As Iraq draws down I figure significant changes will occur in Afghanistan as we deploy troops there. If you want me to keep everything in the other thread then locking this one will let me know.

Why does it seem like our forces are the only ones that can get anything done....

Quote :

"GARMSER, Afghanistan — For two years British troops staked out a presence in this small district center in southern Afghanistan and fended off attacks from the Taliban. The constant firefights left it a ghost town, its bazaar broken and empty but for one baker, its houses and orchards reduced to rubble and weeds. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit patrolled the southern Afghanistan village of Hazarjoft on May 21. The unit is planning to move on in the next few weeks. But it took the Marines, specifically the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, about 96 hours to clear out the Taliban in a fierce battle in the past month and push them back about 6 miles. It was their first major combat operation since landing in March, and it stood in stark contrast to the events of a year earlier, when a Marine unit was removed in disgrace within weeks of arriving because its members shot and killed 19 civilians after a suicide bombing attack. This time, the performance of the latest unit of marines, here in Afghanistan for seven months to help bolster NATO forces, will be under particular scrutiny. The NATO-led campaign against the Taliban has not only come under increasing pressure for its slow progress in curbing the insurgency, but it has also been widely criticized for the high numbers of civilian casualties in the fighting. The marines’ drive against the Taliban in this large farming region is certainly not finished, and the Taliban have often been pushed out of areas in Afghanistan only to return in force later. But for the British forces and Afghan residents here, the result of the recent operation has been palpable. The district chief returned to his job from his refuge in the provincial capital within days of the battle and 200 people — including 100 elders of the community — gathered for a meeting with him and the British to plan the regeneration of the town. “They have disrupted the Taliban’s freedom of movement and pushed them south, and that has created the grounds for us to develop the hospital and set the conditions for the government to come back,” said Maj. Neil Den-McKay, the officer commanding a company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland based here. People have already started coming back to villages north of the town, he said, adding, “There has been huge optimism from the people.” For the marines, it was a chance to hit the enemy with the full panoply of their firepower in places where they were confident there were few civilians. The Taliban put up a tenacious fight, rushing in reinforcements in cars and vans from the south and returning repeatedly to the attack, but they were beaten back in four days by three companies of marines, two of which were dropped in by helicopter to the southeast. In the days after the assault began, hundreds of families, their belongings packed high on tractor-trailers, fled north from villages in the southern part of the battle zone, according to marines staffing a checkpoint. The Taliban told them to leave as the fighting began, they said. Hospital officials in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, reported receiving eight civilian casualties as a result of the fighting, including a 14-year-old boy who died from his injuries. The marines did not sustain any casualties, but one was killed and two were wounded in subsequent clashes. Marines from the unit’s Company C said the reaction from the returning civilians, mostly farmers, had been favorable. “Everyone says they don’t like the Taliban,” said Capt. John Moder, 34, the commander of the company. People had complained that the Taliban stole food, clothes and vehicles from them, he said. There are about 34,000 American troops in Afghanistan, with more than 3,000 marines having been sent into the country after NATO requested additional help in the south, where the Taliban are particularly strong. The deployment occurred almost a year after up to 19 unarmed civilians were killed and 50 people wounded on March 4, 2007, when a Marine convoy opened fire after a suicide car bomb wounded one marine. On Friday, the Marine Corps said it would not bring charges against two of the commanding officers from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit for the episode, a decision that was greeted with dismay in Afghanistan. The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Dan K. McNeill, had a checklist of tasks around the country for 3,200 marines when they arrived in March. But the majority of them have spent a month in Garmser after changing their original plan, which was to secure a single road here, when they realized how important the area was to the Taliban as an infiltration and supply route to fighters in northern part of Helmand Province. “This is an artery, and we did not realize that when we squeezed that artery, it would have such an effect,” said First Lt. Mark Matzke, the executive officer of Company C. "

5/27/2008 3:02:54 PM

Quote :

"They also realized it was worth exploiting their initial success. The whole area was unexpectedly welcoming to the American forces and eager for security and development, Captain Moder said. “Us pushing the Taliban out allows the Afghan National Army to come in,” he said. “This is a real breadbasket here. There’s a lot of potential here.” Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, examining charts, cleared out the Taliban in Garmser in about 96 hours and pushed them back about 6 miles. This southern part of Helmand Province, along the Helmand River valley, is prime agricultural land and still benefits from the large-scale irrigation plan kicked off by American government assistance in the 1950s and 1960s. It has traditionally been the main producer of wheat and other crops for the country. During the last 30 years of war, however, the area has given way to poppy production, providing a large percentage of the crop that has made Afghanistan the producer of 98 percent of the world’s opium. The region has long been an infiltration route for insurgents coming across the southern border with Pakistan, crossing from Baluchistan Province in Pakistan via an Afghan refugee camp known as Girdi Jungle. The Taliban, and the drug runners, then race across a region known ominously as the desert of death until they reach the river valley, which provides the ideal cover of villages and greenery. With such a large area under their control, the Taliban were able to gather in numbers, stockpile weapons and provide a logistics route to send fighters and weapons into northern Helmand and the provinces of Kandahar and Oruzgan beyond. The Taliban, who kicked out villagers and took over their farmhouses, were also mixed with an unusual proportion of Arabs and Pakistanis, Major Den-McKay said. “The majority of elements in this area are Arab and Pakistani, and the locals detest them,” he said. The insurgent commanders were from Iran, which shares a border with Afghanistan to the southwest, as well as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, he said. Afghan villagers confirmed that there were local Afghan Taliban fighting, too. But they also said that there were Pakistanis, ethnic Baluchis from southern Iran and Arabs fighting as well. Locals complained that the Taliban taxed them heavily on the opium harvest. They demanded up to about 30 pounds of opium from every farmer, which was more than the entire harvest of some, so they were forced to go and buy opium to meet the demand, said Abdul Taher, a 45-year-old farmer. “We had a lot of trouble these last two years,” said Sher Ahmad, 32. “We are very grateful for the security,” said his father, Abdul Nabi, the elder of a small hamlet in the village of Hazarjoft, a few miles south of Garmser. “We don’t need your help, just security,” he said. Villagers were refusing humanitarian aid offered by the marines because the Taliban were already infiltrating back and threatening anyone who took it, Lieutenant Matzke said. After a month in the region, the marines have secured only half of a roughly six-square-mile area south of Garmser. Taliban forces operating out of two villages are still attacking the southern flank of the marines and are even creeping up to fire at British positions on the edge of the town. But the bigger test will come in the next few weeks as the marines move on and the Afghans, supported by the British, take over. The concern here is that the Taliban will try to blend in among the returning villagers and orchestrate attacks. Major Den-McKay said they were ready. “The threat will migrate from direct attacks to suicide attacks” and roadside bombs, he said. Now on his fourth tour in Afghanistan, Major Den-McKay said he had seen considerable progress in the confidence and ability of the Afghan security forces. Reinforcements of the police, trained and mentored by the British and Americans, have already moved in and are working well with border police and intelligence service personnel, he said. The marines, meanwhile, prepare for their next move. To the south are miles upon miles of uncontrolled territory where the Taliban still operate freely, as well as a dozen other districts around the country demanding their attention. "

5/27/2008 3:03:25 PM

http://covertradioshow.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/cr080527.mp3

Great breakdown of Afghan/Pakistan situation.

The first section repeats so you need to skill a little.

5/28/2008 5:25:16 PM

The germans might have a problem killing taliban...but norway certainly doesnt.

Germans being dumb: http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/05/the_taliban_wants_to_kill_germ.asp

Norway kicking ass: http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/05/norway_will_fight_the_taliban_1.asp

Quote :

"Telemark Battalion in new combat with Taliban Norwegian soldiers have been engaged in heated battles against the Taliban in northern Afghanistan this month. Military officials claim 13 Taliban soldiers were killed. "Suddenly they were firing all over," said one of the Norwegian soldiers engaged in battle. "We had a gathering to get ready for the evening," one soldier told Forsvarsnett, the military’s own official web site, while recalling the evening of May 13. "Suddenly there were explosions. They were firing all over." The soldier said he and his colleagues "could hear the bullets... and a rocket landed 40 meters from where we were standing." The Norwegians started firing back. Major Rune Wenneberg said the Taliban rebels conducted "a well-coordinated assault" from a distance of about 1,200 meters against Norway's Telemark Battalion "The only dramatic moments were the first few seconds," Wenneberg claimed. "Then we did what we've been training to do at Rena, seize the initiative and respond with massive, precise fire." The battle went on for several hours, with more in the days following. None of the Norwegian or allied soldiers were killed or wounded, claimed the military. "

I swear to god europeans are freaking weird.

[Edited on May 30, 2008 at 10:44 AM. Reason : dasd]

5/30/2008 10:43:56 AM

Message from the Afghanistans friendly neighbors:

Quote :

"ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A massive blast targeting the Danish Embassy in Pakistan Monday killed at least six people and wounded more than a dozen, authorities said."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/02/pakistan.blast/index.html


Just a friendly reminder not to say or write anything that is negative in the eyes of extremists.
Tread lightly or you might get your asses handed to you without warning or hope for dialogue.

[Edited on June 2, 2008 at 11:06 AM. Reason : _]

6/2/2008 11:06:13 AM

Quote :

"Tracking the Coalition’s Afghan spring offensive By Matt DupeeJune 7, 2008 8:00 AM The ANA. Click map to view. Following the break in weather and an alarming increase in anti-government activity, Afghan and Coalition forces launched a blazing series of offensives throughout most of the insurgency-plagued areas of Afghanistan. Around May 15, nearly a month after the Taliban announced the formal launch of their spring offensive dubbed Operation Hibrat (lesson), Coalition forces struck out in major operations of their own. The multitude of operations include remote fronts in the war such as northwestern Badghis province near the Afghan border with Turkmenistan, southwestern Farah province and central Uruzgan province, both of which endured heavy fighting since October. Further operations have been carried out in southeastern Zabul province; Kapisa province, which is a mere 50-kilometers northeast of Kabul; and in the insurgent saturated provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. Afghan violence soared in 2007, with well over 7,000 people being killed across the country, more than half of whom were insurgents. The toll includes more than 900 Afghan police killed in the line of duty. Coalition forces suffered as well, with 110 US troops killed, the highest level ever in Afghanistan. Britain lost 41 soldiers, Canada lost 30, and other nations lost a total of 40, according to an Associated Press count. Last year also became the most dangerous year for non-governmental organizations operating in the country, with a staggering 106 crime and conflict-related security incidents occurring against NGO personnel. Overall, Afghan violence in 2007 rose 33 percent over incidents reported in 2006, an alarming increase that is likely to repeat itself this year. Already attacks are up nearly 40 percent compared to the first 13 weeks of last year, with the biggest increase occurring in the eastern provinces bordering the restive tribal states of Pakistan. Below is a catalog of military offensives currently under way against insurgent and criminal elements throughout Afghanistan. Uruzgan- Australian soldiers from the 4th Reconstruction Task Force moved into the Baluchi Pass region sometime before May 19*. The operation is designed to clear remaining Taliban forces from the area so patrol bases and other infrastructure for the Afghan National Army and police can be constructed. Since October, the Baluchi Pass has seen heavy combat by Australian and Dutch NATO forces against a large number of hardened Taliban fighters. Previously, the Baluchi Pass was the area targeted in Operation Spin Ghar, launched last year by Afghan, Australian and Dutch troops to catch the Taliban off guard during the harsh winter months. France recently announced its decision to send 700 additional combat troops to Afghanistan. A portion of the 700 will be deployed to Uruzgan to help train and advise members of the Afghan National Army. *Note: The Australian Defense Department would not confirm when the operation began or how many troops were involved, citing operational security requirements. Zabul- Following months of insurgent attacks in southeastern Zabul province, British troops launched Operation Southern Edge on June 2 in the mountainous Mizan district. Muhammad Younus Akhunzada, the district administrator for the Mizan district, was assassinated by Taliban gunmen three days prior to the start of Operation Southern Edge. "In Zabul there are areas where the Taliban think that they can operate unmolested by us," Lieutenant Colonel Huw Williams, the commanding officer of 3 Para, told the Telegraph. "We are here to discredit them and to enhance the image of the Afghan government in the eyes of the people."The operation’s goal is to prevent the Mizan district from being used as a Taliban sanctuary. Farah- Farah province, located in the remote area of southwestern Afghanistan, has been plagued by insurgent activity over the last two years. This past winter, Taliban activity increased substantially, forcing the small contingent of Coalition and Afghan forces stationed there to make a stand against the Taliban infestation. Operation Shamshir Bazaar (Bazaar of Swords) was launched in the Bala Baluk district on May 16 and later spilled over into the Bakwa district. Taliban support and supply bases are located in Bala Baluk, and the current operation has killed dozens of suspected Taliban insurgents, including several tactical level commanders. Mullah Abdul Salaam, Mullah Sultan and Mullah Bashir have died so far,according to Farah deputy police chief Colonel Muhammad Nabbi Popal. Two Coalition soldiers have been killed during the operation and scores of local police personnel also have been killed or wounded. Badghis- The remote, northwestern province of Badghis has borne the brunt of many low-scale Taliban attacks over the last year, especially in the districts of Murghab and Ghurmach. Following the success of Operation Shaheen Sahra-1 and 2 in Badghis and Faryab last year, Afghan and NATO forces promised residents that joint security operations would continue. In mid-May, around 250 soldiers from Norway's Telemark Battalion engaged Taliban insurgents in their northwestern stronghold in Badghis province. In one engagement, at least 13 Taliban fighters were killed following a failed assault on the Norwegians' camp site. Two Badghis area Taliban commanders, Mullah Bismillah and Mullah Amanullah, were later arrested by Afghan security personnel in separate incidents. Security operations continued into late May and early June. On June 2, Norwegian troops backed up an Afghan police operation against Taliban insurgents in the Murghab district. Although NATO officials could confirm only 10 Taliban fighters killed in the battle, provincial authorities cited numbers of 46 and 55 fighters killed and more than 30 wounded. The battle broke out after 150 Taliban fighters attempted to overrun a police checkpoint near the border with Turkmenistan. Kapisa-Prior to the insurgent attack on the Mujahidin Victory parade in Kabul on April 27, US and Afghan forces launched Operation Mouje Sealam in Kapisa province to thwart the expansion of Taliban activity centered in the volatile Tag Ab district. “Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces are working hard to uproot the localized insurgency,” a US military spokesman told The Long War Journal shortly after the operation was launched. “Kapisa is being used as a staging area for attacks into the capital including suicide attacks. Various Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami commanders, in and outside the Valley, realize the importance of maintaining support in this area to keep this facilitation hub open." A large majority of the incoming contingent of 700 additional French troops will be assigned to Kapisa province, specifically to the Tag Ab district. Kandahar- The Zhari district of western Kandahar, scene of some of the fiercest battles fought by NATO forces in Afghanistan, endured a weeklong thrust by Canadian forces called Operation Rawa Tander (Rolling Thunder). Insurgent activity in Zhari and the area of Pushmul have inflicted a large percent of Canadian casualties, with the roadside bomb being the insurgent tactic of choice. The weeklong mission consisted of three straight days of combat while Canadian and Afghan troops attempted to disrupt Taliban activity and their bomb-making capability. Katherine O'Neill, the only journalist embedded with Canadian forces during the operation, described it as the “heaviest fighting [Canadian] troops have been involved in so far this year.” Although NATO troops completed the mission without casualties, insurgents launched a series of deadly attacks following the thrust. A Canadian platoon commander was killed during a gunfight with Taliban fighters in the Panjwayi district on June 3, and four Canadians suffered injuries in separate incidents on June 3 during a security sweep in the Zhari district. Helmand- The influx of 3,000 US Marines, split between Kandahar and Helmand province, has forced the Taliban to deal with a new front in the southern deserts of Afghanistan. The Marines launched Operation Azada Wosa (Stay Free) on April 29 in Helmand’s southern desert district of Garmsir. The British have labeled this region “Taliban gateway into Helmand” because of its known infiltration routes and close proximity to the Pakistani border. Many of the Taliban forces crossing the border are foreign fighters, mainly Pakistani. After they experience combat in the southern desert areas, Taliban commanders call them up to “active duty” elsewhere in Helmand. A remote British outpost, FOB Dwyer, is now the tip of the spear for Marine operations in southern Helmand. Since the operation began, Marines backed by a small number of British troops “encountered disorganized resistance in more than 100 engagements with insurgents,” according to US military officials. Fierce battles, air strikes, artillery barrages, and discoveries of tunnels and weapons caches have been regularly reported since early May. Until the Marines' scheduled departure in October, the operation is expected to continue, with Marines and Afghan forces trying to hold the ground they have rested back from Taliban hands. "

6/7/2008 8:45:26 PM

http://media.libsyn.com/media/brettwinterble/CovertRadio_Looking_at_Pakistan_Iraq_and_Gitmo_080611.mp3

All about the recent Strikes in Pakistan

6/13/2008 4:23:24 PM

Not trying to listen to the MP3. Wasn't it a "hot pursuit" situation?

If so, sour grapes to Musharraf. If not, what happened (summary)?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/2124473/Pervez-Musharraf-faces-calls-to-quit-from-lawyers.html

Looks like he may be on his way out soon anyway...

6/13/2008 4:39:52 PM

From what I have read,

US says they were under attack and targeted the people shooting them and blew them up.

Pakistan says we killed their soilders....

Not really sure, but when you get a chance to listen to that interview I would recommend it. Its not yet clear exactly who it was we killed, and why they were in Afghanistan.

6/13/2008 4:42:34 PM

email forwarded from friend's mom:

Quote :

"Today is Christopher's birthday and I bet he doesn't even know it and he is definitely not having cake and ice cream. I hope we hear from him sometime soon but... I found a really good article. This article gives you an overall view of what Christopher's unit has done and where they are going. I was really hoping they would not go to Farah province since it borders Pakistan and Iran but that will probably be the next intense fight, but meanwhile still same clothes and no shower in 130 degrees heat for 7 weeks. I keep praying that they will go back to the base soon so they can "refit" as Chris puts it. It has been 4 weeks since they received any mail because it is so difficult to get to where he is. I have a map that shows all the little villages and I know Chris is out front moving south so this article helps in order to place him since the article says they are third of the way through the villages. I hope you are all doing great and I really appreciate your prayers for Chris and his men. Love, gail Garmser Grows Silent Jun 6 at 2:02pm by David After 35 straight days of combat, Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are beginning to push ahead with civil affairs projects, as combat in Garmser has been on hold since June 1st. The Marines report more than 150 engagements since the fighting began. Already, Afghan National Army soldiers are taking up positions around the newly liberated areas that will soon be handed over to them, and British forces, once the US Marines move on. When that will happen is still up in the air. While fighting has slowed, the Marines are only about a third of the way through the more than a hundred villages that dot the Helmand River Valley, before the river veers west into neighboring Nimroz Province. A desert wasteland of roughly 25 kilometers separates Pakistan from the Helmand River to the South. More than 4000 families were displaced by the fighting, many of whom are beginning to return. British and Afghan forces have also held a jirga (meeting) with some 200 returning refugees, including more than 100 of whom are described as village elders. The Marines are also performing a census as they continue to move south. The Fight for Garmser In the early morning hours of April 28th, Marines assaulted Garmser district’s center, also called Garmser. Three Marine companies flooded the area by ground and through the air. The maneuver element of 24 MEU, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/6, is made up of three infantry companies, two of which air assaulted into position southeast of Garmser as the battle unfolded. British forces, already in place in the center of town, coordinated with the Marines during the attack. Support for the force came from a British post about 10 miles west of Garmser called FOB Dwyer. Scottish forces based at the Garmser Agriculture college were also involved in the fight. In all, the Marines claim to have killed more than 150 Taliban fighters while uncovering nearly 50 weapons caches. One Marine, a scout/sniper, was also killed with four others wounded. A majority of Taliban forces, which continually reinforced their fighters during the battle, are believed to have fled northwest toward Farah Province and south across the “Desert of Death” toward villages and refugee camps on the Pakistani-side of the border. Coalition forces in Farah have been attacking those retreating forces, killing more than a hundred in a handful of decisive engagements. A U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed in that fighting. What’s Next For 24 MEU? When the Marines landed in Kandahar, they came with a laundry list of objectives, the first being Garmser. The town was used by the Taliban for a number of strategic reasons: First, it was a hub for terrorists coming across from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Here they would be fitted with equipment, trained and then pressed into service against the British. Once they got experience under their belts, the fighters would then be sent to other areas of the country. While there are homegrown fighters among the ranks, foreigners, including Iranians, Arabs and a majority of Pakistanis make up their ranks. Second, Garmser is a major hub for drug trafficing that supports the insurgency. The area’s best roads snake away from Garmser toward Farah and then onto Iran. This route is what the coalition believes is the main route that supplies Iran, and then Europe, with heroin from the world’s top-producing region. Finally, the road that heads southeast out of Garmser, toward Pakistan, is the only viable road from the Helmand River Valley into Pakistan. The coalition believes this road is the primary route that supplies the region’s insurgency with weapons and supplies. This road is also the main focus of the Marines’ current assault. “This is an artery and we did not realize that when we squeezed that artery, it would have such an effect,” said First Lieutenant Mark Matzke, the executive officer of Charlie Company told the New York Times in late May. What’s next for the Marines is now the big question. Since the 24th MEU relies on its air assets, which are based at Kandahar Air Field, operations will most likely remain in the Helmand, Kandahar, Oruzgan and Zabul Province areas. There is also a strong chance the Marines will find themselves in Farah Province where large areas of that province are under complete control of the Taliban. In particular, Bala Buluk and Bakwa districts are considered Taliban havens. Wherever the Marines end up, it is a near guarantee that it will be wherever the largest concentration of Taliban are located in Regional Command South. The Marines are not in Afghanistan to hold ground, but are there to take as much ground as they can with the understanding it will be turned over to sufficient, more permanent forces… providing those forces are available. This article gives you an overall view of what Christopher's unit has done and where they are going. I was really hoping they would not go to Farah province since it borders Pakistan and Iran but that will probably be the next intense fight, but meanwhile still same clothes and no shower in 130 degrees heat. I keep praying that they will go back to the base soon so they can "refit" as Chris puts it. I have a map that shows all the little villages and I know Chris is out front moving south so this article helps in order to place him since the article says they are third of the way through the villages. ="

6/13/2008 5:11:49 PM

^^ Sounds like sour grapes, then. I wish I felt like Pakistan weren't utterly and completely fucked from within...

6/13/2008 5:16:01 PM

yea, Pakistan is going down a very dangerous road.

its all well and good to want peace, but they are literally handing over territory to other forces.

It cannot last.

Either the entire country goes against us, or the taliban/AQ will attack them from within until Pakistan is forced to act.

This probably doesn't work, but I see a lot of French in Pakistan atm.

6/13/2008 5:39:59 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_as/afghan_pakistan;_ylt=AtZvBhiV2I9L6OmGz1EZlBes0NUE



god i love that soundbyte

6/16/2008 5:50:18 AM

^ Talk is cheap. Obama will probably just shoot some missiles and call it "taking action."

6/16/2008 6:21:45 AM

A buddy of mine just got back from Farah in Afghanistan where he was working with a provincial reconstruction team. He has got this great story about how some militants from this one village hijacked a refrigerated truck full of ice cream that was supposed to go to their base so they would have ice cream for Christmas. He said that if you really want to piss off a bunch of military guys, steal their ice cream.

6/16/2008 12:21:52 PM

hahahahaah, its things like that, that need to be in print.

6/16/2008 1:31:46 PM

^^ Reminds me of a story about a guy I met who got back from the green zone. He and a buddy over there had setup a small Chinese restaurant but had to ship supplies in through Jordan. One day, one of their supply trucks was hijacked on the way. The militants' prize? Several months supply of MSG.

6/16/2008 3:50:43 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080616/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan

lol that sux

6/16/2008 4:46:54 PM

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/06/taliban_rampage_in_p.php

You can not appease these people. Period.

Quote :

"Taliban rampage in Pakistan's Swat district By Bill RoggioJune 27, 2008 9:00 AM The Taliban has launched a series of attacks against political opponents and the infrastructure in the scenic northern district of Swat in Pakistan. The attacks occurred as the government and the Taliban are committing to abiding by the terms of last month's peace agreement. The fighting began on Thursday after the Taliban attacked the home of the brother of the vice president of Swat's Pakistan People Party. The brother, his wife, and son were murdered by the Taliban, and their home was set on fire. The Taliban also killed another brother of the Swat PPP official, and torched the home of a third brother. Seven people in total were killed in the attack. The Taliban attacked police outposts and checkpoints maintained by the paramilitary Frontier Corps. One member of the Frontier Corps was killed. The Taliban burned down the nation's only ski resort in Malam Jabba and damaged a chairlift during the fighting. Eleven girls' schools were also burned down in Swat. "District police chief Waqif Khan said the administration had lost its writ over Malam Jabba and it had not been able to asses the damage," Dawn reported. Swat was once Pakistan's most popular tourist destination. The mountainous district is known for skiing, hiking, fishing, a golf course, and ancient statues of Buddha. The rise of the Taliban, led by radical cleric Mullah Fazlullah, has brought tourism in the region to a halt. As the Taliban attack in Swat, the government of the Northwest Frontier Province and the Taliban has vowed to maintain the peace agreement signed last month. The government is modifying the terms of the agreement to appease the Taliban. "There were some irritants in the peace deal that have been removed," said Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour. The Taliban are unhappy that some prisoners still remain in custody and believe the government is delaying the imposition of sharia, or Islamic law. The Taliban also wants the military to withdraw and demands compensation from the government. But the Taliban threatened to continue the attacks that occurred over the past several days. "As long as the government delays implementation of the peace agreement, such incidents will occur," said Muslim Khan, a Taliban delegate negotiating with the government. Mullah Fazlullah. Click image to view the slideshow of the Taliban Leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Background on Fazlullah and the Swat Taliban The Pakistani government signed a peace agreement with Fazlullah in May 2007 with terms similar to the current agreement. The nine-point peace deal signed in 2007 required Fazlullah to support the polio vaccination campaign and education for girls, as well as government efforts to establish law and order. He also agreed to shut down training facilities for terrorists, stop manufacturing weapons, and support the district administration in any operation against anti-state elements. Fazlullah's followers were also to stop carrying weapons in the open. In return, Fazlullah was permitted to continue broadcasting his illegal FM radio programs and the government dropped criminal cases lodged against him. The Taliban promptly disobeyed the terms of the deal, and began to overrun police stations and enforce sharia law in the district. The Taliban used the government's siege and assault on the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, as their reason to violate the peace agreement. But Fazlullah and his fighters began violating the agreement long before the Red Mosque incident. Fazlullah's forces overran much of Swat and neighboring Shangla. The government launched an operation to dislodge the Taliban from Swat in November and vowed to oust them by December. But the military has fought a grinding campaign that has failed to defeat the Taliban. The Pakistani security forces operating in the small district lost 195 soldiers, policemen, and Frontier Constabulary paramilitaries during a year of fighting. Fazlullah is the son-in-law of Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the leader of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM - the Movement for the Implementation of Mohammad's Sharia Law). He had close links with the administration of the Lal Masjid. Fazlullah has successfully organized anti-polio and anti-girls schools campaigns throughout the region. The Swat region has been a safe haven and training ground for the Pakistani Taliban. Red agencies/ districts controlled by the Taliban; purple is de facto control; yellow is under threat. The TNSM is known as the "Pakistani Taliban" and is the group behind the ideological inspiration for the Afghan Taliban. The TNSM sent more than 10,000 fighters into Afghanistan to fight US forces during Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. Faqir Mohammed, a senior leader of the TNSM in neighboring Bajaur agency who is wanted by the Pakistani government, kicked off a suicide campaign after a US air strike on the Chingai madrassa in October 2006. Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command, was thought to be at the madrassa in Chingai. Despite the TNSM's involvement with al Qaeda and attacks in Afghanistan, the Pakistani government re-initiated the peace process and signed an agreement with the group on April 21, 2008. The government freed Sufi Mohammed as part of the deal. The government is also close to signing a peace deal with Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban behind a brutal suicide and conventional military campaign in the tribal areas and in greater Pakistan. The terms of Swat and TNSM peace deals and the proposed South Waziristan agreement are similar. None of the agreements calls for the Taliban to halt cross-border attacks inside Afghanistan or eject al Qaeda from the region. This year, the government signed peace deals in North Waziristan, Swat, Bajaur, Malakand, and Mohmand. Negotiations are under way in Kohat and Mardan. "

6/27/2008 2:41:47 PM

Quote :

"You can not appease these people. Period."

which is why we should have focused on eradicating them instead of overextending the military, thereby alowing them to make a resurgence.

6/27/2008 3:04:22 PM

By over extending you mean Pakistan letting them regroup in their territory.

6/27/2008 3:16:45 PM

If we had focused our efforts on afg there would have been no regrouping.

6/27/2008 4:28:46 PM

^ couldn't agree more


..more personal accounts:

Quote :

"Hi to family and friends, We received a letter from Chris and I wanted to tell ya’ll what he said. Chris wrote, " I just got the mail everyone has sent me and I was shocked at all the support. Please let everyone know that their prayers are greatly appreciated by myself and my Marines." (As I have mentioned before, I have copied and pasted the notes you have sent to me and sent to Chris). He also said he was meeting with an elder when 300 sheep came barreling down the dirt road and almost ran his marines over. He says it is like living in biblical time. The people ride donkeys, no electricity, running water or sewer... He says they always have their guard up and he accepts zero complacency. He says it is around 147 degrees and humid, because they are near a river. Apparently the flies that have been living on their lips can't stand the heat so the guys are having a break from the flies and mosquitoes. His sergeant was shot but his Kevlar vest kept the bullet from penetrating his body. In an article by the reporter who sent us Christopher’s note, shows a picture of Christopher’s sergeant and the bruise the bullet left. Dayton's article is all about Christopher's platoon and in particular the medic from NY. The pics on the video slide are of Christopher's group. http://www.easthamptonstar.com/dnn/Home/News/Afghanistan/tabid/5901/Default.aspx Thank you all so much for supporting Chris and his men. thank you so much for your prayers for them. With much appreciation, Gail PS Some of you have requested sites for info.... http://fromafghanistan.encblogs.com/ (Still the best site because there are obsessed family members like me that search for all info and post it in the comment section. There are numerous article and videos and it always delivers the sad news about the brave Marines that have died). http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/?Lang=E http://cjtf-a.com/ http://counterterrorismblog.org/newslinks/2008/06/ "

6/30/2008 3:02:49 PM

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56237

7/20/2008 11:45:46 AM