Afghanistan News & Discussion - April 2016

sum · Post by **sum** » 25 Jun 2017 17:39

Pakis upto their usual Pakiness. Now turn of Doval and co to provide a reply somewhere within TSP

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 25 Jun 2017 18:50

DrRatnadip wrote:http://m.timesofindia.com/world/south-a ... 309625.cms

KABUL: At least 10 policemen were killed and four others injured on Saturday night when Taliban militants attacked a checkpost near India-made Salma dam in Afghanistan's Herat province.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in June 2016 jointly inaugurated the Salma dam, a Rs 1,700 crore showpiece infrastructure project by India in strategically important Herat province, reflecting India's strong commitment to reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

The Afghan-India Friendship Dam, earlier known as Salma Dam, on the river Chist-e-Sharif in western Herat neighbouring Iran, irrigates 75,000 hectares of land and will generate 42MW of power.
Touted as a "landmark" infrastructure project, the dam located 165km east of Herat town, is expected to significantly boost the agricultural economy of the province.

rsangram · Post by **rsangram** » 25 Jun 2017 18:56

A few days ago, I had posted that there is a plan afoot, initiated by the Chinese, mediated by the Russians and acquiesced by the Americans, to basically hand over Afghan to Paki proxies, with some face saving to Americans and granting China extensive mineral rights in Afghanistan.

There were many jingos, who instinctively attacked me (a messenger) for reporting on that plan, that I had heard about, and posting here. But here is some evidence that such a plan is afoot, and remember, this is a Chinese plan, which will not be executed in one giant swoop, but bit by bit, very meticulously, starting with some small innocuous steps, the Chinese will prevail.

China urges Afghans, Pakistan to form crisis-management mechanism

Reuters

By Kay Johnson
Reuters June 25, 2017

https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-urges- ... 14289.html

As a disclaimer, I would say this. I have been told about this plan, that I posted above, a few days ago, by sources I consider reliable. Can they be wrong ? Sure. Could I have misinterpreted what they told me? Yes, of course. Even if they are not wrong and I did not misinterpret, can these plans change or be forced to change ? Absolutely. I am just a messenger posting what I heard.

Of course. In fact, by posting, my hope was, that somehow these plans can be changed or even sabotaged.

But by being in denial, and attacking me, the messenger, we have no hopes to effect those plans, if they do exist.

BharataTalwar · Post by **BharataTalwar** » 25 Jun 2017 20:00

rsangram wrote:...hand over Afghan to Paki proxies

Hi Rsangram jee. I appreciate and acknowledge your input on this board and I hope you will continue to do so.

Could you clarify this "handing over"? In what capacity is Afghan being handed over to TSP? I cannot imagine US agreeing to any handing over to Taliban. They might agree to hand over directly to TSP government to save face, but not the militant outfit they have been fighting for the last 16 years. That would be absolute defeat and humiliation, surely? Also, I do not see Ghani surviving. Forget TSP, Taliban. Ordinary people from Kabul are attacking him. He is a goner and so is the idea of an Afghan government. Lesson here is that you cannot bomb an already war ravaged, landlocked, poorly defined "country" into submission and then expect democracy to flourish. Its was never meant to happen. Not with their sorry neighbors.

I am sensing that US is once again developing a soft spot for TSP, this time to keep China in check and potentially hurt Iran. They have probably reached or will soon reach the conclusion that Afghanistan is a lost cause. There is no victory, profit or honour in staying. This is evidenced by the ridiculous mini-surge idea, which screams desperation.

What options does that leave:

Status quo: Patience and money are running out. Having blown a trillion in direct costs and 100 mill a day ongoing, Trump will look to score points in Afghanistan by "ending the war". Question is how.

Hand over Afghanistan to Taliban. Seriously doubt this. This would be absolute defeat and humiliation for Trump. Cannot pass this on as a "victory".
Hand over Afghanistan to Iran. No chance for this. Trump (and Arab brotherhood) wants to hurt Iran a lot more than anyone else in the region, including the Taliban.
Hand over Afghanistan to Kabul Government. Very unlikely to work. They are barely controlling anything as it is. It would take a miracle.
Hand over Afghanistan to India. Potentially might work, but at huge cost to India, which US are unlikely to fund. Also, India has good relations with Iran, something which will not work in favour for us.

Hand over Afghanistan to TSP. The only sorry option left. Since everyone knows that Taliban are directly being controlled by TSP, this is only silver bullet for peace, something Trump might want to take advantage for internal politics. Then, they can focus on Iran like they always wanted. A deal will be reached to vanish Taliban to make this look like a US victory. I just wonder where Taliban will resurface...

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 25 Jun 2017 20:08

Why ..why ... there is a quadrilateral group on Afghanistan *trying* to work out a solution for quite a while. A lot of conversations involving China, America, Bakistan and Afghanistan has been on. Nothing new or secret. I did not need a *messenger from Langley* to inform me that China/America are interested in reaching as sort of *settlement* on Afghanistan. That has been the focus of the group since inception. Proof? See below.

http://thediplomat.com/tag/quadrilatera ... ghanistan/
Can China Help Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

before that

http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/road-to- ... rticipate/
Road to Quadrilateral-Backed Peace Talks Uncertain as Taliban Refuse to Participate

That China was working with/on Taliban is also not a secret. Now to extrapolate both facts as handover to Bakistan or its proxies is far fetched.

Added later: IIRC, Afghan gov. keeps asking the Taliban to come to the negotiating table. Infact they kept pestering the Bakis to *help* bring taliban to the table. Probably they too are trying to get Taliban to give up guns and join the mainstream. This too has been on for quite a while now.

So what is new? Are they too trying to handover Afghanistan to Baki proxies?

DrRatnadip · Post by **DrRatnadip** » 25 Jun 2017 20:19

rsangram wrote:A few days ago, I had posted that there is a plan afoot, initiated by the Chinese, mediated by the Russians and acquiesced by the Americans, to basically hand over Afghan to Paki proxies, with some face saving to Americans and granting China extensive mineral rights in Afghanistan.

Pakis being certified Wh* re will continue licking chinese balls wherever possible including in afganistan.. By its peculier culture/ geography and history Afganistan is too difficult to be controlled by central type of govt..It can go in hands of talibunnies.. But it seems unlikely that chinese and russians will "offer" some face saving to Americans.. I also dont get what exact is "some face saving" which trump is going bargain with chinese for extensive mineral rights in afganistan..

I hope GOI is doing enough to protect favourable govt in Afganistan.. After Iran oil fields fiasco it is shown once again that we still have bad habit of punching far bellow our weight and doing too little too late to protect our interests..Even after investing so much in Afganistan and being significant military power in region we are not given enough value at world stage as far as Afgaanistan is concerned.. This needs to be changed..

BharataTalwar · Post by **BharataTalwar** » 25 Jun 2017 22:59

DrRatnadip wrote:
rsangram wrote:A few days ago, I had posted that there is a plan afoot, initiated by the Chinese, mediated by the Russians and acquiesced by the Americans, to basically hand over Afghan to Paki proxies, with some face saving to Americans and granting China extensive mineral rights in Afghanistan.
Pakis being certified Wh* re will continue licking chinese balls wherever possible including in afganistan.. By its peculier culture/ geography and history Afganistan is too difficult to be controlled by central type of govt..It can go in hands of talibunnies.. But it seems unlikely that chinese and russians will "offer" some face saving to Americans.. I also dont get what exact is "some face saving" which trump is going bargain with chinese for extensive mineral rights in afganistan..

I hope GOI is doing enough to protect favourable govt in Afganistan.. After Iran oil fields fiasco it is shown once again that we still have bad habit of punching far bellow our weight and doing too little too late to protect our interests..Even after investing so much in Afganistan and being significant military power in region we are not given enough value at world stage as far as Afgaanistan is concerned.. This needs to be changed..

Its obvious that Trump doesn't have a policy on Afghanistan. At this point he just wants to get the hell out and call it a victory, by any means. The reason is painfully clear. They need to blow up Iran

Guddu · Post by **Guddu** » 25 Jun 2017 23:11

I have never understood US policy against Iran, when all the terrorists come from Sunni countries....but this is not the right thread for it...must be some great game thing in Syria.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 25 Jun 2017 23:11

pankajs wrote:Why ..why ... there is a quadrilateral group on Afghanistan *trying* to work out a solution for quite a while. A lot of conversations involving China, America, Bakistan and Afghanistan has been on. Nothing new or secret. I did not need a *messenger from Langley* to inform me that China/America are interested in reaching as sort of *settlement* on Afghanistan. That has been the focus of the group since inception. Proof? See below.

http://thediplomat.com/tag/quadrilatera ... ghanistan/
Can China Help Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

before that

http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/road-to- ... rticipate/
Road to Quadrilateral-Backed Peace Talks Uncertain as Taliban Refuse to Participate

That China was working with/on Taliban is also not a secret. Now to extrapolate both facts as handover to Bakistan or its proxies is far fetched.

Added later: IIRC, Afghan gov. keeps asking the Taliban to come to the negotiating table. Infact they kept pestering the Bakis to *help* bring taliban to the table. Probably they too are trying to get Taliban to give up guns and join the mainstream. This too has been on for quite a while now.

So what is new? Are they too trying to handover Afghanistan to Baki proxies?

Pankajs ji,

The existence of a China-US-Pak QCG on Afghanistan is of course something that has been known to those of us who have been carefully following public domain information regarding AfPak for a few years. We in our ignorance did not have "sources from Langley" to tell us this, but we knew it anyway.

That a long-standing China_US_Pak consultation is now being "revealed" to us all of a sudden, as "evidence" to support the notion of a top secret 11-point "plan", is quite laughable.

The reasoning offered is like this.

Hypothesis: humans did not evolve on earth but came to earth from mars.

Evidence:
1) the planet earth exists!
2) the planet mars exists!
3) there are no humans on mars today!
4) there are many humans on earth today!
5) Hence proved

DrRatnadip · Post by **DrRatnadip** » 26 Jun 2017 18:16

http://m.timesofindia.com/world/china/a ... 320183.cms

BEIJING: The dedicated air corridor between India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan is an attempt by New Delhi to counterbalance China's ambitious economic corridor via PoK and shows its "stubborn geopolitical thinking", a leading Chinese daily commented today.

Chinese are feeling mirchi in their rear end..

Old article in Dawn:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1300261

Afghanistan depends on the Karachi port for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route.
.
.
.
Afghanistan's ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of violent attacks, several of them in the capital Kabul, that it said showed Pakistan had failed to rein in the militant groups operating from its soil.

“Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India,” said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M. Abdali.

Pakistan says it is itself a victim of terrorism and says India is using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in Balochistan.

arun · Post by **arun** » 04 Jul 2017 07:53

X Posted from the “Pakistani Role in Global Terrorism” thread.

Protest in Belgium by Afghans against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s State policy of fomenting Mohammadden Terrorism in Afghanistan:

Afghans in Brussels stage protest against Pakistan

By Javed Hamim Kakar On Jul 03, 2017 - 14:59 KABUL (Pajhwok):

The Afghans living in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, staged a rally in support of Afghan security forces and the government and against Pakistan.

Shan Pacha Shinwari, an organiser of the rally, told Pajhwok Afghan News the demonstration held in front of European Parliament was attended by dozens of Afghans.

He said a number of Afghans came from other European countries to Brussels to take part in the rally in support of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Shinwari added the protestors chanted slogans against Pakistan and the terrorist groups enjoying safe havens in that country. Participants reminded the world, particularly the European Parliament, that terrorist hideouts in Pakistan not only disrupted security in Afghanistan, but also threatened the whole region, he said.

He alleged the terrorists trained in Pakistan were sent to Afghanistan for carrying out attacks. The rally told the international community to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorists. Shinwari said the protestors shared their demands and a resolution with the European Parliament.

The resolution letter, a copy of which was obtained by Pajhwok, urged the international community to impose political, economic and military sanctions on Pakistan and drag Pakistan’s military to the International Court of Justice.

The letter also asked NATO to continue supporting the Afghan security forces. The protestors called on the US to fully implement the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) it had signed with the Afghan government.

From here:

Pajhwok Afghan News

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 07 Jul 2017 20:34

President @AshrafGhani approved 25 small and large electricity dams around the country. NO water to #Pakistan and #Iran

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 07 Jul 2017 20:46

We can learn something from the Afghans.

arun · Post by **arun** » 08 Jul 2017 08:35

X Posted from the “Pakistani Role In Global Terrorism” thread.

Perplexing that US Military and Political bigwigs only see the light of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting ways, if at all, after they demit office

. Until they demit office US Military and Political bigwigs permit the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s to extract billions of Dollars of US Taxpayer money

despite an open display of the Islamic Republic’s Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting ways.

Article titled “The Problem In Afghanistan Is Pakistan” by Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. who is described as “a retired US Army Reserve colonel, an IT command and control subject matter expert, trained in Arabic and Kurdish, and a veteran of Afghanistan, northern Iraq and a humanitarian mission to West Africa.”

The Problem In Afghanistan Is Pakistan

Lawrence Sellin
Retired Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve
4:06 PM 07/07/2017

Regarding a new strategy for Afghanistan, even Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States says that a tougher approach needs to be adopted toward his country:

The Bush administration gave Pakistan $12.4 billion in aid, and the Obama administration forked over $21 billion. These incentives did not make Pakistan more amenable to cutting off support for the Afghan Taliban.

The U.S. cannot win in Afghanistan as long as Pakistan controls the resupply of our troops and regulates the battle tempo through its support of the Taliban, the Haqqani network and the other Islamic terrorist groups it nurtures.

And make no mistake, Pakistan does not want the U.S. to win because it views Afghanistan as a client state.

In addition to reducing foreign aid to a trickle, Pakistan has other potential pain points.

Recently introduced by Reps. Ted Poe (R-TX) and Rick Nolan (D-MN), but quickly tabled by a limp-wristed Republican House, HR 3000 sought to revoke Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) granted by President George W. Bush in 2004 to encourage “Islama-bad” to support the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

As a MNNA country, Pakistan became “eligible for priority delivery of defense material, an expedited arms sale process, and a U.S. loan guarantee program, which backs up loans issued by private banks to finance arms exports. It can also stockpile U.S. military hardware, participate in defense research and development programs, and be sold more sophisticated weaponry.”

Pakistan returned that favor by allowing the Taliban to rest, regroup and resupply inside its territory and played host and protector to Osama bin Laden from 2005 until his death at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs in 2011.

Even the Islam-friendly Obama Administration was forced to withhold $300 million in military reimbursements because Pakistan was not taking adequate action against the Haqqani network.

Those facts, plus the plethora of other violent radical Islamic groups currently operating in and from Pakistan could justify declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism.

Probably the greatest of all potential Pakistani pain points is ethnic separatism.

Pakistan is not so much a nation, but a collection of simultaneous arguments, an artificial political entity created by the British during the partition of India, founded entirely on the ideology of Islam and composed primarily of five ethnic groups that never coexisted – the Bengalis, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Baloch.

The “Islamization” program initiated by Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq (1977-1988) was specifically designed to suppress ethnic separatism and make Pakistan the global Sunni leader, an effort that eventually led to the proliferation of Islamic terrorist groups within its borders.

If Pakistan continues to use the Taliban and the Haqqani network as instruments of its foreign policy in Afghanistan, the exploitation of ethnic separatism within Pakistan, such as in Balochistan, remains an option. That is, fight an insurgency with an insurgency.

Another consideration is to challenge the Durand Line, the arbitrary 1896 border drawn by British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand, whereby Pashtun lands currently in Pakistan could be incorporated into Afghanistan to prevent Pakistan from using its Pashtun population as Taliban cannon fodder.

Clearly, rounding up the usual collection of incentives has not changed Pakistan’s strategy. It is time to change ours.

Admittedly, Pakistan will respond negatively to such an approach, but even the worst case scenario will only hasten an outcome that is inevitable if the U.S. continues its present strategy in Afghanistan. That is, a humiliating defeat, a return to pre-9/11 conditions in Afghanistan and the exclusion of the U.S. as a significant player in South Asia for generations.

The choice is simple – either recognize that Pakistan perpetuates the war in Afghanistan and do something about it or get out now.

Daily Caller Web Link:

The Problem In Afghanistan Is Pakistan

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 08 Jul 2017 09:15

Guddu wrote:I have never understood US policy against Iran, when all the terrorists come from Sunni countries....but this is not the right thread for it...must be some great game thing in Syria.

Shia Iran is outside the US sphere of influence. Saudi and all the other major sunni states (including Pakistan, Turkey) all can be easily brought to heel and stomped on as and when required

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 08 Jul 2017 19:05

Why is China a stake holder in Afghan mess ? Till about 2 years back, China had no ball in the game and now suddenly they are one of the interlocutor. What gives ?

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Jul 2017 09:51

Slowly and steadily the effort to provide land-locked Afghanistan an alternative route to and from the sea that will allow Afghanistan to mitigate threat of halting transit of essential import and export products by the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is coming to fruition.

Iran’s Mehr News on the progress of the Khaf (Iran) to Herat (Afghanistan) railway line. Note that report talks about the significance of the Khaf-Herat rail link to India:

Khaf-Herat railway to open within weeks

TEHRAN, Jul. 20 (MNA) – A senior official in Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said the railway from Khaf in Iran to Herat in Afghanistan will become operational in three weeks.

Director General of the Organization for International Affairs at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Abbas Nazari said, given its significance to Iran and India, the railway will come on stream before it completely reaches Herat.

He went on to add that Iran had already constructed the trach from Khaf to Shematigh border inside Iran, which was previously inaugurated by the Iranian minister of roads and urban planning; “meanwhile, 30 kilometers of the total 64 kilometers connecting the border point to Herat will become operation in the coming three weeks.”

Iran’s first consignment to be exported to Afghanistan consists of cement though other products like gasoline and gas oil will also be carried to the neighboring country via the new route. Nazari estimated that Iran’s exports to Afghanistan through the railroad will reach five million tons per year.

Toughing upon the significance of the railway for India, he underlined hat opening of Khaf-Herat railway will benefit Indians since they are a major exporter of a variety of products to Afghanistan; “Indian vessels, upon unloading shipments in Bandar Abbas, will transfer cargo or bulk containers to Khaf via Bandar Abbas-Bafgh railroad and later to Afghanistan through the new path.”

HA/4035746

Mehr News

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Jul 2017 18:05

X Posted from the Pakistani Role In Global Terrorism thread.

At the Aspen Security Forum, Ambassador of Afghanistan to the US, Hamdullah Mohib, calls out the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan for just that; fomenting Mohammadden Terrorism:

"Pakistan is a major threat, not just to us but to your security"

"Treating it as a partner in counter-terrorism is a mistake. I think terrorism and Pakistan are equated."

"Pakistan is moving toward becoming a state that supports terrorism as an element of foreign policy, to a state that believes in terrorism"

Indeed the motto of the Punjabi dominated Army of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan of “Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah or translated “Faith, Piety and Jihad in the Way of Allah” justifies the following comment on them believing in Jihadi extremism:

"If we continue to give Pakistan a free pass, imagine the conflict at a time when the military is 1 million strong, has nuclear weapons, has sophisticated intelligence and believes in extremism at its core. So dealing with Pakistan's military is extremely important"

"Anything given to the Pakistanis today, whether it is weapons or finances, will be used against the entire world order"

The US participants, of whom two were named, James Cunningham, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and notorious India hater and former US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robin Raphael, who narrowly escaped being jailed by the US for spying for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, seemed a lot tamer.

From here:

Afghani ambassador equates Pakistan with terrorism at Aspen Security Forum

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 27 Jul 2017 05:25

Pakistani diplomatic officials abducted in Afghanistan rescued in operation

Two Pakistani diplomatic officials abducted in Afghanistan last month were recovered in an operation conducted by Afghan security forces, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told Pakistani officials in Kabul on Wednesday.The two were members of staff of the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jalalabad. They were kidnapped while they were travelling from Jalalabad to Torkham. Pakis are not "popular" in Afghanistan. It could be state or non-state actors, who knows

Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal had assured the Pakistani government that Afghanistan's security institutions and intelligence agencies were looking for the abducted officials.President Ghani personally phoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in Kabul to inform the mission that Afghan security forces had recovered the officials.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua conveyed the Pakistani government's gratitude over the safe recovery of the diplomats to Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai.

arun · Post by **arun** » 31 Jul 2017 22:00

X Posted from the STFUP thread.

Delivery of blow to “Honour and Dignity” aka H&D of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan by cricketing minnows Afghanistan, continues to rankle. The H&D denting comment was the Afghanistan Cricket Board very rightly saying "No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is valid with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe haven":

No cricketing ties until Afghanistan board apologise, says PCB

The Afghans promptly give the finger to the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s cricket board, the PCB:

We don’t see a reason to apologise to PCB, says Afghanistan Cricket Board chief

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 02 Aug 2017 22:39

Another Pakistani Sponsored Attack On Afghanistan .

Taliban suicide bomber attacks NATO convoy in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR: A Taliban suicide bomber rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into a convoy of foreign forces in Afghanistan's restive southern province of Kandahar causing casualties on Wednesday, officials said."At around noon a car bomb targeted a convoy of foreign forces in Daman area of Kandahar," provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani told AFP.NATO confirmed in a statement that a convoy was attacked and did "cause casualties" but did not immediately give further details. At least one witness reported seeing three bodies pulled from one of vehicles.

The assault is the latest blow to NATO forces, who ended their more than a decade-long combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. Since then Afghan troops and police, beset by soaring casualties, have struggled to beat back the resurgent Taliban, while facing the growing menace of the Islamic State group.

A recent UN report described Kandahar, which lies on the border with Pakistan, as one of the most dangerous places in the country for civilians. Paki proxies revving up attacks in response to US Funds not given to Pakis

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 08 Aug 2017 07:03

Kaala Paani fame Maut ka Saudagar is back.

Erik Prince offers private military force in Afghanistan

Erik Prince, the world’s most infamous military contractor, wants his private military forces to give Afghanistan the same treatment he gave Iraq.

In a document dated August 2017, parts of which have been seen by the Financial Times, he proposes a two-year plan for fewer than 5,000 global guns for hire and under 100 aircraft, bringing the total cost of the US effort to turn round a failing war to less than $10bn a year.
....

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 10 Aug 2017 21:08

X posted from STFUP.

Pakistan engineered Mullah Mansour’s death, claims NYT report

According to the NYT report, when Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour , then Taliban leader, was killed in an American drone strike, he sensed hours ago that something was not right.When he came home from a secret visit from Iran in May 2016, he called his relatives and brother while driving in a remote area of Southwestern Pakistan to let them know that he was about to die, reports claimed. “He knew something was happening,” a former Taliban commander, who is close to Mullah Mansour’s inner circle, said in an interview. “That’s why he was telling his family members what to do and to stay united.”Taliban commanders do not give interviews but it was a rare case as this one agreed to sit for interview on the condition that his name and location would not be made public. This fellow agreed for interview as he had escaped from insurgent’s rank and his life was under threat.

His statements offered insights into final hours of Mullah Mansour’s life and why and how he was killed revealing dangerously widening rift with Pakistani sponsors, reported NYT.The account was complemented and supported in interviews with two senior Afghan officials who have conducted their own investigations into the Taliban leader’s death — Haji Agha Lalai, presidential adviser and deputy governor of Kandahar; and Gen. Abdul Raziq, the police chief of Kandahar Province.Growing number of western security analysts and Afghans on both sides of war contented after more than a year that Pakistan was the mastermind behind Mullah Mansour’s death as it wanted the removal of the Taliban leader it could not trust, according to NYT report. There were similar reports about the time of his death ! This just confirms what was suspected earlier .

“Pakistan was making very strong demands,” the former commander said. “Mansour was saying you cannot force me on everything. I am running the insurgency, doing the fighting and taking casualties and you cannot force us.”Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada an Islamic cleric with no military experience became leader of the Taliban after the demise of Mullah Mansour. Yet Afghanistan has seen little reprieve with his death, as hard-liners within the movement took over and redoubled their offensive to take power.There is little chance of anyone speaking out, the former commander said. “Ninety percent of the Taliban blame the Pakistanis,” he said. “But they cannot say anything. They are scared.”While preparing for an ambitious offensive across eight provinces in Afghanistan last year, Mullah Mansour wanted to expand his sources of support, they said.The report further claimed he relied for main financing of Taliban group on Arab Gulf states, Pakistan’s intelligence agency and Afghan drug lords. Moreover, he also sought weapons from Iran and Russia and also met with officials of both countries. This also confirms the oft repeated cliche that "you can rent an Afghan, but you cannot "own" him"

Mullah wanted to get Taliban out of the control and reach of Pakistan that’s why he formed relations with Iran, according to his former associate and Afghan officials. He wanted to negotiate peace in accordance with his terms that’s where his different views from Pakistan gained momentum, NYT said. Mullah Mansour had refused to follow orders from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, to destroy infrastructure and to increase the cost of the war for the Afghan government. He opposed the promotion of Pakistan’s hard-line protégé Sirajuddin Haqqani to be his deputy, and he had dodged Pakistan’s demands to push its agenda in negotiations.

He says that Mullah Mansour was seeking new protectors as his disagreements with Pakistan were growing.“There were reports that he may have wanted to escape,” General Raziq said. “We knew one month before that Mansour was ready to make peace.” General Raziq also said Mullah Mansour feared assassination by Pakistan. “He told his relatives that ‘relations with Pakistan were very bad and they might kill me.”Mullah Mansour was alone on the day he was killed. The Paki Deep State has no qualms about eliminating Afghan Taliban leaders , who do not follow the "Pakistani Agenda". Hamid Karzai's father was a victim. And so is Hamid Karzai still in the cross-hairs of the Paki Deep State, because of his nationalistic views and his friendship with India !

For many in the Taliban, Mullah Mansour’s death represented a devastating betrayal by their longtime patron and sponsor, Pakistan that has split and demoralized the ranks.About two dozen senior commanders from Mullah Mansour’s Pashtun tribe have defected to the Afghan government or moved into Afghanistan in fear of further retribution from Pakistan.

The strike against Mullah Mansour was the first time a top Afghan Taliban leader had been killed inside Pakistan, which has provided a sanctuary for Taliban leaders throughout their 16-year insurgency against Afghanistan.At the time, President Barack Obama and other American officials and diplomats expressed satisfaction.“He was a prime target for the Americans and the Afghan government,” General Raziq said. “He was a terrorist.”

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 10 Aug 2017 23:56

https://financialtribune.com/articles/e ... habahar-in
India to Start Exporting to Afghanistan Via Chabahar in 2 Weeks

India will start shipping 35,000 containers of wheat to Afghanistan via the Iranian port of Chabahar in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province within two weeks.
“In the first phase, 7,500 containers will be shipped,” Sakineh Ashrafi, an official at Sistan-Baluchestan Governorate, was quoted as saying by IRNA on Tuesday.

Guddu · Post by **Guddu** » 20 Aug 2017 22:33

I am betting Pak aid will get cut, India might have some role too...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/mattis-us ... us-debate/

"Mattis: US reached decision on Afghan strategy after ‘rigorous’ debate

by AFP20 Aug 2017317
Amman (AFP) – US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed Sunday that the Trump administration had decided on a new strategy for Afghanistan after “rigorous” debate, but said President Donald Trump would be the one to announce it.

Mattis refused to hint at any details of the decision, which came after months of speculation over whether Trump, frustrated with a stalemate after 16 years in Afghanistan, would allow the Pentagon to boost troop numbers on the ground in the country.

However Mattis appeared satisfied after what he described as an in-depth review of the policy by much of the president’s cabinet and top security officials at Camp David on Friday.

“I’m very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous, and did not go in with a preset condition in terms of what questions could be asked and what decisions could be made,” he said.

“Everyone who had equity was heard,” he said, including budget officials responsible for funding the effort.

Trump had several options on the table, that ranged from backing away from the country to stepping up US efforts to defeat the Taliban. In June he gave Mattis the power to increase troop numbers above the estimated 8,400 that have been in the country — close to 4,000 more, according to reports.

But Mattis said he was loathe to move before he had a true picture of the numbers, which he said were actually higher than 8,400, and before Trump had his say on the broader strategy. "

“The president had to make strategic decisions,” Mattis said.

“He delegated to me, when he came in, the tactical and operational decision. He did not delegate one ounce of the strategic decision.”

“He really did come in with very different courses of action, and I think he now needs the weekend to collect his thoughts about how he’s going to explain it to the American people.”

kumarn · Post by **kumarn** » 21 Aug 2017 02:13

BREAKING: White House says Trump to address nation Monday night on strategy for Afghanistan, South Asia.
:the AP

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Aug 2017 06:21

There is more to this story.

Pakistan must ensure its soil is not used for terror activities: US

"In his discussions with Pakistani leaders, he emphasised that all parties must work to ensure that Pakistani soil is not used to plan or conduct terrorist attacks against its neighbours," the US Embassy here said in a statement.

THAT is a direct quote from the US Embassy in PakiLand!!!

And, then ....................

Top US General Visits Pakistan’s Waziristan Region

VOA wrote: General Votel arrived in Pakistan on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump was meeting with his top national security officials to discuss proposals about how to win the protracted war in Afghanistan.

U.S. and Afghan officials contend that Taliban insurgents and their Haqqani network ally are using Pakistani soil to plan insurgent activities.

“In his discussions with Pakistani leaders, he [Gen. Joseph Votel] emphasized that all parties must work to ensure that Pakistani soil is not used to plan or conduct terrorist attacks against its neighbors,” the statement from U.S. Central Command reads.

All this fed into or was the result of the discussions on A'sthan.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 22 Aug 2017 10:52

The financial cost of 16 years in Afghanistan

The most current estimate pegs the number at $841 billion. That comes from Anthony Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Cordesman, who served as a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense during the Afghan and Iraq wars, says that figure includes President Trump's budget request for next year.

Other estimates place the 16-year cost in the trillions of dollars because they measure a broader range of factors.

For instance, Neta Crawford, a co-director of the Cost of Wars Project at Brown University, has estimated that total war spending in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001 is approaching $5 trillion. Of that, roughly $2 trillion is attributable to Afghanistan. That includes some future cost obligations.

But even that higher figure leaves out some key expenses, such as the future costs of interest Americans will owe for the money borrowed to finance the war in Afghanistan. That alone could add trillions of dollars to the total tab.

While the United States has a history of wartime taxation to finance military conflicts -- albeit uneven -- that tradition was broken with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to tax historian Joe Thorndike. Not only did Congress not pass a tax to finance the efforts, it opted instead to pass the Bush tax cuts.

The $2 trillion also doesn't include future spending on the Department of Veterans Affairs related to Afghanistan or the money paid by states and localities for services provided to returning vets.

Estimates vary widely because there is no clearly delineated, uniform way that money spent on wars is allocated or counted by the White House or Congress.

And, of course, no financial estimate can offer a measure of the true cost of war -- the loss of human life on all sides as well as the physical and psychological disabilities suffered by those who survive -- whether military or civilian.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Aug 2017 01:24

X-Posted from Paki thread...

milano wrote:A nice article via NYT from Zalmay Khalilzad, praising Trump's Afghanistan policy. Note the amount of verbiage and detail dedicated to what to do with Pakistan if they don't fall in line. Combining this sort of commentary with statements from Tillerson, NSC spokesperson etc, the signs are encouraging that the US may actually follow through on its threats, unless it's all psyops. Pakis are making all sorts of defiant and recycled statements - I don't think they believe that the game is about to change for them.

The key thing in this policy statement that Trump made, which gives me encouragement, is specifically calling upon India to help more, Paki objections be damned, and the calling out of Paki duplicity.

We shall see, I suppose....

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/zalmay- ... n-strategy

vimal · Post by **vimal** » 24 Aug 2017 03:57

Change of heart by POTUS. Lets see if this holds.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Aug 2017 04:33

The US should use carrot and stick policy on the Pakistani donkey. Preferably on the wrong ends.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 24 Aug 2017 05:01

ramana wrote:The US should use carrot and stick policy on the Pakistani donkey. Preferably on the wrong ends.

Pakistan won't feel anything on both of these ends. Elephant need to ride on this Donkey to leave permanent mark of correction.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Sep 2017 09:09

Pakistani Nationals among ISIS terrorists killed in Afghanistan

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/3- ... an-forces/

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:05 P.M.) – Afghan civilian forces have killed four ISIS militants – among them three Pakistani nationals – in the eastern province of Nangarhar during a late-night firefight that took place two days ago.

According to Afghan government sources, public uprising forces (pro-government civilian militias) in Nangarhar’s Nazian district engaged a group of six ISIS terrorists on Sunday night.

As a result of the clashes, four ISIS militants were killed and another two arrested by Afghan popular uprising forces.

Three of the slain ISIS fighters were identified as Pakistani nationals from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whilst one was found to be a native Afghan from Nazian district. No comment on the ethnicity of the two arrest ISIS terrorists has been made.

Although their overall number is small compared to groups like the Taliban, Afghan-based ISIS forces are mostly concentrated in the east of the country (in provinces such as Nangarhar). In the same way this most recent clash has revealed, most fighters have been found to not even be native Afghans, instead coming from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 22 Sep 2017 21:03

Why is the USA in Afghanistan? An Answer To The Big Question

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 22 Sep 2017 23:08

In the interaction between MEA Sushma Swaraj and Afghan President Ghani Khan about 116 joint projects were announced.

Please try to post the article here.

Thanks.

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Sep 2017 07:54

^^^ Done. X Posted from the STFUP thread.

arun wrote:India related excerpt from the Q&A sessision with the Prime Minister of the Mohammadden Terrorism fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, at the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR):

………………..Rest Snipped………………

On our country India’s role in Afghanistan:

Q: Masuda Sultan, Insight Group.

I was wondering, you talked a little bit about the role of India, the way that the Trump administration sees it. I was just wondering what you think the role of India should be in Afghanistan.

ABBASI: Zero. (Laughter.) India—we don’t foresee any political or military role for India in Afghanistan. I think it will just complicate the situation and it will not resolve anything. So if they want to do economic assistance, that’s their prerogative, but there’s no—we don’t accept or see any role politically or militarily for India in Afghanistan.

SANGER: Do you see a business role for them in Afghanistan—as investors, as—

ABBASI: That’s up to them. All countries have the right to trade with each other, invest in other countries. So if they want to do that—and India has invested in Afghanistan in the past.

……………..................Rest Snipped………………………
From here:

A Conversation With Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

A swift kick up the backside from India and Afghanistan to the Prime Minister of the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan ludicrous expectation that the Islamic Republic somehow has veto rights over the scope and content of bilateral Indo-Afghan relations:

Hours After Pak PM's Big Talk, India Launches 116 Projects In Afghanistan :

"India and Afghanistan agreed to take up 116 high impact community development projects to be implemented in 31 provinces of Afghanistan," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters at a news conference in New York on Wednesday.

"Over and above these high impact projects, India has also offered assistance for six new projects under granting aid assistance from India. One of them is low-cost housing for returning Afghan refugees, road connectivity, national Park and economic development," he said.

The announcement came within hours of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi saying his country will never accept any role for India in Afghanistan. He even went on to say that there is "zero" role for India in Afghanistan.

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Sep 2017 08:12

X Posted from the STFUP thread.

Interview of Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Afghanistan Ambassador to India, by Suhasini Hyder. Ambassador Abdali rejects the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's remarks that India has no military role in Afghanistan.:

How do you respond to the Pakistan Prime Minister’s comment in New York that India has no military role in Afghanistan?

I think the remarks were unfortunate, and shows that this cold-war era narrative persists, where relationships with one country are seen as a choice against another. But any country has the right to ask Afghanistan if their security is harmed by any activity on Afghan soil. However if there is no proof of this, then no country has the right to dictate or manipulate Afghanistan’s foreign policy. It must be remembered that when the rest of the region was still colonised, Afghanistan had its own independent foreign policy. Our goal is clear, we are building our defence and security forces so Afghanistan can defend itself against our enemy which is common to us all and that is terrorism. Why should anyone have a problem with that?

India and Afghanistan share an old and civilizational relationship, and it is in the basis of this relationship that the US has now asked India to do more in Afghanistan’s development effort. It is because of India’s excellent performance in the last 15 years in Afghanistan that India was called upon. India has been the largest donor in the region, and has always had a positive and popular role for the people of Afghanistan. It should instead be asked, why is India’s role only being recognised now?

From The Hindu:

No country can dictate our foreign policy: Afghanistan's envoy

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Sep 2017 19:36

Russia keen to work with India on Afghanistan

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 Sep 2017 23:24

Pak is fretting because India may be asked for boots on ground and joint ops with NATO. Hectic activity/lobbying between Beijing & Riyad. PRC was asked to cover/deploy in FATA/NWFP. Can't see how it is conceivable.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Sep 2017 02:33

Welcome back