Well, he looks pretty dead:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070513/wl ... andadullah
But it's so hard to tell one of these guys from another. No wonder they love their beards. It's a perfect disguise.
Afghanistan News & Discussion
http://origin.mercurynews.com/business/ci_5880934
Well that does it then. Assuming this deal goes through, there's no solid reason for the US to stay in Afghanistan. They're going to be leaving, folks.
Expect a "political solution" and "power sharing arrangement" sometime in the next couple of years. Of course, the new Afghan gov't will be termed a "reconciliation" or "unity" government.
Whatever. The end will be Taliban\Pak back in charge of Afghanistan. I guess this means Kashmir will heat back up again, big time, around 2009-2010.
Well that does it then. Assuming this deal goes through, there's no solid reason for the US to stay in Afghanistan. They're going to be leaving, folks.
Expect a "political solution" and "power sharing arrangement" sometime in the next couple of years. Of course, the new Afghan gov't will be termed a "reconciliation" or "unity" government.
Whatever. The end will be Taliban\Pak back in charge of Afghanistan. I guess this means Kashmir will heat back up again, big time, around 2009-2010.
More on Dadullah:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/world ... fghan.html
I don't see how the US can afford to leave. If Afghanistan falls back into jihadi hands, then it will become a new fortress/base for every anti-American terrorist.
You could see the jihad taken back to Western soil at that point, with bombings inside Western territory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/world ... fghan.html
I don't see how the US can afford to leave. If Afghanistan falls back into jihadi hands, then it will become a new fortress/base for every anti-American terrorist.
You could see the jihad taken back to Western soil at that point, with bombings inside Western territory.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/may-2007/14/index1.php
Seven Afghan soldiers killed in clash with Pak forces
Our Staff Reporter/Agencies
PESHAWAR - Afghan and Pakistani security forces traded fire for several hours over a dispute of a check-post Sunday leaving seven Afghan troops dead in their heaviest battles in decades - with Afghan tribesmen preparing to join in, officials said.
Afghan forces attacked a Pakistani border post in the Kurram Agency which was strongly retaliated, said ISPR Chief Maj. Gen. Wahid Arshad while giving details of the clash.
“Three Pakistani soldiers were wounded while seven Afghan troops were killed during exchange of gunfire,â€
Seven Afghan soldiers killed in clash with Pak forces
Our Staff Reporter/Agencies
PESHAWAR - Afghan and Pakistani security forces traded fire for several hours over a dispute of a check-post Sunday leaving seven Afghan troops dead in their heaviest battles in decades - with Afghan tribesmen preparing to join in, officials said.
Afghan forces attacked a Pakistani border post in the Kurram Agency which was strongly retaliated, said ISPR Chief Maj. Gen. Wahid Arshad while giving details of the clash.
“Three Pakistani soldiers were wounded while seven Afghan troops were killed during exchange of gunfire,â€
Pakistan tries a western Kargil??
Afghan, Pakistan Forces Clash As Pakistan Tries To Establish Outpost In Afghan Territory
http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3187
The heaviest clash so far between Afghan and Pakistani forces erupted Sunday when Pakistani forces attempted to install an outpost in eastern Afghanistan.
There were conflicting reports on the death toll on either side. The Afghan interior ministry said in a statement that eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and their bodies left on the battlefield, while Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said three Pakistani soldiers were injured in the 'unprovoked' attack, while the Afghans took six or seven casualties.
Fighting between the two forces erupted early Sunday when the Pakistani army attempted to position their forces in mountains in Goyee area of Jaji district of the southeastern Paktia province, General Zahir Azimi, Afghan defence ministry spokesman told a press conference.
Azimi said the advancing troops were forced to retreat and began using heavy artillery against the Afghan troops. Two children were killed while another three were injured along with two policemen, when a rocket hit a school.
He said that two Afghan police were also wounded, however, provincial police chief for Paktia Abdul Rahman Sarjang said that one policeman was killed and three others were wounded.
Azimi said that thousands of local people joined the Afghan forces from the Jaji district while tens of thousands of armed people dressed in white, beating drums and chanting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great), were making their way to the Goyee area.
The local people fired at Pakistani helicopters which were manoeuvring in the area over Afghan soil, Azimi said, adding, 'unconfirmed reports suggest that one of the helicopters which was shot and caught fire crashed in Pakistani soil.'
However, General Arshad rejected reports that a Pakistani helicopter was shot down and said neither side crossed the border.
Arshad, confirmed that an exchange of fire took place at around 9.00 a.m. Sunday in Pakistan's Kurram Agency, which borders Afghanistan's eastern Paktika Province.
'Afghan forces started uncontrolled firing on our forces,' he told DPA.
The situation calmed following the arrival of US-led Coalition officials in the afternoon to investigate the incident, according to the official.
Afghanistan and Pakistan, both strong allies of the US war on terror have been at loggerheads, each accusing the other of not doing enough to check cross-border infiltration.
The leaders of both countries met in Turkey late last month to ease the tension between their governments, but the latest clash indicates that the trouble is far from over.
In another separate clash between Afghan backed international forces and Taliban insurgents, 55 Taliban militants were killed in the neighbouring Paktika province Saturday, the interior ministry said in a statement Sunday.
In a clash in Gayan district of Paktika province Afghan police killed 40 militants, the statement said, adding that 10 bodies had been recovered.
Afghan, Pakistan Forces Clash As Pakistan Tries To Establish Outpost In Afghan Territory
http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3187
The heaviest clash so far between Afghan and Pakistani forces erupted Sunday when Pakistani forces attempted to install an outpost in eastern Afghanistan.
There were conflicting reports on the death toll on either side. The Afghan interior ministry said in a statement that eight Pakistani soldiers were killed and their bodies left on the battlefield, while Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said three Pakistani soldiers were injured in the 'unprovoked' attack, while the Afghans took six or seven casualties.
Fighting between the two forces erupted early Sunday when the Pakistani army attempted to position their forces in mountains in Goyee area of Jaji district of the southeastern Paktia province, General Zahir Azimi, Afghan defence ministry spokesman told a press conference.
Azimi said the advancing troops were forced to retreat and began using heavy artillery against the Afghan troops. Two children were killed while another three were injured along with two policemen, when a rocket hit a school.
He said that two Afghan police were also wounded, however, provincial police chief for Paktia Abdul Rahman Sarjang said that one policeman was killed and three others were wounded.
Azimi said that thousands of local people joined the Afghan forces from the Jaji district while tens of thousands of armed people dressed in white, beating drums and chanting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great), were making their way to the Goyee area.
The local people fired at Pakistani helicopters which were manoeuvring in the area over Afghan soil, Azimi said, adding, 'unconfirmed reports suggest that one of the helicopters which was shot and caught fire crashed in Pakistani soil.'
However, General Arshad rejected reports that a Pakistani helicopter was shot down and said neither side crossed the border.
Arshad, confirmed that an exchange of fire took place at around 9.00 a.m. Sunday in Pakistan's Kurram Agency, which borders Afghanistan's eastern Paktika Province.
'Afghan forces started uncontrolled firing on our forces,' he told DPA.
The situation calmed following the arrival of US-led Coalition officials in the afternoon to investigate the incident, according to the official.
Afghanistan and Pakistan, both strong allies of the US war on terror have been at loggerheads, each accusing the other of not doing enough to check cross-border infiltration.
The leaders of both countries met in Turkey late last month to ease the tension between their governments, but the latest clash indicates that the trouble is far from over.
In another separate clash between Afghan backed international forces and Taliban insurgents, 55 Taliban militants were killed in the neighbouring Paktika province Saturday, the interior ministry said in a statement Sunday.
In a clash in Gayan district of Paktika province Afghan police killed 40 militants, the statement said, adding that 10 bodies had been recovered.
Glory be that Madmullah Madullah is in Firdaus!The more Talibs that are received into heaven,the better the world will be,though there will be much gnashing of teeth and a wailing and a ranting in the madrasas of pak! Ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban is an absolute must for India too.In this ,our aims and the aims of democratic nations worldwide coincide.I do not use the word "West",as this has "Crusader" connotations.The Talib,Osama and the Wahabis are the world's terrorists who abuse Islam to achieve their global ambitons.Afghanistan is the only state where they can "roost in peace",as they cannot openly operate in pak with the wrath of the US around them and the potential loss of the paki nuclear strike force to US attack.
That is why Afghanistan is so important.The ungodly uniformed tribe in pak of the ISI ,can export its indoctrinated zombies fresh from the madrasas into Afghanistan using the safe havens of the frontier .Ingress and egress takes place at will,as the Talib and Al Q synergise their efforts.From the training grounds of Afghanistan and pak,the zombies spread out far into the civilised world spreading their mayhem.In the fullness of time,one will one day inevitably see a nuclear device or devices,designed in China,packaged in a N.Korean tincan,delivered to a western destination via Al Q and the Taliban.The only way to prevent that is for the dismemberment of the paki state into ethnic pieces and the capture or total destruction of its nuclear arsenal.Instead of planning to hit Iran,which has no N-weapons as of now,the US and Israel should instead plan to destroy Pak's nuclear arsenal as that country disintegrates into anarchy and the strong possibility of a "fundamentalist" military takeover looms large.
That is why Afghanistan is so important.The ungodly uniformed tribe in pak of the ISI ,can export its indoctrinated zombies fresh from the madrasas into Afghanistan using the safe havens of the frontier .Ingress and egress takes place at will,as the Talib and Al Q synergise their efforts.From the training grounds of Afghanistan and pak,the zombies spread out far into the civilised world spreading their mayhem.In the fullness of time,one will one day inevitably see a nuclear device or devices,designed in China,packaged in a N.Korean tincan,delivered to a western destination via Al Q and the Taliban.The only way to prevent that is for the dismemberment of the paki state into ethnic pieces and the capture or total destruction of its nuclear arsenal.Instead of planning to hit Iran,which has no N-weapons as of now,the US and Israel should instead plan to destroy Pak's nuclear arsenal as that country disintegrates into anarchy and the strong possibility of a "fundamentalist" military takeover looms large.
U.S. Soldier Shot to Death in Pakistan
Link
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Militants opened fire Monday on a convoy carrying U.S. and Pakistani military officials near the Afghan frontier, killing one American and one Pakistani soldier, the Pakistani army spokesman said.
At least two Americans and two Pakistani soldiers and were wounded.
Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said "miscreants" -- usually a byword used by Pakistani officials to describe Islamic militants -- fired at the convoy carrying military officials who attended a meeting in the northwestern town of Teri Mangal.
Afghan military officials also attended the talks to discuss recent fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces that the government in Kabul says has killed at least 13 people inside Afghanistan -- inflaming already poor relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said it could confirm ISAF casualties but not the exact number of injured or killed.
Maj. William Mitchell, a spokesman at the U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, said officials were trying to verify conflicting reports of violence.
Rahmatullah Rahmat, governor of the Afghan border province of Paktia, said that he, U.S. military advisors and Afghan army leaders traveled by helicopter to Pakistan for the meeting.
He said that after the meeting finished, gunmen opened fire on the group as they were heading toward their helicopters. Rahmat reported two American dead and two wounded.
He said that American soldiers returned fire.
Arshad said that Pakistan has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. He denied initial reports from Afghanistan that a Pakistani soldier had opened fire on the American troops.
He had no details on the conditions of the wounded soldiers or their identities. He said the Americans had been shifted to Afghanistan for treatment.
"The latest information that I have got is that one Pakistani soldier died of his wounds, and one American soldier died of his wounds," Arshad said.
"Efforts are being made to determine from where the firing came from and who carried it out. The area has been cordoned (off)," he said.
Islamic militants, including supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaida, are active in the lawless border region.
Link
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Militants opened fire Monday on a convoy carrying U.S. and Pakistani military officials near the Afghan frontier, killing one American and one Pakistani soldier, the Pakistani army spokesman said.
At least two Americans and two Pakistani soldiers and were wounded.
Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said "miscreants" -- usually a byword used by Pakistani officials to describe Islamic militants -- fired at the convoy carrying military officials who attended a meeting in the northwestern town of Teri Mangal.
Afghan military officials also attended the talks to discuss recent fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces that the government in Kabul says has killed at least 13 people inside Afghanistan -- inflaming already poor relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said it could confirm ISAF casualties but not the exact number of injured or killed.
Maj. William Mitchell, a spokesman at the U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, said officials were trying to verify conflicting reports of violence.
Rahmatullah Rahmat, governor of the Afghan border province of Paktia, said that he, U.S. military advisors and Afghan army leaders traveled by helicopter to Pakistan for the meeting.
He said that after the meeting finished, gunmen opened fire on the group as they were heading toward their helicopters. Rahmat reported two American dead and two wounded.
He said that American soldiers returned fire.
Arshad said that Pakistan has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. He denied initial reports from Afghanistan that a Pakistani soldier had opened fire on the American troops.
He had no details on the conditions of the wounded soldiers or their identities. He said the Americans had been shifted to Afghanistan for treatment.
"The latest information that I have got is that one Pakistani soldier died of his wounds, and one American soldier died of his wounds," Arshad said.
"Efforts are being made to determine from where the firing came from and who carried it out. The area has been cordoned (off)," he said.
Islamic militants, including supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaida, are active in the lawless border region.
Pakistan clash kills US soldier
"At the meeting, a Pakistani officer rose up and fired at US soldiers, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and the wounding of two others," he said.
AFGHANISTAN: 60 TALIBAN KILLED IN NATO AIR STRIKE
Kabul, 15 May (AKI) - At least 60 Taliban fighters have been killed in an air strike conducted by NATO forces in southern Afghanistan on Monday night, local authorities say. According to police chief, Asmatullah Alizai, among the victims of the strike were three important Taliban leaders in the district of Jalai in the southern province of Kandahar. The air raid carried out on Monday night targeted Taliban hideouts that had been identified by some informants. The three Taliban commanders who were killed, were Mullah Abdul Hanan, Mullah Zekria and Mullah Zarif, according to Alizai.
Afghan soldiers mass on border, ready and willing to take on old foe
In the late-morning lull that followed the thump of shellfire and chatter of machineguns, the preparations for a small war seemed to be unfolding in the orchards and paddy fields beneath the towering Spingar mountain range.
Scores of heavily armed Afghan troops and fighters from special border police units – determined, professional and evidently spoiling for a fight – gathered around their senior officers for orders. Artillery men waited beside their 122mm field guns hidden among the mulberry groves. And in nearby village bazaars tribesmen clustered around their elders, asking for weapons of their own so that they could join the fray.
Yet the enemy was not the Taleban, nor an infiltrating column of al-Qaeda fighters. Instead, in the remote border district of ’Ali Kheyl in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan security forces have found themselves pitted against an older and bigger enemy: Pakistan.
Clashes between the two neighbours – two of the West’s biggest allies in the War on Terror – began here last Sunday morning when Paki-stani forces fired on an Afghan post at Toorgawe, a strategic point on the border. The fighting is the most serious of its kind for years.
Since Sunday evening there has been a build-up of forces in the contested zone as hundreds of regular Afghan soldiers from the 203rd “Thunderâ€
‘US raids left 2,000 Afghans homeless’
KABUL, May 19: Bombing by US forces in western Afghanistan last month wrecked 173 houses and left 2,000 people homeless, the Red Cross said on Saturday, announcing findings of its assessment of the damage.
Preliminary UN and Afghan investigations have found that around 50 civilians were killed in the April 27 and 29 assaults, which involved US Special Forces, with final reports due this week.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed in a statement that the clashes “killed dozens of civiliansâ€
KABUL, May 19: Bombing by US forces in western Afghanistan last month wrecked 173 houses and left 2,000 people homeless, the Red Cross said on Saturday, announcing findings of its assessment of the damage.
Preliminary UN and Afghan investigations have found that around 50 civilians were killed in the April 27 and 29 assaults, which involved US Special Forces, with final reports due this week.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed in a statement that the clashes “killed dozens of civiliansâ€
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Nayak
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AFGHANISTAN: Higher pay rates for poppy workers in volatile
AFGHANISTAN: Higher pay rates for poppy workers in volatile south
LASGHKARGAH, 21 May 2007 (IRIN) - Standing in the middle of a large field, Khair Mohammad, 27, uses a sharp razor to lance chest-high poppy plants in the outskirts of Lashkargah, the provincial capital of the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
Lancing should take place in the afternoons in order to sun-block the seeping opiate from drying up quickly. Early the following morning workers hang plastic bags from their necks and collect raw opiate either with the same razor or their fingers.
Mohammad earns about US$15 a day for 12 hours onerous work under a scorching sun. "This is a lot of money," the young poppy harvester said, "I will work hard for one month and my family will be better off for months".
Mohammad said he came to work in volatile Helmand from his native Ghazni province in eastern Afghanistan, because he could not find a job there. "Thousands of men have come from Ghazni and other provinces to work in Helmand and neighbouring areas where poppy is cultivated on a large scale," another harvester, Rozi Gul, told IRIN in Lashkargah.
In 2006, over 2 million people worked in poppy fields throughout Afghanistan, according to the UN. Provincial officials in Helmand province say thousands of workers also come from neighbouring Pakistan to work in the poppy fields.
"Like it or not Afghanistan's poppy fields have regional and global economic implications," said a government official who declined to be identified.
Higher pay rates
In Helmand and its neighbouring provinces farmers have cultivated more poppy than ever before, but growing insecurity has affected the poppy job market in the region.
"People [labourers] fear to come to Helmand because of the conflict. That is why we are paying higher rates than last year," said Khair Mohammad, a poppy farmer in Helmand.
"In Nangarhar and other relatively calm provinces a poppy labourer is paid about 400 Afghanis [$8 per day] while in Helmand it is double [that figure]," said Shirish Ravan, an official with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in Afghanistan.
Production rising
Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, according to the UNODC, and Helmand alone produces over 35 percent of the country's opium.
According to UNODC statistics, in 2006 Afghanistan produced a record 6,100 tonnes of opium and grew poppies on 165,000 hectares of land - an area roughly the same size as two-thirds of Luxemburg.
The UN's drug agency estimates the country will produce more opium in 2007 than it did last year.
Of the $3.1 billion that Afghanistan's opium industry produced last year, only 24 percent reached Afghans including local farmers, labourers and traders, the Afghan government said. The bulk of the country's illicit capital goes to regional and global smuggling networks that have multifaceted relations with organised crime and "terrorist" groups, analysts say.
Health risks
Back on the poppy fields, lancing-and-robbing is an arduous task, which requires a poppy field labourer to work half-bowed for hours. Many labourers complain about lumbago and pain in the legs.
Moreover, extensive exposure to raw opium pushes many labourers towards drug addiction, Afghanistan's Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) has found.
Some labourers use their fingers, instead of a flat razor, to collect raw opiates. It is common for harvesters to lick their fingers, a spokesman for MCN said.
Labourers also inhale a strong opiate odour during working hours which exacerbates their vulnerability to drug addiction. "I always feel dizzy while I work in the field," a labourer admitted. Another worker said he started using opium regularly after he first worked on poppy fields for over a month in 2006.
It is unclear whether all poppy labourers realise the risks they are taking in their job, but Ravan from UNODC says: "If they had alternative opportunities, I don't think they would do this intensive and risky job."
nz/ad/at/ar/cb
Taliban says it shot down NATO chopper, 35 killed
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban claimed responsibility on Thursday for shooting down a NATO heavy-lift helicopter and said that 35 soldiers were killed, many more than the seven dead announced by the Western military alliance.
Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said the death toll came from secret sources operating in the southern province of Helmand, scene of a series of bloody clashes in recent months between Taliban and Western forces.
He said the twin-rotor Chinook was flying low ahead of a land vehicle convoy when it was shot down.
Actually, Mujahideen (holy warriors) planned to ambush their convoy," Yousuf said by telephone from an undisclosed location. "But the helicopter appeared before the arrival of the convoy. The mujahideen fired on it with what ever they had."
NATO said seven soldiers, five of whom were Americans, were killed when a Chinook crashed late on Wednesday in Helmand. Alliance officials said it was premature to comment on how the helicopter went down, and would not say if the helicopter was directly involved in a battle with the Taliban.
Chinook crashes in Afghanistan have killed at least 55 U.S. soldiers in the last two years.
Helmand has long been a Taliban stronghold and it is the leading drug-producing region of Afghanistan, the world's main heroin producer.
The Kajaki region where the Chinook came down is where Afghan government and foreign officials are hoping to eliminate guerrillas in order to rebuild a dam and hydro-electric project
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban claimed responsibility on Thursday for shooting down a NATO heavy-lift helicopter and said that 35 soldiers were killed, many more than the seven dead announced by the Western military alliance.
Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said the death toll came from secret sources operating in the southern province of Helmand, scene of a series of bloody clashes in recent months between Taliban and Western forces.
He said the twin-rotor Chinook was flying low ahead of a land vehicle convoy when it was shot down.
Actually, Mujahideen (holy warriors) planned to ambush their convoy," Yousuf said by telephone from an undisclosed location. "But the helicopter appeared before the arrival of the convoy. The mujahideen fired on it with what ever they had."
NATO said seven soldiers, five of whom were Americans, were killed when a Chinook crashed late on Wednesday in Helmand. Alliance officials said it was premature to comment on how the helicopter went down, and would not say if the helicopter was directly involved in a battle with the Taliban.
Chinook crashes in Afghanistan have killed at least 55 U.S. soldiers in the last two years.
Helmand has long been a Taliban stronghold and it is the leading drug-producing region of Afghanistan, the world's main heroin producer.
The Kajaki region where the Chinook came down is where Afghan government and foreign officials are hoping to eliminate guerrillas in order to rebuild a dam and hydro-electric project
Coalition: Taliban have Iran Arms 
Call in the marines!!
What a joke!! And what about the fact that most of the taliban are pakis, and most of the other weapons are either American or Paki origin??
Looks like the Bush administration is really spoiling for another war.....Grasping at straws really..Of course, the average american is convinced Iran Bad..Pakistan Ally...
ONE..wow..Thats earth shattering..they found ONE whole complete bomb. Fantastic. Thats one more than they found WMD in Iraq.One explosively-formed penetrator bomb (EFP) that was found can pierce American armor, a NATO official said.
Call in the marines!!
What a joke!! And what about the fact that most of the taliban are pakis, and most of the other weapons are either American or Paki origin??
Looks like the Bush administration is really spoiling for another war.....Grasping at straws really..Of course, the average american is convinced Iran Bad..Pakistan Ally...
Bridge to bridge gap between Tajikistan and Afghanistan:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world ... istan.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world ... istan.html
The Other War
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/P ... b.asp?pg=2
The Taliban are also learning it can hurt to fight against the 32,000-member Afghan National Army. The ANA is better equipped, better trained, and better paid than the National Police. The Afghan army platoon at FOB Lagman is equipped with new-looking American woodland camouflage uniforms, body armor for everyone, and AK-47s in top shape. Most Iraqi army units may be unwilling to take the fight to the enemy; not so the Afghans. "They are very aggressive in the field," says Uifaleanu, "very eager to kill the Taliban." Others I speak with, including non-coms, say the same.
Not being overrun seemed near the limit of what these outposts could do. At one station they told us, "We ask in the villages, 'Why are you helping the Taliban?' and then they say, 'They take our sons and brothers and there's nothing we can do.'" At another: "We see Taliban driving by on motorcycles, but we don't have good weapons to shoot them."
Lest I be accused of violating operational security by revealing this, the Taliban obviously can see the fortifications and can determine ammo supplies with probes. When they fire several RPG rounds at an outpost and receive only one in return, that tells them something. The Taliban know; it's time the American public knew, too.
Iraqis are world champion complainers. Not so here. "I have never heard an Afghan complain," says Lt. Stofan. "It is always in the form of 'if you have this' or 'we could really use this.'" It is always followed by the disclaimer "We are very thankful for what you have already given us." Even the elderly Pashtun aren't nearly as reserved as you'd expect. They love to chat, always accompanied by chai tea (which in Afghanistan is simply black or green tea sweetened with sugar). That's understandable because with virtually no TVs, computers, iPods, or reading ability, chatting is about the only pastime there is. Further, observes Stofan, "one thing I appreciate about them is that although they may believe in one thing or another they are not judgmental on our values or traditions. They respect the fact that we shave or keep our shoes on indoors, for example, because it is what we do. They are not offended by it or frown upon it."
Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf has just called for negotiating with the Taliban, and a new survey shows almost two-thirds of Canadians think we should parley. Last October, Senate majority leader Bill Frist also called for negotiations, as did a Canadian think tank report in March. This would be astonishingly shortsighted, insofar as the Taliban are fairly inept militarily but once negotiated and bribed their way to control as much as 95 percent of the country. Yet now even the Afghan Senate has voted for a truce to be followed by negotiations and withdrawal of NATO forces.
Of course, if Musharraf were serious about ending the war, he would stop his double-dealing. For all his talk about negotiations, his own granted the Taliban what amounts to autonomy in the lawless border region of Waziristan ostensibly in exchange for a promise not to cross into Afghanistan to fight. The Taliban instantly broke the deal, but now Musharraf says the West needs to learn from his actions. Indeed, it should.
Moreover, at some point we're going to start wondering why we fight so hard to keep al Qaeda out of Afghanistan when they've shown they're perfectly capable of running operations out of eastern Pakistan. General Dostum sweetened his offer to restive Afghans by saying his men wouldn't stop at Afghanistan's borders but would sweep into Waziristan as well, the main Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuary, which Musharraf tolerates. Although Musharraf fears Pakistani Islamists as a threat to his own power, he has no problem with them if they're isolated. He is no friend of Afghanistan. If the Taliban were uprooted from Waziristan, it would not only destroy al Qaeda's new headquarters but tremendously shorten the length of the war.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/P ... b.asp?pg=2
The Taliban are also learning it can hurt to fight against the 32,000-member Afghan National Army. The ANA is better equipped, better trained, and better paid than the National Police. The Afghan army platoon at FOB Lagman is equipped with new-looking American woodland camouflage uniforms, body armor for everyone, and AK-47s in top shape. Most Iraqi army units may be unwilling to take the fight to the enemy; not so the Afghans. "They are very aggressive in the field," says Uifaleanu, "very eager to kill the Taliban." Others I speak with, including non-coms, say the same.
Not being overrun seemed near the limit of what these outposts could do. At one station they told us, "We ask in the villages, 'Why are you helping the Taliban?' and then they say, 'They take our sons and brothers and there's nothing we can do.'" At another: "We see Taliban driving by on motorcycles, but we don't have good weapons to shoot them."
Lest I be accused of violating operational security by revealing this, the Taliban obviously can see the fortifications and can determine ammo supplies with probes. When they fire several RPG rounds at an outpost and receive only one in return, that tells them something. The Taliban know; it's time the American public knew, too.
Iraqis are world champion complainers. Not so here. "I have never heard an Afghan complain," says Lt. Stofan. "It is always in the form of 'if you have this' or 'we could really use this.'" It is always followed by the disclaimer "We are very thankful for what you have already given us." Even the elderly Pashtun aren't nearly as reserved as you'd expect. They love to chat, always accompanied by chai tea (which in Afghanistan is simply black or green tea sweetened with sugar). That's understandable because with virtually no TVs, computers, iPods, or reading ability, chatting is about the only pastime there is. Further, observes Stofan, "one thing I appreciate about them is that although they may believe in one thing or another they are not judgmental on our values or traditions. They respect the fact that we shave or keep our shoes on indoors, for example, because it is what we do. They are not offended by it or frown upon it."
Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf has just called for negotiating with the Taliban, and a new survey shows almost two-thirds of Canadians think we should parley. Last October, Senate majority leader Bill Frist also called for negotiations, as did a Canadian think tank report in March. This would be astonishingly shortsighted, insofar as the Taliban are fairly inept militarily but once negotiated and bribed their way to control as much as 95 percent of the country. Yet now even the Afghan Senate has voted for a truce to be followed by negotiations and withdrawal of NATO forces.
Of course, if Musharraf were serious about ending the war, he would stop his double-dealing. For all his talk about negotiations, his own granted the Taliban what amounts to autonomy in the lawless border region of Waziristan ostensibly in exchange for a promise not to cross into Afghanistan to fight. The Taliban instantly broke the deal, but now Musharraf says the West needs to learn from his actions. Indeed, it should.
Moreover, at some point we're going to start wondering why we fight so hard to keep al Qaeda out of Afghanistan when they've shown they're perfectly capable of running operations out of eastern Pakistan. General Dostum sweetened his offer to restive Afghans by saying his men wouldn't stop at Afghanistan's borders but would sweep into Waziristan as well, the main Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuary, which Musharraf tolerates. Although Musharraf fears Pakistani Islamists as a threat to his own power, he has no problem with them if they're isolated. He is no friend of Afghanistan. If the Taliban were uprooted from Waziristan, it would not only destroy al Qaeda's new headquarters but tremendously shorten the length of the war.
Kashmiri militant reportedly killed in Afghanistan fighting US military
2007-06-05 15:38:51
2007-06-05 15:38:51
SRINAGAR, India (AP) - An Islamic militant from India's part of Kashmir has been killed while fighting coalition forces in Afghanistan, relatives of the man said Tuesday.
But details of how the militant, Ayaz Ahmed Malla, was killed were sketchy and neither Afghan officials nor officials from the U.S.-led coalition were able to confirm the
report. Indian officials said they had lost track of Malla after he moved to Pakistan a few years ago.
Dozens of Kashmiris fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the 1980s. But, if confirmed, Malla's death would be the first recorded case of a militant from India's part of Kashmir joining the Taliban to fight U.S. forces.
Himalayan Kashmir is predominantly Muslim, and the one-third of the region controlled by Pakistan teems with Islamic militants who are fighting Indian rule over the other two-thirds. The militants want to see the part of Kashmir controlled by Hindu-majority independent or merged with Muslim Pakistan.
Malla's father, Ghulam Mohammad, said his 18-year-old son was killed fighting American forces on May 29 on the outskirts of Kabul.
According to Mohammed, Malla left home and traveled to Pakistan's part of Kashmir in 2000 to receive weapons training and become a member of Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen, one of the more than dozen rebel groups fighting Indian rule over two-thirds of Kashmir.
Mohammed said he had heard from his son repeatedly since the boy left for Pakistan, including before two previous trips Malla made to Pakistan.
On the day Malla reportedly died, Mohammad said another militant called him to deliver the news. He could not say where the militant was calling from.
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Satya_anveshi
- BRF Oldie
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http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/st ... 18:00%20AM
Karzai escapes assassination bid
I hope our babucracy is prepared to maneuver a few moves during this momentus time (if comes) and not get too entangled with MMS's infatuation with US.
Karzai escapes assassination bid
As funny as it may sound that Taliban might want to take out Karzai, but in that event, with Mush situation too becoming precarious, the whole region can be facing really interesting time.''The Taliban knew that Karzai was coming to Andar district. When Karzai was meeting with the people, the Taliban fired 12 rockets,'' Ahmadi said.
I hope our babucracy is prepared to maneuver a few moves during this momentus time (if comes) and not get too entangled with MMS's infatuation with US.
To elaborate what Nandan had posted earlier,
Nick Burns says Iran is transferring weapons to Taliban
1) Who specifically are the Iranians collaborating with if there really is a connection? Could there be an element within the Taliban who are amenable to seeing past religious ideological differences?
2) There are many players in the region who would like to see the US ejected from Afghanistan, but that hasn't been a compelling enough reason for these players to collaborate in any substancial way. What other convergence have arisen between the Taliban and Iran?
3) What end game does Iran propose for collaborating with Taliban?
The Iranians don't seem to be interested in avenging the '97? slaughter of their diplomats in Herat anymore.
4) How will ongoing talks between Iran and US be affected by these accusation come from high quarters? Is the US deliberately publishing disinformation to appease domestic sentiments at home or garner international support for stronger action against Iran?
Nick Burns says Iran is transferring weapons to Taliban
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, speaking to reporters in Paris, said Iran was funding insurrections across the Middle East — and "Iran is now even transferring arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan."
This raises many questions:In Afghanistan last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Iranian weapons were falling into the hands of anti-government Taliban fighters, but stopped short of blaming Tehran
1) Who specifically are the Iranians collaborating with if there really is a connection? Could there be an element within the Taliban who are amenable to seeing past religious ideological differences?
2) There are many players in the region who would like to see the US ejected from Afghanistan, but that hasn't been a compelling enough reason for these players to collaborate in any substancial way. What other convergence have arisen between the Taliban and Iran?
3) What end game does Iran propose for collaborating with Taliban?
The Iranians don't seem to be interested in avenging the '97? slaughter of their diplomats in Herat anymore.
4) How will ongoing talks between Iran and US be affected by these accusation come from high quarters? Is the US deliberately publishing disinformation to appease domestic sentiments at home or garner international support for stronger action against Iran?
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Satya_anveshi
- BRF Oldie
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- Joined: 08 Jan 2007 02:37
Will United States Sacrifice Afghanistan For Iran?
Published at: http://srirangan.net/node/8 and http://www.newdelhireview.com/node/125
I am new at this creative writing thing, reviews and remarks welcome. The gist of the op-ed is a response to those who believe (including Nicholas Burns) that a solution to the Iranian Question will stabilize Afghanistan.
Published at: http://srirangan.net/node/8 and http://www.newdelhireview.com/node/125
I am new at this creative writing thing, reviews and remarks welcome. The gist of the op-ed is a response to those who believe (including Nicholas Burns) that a solution to the Iranian Question will stabilize Afghanistan.
Okay lets step back for a moment and realize that we can't reflexively dismiss everything that is published in the media. Sure there is a lot of disinformation floating around, but take a moment to at least entertain the possibility that the Iranians are cooperating with the Taliban.Surely,one cant keep believing the rant of the SD which is using every possible excuse to get Iranians involved so that there is a cause for action!!!!!!
what next,Iranians supplying nukes to Iraqi insurgents(according to the SD)??
That is nonsense. Iran has been collaborating with India and the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. It is not even vaguely possible that Iran would aid the Taliban. This has been going on for decades. Iran is where India's road building teams are creating roads to, so Afghanistan has an alternative to Pakistan. There is even open source information about this. Many of Northern Alliance's people are Iranian. It would be senseless to suggest they would ally with Sunni Taliban/Pakistan.Sohum wrote:Sure there is a lot of disinformation floating around, but take a moment to at least entertain the possibility that the Iranians are cooperating with the Taliban.
On the other hand are the US, which has a proven track record of lying.
Here is a list of where Iran has been helpful
Iran opening roads bypassing Pakistan.
http://hinduonnet.com/2003/01/07/storie ... 161200.htm
US document admitting Iranian help against the Taliban
India and Iran both supported Afghanistan’s minority-dominated “Northern Allianceâ€
http://hinduonnet.com/2003/01/07/storie ... 161200.htm
US document admitting Iranian help against the Taliban
India and Iran both supported Afghanistan’s minority-dominated “Northern Allianceâ€
Thats a possibility....
Unkil will be using the Taliban bogey to gather popular support against the Iranian moves as if Iranians target only Americans,others wouldnt be as concerned....However,if the word taliban is mentioned,Iran would automatically become the bad boy in the eyes of all the countries involved...
my 2 cents worth!!!
Unkil will be using the Taliban bogey to gather popular support against the Iranian moves as if Iranians target only Americans,others wouldnt be as concerned....However,if the word taliban is mentioned,Iran would automatically become the bad boy in the eyes of all the countries involved...
my 2 cents worth!!!
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Malayappan
- BRFite
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Don't recollect seeing this posted or in our mainstream media...
Indian troops to fight Taliban
* Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent
* June 12, 2007
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 77,00.html
Some excerpts...
Indian troops to fight Taliban
* Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent
* June 12, 2007
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 77,00.html
Some excerpts...
The commandos, from the crack Indo-Tibetan Border Police force that specialises in high-altitude operations in the Himalayas, are being sent to guard about 300 Indian road builders working on the 218km Zaranj-Delaram highway
The new deployment meant almost 400 commandos would be in the area to combat Taliban attempts to halt construction of the highway
Better to keep this low profile and complete the highway asap!Units from the ITBP have been guarding the Indian embassy in Kabul for some time, and have been involved in similar duties at the Indian consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad.
Afghan bomb attack against police bus kills 35
From the above URL:
Esmatullah Daulatzai, Kabul provincial police chief, said that police had become the first targets of the insurgents as 'police have become very active and have foiled many terrorist attacks in the country.'
'Whoever did it, they are the enemies of Afghanistan, the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity,' Daulatzai told dpa, adding 'they are equipped and financed in another country and sent to Afghanistan,' referring to neighbouring Pakistan.
From the above URL:
Esmatullah Daulatzai, Kabul provincial police chief, said that police had become the first targets of the insurgents as 'police have become very active and have foiled many terrorist attacks in the country.'
'Whoever did it, they are the enemies of Afghanistan, the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity,' Daulatzai told dpa, adding 'they are equipped and financed in another country and sent to Afghanistan,' referring to neighbouring Pakistan.
Doubling the number of ITBP personal is another signal...
{just for record}
Given our strategic interest, I think sooner or later we will have to send our regular Army to Afganistan to help them, whether Pakistan likes it or not.
Hope our govt. is prepared for such contingency, have heart for this and they are already working on a fool proof plan.
{just for record}
Given our strategic interest, I think sooner or later we will have to send our regular Army to Afganistan to help them, whether Pakistan likes it or not.
Hope our govt. is prepared for such contingency, have heart for this and they are already working on a fool proof plan.
No way, Pak would love to have Indian Army to take shots at in Afghanistan, just like the Soviet occupation. Something to rally the jihadis towards, rather than having them sit around and curse Musharraf all day.
Besides, we don't have any territorial access to Afghanistan, how would we sustain a large force there for logsitics resupply?
Besides, we don't have any territorial access to Afghanistan, how would we sustain a large force there for logsitics resupply?