NATO says bomb kills service member in Afghanistan

NATO says bomb kills service member in Afghanistan | News OK:

"It said the attack happened Friday. The coalition did not provide the service member's nationality or any other details about the attack.

So far this month, five members of the U.S.-led international coalition have died in Afghanistan. This year, 13 coalition service members have died."

Ukraine Raises The Spectre of John McCain

When the old warmonger is on the cable channels, any situation has just received the kiss of Satan. All together now. 'Bomb,bomb,bomb..bomb,bomb Iran'.

Yarmouk Refugee Camp - Horror Scenes

5 cops killed in Afghanistan clashes

5 cops killed in Afghanistan clashes:

"Friday, February 28, 2014 - Maimana, Kunduz—Five policemen, including a senior officer were killed in different clashes in northern Faryab and Kunduz provinces of Afghanistan, officials said Thursday. Abdul Qadir Qaderi, Pashtunkot district chief of Faryab, said police commander, Dastan, and three of his associates were killed in a rocket attack fired by Taliban. Their bodies were said to be in Taliban’s custody. The insurgents’ group spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack."

Kerry - 'Don't Worry Guys - Another Puppet Will Be Along Soon

Next Afghan leader will sign security pact: Kerry - PakTribune: 
"It will be signed by the way," Kerry insisted on Wednesday.
"Whether it's signed by him or not we obviously have serious reservations, but all six of the candidates for the presidency of Afghanistan have said that they will sign it."
The Obama administration said its preferred option is to leave behind a residual US force when its combat teams depart Afghanistan after America's longest war at the end of this year."

Warlords With Dark Pasts Battle in Afghan Election

Warlords With Dark Pasts Battle in Afghan Election - NYTimes.com:

Of the 11 campaigns in the April 5 presidential elections, no fewer than 6 include at least one candidate who is widely regarded as a warlord. Warlords with anti-US, anti-Western practice and policies in their backgrounds. More

NATO puts pressure on Afghanistan to sign troop agreement

BRUSSELS: NATO puts pressure on Afghanistan to sign troop agreement | World | McClatchy DC: 

""If there is no agreement, there will be no NATO troops in Afghanistan after 2014," he said. "This is not our preferred option, but it might be the unfortunate outcome if the security agreement is not signed."

The warning from NATO was closely coordinated with the White House and came a day after President Barack Obama told Karzai in a telephone call that the U.S. was planning for a complete withdrawal over Karzai's refusal to sign the troop agreement.

NATO has been negotiating a separate agreement with Afghanistan that would authorize other countries to keep troops there after this year, but alliance officials have said from the beginning that the deal was contingent on Afghanistan concluding an accord with the U.S."

Pepe Escobar - Will NATO annex Ukraine?

Article: Will NATO annex Ukraine Next?
 "This is a purely military-centric game -- the logic of the whole mechanism ultimately decided in Washington, not in Brussels. It's about NATO expansion, not "democracy." When neo-con State Department functionary Victoria Nuland had her 15 seconds of fame recently, what she actually meant was "We're NATO, F**k the EU." No wonder there will be an urgent NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, centered on Ukraine.
No one will ever read that in US corporate media -- or in academia for that matter. Harvard Professor Francis Boyle talking to Voice of Russia, or Princeton's Stephen Cohen in a recent article for the Nation, are glaring exceptions."

The Ghost of Ronald Reagan Haunts Putinistan

US Petulance With Hamid Karzai

If Obama's brinkmanship is intended to intimidate President Karzai into capitulating re the US farewell Faustian bargain, it might just work. I always Karzai to cave in at some stage after posturing as much as he can. Attitudinizing and pretence have always been principal tools in his modus operandi. Check back on his mock outrage about the many, many NATO/ISAF bungled bombings, raids and atrocities over the years for the evidence. If, on the other hand, he decides he is more afraid of the Taliban in the post-NATO era than he is of the US, a new requirement presents itself to Obama. No chance for the 'Peace of Obama's Speechwriters' and the Mission Accomplished bull of the old 'New Iraq' spin routine. How's that one going by the way?

Afghanistan is looming as the ultimate humiliating failure for US foreign policy. Never mind Iraq or Vietnam (General Westmoreland went to his grave saying Vietnam was a US victory - Obama would have loved him). Obama's spin men will be ordered to work round the clock to salvage something from the Afghan wreckage for the comatose US public to consume. 

I reckon they will try to resurrect the old chestnut about 'fighting for women's rights' in Afghanistan. A few years ago this became the threadbare life-raft of the failed mission in the tame media. It never was or will be the reason for launching the debacle of course. Time for the White House Press Corps to dust down last year's pictures of Malala.

Pakistan airstrikes force hundreds to flee

Pakistan airstrikes force hundreds to flee - The Scotsman: 

"Most of the fleeing families are heading from North Waziristan to neighbouring Bannu city, said Lutfur Rehman, an officer with the provincial disaster management authority. Some of the families are heading to live with their relatives, he said.
Others, such as 65-year-old Janan Wazir and his 12 relatives, said they had no final destination in mind. “We really don’t know where we are going,” he said. He and his family were squeezed in a van with household items stuffed inside and packed on its roof. “We can’t see our women, our children in pain anymore,” he added.
Mr Wazir lived in Mir Ali, seen as a stronghold of the Pakistani Taleban and the target of many of the airstrikes."

Mission Abolished - 12 Years of Afghan Carnage for This

Not with a bang but a whimper. It took the US 12 years, untold destruction and thousands of deaths to learn that they couldn't even manipulate their own puppets.

Pakistan Launches Fresh Strikes on Afghan Border Killing 30 Militants

Pakistan Launches Fresh Strikes on Afghan Border Killing 30 Militants:

"The PAF has targeted militant training facilities in Shawal valley and Dattakhel areas of North Waziristan, in an ongoing series of air strikes which have reportedly killed over 100 extremists.

However, it could not be confirmed if the people reported dead were members of Pakistan's largest terrorist operative, Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), while no official information was available on possible civilian casualties.

Residents in the troubled region are fleeing the area for more populated cities of Bannu, Kohat and Peshawar outside the tribal belt, according to Al Jazeera."

Pakistan Condemns Killing of 23 Pakistani Soldiers In Afghanistan

MoFA Rejects Killing of 23 Pakistani Soldiers In Afghanistan:

"Briefing to journalists in a news conference, a spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmad Shekib Mustaghni said,” The issue raised by national security advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz in a meeting with Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Usmani during sideline of SAARC foreign ministerial summit held in Maldives.
In the meeting, Sartaj Aziz had said that based on a video film they received showing that 23 Pakistani soldiers had been probably killed in Afghanistan soil."

Obama's 4 Options for Afghanistan

In the meantime, the Obama administration is considering four different options for Afghanistan, as reported by Karen DeYoung at the Washington Post:

• Under the 10,000-troop option, U.S. forces would remain in Kabul, Kandahar, Bagram and Jalalabad until the end of 2015, with 5,000 NATO and other international troops based in the northern and western parts of the country as part of a NATO mission called Resolute Support.
• A second option would base a somewhat smaller number of U.S. troops in Kabul and Bagram until 2016, with authorization to travel across the country to train and advise Afghan forces as needed. Under the proposals, Option 1 could merge into Option 2, with the entire force scheduled to leave by the end of Obama’s term in office.
• The 3,000 troops under Option 3 would be restricted to Kabul and Bagram, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity about administration decision making. A portion of the existing Bagram air base ideally would be available for military drone operations, but troops would not travel across the country. It could not be determined how long the troops would remain.
• The fourth and final option calls for a complete U.S. withdrawal, a prospect for which the White House sees little immediate political fallout. Washington Post polls have shown that a majority of Americans believe the war was not worth fighting — 66 percent in a December survey. A Gallup poll this month indicated that for the first time since the conflict began in 2001, the number of Americans who believe U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake is equal to the number who say it was not.

Anger As US General Pictured With Notorious Afghan Police Chief

Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commander of International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, greets Maj. Gen. Abdul Raziq, police chief of Kandahar province and drug-smuggler/murderer, at Joint Regional Afghan National Police Center, Feb. 11, 2014. Anderson, who assumed command Feb. 8, 2014, visited Regional Command (South) to meet ISAF and Afghan leaders as he kicks off his tenure as the commander of IJC.

20 ANA Soldiers Killed, 7 Captured by Taliban in E.Afghanistan

BBC News - Afghan soldiers die as Taliban attack checkpoint in Kunar:
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai postponed a planned visit to Sri Lanka on Sunday because of the attack.
The violence comes ahead of presidential elections that are due to be held next month.
The BBC's Karen Allen in Kabul says it is one of the deadliest Taliban attacks against the army in the past year.
Gen Mohammad Zahir Azimi said "hundreds" of insurgents had been involved in the attack, which took place in the remote Ghazi Abad district of eastern Kunar province early on Sunday."

New Zealand Government Pays Blood Money To Families of Their Victims

Two civilians, Mohammad Sadiq and Abdul Mobin, were shot dead by SAS troopers in December 2010 during a raid on a factory in the Afghanistan capital.
The pair were killed as they carried out their duties as security guards and were not linked to the Taliban or other enemies of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, of which New Zealand is a part.
The payments were discussed during briefings with Parliament's foreign affairs, defence and trade committee late last year.
The committee's post-briefing six-page report - obtained by the Sunday Star-Times - said: "The ex gratia payments were consistent with rules of engagement, and were not considered to be compensation. It is practice in Afghanistan, and in other parts of the world, to make payments to families of those killed, in order to prevent revenge-driven retaliation." READ MORE

Letter To Washington Times.

This letter is probably not atypical of the demented take in America on the Afghanistan invasion and occupation. I would't be surprised if the writer considered himself a 'liberal'. Karzai, for once, has the right idea.

"If this is how Afghanistan thanks us for what we have done as we still have boots on the ground, how much more will the relationship deteriorate after we have diminished our forces or departed?

I am particularly sorry for our troops in Afghanistan who have been grievously wounded physically and/or emotionally, and for the families of those brave Americans who were killed as their loved ones sought to aid a populace composed largely of ungrateful people."

FULL LETTER

US Media Lament Inefficiency of Army Gun

It seems incompetence like this has prevented the US Army from killing even more Afghan farmers.

Burka Clad Gunmen in Kabul Attack on Police HQ

Burqa-clad gunmen attack Afghan police HQ: security officials – The Express Tribune: "The Taliban claimed responsibility for the two-hour attack, which occurred in the same district where presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah’s convoy briefly came under gunfire on Wednesday.
“Today at about 6:20 am, a suicide bomber driving a minivan detonated himself at the entrance gate of the Sarobi police headquarters,” General Mohammad Zahir, Kabul province’s police chief, told AFP.
“Three other terrorists clad in women’s burqas entered the courtyard of the building and started firing and resisting the police and army forces.
“As a result of the attack, one officer was killed and three others were wounded.”
Male militants have previously used the all-enveloping burqa to disguise themselves and evade security checks in Afghanistan, including in a 2012 attack when four French troops were killed."

Afghanistan Risking Collapse with ANSF Size Decrease - Report

Afghanistan Risking Collapse with ANSF Size Decrease: 

"This study was recommended by the U.S. congress and carried out by a Virginia-based nonprofit hired by the Pentagon. The report indicates that Washington and NATO must cancel their program of ANSF cutdown to 228,000. "If the U.S. policy goal is to prevent Afghanistan from ever again becoming a safe haven for terrorists and insurgents, drawing down the Afghan Security Forces to 228,000 puts that goal at risk," Director of CNA Strategic Studies Center Jonathan Schroden said.
The report suggests that NATO and the U.S. maintain the current size of ANSF troops-352,000- and pay for the $4.1 million in expenses."

How will the Taliban Respond to Afghanistan’s Elections?

How will the Taliban Respond to Afghanistan’s Elections? | United States Institute of Peace:
"As Afghanistan moves toward April 5 elections for president and provincial councils, key questions loom: Among them, just what will the Taliban do to disrupt or distort that nation’s exercise in democratically selecting its leadership, and what might those efforts accomplish?"

Yemen Drone Strike May Violate Obama Policy | Human Rights Watch

US: Yemen Drone Strike May Violate Obama Policy | Human Rights Watch:
"The 28-page report, “A Wedding That Became a Funeral: US Drone Attack on Marriage Procession in Yemen,” calls on the US government to investigate the strike, publish its findings, and act in the event of wrongdoing. The December 12 attack killed 12 men and wounded at least 15 other people, including the bride. US and Yemeni officials said the dead were members of the armed group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but witnesses and relatives told Human Rights Watch the casualties were civilians. Obama said in a major address in May that US policy requires “near-certainty” that no civilians will be harmed in targeted attacks."

Al Qaeda Group Claim Bomb Attacks in Beirut

Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah survives Taliban attack

Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah survives Taliban attack - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency: 

"Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah escaped unhurt from an attack carried out by Taliban militants in Kabul-Jalalabad highway.
The incident took place late Wednesday while Dr. Abdullah was returning to Kabul city from an election in Jalalabad city.
Taliban militants group in Afghanistan immediately claimed responsibility behind the attack."

Australian Troops In Afghanistan To Be Granted Immunity?

Australian Troops In Afghanistan Could Be Granted Immunity:
"Afghan's defense minister says Australian soldiers remaining in Afghanistan beyond this year could be granted immunity from prosecution under Afghan law. 
Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was quoted by the "Sydney Morning News" after talks in Canberra with Australian Defense Minister David Johnson."

US Bomber Drops 500lb Bomb On Own Troops - Video

War in Afghanistan was a mistake: US poll

More Americans think war in Afghanistan was a mistake: poll  - NY Daily News:
"A new Gallup poll shows 49% of Americans say the U.S. should not have gone to war, with 48% responding that the conflict was justified.
This marks the first time since 2001 that the majority had a negative view of the war."

Roadside bomb kills 6 Afghan soldiers: Afghan official

The Statesman: Roadside bomb kills 6 Afghan soldiers: Afghan official:

"A roadside bomb has ripped through an Afghan army vehicle in north-eastern Afghanistan, killing six soldiers, the defence ministry said today. The soldiers were returning to their post after a firefight with a group of militants in Alasay district of Kapisa province late yesterday." 

Tim McHugh - 21st Century Blues

Train Blast in Pakistan

Karzai orders probe into clashes between Afghan and US troops in Kapisa

Karzai orders probe into clashes between Afghan and US troops in Kapisa - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency: 

"President Karzai ordered the ministry of defense, ministry of interior, Afghan intelligence department and the other government institutions to investigate the incident.
This comes as Pentagon officials said Friday that Taliban militants attacked the district center where the Americans had been operating, shortly after the insider attack took place on US troops.
Pentagon spokesman, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby appeared to open the possibility that the machine-gun attack that killed the two Army Special Forces soldiers Wednesday was coordinated with the Taliban."

Spate of attacks spark Afghan election fears

Spate of attacks spark Afghan election fears - Features - Al Jazeera English:

"For the people of Herat, daily life continues as usual under the watchful eyes of powerful men promising reconstruction, peace and moderation. However, in the past month, Herat has already been the site of three election-related attacks, raising questions about the campaigns' ability to reach out to voters in Herat province's rural districts.
The latest incident left Arbab Qasem Jamshidi, a campaigner for Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, severely injured after gunmen attacked him outside a sauna in Karokh. The attack on Jamshidi came almost a week after two aides to Abdullah Abdullah, who came in second in the 2009 presidential polls, were shot dead in the provincial capital."

Blast kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan

Blast kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan - Yahoo News UK: 
"KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An improvised explosive device killed a NATO service member in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the U.S.-led international military coalition said.
In its statement, the coalition did not give further details on where the incident occurred or the nationality of the service member killed.
Saturday's death brings to five the number of coalition troops who have died in Afghanistan so far this month. So far this year, 12 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press."

Twenty-five years after Soviet exit, Taliban says U.S. will meet same fate

Twenty-five years after Soviet exit, Taliban says U.S. will meet same fate | Reuters: 

"Today America is facing the same fate as the former Soviets and trying to escape from our country," the Taliban said in a statement emailed to reporters by Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a spokesman for the group.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is calling on its people to deal with today's invaders the same they did with the yesterday's invaders," he said, using the name the Taliban government used during its repressive 1996-2001 rule.

In line with the so-called Geneva accords, a last convoy of Soviet soldiers crossed a bridge connecting northern Afghanistan with the then-Soviet Union on February 15, 1989."

Suicide attacker kills civilian, injures eight in Afghanistan

Suicide attacker kills civilian, injures eight in Afghanistan - The Hindu:
"One civilian was killed and eight injured Saturday by a suicide bomber in northern Afghanistan, police said.
“The bomber targeted a police vehicle passing in Khan Abad district at 9:30 am (0500 GMT),” said Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, police spokesman for Kunduz province.
Mr. Hussaini said the police officers were unhurt, but one civilian passerby died and eight others were injured.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack."

British Suicide Bomber in Syria - Martyrdom Video

Could Iran and India be Afghanistan’s ‘Plan B?’

Could Iran and India be Afghanistan’s ‘Plan B?’ | The Diplomat:

"Events in recent months indicate to three clear policy strands. First, Karzai is unwilling to sign the BSA soon (at least until the April presidential elections) and is looking for bigger bargains. Second, visits by Karzai and his ministers to Iran and India in recent months are clearly aimed at shoring up support in a situation where U.S. military support may not be forthcoming. And third Karzai is now hedging his bets when it comes to direct talks with the Taliban given the absence of any clear initiative by the U.S. In all of these initiatives, India and Iran could be key players."

Two American soldiers killed in Afghan insider attack - officials | Reuters

Two American soldiers killed in Afghan insider attack - officials | Reuters: 

Guardian Angel policy. Guard Supervises NATO-ANA meeting

"The NATO-led coalition confirmed two foreign soldiers had been shot dead, but did not specify their nationality.

Two U.S. defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said both victims were Americans.

Four American soldiers were also wounded, one of the U.S. officials said.

It was the first such "insider" attack this year. There were ten such incidents last year, resulting in the deaths of 15 members of the ISAF international security forces, according to Reuters' totals."

Karzai Defies US on Prisoners

It's clear that Karzai has about as much respect for his Washington mentors as they have for him. He knows who he has to fear as the chaotic NATO exit strategy stumbles on.

Civilian Drone Deaths Triple in Afghanistan

Civilian drone deaths in Afghanistan tripled last year, according to a report by a UN agency. Forty-five civilians died in drone strikes in 2013. The report, by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama), found that drone strikes accounted for at least a third of all civilian deaths in air strikes last year. Unama notes that it is sometimes difficult to establish which type of aircraft carried out a strike, so the true total could be higher. More

Car Bomb Kills Elite Police in Pakistan

A van exploded as a bus with the officers passed by it after leaving a training complex, said police officer Rao Anwaar. Karachi police chief Shahid Hayat said the initial investigation suggested there was a remotely-detonated bomb on the van.
Nearly 50 officers on board the bus were from the Rapid Response Force, a special anti-terrorist police squad, Anwaar said.
Pakistani TV channels showed the blast scene littered with broken glass and pieces of vehicles scattered around.
The wounded officers were rushed to nearby hospitals, and 12 of them were in critical condition, said Dr. Seemi Jamali at the city's Jinnah Hospital. More

Fury As Army Chiefs Land Jobs With Defence Companies

Lieutenant General Sir Mark Mans, a former member of the Defence Infrastructure Board, left the army in December 2012. Three months later he landed a job with Capita Defence Services as a non-executive director.
The company is leading one of three consortia shortlisted for the £400m contract to run the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which manages a budget of billions, and thousands of Ministry of Defence properties.
Telereal Trillium, leading one of the other consortia being considered for the contract, appointed Lt Gen Sir Gary Coward, former Commander (Land), Defence Equipment and Support, as an adviser last June – eight months after he had left the Army. READ ON

US Forces condemn release of 65 Bagram detainees

US Forces in Afghanistan condemns release of 65 Bagram detainees - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency:

"The statement further added, “The U.S. has, on several occasions, provided extensive information and evidence on each of the 88 detainees to the Afghan Review Board, the Afghan National Directorate of Security and the Attorney General’s office.”
USFOR-A in its statement also added that the release of prisoners marked dangerous, violates agreements between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
“We have made clear our judgment that these individuals should be prosecuted under Afghan law. We requested that the cases be carefully reviewed. But the evidence against them was never seriously considered, including by the Attorney General, given the short time since the decision was made to transfer these cases to the Afghan legal system,” the statement added."

Glenn Greenwald on US Assassination Programme

Whether or not Obama is fully aware of the errors built into the program of 'targeted assassination', he and his top advisors have repeatedly made clear that the president himself directly oversees the drone operation and takes full responsibility for it.

The Erik Wemple Blog asked Greenwald about the language in an interview this afternoon. “What we’re trying to do is use the accurate term rather than the euphemistic term that the government wants us to use,” says Greenwald, noting that “most media outlets wouldn’t do it.” Greenwald and his colleagues at First Look didn’t “discuss it much,” he says. “But I think everybody understood it was the right headline because of the accuracy issue.” READ MORE

US Exit Plans in Chaos

The decision to wait until Karzai leaves clearly reflect a growing belief in Washington that there is little to no chance of restoring ties with the Afghan President to get him to sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) before the presidential election due in April.
“If he’s not going to be part of the solution, we have to have a way to get past him,” said a senior U.S. official.
“It’s a pragmatic recognition that clearly Karzai may not sign the BSA and that he doesn’t represent the voice of the Afghan people,” he added.
The BSA calls for keeping 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014 at a limited number of bases.

Taliban Vow to Disrupt April Elections

Hizb-i-Islami a radical group with thousands of fighters and followers across the country’s north and east claimed responsibility for the deaths of the two US contractors yesterday. The movement was founded by former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar — a former Afghan prime minister and one-time US ally who is now listed as a terrorist by Washington. violence.The Taliban have vowed to disrupt presidential elections scheduled for April 5, a key test of Afghanistan’s fragile 'democracy'. 
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said on Monday that Afghan forces will be able to protect 94 per cent of the planned polling places in the election. He said police and the military have been working closely with the country’s election commission and have determined that 420 of the 7,168 planned voting centres will be too difficult to secure. Western sources in Afghanistan were sceptical about this. The Independent Election Commission officials have said that any polling place that cannot be secured will be closed.

Also on Monday, the coalition said one of its service members died Friday in the country’s east of a non-battle-related injury. It gave no other details. It is the first fatality for the coalition this month, bringing the year’s total to eight.

Two NATO staff Killed in Kabul

A suicide car bomber targeted foreign troop vehicles near the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in east of Kabul Monday afternoon. There were two fatalities, both foreign contractors.
Two vehicles were damaged in the attack. Foreign and Afghan forces have also arrived on the scene. The forces have blocked the road to traffic.
An eyewitness said it was a suicide attack on a convoy of foreign troops' vehicles. Ambulances have arrived the scene. ISAF has not yet commented.

NSA Role in US Assassination Policy

According to a former drone operator for the military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) who also worked with the NSA, the agency often identifies targets based on controversial metadata analysis and cell-phone tracking technologies. Rather than confirming a target’s identity with operatives or informants on the ground, the CIA or the U.S. military then orders a strike based on the activity and location of the mobile hone a person is believed to be using. The drone operator, who agreed to discuss the top-secret programs on the condition of anonymity, was a member of JSOC’s High Value Targeting task force, which is charged with identifying, capturing or killing terrorist suspects in Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and elsewhere. His account is bolstered by top-secret NSA documents previously provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden. It is also supported by a former drone sensor operator with the U.S. Air Force, Brandon Bryant, who has become an outspoken critic of the lethal operations in which he was directly involved in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. Link

Obama '3 More Years in Afghanistan'

BARACCHIO

He also said the United States would “build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures.” Beware a euphemism for permanent military bases. The president’s rhetoric, overall, was hideous. “The tide of war is receding,” he said, and he repeated the “tide” metaphor a little later on. But war is not a fact of nature, like an ocean. It is a rash act of rulers. Obama all but claimed to be clairvoyant, saying, “The light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance.” I’m not sure what telescope he’s using, but I wouldn’t rely on that, either in Iraq or in Afghanistan. LINK

RAF has fired missiles in Afghanistan using US drones, MoD reveals

RAF has fired missiles in Afghanistan using US drones, MoD reveals: 
"The MoD insists that British drone pilots always operate under UK rules of engagement, whatever asset they are flying.
However, campaigners have called for increased scrutiny over the use of the aircraft and condemned a lack of transparency about the programmes run by the American and British armed forces.
British crews piloted US Reaper and Predator drones in Afghanistan on 2,150 occasions between 2006 and 2012 – an average of almost once a day.
That does not include the thousands of missions British forces have flown with their own fleet of 10 Reaper aircraft.
The MoD has also for the first time provided a breakdown of the number of missiles fired by UK drones every month between May 2008 and April 2013."

Seven Afghan soldiers killed in roadside blasts

Seven Afghan soldiers killed in roadside blasts - Khaleej Times: 

"Officials said a roadside bomb has killed seven Afghan soldiers in the west of the country.

The spokesman for Afghanistan’s defence ministry, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, said the powerful blast hit the soldiers’ vehicle on Sunday in the Dilaram district of Farah province.

Azimi said no other soldiers were seriously wounded, but declined to provide further details on the explosion.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility."

6 Unanswered Questions About Obama's Drone War

6 Unanswered Questions About Obama's Drone War | Mother Jones:

"On January 23, 2009, President Barack Obama authorized his first drone strike. The attack, launched against a compound in northwestern Pakistan, killed between 7 and 15 people—but missed the Taliban hideout the Central Intelligence Agency thought it was targeting. Over the next five years, the CIA carried out more than 390 known drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. (The agency carried out 51 drone strikes between 2004 and 2009, during the Bush administration.)

Obama made a brief reference to the drone campaign in last week's State of the Union address, assuring Congress that "I've imposed prudent limits on the use of drones." This wasn't the first time the president had acknowledged the need for a clear drone policy. Last May, Obama remarked at the National Defense University, "This new technology raises profound questions—about who is targeted, and why." Yet the answers the administration has provided to these profound questions and the prudent limits it has put in place remain vague." 

Taliban Say US Military Dog 'Well Looked After'

I don't carry many shaggy dog stories but pieces like this are almost designed to trivialise the fiasco of Afghanistan. A bit like the regular ones about local ISAF interpreters winning talent contests.

The rather sad-looking Malinois is seen in a video with Taliban militants, who say they captured the "American military" dog during a firefight. It seems to be the first time a canine has been used in a prisoner of war video.
The Telegraph reports that Zabiullah Mujahid, a well-known Taliban spokesman, says the militant group is keeping the dog and trying "to look after him." LINK

2013 Rise in Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Nearly 3,000 civilians were killed and more than 5,600 were injured in 2013.
The report said the gradual withdrawal of foreign troops left Afghan government forces more vulnerable to attack by insurgents.
It said this had led to intensified ground fighting, which had contributed to an increase in civilian casualties, particularly of women and children.
The UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (Unama) said 34% more children and 36% more women were killed and wounded in 2013 than in 2012.

Ukraine crisis: Leaked US phone call appears online

BBC News - Ukraine crisis: Leaked US phone call appears online:
"An apparently bugged phone conversation in which a senior US diplomat disparages the EU over the Ukraine crisis has been posted online.
A voice resembling that of Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland refers to the EU using a graphic swear word, in a conversation apparently with the US ambassador to Ukraine.
The US said Ms Nuland had "apologised for these reported comments".
The EU and US are involved in talks to end months of unrest in Ukraine."

Taliban Capture US Army Dog - Video

An experienced dog handler who has worked in Afghanistan said it appeared to be a Belgian shepherd, a breed popular with soldiers because of its ability to work for hours without a break."You see the ears? They are down, that tells you that the dog is not aggressive and just wants to feel safe. Right now the dog is terrified," said the handler, who asked not to be named while talking about Nato.
"I can see in his eyes he just wants to get his handler," he added.
A spokesman for Nato forces in Afghanistan said they were aware of the reports, and looking into them, but had no immediate comment. MORE

Pakistan-Taliban Talks Under Way

Militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been waging an insurgency inside Pakistan since 2007.
The talks initiative was announced last week by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, following a spate of attacks.
Continue reading the main story

Is This How The West Was Won? Gojo Music

Salt and Terror in Afghanistan

We looked at UN figures about hunger in Afghanistan which show malnutrition rates rising by 50% or more compared with 2012. The malnutrition ward at Helmand Province’s Bost Hospital has been admitting 200 children a month for severe, acute malnutrition — four times more than in January 2012.
A recent New York Times article about the worsening hunger crisis described an encounter with a mother and child in an Afghan hospital: “In another bed is Fatima, less than a year old, who is so severely malnourished that her heart is failing, and the doctors expect that she will soon die unless her father is able to find money to take her to Kabul for surgery. The girl’s face bears a perpetual look of utter terror, and she rarely stops crying.”
Photos of Fatima and other children in the ward accompanied the article. In our room in Kabul, Hakim projected the photos on the wall. They were painful to see and so were the nods of comprehension from Afghans all too familiar with the agonies of poverty in a time of war. MORE

Internecine Violence Between Syrian Rebels Continues

The perpetrators of this are the people Cameron and Hague wanted to support. The 'good guys'.

Result of Rebel in-fighting in Syria this weekend

3 Decades of Failure in Afghanistan

Three years later, “some stirred up Muslims” flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The eradication of their movement became our national obsession, one that justified raising U.S. military expenditures back to the highest levels of the Cold War, even though there was no technologically significant enemy to justify this restoration of the power and the glory of the military-industrial complex.

In the process, we have come to sacrifice the basic rights of the individual enshrined in our Constitution in the name of finding what our last president, in his comic book lingo, termed the “evildoers,” without ever conceding that they were once, as President Reagan defined them, our “freedom fighters.” Bush’s vice president, Dick Cheney, a former top exec at defense contractor Halliburton, must have chuckled at that one, knowing full well that a primitive enemy holed up in mountain caves could not justify blowing trillions on the most sophisticated oceangoing aircraft carriers, stealth fighters and other relics of an era when we had a militarily significant enemy. More