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NATO Casualties fall in 2012 As Afghan Casualties Increase

Violence Fell in 2012; Afghan Troop Casualties Up:

Afghans angry at US Unpaid Rent

Afghans angry at US soldiers who drove away in the night leaving rent unpaid | World news | The Guardian: "

"They stayed six years and only paid rent for one year," said Haji Najibullah Khan, who grew up in the Pashengar house that became a US base. He said the departing US commander warned him off pushing for rent money when they met a few weeks before the soldiers drove away in the night.
A few kilometres down the road, in the centre of Naray district, the US departure was neater, with a joint base handed over to full Afghan army control. But, even here, there is anger because the base was built on a muddle of small plots shared out among 90 families from the area."

1056 Afghan soldiers killed in 2012: Defence Officials

1056 Afghan soldiers killed in 2012: Defense officials - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper:

"Despite Afghan security forces are in charge of over 75% of the Afghan soil security, Afghan officials are continuously expressing concerns regarding the lack of proper military equipments which creates challenges for the Afghan security forces.
In the meantime increased Afghan army troops casualties is another challenge being faced by Afghan national army where over 1000 service members have been killed during the year."

Missing Georgian soldier found dead in Afghanistan

Missing Georgian soldier found dead in Afghanistan - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper: "Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze is the nineteenth Georgian soldier to lose his life while carrying out his duties as part of the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan.
December 19, Kikadze was announced missing after he disappeared from the military base at which he was based. It is not publicly known in which province he was serving."

Record number of Afghan soldiers killed in 2012

Record number of Afghan soldiers killed in 2012 | News , International | THE DAILY STAR:

Roadside bomb kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan

Roadside bomb kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan - UPI.com:

2012: The Year of the Drone in Afghanistan

2012: The Year of the Drone in Afghanistan | Global Research:

Protesters Block Key Iraq Highway, Maliki Slams Demos

Protesters Block Key Iraq Highway, Maliki Slams Demos — Naharnet:

Afghanistanization? Not According to This Clip

Merry Christmas, Yemen, From The US

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.. bombs engraved with ‘MADE IN USA' rain over Arabia's oldest civilisation as Americans take time out to feast and celebrate with their families. MORE

Afghans Prepare For The Worst

Procurement: Prepared For The Worst In Afghanistan: "Even Afghan government officials describe their country as "beggars sleeping on a gold mine." It’s not just the drug gangs and Taliban that stand in the way. The corruption also scares off foreign investment, as does the pervasive lawlessness. Afghanistan is a hard country to help. Despite all this, a consortium of Indian firms plans to invest over $10 billion to develop iron ore mines in central Afghanistan. The ore would be exported out via Central Asia, and the area where the mines are located is free of drug gangs and very hostile to the Taliban. But most of southern and eastern Afghanistan is too dangerous for such undertakings."

Contractor Shooting - Children Plead For Clemency

U.S. drone strategy in Yemen is fraught with Peril

U.S. drone strategy in Yemen is fraught with peril - latimes.com:

UN's Brahimi Meets With Assad

Prince Harry 'Kills Taliban Chief'

Paper bag alert. Not for the first time. From ContactMusic, whatever the fuck that is.

Britain's Prince Harry has killed his first Taliban commander during an attack in October, one of his comrades has revealed.
Britain's Prince Harry has killed his first Taliban commander.
The 28-year-old royal - who is currently serving on the frontline in Afghanistan and is nicknamed Big H by his comrades - unleashed a devastating 100lb Hellfire missile on the chief during an attack in October.
One of his comrades told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ''We were on patrol and the Apache helicopters were called in. We heard this posh voice come over the radio and knew it was Big H. they were tracking a Taliban leader - he was commander level.
''The Apache then let off some Hellfire missiles and its 30mm cannon and 'boom'. It was Big H all the way.''
Harry - a gunship co-pilot - is on tour in Helmand and has been flying daily combat missions helping ''troops in contact'', the code given when ground forces are engaged by enemy fighters and he has become a very popular figure with his comrades.
The insider added: ''I met him in the cookhouse. I saw this bloke standing in line and I went, 'That's Big H.' He's like a normal squaddie. All the guys in Afghan have so much respect for him and love him.
''Big H is a legend, he's been out in Afghan and he's doing the business. All the guys love him - he's Big H. He likes a drink and a laugh and he's one of the lads.''

Afghan Headlines - Video Clip

Afghan taliban urged to form political movement

Afghan taliban urged to form political movement - RTÉ News:

Fears Over Anti-Nato Marches In Turkey

Anti-Nato protest marches in fear of turning 'Turkey into a battlefield' - The National:

Ramping up drone strikes in Afghanistan

At war’s end, ramping up drone strikes in Afghanistan | Pakistan: Now or Never?:

$500 For Corpse Desecration - US Crassness At It's Worst

Mali - Rival Rebels Make Truce

Banking For The Taliban

NRA Has It's Own Video Game - No Joke

Satire becomes redundant sometimes:

Georgian Soldier in NATO Afghan Force Is Missing

Georgian Soldier in NATO Afghan Force Is Missing - NYTimes.com:

US Army Suicides Greater Than Combat Deaths In 2012

The military faced a grim statistic in 2012 as soldier suicides outnumbered combat-related deaths for the year.
Through November this year, potentially 303 active-duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers took their own lives. In Afghanistan 212 soldiers were killed as of Dec. 7.
The trajectory for soldier suicides keeps getting worse.
With a month left in the year, the Army set a grim new record with 177 potential active-duty cases.
Last year, there were 165 confirmed suicides, which was also a record. Among Army Reserve and Guard soldiers potentially 126 took their own lives, up from 118 in all of 2011.
The numbers have increased despite a range of training and awareness programs instituted by the service in the last few years. More measures may be on the way:
A bipartisan group of 36 lawmakers is pushing for new rules allowing military commanders and mental health specialists to ask unstable troops whether they own any personal firearms; lawmakers from both the House and the Senate are working on a final compromise version of the legislation. From 'Stars and Stripes'.

Slap on Wrist For Corpse Desecration Marine

US soldier sentenced over Afghan abuse pictures - RTÉ News:

"Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the actions in the video as "inhuman" and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta denounced the incident as "deplorable" and promise an investigation.Chamblin was charged with failing to properly supervise junior Marines, failing to require junior Marines to wear protective equipment, failing to report the misconduct of junior Marines, failing to report the negligent discharge of a grenade launcher, and failing to stop the indiscriminate firing of weapons, the Marine Corps said in a statement."

Bin Laden film Zero Dark Thirty 'Perpetuates Torture Myth'

BBC News - Bin Laden film attacked for 'perpetuating torture myth':

Britain's drone air force decimated by Pilot Error

Britain's drone air force decimated by pilot error: Twelve crashes in combat zone reduce capacity to just 14 - at a cost of £30million | Mail Online:

US and NATO War In Pakistan

Precision Attacks In Afghanistan - Afghanistan Now

Shades of Apocalypse Now. This clip is a microcosm and a symbol of the abject failure of the US and their satraps in Afghanistan. This is the reality and not the Kathryn Bigelow myth of the noble Americans making sacrifices to bring peace, democracy and, yes, freedom to benighted Arab countries.

Snowfall in Afghanistan

Snowfall in Afghanistan:

Afghan Army Desertions Pose Security Risk ahead of Nato Exit

Desertions from Afghanistan's army pose security risk ahead of Nato exit | South China Morning Post: 

General Olivier de Bavinchove, No3 commander in the US-led International Security Assistance Force, says around 50,000 soldiers - or about 26 per cent, of the 190,000-strong Afghan army - desert each year.

Brotherhood Claims Victory in Egyptian Referendum

Did We Just Kill A Kid?

Pain Continues after War for American Drone Pilot - SPIEGEL ONLINE:
"Bryant saw a flash on the screen: the explosion. Parts of the building collapsed. The child had disappeared. Bryant had a sick feeling in his stomach.
"Did we just kill a kid?" he asked the man sitting next to him.
"Yeah, I guess that was a kid," the pilot replied.
"Was that a kid?" they wrote into a chat window on the monitor.
Then, someone they didn't know answered, someone sitting in a military command center somewhere in the world who had observed their attack. "No. That was a dog," the person wrote.
They reviewed the scene on video. A dog on two legs?"

Blast rocks ISAF Camp 17 DEC.

Blast rocks in ISAF military camp | Pajhwok Afghan News:

Change of Tack for the Taliban?

Afghanistan: Drastic Changes for the Taliban - The Daily Beast: "According to Zabihullah, a senior Taliban leader who is privy to deliberations inside the insurgency’s Quetta Shura, the ruling council’s political committee is rethinking its positions on a whole range of issues. The possibility of peace talks is only one of the items under review by the committee—which, as far as that goes, may have no more than limited control over the Taliban’s battlefield commanders, says Zabihullah, who uses only the single name and has proved in the past to be a reliable informant. The leadership is also debating the insurgents’ longstanding hostilities against the former Northern Alliance; the Taliban’s rejectionist stance toward the Afghan Constitution; and even the idea of participation in Afghanistan’s next presidential and National Assembly elections."

As Gold Is Spirited Out of Afghanistan, Officials Wonder Why

As Gold Is Spirited Out of Afghanistan, Officials Wonder Why - NYTimes.com: "Most of the gold is being carried on commercial flights destined for Dubai, according to airport security reports and officials. The amounts carried by single couriers are often heavy enough that passengers flying from Kabul to the Persian Gulf emirate would be well advised to heed warnings about the danger of bags falling from overhead compartments. One courier, for instance, carried nearly 60 pounds of gold bars, each about the size of an iPhone, aboard an early morning flight in mid-October, according to an airport security report. The load was worth more than $1.5 million."

Bus In Kabul

US Troops, Patriot Missiles, Headed For Turkey

Obama, Karzai to Discuss U.S. Future in Afghanistan

Defense.gov News Article: Obama, Karzai to Discuss U.S. Future in Afghanistan:

Zero Dark Thirty: CIA hagiography, pernicious propaganda

Zero Dark Thirty: CIA hagiography, pernicious propaganda | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk:

Open Jirga - BBC Launches Afghanistan Debate

Recorded in Dari and Pashto, Open Jirga (jirga means ‘assembly’ in Afghan languages) has a broad reach. The show provides people from across Afghanistan’s diverse communities with a platform to share their opinions with national leaders on the country’s future.“Afghanistan is undergoing major transitions linked to the drawdown of international forces and the presidential elections in 2014,” says Lutfullah Latif, editor of the BBC’s service for Afghanistan. “Audiences have a lot of questions to ask, and this series of debate shows will provide an opportunity to air their views, hopes and fears.” LINK

Bomb explodes near Afghan airfield after Panetta visit

Bomb explodes near Afghan airfield after Panetta visit - CNN.com:

AfPak moving ahead on peace plan that cuts U.S. Role

Pakistan, Afghanistan moving ahead on peace plan that cuts U.S. peace role | McClatchy:

Norway citizens join militants to fight NATO troops

Norway citizens join militants to fight NATO troops - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper:

Australia’s Deadly Game

Australia’s Deadly Game | The Global Mail:

US finds Afghan anti-corruption efforts 'deeply troubling'

US finds Afghan anti-corruption efforts 'deeply troubling' - Asia - World - The Independent:

4 ANA Troops, Several Taliban Killed in Kapisa Raid

4 ANA Troops, Several Taliban Killed in Kapisa Raid:

NATO drone crash in Helmand province of Afghanistan

NATO drone crash in Helmand province of Afghanistan - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper:

10 years of western folly has erased Afghan hope

10 years of western folly has erased Afghan hope | GulfNews.com:

While the official narrative speaks of the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) increasingly taking the lead in the battlefield, it is obvious they are inferior in experience and equipment. In many instances, US commanders no longer provide close air support or medevac facilities to embattled Afghan units — a dramatic sign that Afghans are on their own. One theory for the recent rise in “green-on-blue” attacks by Afghan troops on their western allies is that it flows directly from the rise in joint operations. Working closely with western troops gives Afghans direct experience of the difference in facilities and “culture”. They resent the brutality of raids on family compounds in which they are asked to take part.

Brilliant - Wind-Powered Landmine Clearance

Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan

Official Report. Subtitle: 'Scapegoating And Blame Shifting in Afghanistan'. To be scraping the barrel for examples of 'progress' 11 years later says it all. LINK

Killing Afghan “Children with Potential Hostile Intent”

US and UK Troops Accused of Killing Afghan “Children with Potential Hostile Intent”. | Global Research:

The many faces of Afghanistan's Spy Chief

The many faces of Afghanistan's spy chief - Features - Al Jazeera English:

What Do Iran and Pakistan Want From Afghanistan? Water

Can Afghanistan Sort Out Its Cross-Border Water Issues? | TIME.com: "What was Khan Wali’s crime? He was protecting one of Afghanistan’s most important resources: water. Khan Wali led a 60-man semiofficial militia tasked with defending the Machalgho dam in eastern Paktia province. Already two years behind schedule because of security concerns, the dam would irrigate about 16,000 hectares of land and produce 800 KW of electricity once completed. The government had pledged that if Khan Wali held his ground for two months, he and his men would receive weapons and cash. But Khan Wali lasted only 20 days into the mission."
via Reality Zone

US service member killed in hostage rescue in Afghanistan

US service member killed in hostage rescue in Afghanistan - World - DNA: "A US service member was killed in Sunday's rescue mission in Afghanistan that freed an American doctor kidnapped by the Taliban, the White House said."

Senior Afghan Officials Killed In Attacks

BBC News - Afghanistan killings: Nadia Sidiqi and Mohammad Musa Rasuli killed:

Marines Reduced To Shooting Afghan Dogs - Bizarro Alert

Sometimes Armed Marines Actually Resort To Rock Throwing To Defend Their Own - Business Insider:

The price of dying for Afghanistan

The price of dying for Afghanistan - Features - Al Jazeera English:

“Military Voyeurism” or Invasion of Syria? French Special Forces Join Up

“Military Voyeurism” or Invasion of Syria? French Special Forces Team Up with Foreign Backed Terrorists ::

Taliban ambush NATO troops convoy in Khost province

Taliban ambush NATO troops convoy in Khost province - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper:

Julian Assange Interview | The Guardian

Julian Assange: the fugitive | Media | The Guardian:

Report: NATO Military Intervention In Syria “Imminent”

Prison Planet.com » Report: NATO Military Intervention In Syria “Imminent”: