Hero 4) saw officers enter a Taliban-occupied area that has seen little presence in the past of the Afghan forces or authorities.
The operation was backed by troops from Delta Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 SCOTS), but the ANP's conduct was so professional and competent that the British troops had little more to do than simply turn up and watch.
Small withdrawal of U.S troops from Afghanistan in July
(CNN) - A senior U.S. Congressman just back from Afghanistan painted an upbeat picture of military operations there, but predicted only a small number of U.S. forces will be withdrawn this summer.
"I don't expect we're going to see a big withdrawal of troops at that time," said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
"We asked the question several times, receiving no answer other than any withdrawal will be based on conditions on the ground."
NATO names Briton as new envoy to Afghanistan
BRUSSELS, 9th February 2011 - NATO named on Wednesday the British ambassador to Iran, Simon Gass, as the alliance’s new top civilian envoy in Afghanistan to help steer the handover of the security role to Afghan forces.
Gass will replace another Briton, Mark Sedwill, who has served as NATO’s senior civilian representative since February 2010, the 28-nation military organisation said in a statement.
He will officially take over at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in April.
Two children killed every day in Afghanistan
At least two children lost their lives every day in the Afghan conflict in 2010, a rights group said Wednesday, blaming the Taliban-led insurgents for two thirds of the deaths.
'About 739 children lost their lives in the conflict-related security incidents in Afghanistan from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2010,' said the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM), an independent group that has been conducting annual reports on civilian casualties since 2008.
'About 739 children lost their lives in the conflict-related security incidents in Afghanistan from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2010,' said the Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM), an independent group that has been conducting annual reports on civilian casualties since 2008.
France - no more troops to Afghanistan
Paris, Wednesday 9th February 2011
France will not send more troops to Afghanistan, even after requests from the US.
With US-led soldiers struggling to win the nine-year-old war, the French government has said it will not increase force numbers from the 4,000 already in Afghanistan.
French Defense Minister Alain Juppe met with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington on Tuesday when he said France would continue to redeploy some of its existing troops to pave the way for handing over the security missions to Afghan forces.
The French minister later said France had already made a considerable effort to fight the war in Afghanistan, after having been there at the beginning of the US-led occupation in 2001.
Attacks on US-led forces in Afghanistan have significantly increased over the past months.
In 2010, as many as 711 foreign troops, including 53 French soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan, an average of two a day.
With US-led soldiers struggling to win the nine-year-old war, the French government has said it will not increase force numbers from the 4,000 already in Afghanistan.
French Defense Minister Alain Juppe met with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington on Tuesday when he said France would continue to redeploy some of its existing troops to pave the way for handing over the security missions to Afghan forces.
The French minister later said France had already made a considerable effort to fight the war in Afghanistan, after having been there at the beginning of the US-led occupation in 2001.
Attacks on US-led forces in Afghanistan have significantly increased over the past months.
In 2010, as many as 711 foreign troops, including 53 French soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan, an average of two a day.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Militants torch NATO tankers in Pakistan
Peshawar: Wed, Feb 9
Unidentified militants in northwest Pakistan have torched four trucks carrying fuel supplies for US-led forces stationed in Afghanistan, security officials say.
In the incident, which happened on Tuesday, bombs planted underneath one of the trucks exploded in a market on the outskirts of Peshawar, Reuters reported.
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