Francois Hollande - The Future

There's a job waiting for M.Hollande when he loses the next election. And in his beloved America too.

28 Killed in Election Violence

ISLAMABAD, March 31 (KUNA) -- At least 28 people were killed in two incidents of violence in different areas of Afghanistan on Monday, said officials.
According to officials, at least eight people were killed in a roadside bombing in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan on Monday. The fatalities occurred when local commander Mohammad Omar''''s vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Khanabad district.
The district''''s administrative head, Hayatullah Amiri confirmed that the local commander remained safe in the attack. The pro-government commander is known for fighting against the Taliban rebels.
Moreover, the officials claimed that sixteen rebels have been killed and three others injured in the Sayyad district of central Sar-i-Pul province.
A senior security official, Maj. Gen. Noor Habib Gulbahari in a statement claimed that the insurgents were killed in cleanup operations in Mangoti, Zaka, Takhta, Chashmi Shirin, Gila Jar and Hadbakhshi areas on the Sar-i-Pul- Jawzjan highway.
He further confirmed that four security personnel were also killed and two others wounded during the operation.
The violent incidents came just a few days before the presidential and provincial polls across Afghanistan scheduled on April 5

Close Shave for the 'Professionals'

Warlords may decide Afghan elections

Warlords may decide Afghan elections - World - NZ Herald News: 

"As President Hamid Karzai's term draws to an end, the April 5 election remains wide open. The result therefore rests with horse-trading between men who rose to prominence during the country's brutal civil wars.
As well as Sayyaf, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the notorious Uzbek strongman is lined up to be vice-president of one of the front-runners.
He stands accused of allowing hundreds of Taliban prisoners to suffocate to death in shipping containers as well as a string of other alleged war crimes.
Of the 11 candidates who entered the race, six of their candidates or their running mates are regarded as a warlord.
Men like Sayyaf could have a decisive role to play."

Anti-Nuclear Proliferation?

Dunford: U.S. will not give Pakistan MRAPs from Afghanistan

Dunford: U.S. will not give Pakistan MRAPs from Afghanistan | Military Times | militarytimes.com: 

"The Washington Post first reported in a March 16 web story that the U.S. military was considering giving the Pakistanis $7 billion worth of equipment amid the drawdown in Afghanistan. The Pakistani military has expressed interest in getting Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, which have been proven to be too big and heavy to operate effectively in Afghanistan, which lacks road infrastructure.

The story came shortly after Dunford had testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the U.S. military was considering whether to repair damaged MRAPs in Afghanistan in order to give them to someone else."

Nato Soldier killed in Bombing

"Coalition spokesman Capt. Patrick Simmons confirmed the death. The bomb was set off by remote control Sunday as a convoy reached the outskirts of Qalat, capital of Zabul province, said district governor Abdul Khaliq Ayubi. He says another three troops were wounded.
NATO usually waits for member countries to announce the nationalities of casualties." Link
Update - BUCHAREST, Romania - Romania says one of its servicemen has been killed and five troops wounded by a roadside bomb in southeastern Afghanistan.

Election Commission HQ Under Attack in Kabul

This incident is ongoing according to Twitter reports. The second major attack aimed at disrupting the election in two days in Kabul.

5 Attackers and Afghan Child Dead in Guesthouse Attack in Kabul

Guesthouse Used by Foreigners Attacked in Kabul

This incident is ongoing at present. Reports coming in from Twitter. An explosion and sustained gunfire resounded in an upscale residential neighbourhood in the south of the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday and police said insurgents had made their way inside a building."Some insurgents have entered a building. Their target is not clear yet," said Hashmat Stanikzai, spokesman for the Kabul police chief.
UPDATE - One Afghan child and 3 attackers killed. Guests rescued according to Twitter feeds.

Life After Guantanamo

26/3/2014, L’armée de Syrie prend le contrôle de la zone 45 à Kasab

The Pan-Asian Anchor: Watch the US Drop 2.5 Million Tons of Bombs on Laos

The Pan-Asian Anchor: Watch the US Drop 2.5 Million Tons of Bombs on Laos

Pakistani Taliban Fighters Join Rebels in Syria

Pakistan Taliban send 120 more Fighters in... by holylightkaleem

Violence Continues in Background of Election

Taliban Attack Security by thetimesofpakistan

Why are Afghan candidates wooing the Hazara Vote?

Asia-pacific - Why are Afghan candidates wooing the Hazara vote? - France 24:

"The only woman on a heavyweight ticket this year is a Hazara. Habiba Sarabi, Afghanistan’s first female provincial governor, is standing as second vice president for Zalmay Rassoul, a former foreign minister who is outgoing President Hamid Karzai’s favoured candidate.
Karzai’s arch rival in the 2009 race, Abdullah Abdullah, also has a Hazara running mate this year. Mohammed Mohaqiq, Abdullah’s second vice president, is a veteran politician whose past posts include warlord in the Taliban era and planning minister in Karzai’s 2002 transitional government.
This year’s presidential poll marks the first time Karzai will not feature on the ballot since the 2001 fall of the Taliban as the Afghan president is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term."

Sisi - A New US Puppet In The Making

Attack At Electoral Commission In Kabul

UK troops pointlessly massacred Afghans: ex-commander

UK troops pointlessly massacred Afghans: ex-commander - PakTribune: 

For 'turkey-shoot' read 'war crimes'...

"These men, who lived in the villages surrounding our bases, did not want to fight us," said Streatfeild, adding, "Sadly, there were many occasions when these men approached our bases and, as they were carrying a weapon, they were shot dead."

The former commander further stated that the Afghan people who were targeted were, in fact, supposed to be protected by the British troops operating in the country. The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but the country is still gripped by insecurity."

Afghan spy agency alleges foreign intelligence service may be behind hotel attack | CTV News

Afghan spy agency alleges foreign intelligence service may be behind hotel attack | CTV News:
"It did not specify which country was purportedly responsible for the assault, but Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of sending militants across the border to wage attacks. Pakistan did not immediately comment on the allegations.
The agency said neither the Taliban nor the Haqqani group, a network believed responsible for numerous high-profile attacks in Kabul, was even aware the attack was in the offing.
Afghanistan's National Security Council was also told that a Pakistani diplomat was spotted filming inside the Serena Hotel "a while ago," seeming to suggest that the incident was connected to Friday's horrific assault in which four gunmen, their small pistols hidden in their shoes, slipped passed the hotel security."

British snipers killed Afghans in pointless 'turkey shoot'

British snipers killed Afghans in pointless 'turkey shoot' and boosted support for the Taliban, says major who revealed how troops died due to lack of equipment | Mail Online:
"British soldiers pointlessly killed hundreds of armed villagers in Afghanistan who posed no imminent threat, a former officer has claimed.
In a sensational new book, Major Richard Streatfeild condemns the ‘turkey shoot’ tactics that led to the ‘repetitive slaughter’ of people that UK troops were supposed to protect.
Soldiers based in Helmand from 2006 to 2009 were permitted to open fire on anyone approaching their bases while carrying a weapon."

Syrian Jet Downed By Turkey

Ahmad Sardar

Ahmad Sardar, AFP Correspondent Killed By Taliban at the Serena Hotel

CCTV Film of Serena Hotel Attackers

Senator John McCain

Warmonger. Dinosaur. Liar. Hypocrite.

American Among Foreigners Killed in Kabul Serena Hotel

Lawsuit filed against Karzai, Afghan troops for the death of 30 Americans

Lawsuit filed against Karzai, Afghan troops for the death of 30 Americans - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency:

"The families of US soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan nearly three years back, have filed a lawsuit against president Karzai and Afghan security forces, accusing them of betraying their sons.
At least 30 Americans including 17 Navy SEALs were killed following the incident which took place on Aug 6, 2011 in Tangi valley of central Maidan Wardak province.
President Hamid Karzai was accused of corrupt practices including taking bribes from Iran for the deaths of the US service members."

Kabul - AFP Reporter, Foreigners, Children Killed in Serena Hotel Attack

Assaut meurtrier des talibans contre un hôtel... by lemondefr

Casualties feared as gunmen open fire in popular Kabul Serena hotel

Casualties feared as gunmen open fire in popular Kabul hotel — RT News:
"A senior Kabul police official said there were three attackers, The Wall Street Journal reports. As clashes ensued, guests were herded into safe rooms.

A woman, who was taken to safety along with other guests, told Reuters that the shooting appeared to begin in the hotel's restaurant."

Taliban kill 10 police officers in Afghanistan

Taliban kill 10 police officers in Afghanistan - ABC2News.com:
This is the shape of things to come in Afghanistan. Thanks, Dubya. Thanks, Blair. Thanks Canada, France and the other US satrap states.
"The attack began with a suicide bomber detonating his explosives-laden car outside the police station, located near the palatial residence of the province's Governor Attahullah Ludin.
After the blast, six gunmen stormed into the station simultaneously as two bombs were detonated nearby, presumably by remote control -- one hidden in a motorized three-wheel rickshaw and another in a vegetable cart.
Solangi said the insurgents were armed with heavy weapons and automatic machine guns. The battle was fierce -- with the Afghan troops fighting their way out and chasing the attackers down the street -- and when it ended, 10 policemen, including a district police chief, were dead."

U.S. may have paid Afghan police force for non-existent 'ghost workers'

U.S. may have paid Afghan police force for non-existent 'ghost workers' - Washington Times:
"Reuters reported that 38 percent of the $3.17 billion trust fund is paid by the U.S., with the rest being picked up by the international community since 2002.
Col. Jane Crichton, a spokeswoman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told the news agency that 99 percent of the 54,000 ID card numbers identified during an investigation have been reconciled, with no proof of non-existent employees to date.
The Defense Department’s Inspector General is expected to release a final report on the matter in July, Reuters reported."

The Psychopathology—Ideology of Exceptionalism: .

Reality Zone - A New Era ?: The Psychopathology—Ideology of Exceptionalism: Am...: 

America’s Hegemonic Passion » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Spate of Suicides of Canadian Afghanistan Vets

Two more Afghanistan vets commit suicide: 
"The suicides happened just four months after four Canadian soldiers killed themselves within a week of each other.

At least a dozen soldiers have committed suicide in recent years, triggering a national debate about combat trauma among Canadian troops.

The president of the Royal Canadian Legion in Sorel-Tracy knew Alain Lacasse and said he was surprised to hear about his suicide."

Turning A Wedding Into A Funeral - Drone Targets Changing

The Miserable Failure of America's Drug War In Afghanistan

The Miserable Failure of America's Drug War In Afghanistan | Alternet:
"The United States has played a central role in developing and supporting Afghan counternarcotics strategy for well over a decade. Since 2002, the U.S. government has appropriated $7.5 billion for counternarcotics funding in Afghanistan, which accounts for 7 percent of the $102 billion that Washington has appropriated for relief and reconstruction in the country. Despite this enormous investment, Afghan opium poppy cultivation increased by 36 percent from 2012 to 2013 — a record high, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

If costly interdiction and eradication strategies have been unsuccessful even with a strong U.S. military presence, they won’t stand a chance after 2014. Even if the United States can provide the Afghan government with the necessary training and support to pursue these strategies, no amount of funding can create the political will to aggressively confront all aspects of drug production and trafficking."

US Should Not Give Leftover Weapons to Pakistan: Afghanistan

US Should Not Give Leftover Weapons to Pakistan: Afghanistan: 
"The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the Pentagon may give Pakistan some of the $7 billion worth of armored vehicles and other equipment it needs to dispose of now that the war in Afghanistan is ending.  
Emal Faizi, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said in an interview with VOA’s Afghan service that his country would oppose such a move.
"Afghan security forces need this type of equipment and that as a strategic partner, the U.S. needs to consult with Afghanistan before making such a decision." said Faizi."

For Afghans in Camps There is No Departure and No End In Sight

About 360 families live here in absolutely primitive conditions: litter is strewn about, children wander around barefoot in the cold, barely clothed, yet still smiling and playing with each other. LINK

Rickshaw bomber kills 15 in Afghanistan market blast

Suicide bomber kills 15 in Afghanistan market blast - The Irish Times - Tue, Mar 18, 2014:
"The attack is the latest in the countdown to presidential elections on April 5th.
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Maymana, the capital of Faryab province, but it happened in an area where the Taliban and allied militant groups are active.
The Taliban have threatened a campaign of violence to disrupt the vote, which will choose a new president to lead the country as foreign troops prepare to end their combat mission by the end of the year."

Camp Bastion Goodbye

BBC News - Saying goodbye to Camp Bastion:
"Compounds that were once filled with tents or military vehicles lie empty. There are fewer men and women walking around in uniform, and the constant chopping of the air by helicopter blades has become more intermittent."

Unknown Gunmen Kill Judge and Bodyguard

Unknown Gunmen Kill Judge and Bodyguard:

"The attack on Qazi Abdul Latif and his bodyguard took place in Angeel district of the province, said Abdul Raouf Ahmadi, the spokesman for the police chief.
"He was on his way to the office and unknown gunmen shot dead him and his bodyguards," he said.
The police have started investigations about the incident."

Today Programme, Major Streatfield and Afghanistan

Major Richard Streatfield made rose-tinted broadcasts from Afghanistan for years platformed by the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme. Meanwhile British army mine detectors were training using broomsticks. John Humphries shredded him for the 'lies and propaganda' on Today this morning. But this had nothing to do with the search for truth. The BBC must have known they were colluding in a propaganda exercise throughout the nonsense. They are now, in the form of Humphries, trying to distance themselves from the fiasco now that Streatfield has blown his own cover in articles and a new book(needless to say).He was even trying to plug the book in the interview.

listen to ‘Admitting problems over army equipment would have 'undermined' operation’ on Audioboo

UK Withdrawal 'A Historic Moment'

Yeah. 'Historic' like the Battle of Isandlwana or the retreat from Basra.

The US Really Has No Idea How It’ll Withdraw From Afghanistan

The US Really Has No Idea How It’ll Withdraw From Afghanistan | VICE News: "Sometimes the end of a conventional war is a very clear-cut deal. Wars end cleanly when one party is able to decisively establish a particular reality and the other is incapable of challenging the new status quo. Historically, the immediate post-conflict routine for the winner is typically straightforward: bases are built, garrisons are established, troops get rotated home, equipment is stored, paperwork is filed, and forces are demobilized. It’s also reasonably clear for the losers; they leave the field of battle according to terms set by the victor. The soldiers of the defeated, broken army return to their families and homes — or what’s left of them — and try to readjust to the new post-war reality.
But, as we know, wars don’t always end so crisply. Some end with a ceasefire, an armistice, or the presence of a peacekeeping force. Others end when one side just up and retreats, or when combatants utterly wear themselves out and quit fighting. Some conflicts just kind of trail off, bit by bit, until they’re over."

Taliban congratulates its forces on ‘defeat’ of Canadians in Afghanistan

Taliban congratulates to its forces on ‘defeat’ of Canadians in Afghanistan | Toronto Star:
"The Taliban’s information arm issued a statement Thursday to followers in Kandahar congratulating its fighters in the rural districts of Panjwaii, Zharey, Dand, Maiwand and Shah Wali Kot claiming that Canada has been defeated and has now fled the country.
“Your sacrifices have brought us freedom. The beacons of your blood have lit the way to independence. Celebrate the victory and freedom from the Canadians,” said the statement, written in Pashtu, but translated for The Canadian Press.
It said that the Canadians followed Holland, Denmark, Australian, Poland, and Spain in “retreat and failure.” Those nations have also begun withdrawing their forces from the International Security Assistance Force mission run by NATO."

Past Crimes Haunt Afghan Progress

Past Crimes Haunt Afghan Progress - Inter Press Service:

"The favoured strategy of both the Afghan government and the international community for addressing legacies of past and present human rights violations and war crimes in Afghanistan has been to sweep them under the carpet,” writes Sari Kouvo, co-founder and co-director of the Kabul-based Afghanistan Analysts Network, in a paper titled ‘A Plan Without Action’, published in July 2012."

Afghan Elections Update

Afghan presidential hopeful Rahim Wardak withdrew from Afghan #election race. He says he doesn't support anyone pic.twitter.com/MJXCYoXOfg
— Haris Kakar (@RSkakar) March 16, 2014

Afghan Soldiers Facilitated Attack in Kunar

4 Afghan soldiers facilitated deadly Taliban attack in Kunar - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency:


 "Four service members of the Afghan national army (ANA) facilitated deadly Taliban attack on a military base in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan that left at least 21 Afghan national army soldiers dead.
The incident took place late in February in Ghaziabad district after a group of Taliban militants attacked the military base."

President Karzai Presentation

The Afghan Parliament presented President Karzai with this Medallion of Excellence yesterday. 

Syria Three Years On

Karzai says war 'imposed' on Afghanistan

The endgame fiasco complements the long fiasco of the 12-year game. 

Karzai says war 'imposed' on Afghanistan - WCMH: News, Weather, and Sports for Columbus, Ohio:
"In a last address to Parliament on Saturday, Karzai also said his armed forces, now responsible for 93 percent of the country, were ready to take over entirely after the final withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops later this year."

British ex-commander hits out over 'inadequate kit' in Afghanistan

British ex-commander hits out over 'inadequate kit' in Afghanistan | UK | The Guardian: "• The MoD had failed to upgrade essential elements of the army's core kit despite pledging billions of pounds to pay for the Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers and Typhoon jets for the Royal Air Force. "You have a position where either you don't have the right equipment or you have the equipment but you aren't trained properly. [It's like] the MoD is asking the army to live with a 1999 mobile phone, and saying you cannot replace it until 2019. You try to do that with a mobile phone and you won't be able to talk to anyone.""

Ex-CIA Top Lawyer: Release the ‘Black Site’ Report

Ex-CIA Top Lawyer: Release the ‘Black Site’ Report - The Daily Beast:
"Rizzo is the legal architect of the Bush-era “black site” secret prison program and the rules for the brutal interrogations that happened inside of them. In a declassified memo from 2002, Rizzo—as the CIA’s General Counsel -- asked the Justice Department in detail whether it was legal to subject a captured senior al Qaeda logistics planner to sleep deprivation, stress positions, water boarding and even a small coffin with a single insect inside. 
The Democrats on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee – and many, many outside observers -- called those techniques torture. And considering that no Republicans on the committee participated in writing or researching the black site report, it’s expected to be particularly tough on guys like John Rizzo."

Drone Deaths in Afghanistan Up By A Third

The United Nations says the number of civilian casualties from US drone strikes in Afghanistan has tripled in the past year. UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism Ben Emmerson warned on Wednesday that civilian deaths resulting from US drone attacks are intensifying in Afghanistan. He added that at least 45 civilians were killed and 14 injured in drone strikes in 2013, triple the rate experienced in 2012.

The Pentagon figures show the US military launched more than 500 strikes from unmanned aircraft across Afghanistan last year. The UN special rapporteur, a British lawyer who reports to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the General Assembly, also told reporters in Geneva that around 500 civilians had lost their lives in drone strikes in Yemen since 2009.
On Monday, the UNHRC called for independent investigations into drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
In a 21-page report, the UNHRC demanded the investigations after drone strikes around the world, mostly carried out by the US, led to civilian deaths. The US is conducting illegal drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Washington claims that its airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.
- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/world/civilian-drone-deaths-triple-afghanistan-un?#sthash.etRl8oBT.dpuf
Link to UNHRC Press Release HERE

NATO leaves ‘toxic stew’ in Afghanistan - World News

The 1842 Retreat From Kabul Was Less Shambolic Than 2014

NATO leaves ‘toxic stew’ in Afghanistan - World News | IOL News | IOL.co.za: 
Ignore the 'bad guys' claptrap in this piece. The conclusion from the analysis, even for these embeds, is that NATO, after 12 years, is leaving a bigger mess than they found in Afghanistan.
"The prospect of a complete drawdown has thrown into doubt US plans for a post-2014 mission that would focus in large part on going after die-hard al Qaeda fighters, most likely through small special forces raids and air strikes.
The commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford, on Wednesday gave a bleak assessment of prospects in the event of a full withdrawal.
“Without the Resolute Support mission, the progress made to date will not be sustainable,” Dunford told the US Senate Armed Services Committee, referring to a post-2014 NATO training and advisory mission.
A limited number of advisers was needed to train and assist Afghan forces, he said, adding that without help, Afghan forces would deteriorate and al Qaeda and others would see an opportunity to again establish Afghan bases."

Drone Use Down in Pakistan, Up in Afghanistan

"The U.N. special rapporteur, a British lawyer who reports to the 47-nation Human Rights Council and the U.N. General Assembly, told reporters in Geneva there has been "a very significant de-escalation" of U.S. armed drone use in Pakistan's FATA region, down to 27 strikes last year from a peak of 128 in 2010.
But he said the picture is uglier in Afghanistan, where drone strikes and civilian deaths resulting from their use are intensifying. In Afghanistan, he said, the number of civilian casualties from drone strikes last year rose to 45 dead and 14 injured, triple the rate experienced in 2012." LINK

Release of Afghan prisoners exposes root of rift with U.S

Insight - Release of Afghan prisoners exposes root of rift with U.S - Yahoo News UK: "President Hamid Karzai's decision last month to release the disputed 65 prisoners is a sign of his growing eagerness to assert his independence from his Western backers. Twelve years after Washington and others helped him seize power and with just a few months left in his final term, the Afghan president seems to want to distance himself from his once-closest ally at every opportunity.
But the story of the released prisoners also illustrates just why the gap between Washington and Kabul has opened up so much. The conflicting allegations about Sardar and another detainee whose case Reuters examined show how Afghanistan and the foreign military forces stationed there so often speak past each other. As the U.S. and NATO forces wind down their combat mission, it's not just that the different sides disagree on the facts, but that they sometimes seem to be talking about different wars altogether."

Turkish Unrest Simmers

Death of Swedish Journalist Nils Horner

Canadians Leave Afghanistan - Apologies for Poor Quality of the Analyst

Nato commander warns full US troop pullout will aid al-Qaida in Afghanistan

Nato commander warns full US troop pullout will aid al-Qaida in Afghanistan | World | The Guardian:

"The commander of the US-Nato war in Afghanistan said Wednesday that a full troop withdrawal in December would prompt a rapid deterioration of gains made in the 13-year conflict.
“The only debate is the pace of that deterioration,” Marine General Joseph Dunford testified to the Senate armed services committee in comments that implicitly defied the White House.
In February, President Obama instructed the Pentagon to begin preparing for a total withdrawal of the approximately 33,000 US troops in Afghanistan after his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, refused to sign a long-term basing deal."

Worried About Terrorism?

Suicide bombers attack intelligence compound in Kandahar

Suicide bombers attack intelligence compound in Kandahar - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency:

"According to local government officials, the suicide bombers were looking to enter the intelligence compound in Kandahar city, but the bombers were recognized and shot dead by Afghan security forces.
The first suicide bomber was shot dead on the spot while the second militant started clashes with the Afghan security forces, local officials said."

Funeral of Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim,

Controversy over alleged Afghan prison torture slips quietly into history

Controversy over alleged Afghan prison torture slips quietly into history books

 "Five years on, the controversy that surrounded Ottawa's handling of the Taliban prisoner file — in particular the nagging questions about whether they were tortured at the hands of their Afghan jailers — faded more quickly from the public consciousness than the conflict itself.
Still, it remains a sensitive, lightning-rod issue in the back rooms, especially for those concerned about the judgment of history.
One question remained unanswered: just how many prisoners were there?"

Syria's Children of War

Swedish-British journalist gunned down in central Kabul

Swedish-British journalist gunned down in central Kabul | South China Morning Post: "The Swedish ambassador to Afghanistan Peter Semneby identified the dead man as radio journalist Nils Horner.
“Unfortunately we just have received confirmation that Nils Horner, who was correspondent for Swedish national radio, was shot and killed in Kabul this morning,” ambassador Peter Semneby said.
“We understand he had British nationality in addition to his Swedish nationality. His family has been informed.”
A witness at the scene described hearing a single gunshot before seeing the victim fall to the ground and a doctor at Kabul’s emergency hospital said he was dead on arrival."

2 Security Forces Killed, 4 Aides of Presidential Candidate Injured in Herat

2 Security Forces Killed, 4 Aides of Presidential Candidate Injured in Herat: 

"The incident occurred in Keshk Rabat-Sangi district of the province, when a bomb concealed in a motorcycle detonated near the electoral campaign office of Abdullah, said Abdullah's National Coalition Party in a statement."

Guantánamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Part 1)

Guantánamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Part 1) | Andy Worthington:
"This information comes from (a) a list of 56 cleared prisoners released by the Justice Department in September 2012, based on the recommendations of the Inter-agency Guantánamo Review Task Force that President Obama established when he took office in 2009, and (b) a complete list of the task force’s recommendations, released by the DoJ in June 2013, which also identifies the 46 men recommended for indefinite detention without charge or trial, and the 33 recommended for trials. There are also 30 additional Yemenis listed who were recommended for “conditional detention,” to be freed when it was decided that the security situation in Yemen had improved."

Bomb in Osten Kills Governor

Bombenanschlag: Gouverneur in Afghanistan getötet by zoomineuro12_de

Helmet Cam Footage - March 2014

Rock saves soldiers from getting shot Charkh... by heavion

Taliban threaten to attack sham poll manipulated by U.S.

Afghan Taliban threaten to attack sham poll manipulated by U.S. | Reuters:
The Taliban said the proceedings were being stage-managed by the United States.
"The people should realise that the election will bear no result because the real elections have taken place in CIA and Pentagon offices and their favourite candidate has already been chosen," the Taliban said in a statement.
"...All fighters are given orders to disrupt this sham elections by full force and bring under attacks election workers, activists, volunteers and those providing security everywhere. If someone takes part in this (election), they will be responsible for the bad consequences themselves."

Is Afghanistan really impossible to conquer?

BBC News - Is Afghanistan really impossible to conquer?:
"Any occupying army here will haemorrage money and blood to little gain, and in the end most throw in the towel, as the British did in 1842, as the Russians did in 1988 and as Nato will do later this year.
In October 1963, when Harold Macmillan was handing over the prime ministership to Alec Douglas-Home, he is supposed to have passed on some advice.
"My dear boy, as long as you do not invade Afghanistan you will be absolutely fine," he said. Sadly, no one gave the same advice to Tony Blair."

Ukraine's far-right leader Dmitry Yarosh To run for President

Afghan vice-president Mohammad Qasim Fahim dies

BBC News - Afghan vice-president Mohammad Qasim Fahim dies:

"Marshal Fahim was a leader of the Tajik ethnic minority and a former warlord.
He was part of the alliance that ousted the Taliban in 2001 and served first as defence minister, before becoming vice-president in 2009.
President Hamid Karzai's office told the Associated Press news agency that Marshal Fahim died from an illness."

4 Afghan Soldiers, 2 Policemen Killed in Laghman Blast

4 Afghan Soldiers, 2 Policemen Killed in Laghman Blast:
"Two other soldiers were injured in the blast.
The blast took place in Mehterlam the capital of Laghman, when the soldierswere were trying to defuse a roadside mine placed by insurgents recently, said Sarhadi Zwak Provincial Governor Spokesman.
The victims have been taken to a nearby hospital.
It comes as, more than 13,000 Afghan soldiers and police officers have been killed during the war in Afghanistan. Most of those losses occurred during the past three years as security forces have took the security responsibility from foreign troops, according to government."