US, NATO set to launch massive assault against Taliban-led militants

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Nineteen killed in suicide bombing in Pakistan


Nineteen killed in suicide bombing in Pakistan

By Mustansar Baluch
LAKKI MARWAT, Pakistan | Mon Sep 6, 2010 7:17am EDT

Police, rescue workers and residents survey the site of a suicide bomb attack in the town of Lakki Marwat in Pakistan's northwest, September 6, 2010. The suicide bomber rammed his car into a police station in northwest Pakistan on Monday killing at least 19 people, police said, in a new wave of attacks by al Qaeda- and Taliban-linked militants.

LAKKI MARWAT, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber rammed his car into a police station in northwest Pakistan on Monday killing at least 19 people, police said, in a new wave of attacks by al Qaeda- and Taliban-linked militants.

The recent bombings end a relative lull in militant violence over the past month and turn up the heat on a government overwhelmed by devastating floods that have made millions homeless and hammered the economy. Nearly 100 people were killed last week in suicide bombings on processions of minority Shi'ite Muslims in the eastern city of Lahore and southwestern city of Quetta.

"It goes to show that the terrorists have no creed except bloodshed and chaos, and are desperately carrying out their agenda regardless of the precarious conditions," Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani told a meeting of provincial officials. Pakistan's Taliban have been fighting to topple the U.S.-backed government for years. Their ambitions have grown.

Last week, the Pakistani Taliban threatened to launch attacks in the U.S. and Europe "very soon," after U.S. prosecutors charged their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, over a plot that killed seven CIA employees at a U.S. base in Afghanistan last December.

SCHOOL VAN STRUCK

The army has launched a series of offensives over the last year it says weakened the Taliban, although analysts question their effectiveness because militants tend to melt away during crackdowns and establish strongholds elsewhere. "There need to be consistent and far more targeted military operations. And in particular, there needs to be a focus on the militants' command and control," said Samina Ahmed, South Asia project director for the International Crisis Group.

The army has raised its profile by leading flood relief efforts, reinforcing the view that civilian governments can't handle major crises. "Whatever these poor soldiers can do, they are doing for us. They give us food three times a day, also clothes and other things," said flood victim Naseema Bibi at a camp. The military, however, is stretched because of its flood operations and militants may exploit the void, analysts say.

The latest attack took place in the town of Lakki Marwat. The bomber struck a school van before hitting the rear wall of the police station. The blast turned most of the police station into rubble. Burned-out cars were flipped on their sides. "Nineteen people have been killed. There are nine policemen and two children among the dead," the Information Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, told Reuters.

Hussain said 34 people, including 20 policemen, were wounded. Militants have frequently carried out attacks in Lakki Marwat, near Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, known as major sanctuaries for militants loyal to al Qaeda and the Taliban. Earlier this year, a suicide bomber blew himself up in an SUV at a volleyball game, killing nearly 100 people in a village near the town in one of the deadliest attacks in the country.

(Additional reporting Zeeshan Haider; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

[yellow people]

Afghan foreign troops death toll hits 500 for 2010


Afghan foreign troops death toll hits 500 for 2010

KABUL | Mon Sep 6, 2010 6:28am EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - The number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan this year has reached at least 500, compared with 521 in all of 2009, according to an independent monitoring site Monday and a tally compiled by Reuters. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said an ISAF service member was killed in an insurgent attack in the east Sunday. No other details were immediately available.

There has been a sharp increase in foreign military deaths, many of them American, as foreign troops launch more operations to counter a growing Taliban-led insurgency that has spread out of traditional strongholds in the south and east. At least five ISAF troops have been killed since Friday, including the first Georgian killed in the conflict.

Violence across Afghanistan has hit its worst since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001. Military and civilian casualties are at record levels, with U.S. and NATO commanders warning of more tough fighting ahead. The spiraling death tolls come despite the presence of almost 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan and will be another worrying statistic when U.S. President Barack Obama conducts a strategy review of the war in December.

Public support for the war is flagging, with a recent opinion poll by NBC television and the Wall Street Journal showing as many as seven in 10 Americans saying they did not believe the war would end successfully. The traditional summer fighting period has taken a heavy toll on foreign troops this year. A total of 102 were killed in June, the deadliest month of the war, followed by 88 in July and another 80 in August, according to independent monitor www.iCasualties.org.

The latest casualties take to 2,068 the number killed since 2001, almost half of them in 2009 and 2010. Roughly 60 percent of those killed were Americans. Despite the heavy military toll, ordinary Afghans continue to bear the brunt of the war. A United Nations report released last month showed that civilian casualties had risen by 31 percent in the first six months of 2010, compared with the same period last year, with more than three-quarters of the casualties caused by insurgents.

(Reporting by Paul Tait; Editing by Alex Richardson)

 

[yellow people]

British guns used against Nato forces in Afghanistan


British guns used against Nato forces in Afghanistan

Dozens of British machine guns have been stolen in Afghanistan and used against Nato forces, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
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The 59 Minimi machine guns were not reported missing for almost a year Photo: MoD/PA

Serious questions are being asked about a cover-up by commanders in Helmand after the 59 Minimi machine guns were not reported missing for almost a year. The theft was revealed only when American forces recovered two of the guns following a battle with the Taliban. Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, who was told about the incident this week, is said to be furious that the weapons were allowed to be taken by the insurgents and, potentially, could have been used against British troops.

He has ordered an inquiry into why enough weapons to equip an infantry battalion could go missing without anyone noticing or being informed. The light machine guns, which can fire 1,000 rounds a minute, were flown from Britain to Camp Bastion in Helmand last October. They were then transported overland to British forces operating at Kandahar airfield but it is believed the convoy was either ambushed or the weapons were illegally sold.

No one realised or reported that they had gone missing until last month, when American forces operating in southern Afghanistan discovered two of the guns, whose serial numbers matched those stolen. Defence sources have described the incident as a “terrible embarrassment for British forces”. “We have no evidence that they have been used against British forces but clearly it’s an alarming situation,” said one defence source.

A Royal Military Police investigation has been under way since the end of last month. Dr Fox was said to be “livid” and “hit the roof” when told about the incident. “Alongside the official investigation, he has ordered a wider review of how weapons are transported and is asking some serious questions over how this happened,” an MoD source said. “It’s astonishing that 59 machine guns went missing last year and no one realised it for months.”

An MoD spokesman confirmed the investigation “into the whereabouts of a number of weapons in Afghanistan which remain unaccounted for since late last year”. He added: “We always take the care and maintenance of our equipment extremely seriously, which is why we have procedures in place to protect against the loss of assets in what continues to be a busy and complex operational environment. Whilst acknowledging the seriousness of this incident, we are confident that there are not significant or widespread problems with the delivery chain.”

 

[yellow people]

U.S. commander seeks 2,000 new troops for Afghanistan


U.S. commander seeks 2,000 new troops for Afghanistan

By David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS | Mon Sep 6, 2010 3:34pm EDT

U.S. Army personnel work on a Chinook transport chopper in Kandahar's NATO airfield May 2, 2010.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan has requested another 2,000 troops for the foreign force fighting the Taliban insurgency, despite waning support for the war in troop-contributing nations, NATO officials said. NATO officials said the request by General David Petraeus to bolster the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was made last week and included a call for about 750 more personnel to train the Afghan security forces.

"It has been determined that around 2,000 forces will be required," a NATO official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is an ongoing discussion on this issue." The request comes before a visit to Washington on Monday and Tuesday by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Officials at Petraeus' NATO command in Kabul declined to comment and referred questions to NATO headquarters in Brussels.

One NATO official said it was assumed the United States would offer more troops to the 150,000-strong foreign force in Afghanistan, but the alliance was looking for contributions from non-U.S. members and partner countries too. NATO has been seeking to bolster its effort to train the Afghan armed forces, but has struggled to persuade its 28 members and allies contributing to ISAF to commit the necessary personnel as public support for the war wanes.

NATO's Afghan mission was expected to top the agenda in Rasmussen's talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, National Security Adviser James Jones and other administration officials. Obama has sent tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan to create conditions to expand Afghan forces, but has said the extra troops could be gradually withdrawn from July 2011. Critics say this strategy has backfired, sending a signal to the Taliban that the United States is preparing to wind down at a time when NATO forces are suffering record casualties.

The number of foreign troops killed this year has reached at least 500, compared with 521 in all of 2009, according to an independent monitoring site on Monday and a Reuters tally. Petraeus said last week the withdrawal of U.S. troops from next July would begin with a general "thinning out" of forces rather than any large-scale drawdown. The stepped-up NATO training effort envisages boosting the size of the Afghan army to 171,600 by October 2011 and the police force to 134,000.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has set a goal of 2014 for Afghan forces to take over full responsibility for security from foreign troops, but the deadline will rely heavily on the success of foreign troops in battling Taliban insurgents and training the Afghan army. Rasmussen hopes at a summit in November to set a target date in 2011 for starting switching responsibility for security to Afghan forces. Until midway through this year he had said he hoped the process could start this year.

(Editing by Andrew Roche)

 

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U.S. soldiers from 1-75 Cavalry mortars, a part of 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne fire 120mm mortars at an enemy position
in Kandahar province, September 4, 2010.


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[yellow people]

British journalist freed by Taliban in Pakistan


British journalist freed by Taliban in Pakistan

A British journalist held captive by militants in north-west Pakistan since March has been freed.

By Rob Crilly, Islamabad
Published: 9:30AM BST 09 Sep 2010

Pakistani Army soldiers on patrol in South-Wairistan tribal region near the Afghan border Photo: EPA

Asad Qureshi was abducted with two former Pakistani intelligence officers while travelling in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan. “We can confirm that Asad Qureshi has been released and our consular team are providing him with consular assistance,” said a High Commission spokesman.

“He is with his family in Islamabad.” His release was brokered by relatives, according to a source involved in early negotiations. The kidnapping mystified analysts because two of the hostages, were former members of the Inter Services Intelligence agency who had once been instrumental in funding and building the Afghan Taliban and counted many militants as friends.

Khalid Khawaja, who claimed to once be a confidante of Osama bin Laden, was later beheaded. In July a video of the other hostage, Colonel Imam, was released in which he claimed he was held by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, believed to be a splinter cell from a Sunni extremist group that has declared war on Pakistan.

 

[yellow people]

Freedom For British Journalist In Pakistan


Freedom For British Journalist In Pakistan

3:08pm Thursday September 09, 2010
Lulu Sinclair

A British journalist held captive by militants in Pakistan since March has been freed.

Asad Qureshi is a freelance programme maker. Photo: Twitter.com/asadqureshi

Journalist Asad Qureshi went missing while travelling to North Waziristan, a stronghold of the Taliban and an area bordering Afghanistan that is well known for its lawlessness. The journalist was with two other men, one a retired army officer, Brigadier Ameer Sultan, the other a former spy, Khalid Khawaja, who was apparently killed. The fate of the other captive is not known.

"We can confirm that Asad Qureshi has been released. Our consular staff are providing assistance," a Foreign Office spokesman said, without giving any further details. Mr Qureshi, who is British but of Pakistani descent, was trying to film Taliban leaders in the tribal area when he was seized. The journalist, a film-maker who has been working freelance for more than five years, was working on a film for Channel 4 when he was abducted.

A Pakistani soldier guards a position near the Afghan border

A previously unknown group calling themselves Asian Tigers earlier claimed to have kidnapped the group, saying they had killed Mr Khawaja because the demands they had made had not been met. The body of the former spy was reportedly found in April dumped in Mir Ali town in North Waziristan.
Mr Khawaja had headed a local human rights group and campaigned on behalf of missing people allegedly held by Pakistan's secret service in the fight against Islamist militants.

Under Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, Mr Khawaja was arrested several times and once charged with being in possession of banned literature, propagating militancy and inciting hatred against the government. He had reportedly met Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and claimed close ties to the al Qaeda mastermind.

 

[yellow people]

U.S. troops charged with murder of Afghan civilians


U.S. troops charged with murder of Afghan civilians

WASHINGTON | Thu Sep 9, 2010 8:58pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twelve U.S. soldiers have been charged with gruesome crimes in Afghanistan ranging from murdering civilians to keeping body parts as war trophies -- revelations that the Pentagon said on Thursday damaged America's image around the world.

The infantry soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade based in Washington state deployed to Kandahar province a year ago and the murders occurred between January and March, according to charges by army prosecutors made public this week. "Allegations like this are ... very serious," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told a news briefing.

"Clearly, even if these allegations are proved to be untrue, it is unhelpful. It does not help the perceptions of our forces around the world." Morrell declined to comment on the specifics of the charges because the case is still in the military justice system. Five soldiers were charged in June with the murder of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar province.

But new charges disclosed to the media on Wednesday show seven others have also been charged in the case and face accusations that include conspiracy to cover-up the crime. An Army spokeswoman said four of the soldiers have been charged for keeping body parts, which beyond finger bones and a skull include leg bones and a human tooth. It was unclear where the remains had come from based on the charge sheets.

Morrell said the allegations had yet to be proven, but were "serious nonetheless." "They are, I think you all would agree, an aberration in terms of the behavior of our forces, if true, around the world," he said. "We've got 150,000 men and women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan right now whose mission is to protect the Iraqi and Afghan people," he said.

"They are risking their lives to protect the Iraqi and Afghan people. "So I don't believe the allegations here against those few individuals are representative of the behavior or the attitudes of the entire force," Morrell said. The charges, whether ultimately proven true or not, had already damaged the U.S. military's reputation, he said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Editing by Anthony Boadle)

 

[yellow people]

Injured British Soldier Dies In Hospital


Injured British Soldier Dies In Hospital

10:31am Saturday September 11, 2010

A British soldier has died in hospital in Birmingham after he was shot in southern Afghanistan last month.

The soldier was shot while on duty in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand

The serviceman from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was injured in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province on August 23. He was struck by small arms fire while serving as part of the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group. The soldier was transported back to the UK and died on Friday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Ministry of Defence said.

Next of kin have been told of the death. Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, said: "His bravery and commitment in the face of danger will never be forgotten." The number of British military losses since the start of the Afghanistan conflict now stands at 335.

 

[yellow people]

Afghanistan: British soldier killed by Taliban gun fire named


Afghanistan: British soldier killed by Taliban gun fire named

Kingsman Darren Deady, 22 has died of his injuries after being shot by insurgents in Afghanistan,
bringing the total number of British deaths this year to 89.

By Patrick Sawer
Published: 11:02AM BST 12 Sep 2010

Kingsman Darren Deady of 2nd Battalion, Photo: PA

A British soldier who died in hospital in the UK after being shot in Afghanistan last month was remembered today as a fun-loving soldier with the "heart of a lion". Kingsman Darren Deady, 22, from Bolton, Lancashire, suffered a gunshot wound in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province on August 23.

The soldier, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South), died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, on Friday. A British soldier has died of his injuries after being shot by insurgents in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of British deaths this year to 89. He sustained a gunshot wound in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, on the morning of 23 August.

He was serving with the Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South) carrying out operations to disrupt the activities of Taliban insurgents when his unit came under small arms fire. Lieutenant Mark Hayward, 3 Platoon Commander, Arnhem Company, said the soldier "stood out...with his trademark cheeky grin," "His optimistic outlook and ability to provide morale to those around no matter the situation is something I will always admire."

His popularity and sense of humour was remembered by comrades including Sergeant Lea Wilkinson, 1 Platoon Sergeant, Arnhem Company. "The energy and morale which he produced was infectious, making being in Afghanistan that much more bearable," he said. "Darren was a cheeky lad who often managed to make me laugh even when he was in trouble." Kingsman Dean Smith said: "Deady was one of the best lads I've ever met.

"He was always having a laugh and always had a smile on his face. I will always remember him." His death was announced on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, which led to US and British forces invading Afghanistan to drive out al Qaeda militants and remove from power the Taliban government providing shelter to Osama bin Laden. The latest fatality brings the total number of British deaths since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001 to 335.

His death came after Afghan President Hamid Karzai used his traditional message marking the Eid Muslim holiday on Friday to call on the leader of the Taliban to stop fighting and join peace talks to end the war. The president said: "We hope Mullah Mohammad Omar Akhund joins the peace process, gives up fratricide, gives up bombings and blasts, stops causing casualties to Afghanistan's children, women and men."

Karzai also called on his Western backers, the United States and Nato allies which now have 150,000 troops in the country, to focus their operations on insurgent sanctuaries over the border in Pakistan rather than fighting in Afghan villages. Karzai last week announced that he had set up a council to pursue peace talks with the Taliban. He is expected to announce the membership line-up after the three-day Eid holiday. The formation of the High Peace Council was "a significant step towards peace talks," Karzai's office said at the time.

 

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Taliban urges Afghan vote boycott, warns of violence


Taliban urges Afghan vote boycott, warns of violence

By Jonathon Burch and Sayed Salahuddin KABUL | Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:11am EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban warned on Thursday it would try to disrupt Afghanistan's parliamentary poll and urged a voting boycott, while poll monitors said the electoral watchdog had not acted forcefully enough against fraud. Fears of violence and fraud are hanging over Saturday's vote, in which almost 2,500 candidates are vying for 249 seats in the wolesi jirga, or the lower house of parliament.

Afghanistan's own election watchdog has warned of a "disputatious" process. The poll is a test of stability in Afghanistan ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's strategy review in December, which will likely examine the pace and scale of U.S. troop withdrawals. President Hamid Karzai's credibility with his allies is also on the line, after a fraud-marred presidential vote last year, with observers warning that a repeat of that drawn-out poll would strain relations and could play into the Taliban's hands.

The hardline Islamist group repeated a warning that it would unleash violence during the poll, in which there are 11.4 million eligible voters. "We call on our Muslim nation to boycott this process and thus foil all foreign processes and drive away the invaders from your country by sticking to jihad and Islamic resistance," the Taliban said in a statement. In the eastern city of Jalalabad, several hundred protesters demanding more polling stations clashed with police.

"This is a government plot and they are doing this deliberately. They don't want these people to succeed in the election. They are mistreating us and we want more polling stations," demonstrator Gulab Shah told Reuters Television. In southern Uruzgan, troops shot a protester armed with an assault rifle who tried to enter a coalition military outpost.

The protest was the latest in a week-long series of demonstrations about plans by an obscure U.S. pastor to burn copies of the Koran. The plan was abandoned at the weekend. The protester's condition was not known since other protesters dragged him away, said James Judge, a civilian spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

MISCONDUCT

Karzai's government says it can provide security for all voters on Saturday, with the support of 150,000 foreign troops as backup. However, the government election watchdog said two voting workers were gunned down on Wednesday in northern Afghanistan. The independent Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) criticized the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), a U.N-backed election oversight panel, for taking too little decisive action against government voting misconduct.

Out of more than 580 registered complaints, 310 were reported being committed by government officials, FEFA said. "We are not encouraged by the level of action by the ECC against the government officials," FEFA Chairman Nader Naderi told reporters. "They did take some measures ... but they needed to be much more aggressive in addressing this serious issue." The ECC will have to adjudicate potentially thousands of complaints, a large number of which could delay the results of the ballot.

No results are expected before October 8, with the final result not due before October 30. The ECC said it had received reports the indelible ink used to mark voters' fingers could be in fact be washed off, to allow double-voting. The government-appointed Independent Election Commission (IEC) assured the ECC the ink was in fact indelible, ECC spokesman Ahmad Zia Rafat said. Abdullah Abdullah, runner-up to Karzai in last year's presidential poll, told reporters that should the elections be rigged this time around, it would strengthen the insurgency and break Afghans' trust in democracy.

"The trust will disappear, and then, what's the option for the people? The people will be left between a corrupt government and a violent Taliban, with no way out," he said. The United Nations has told about a third of its international staff to either leave or remain outside Afghanistan until after the election, owing to Taliban threats to disrupt the voting, U.N. spokesman Kieran Dwyer said. The decision affects about 300 people, but does not apply to the 170 employees brought in specifically to help with the election, he said.

(Additional reporting by Tim Gaynor and Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Bryson Hull; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

 

[yellow people]

Blast rattles Kabul before Afghan poll begins


Blast rattles Kabul before Afghan poll begins

By Tim Gaynor
KABUL | Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:33pm EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan braced for a day of violence on Saturday as voters headed to the polls for a parliamentary election that is a crucial test of government credibility and the strength of its security forces. A large blast rocked central Kabul about three hours before polls were due to open at 7 a.m. (0230 GMT).

An area near the U.S. embassy was cordoned off but there were no reports of damage or injury. A spokesman for NATO-led forces said the blast was being investigated. The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the poll and urged potential voters to stay at home even as the government called on Afghans to come out to polling stations for what is their second chance to choose their own parliament.

"We should try to do our best under the current circumstances. It is very important that the Afghan people come out and vote," Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was re-elected last year in a poll marred by fraud accusations, told reporters. Significant security failures would be a major setback, with Washington watching closely before U.S. President Barack Obama conducts a war strategy review in December likely to examine the pace and scale of U.S. troop withdrawals.

Corruption and fraud are also serious concerns after a deeply flawed presidential ballot last year. A third of votes cast for Karzai were thrown out as fake. Even though he is not standing, Saturday's vote is seen as a test of Karzai's credibility. It will not be clear for several weeks at least who among the almost 2,500 candidates have won the 249 seats on offer in the Wolesi Jirga, or lower house of parliament.

Preliminary results from Saturday's voting will not be known until October 8 at the earliest, with final results not expected before October 30. Election observers expect thousands of complaints from losing candidates, with Afghanistan's own poll watchdog expecting a "disputatious" election, which could delay the process further. Almost 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police are providing security for the poll, backed up by some 150,000 foreign troops.

CLAMPDOWN, ABDUCTIONS

A heavy security clampdown was imposed on Kabul on Friday. A wave of abductions spread across much of the rest of the country on Friday, however, with 23 kidnappings of people working on the elections, including two candidates. Observers fear security worries could lead to a low voter turnout, as it did last year when the Taliban staged dozens of attacks but failed to disrupt the process entirely. Voter turnout was very low last year in the south and east where Pashtuns, Afghanistan's main ethnic group, dominate and where the Taliban has its strongest support.

Washington believes corruption weakens the central government and its ability to build up institutions like the Afghan security forces, which in turn determines when Western troops in Afghanistan will be able to leave. Voter turnout may also be hit by cynicism and disillusionment. Billions of dollars in foreign aid cash have flowed into Afghanistan over the past nine years but, for many people, have brought no real improvement in their lives.

(Writing by Paul Tait; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

 

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An Afghan policeman stands guard at a checkpoint as cars pass through, ahead of parliamentary elections in Kabul September 17, 2010. Afghans go to the polls on September 18 in a parliamentary election where poor security and fraud will be among the major issues. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers sit in a truck in front of a poster of a candidate, in the outskirts of Kabul September 17, 2010.
Afghans go to the polls on Sept. 18 in a parliamentary election where poor security and fraud will be among the major issues.
REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

An Afghan man carries ballot boxes to a village, where roads for vehicles do not exist, in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010.
REUTERS/Ahmad Masood


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A donkey carries a ballot box to be transported to a village, where roads for vehicles do not exist, in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

A worker waits as goods are unloaded from his vehicle next to a street in Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

A donkey collapses after being overloaded with election materials to be transported to a village unreachable by vehicles, in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood


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Afghan policemen prepare security arrangements for the transportation of election materials in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

Afghan policemen accompany donkeys carrying ballot boxes to be transported to a village where roads for vehicles do not exist, in Panjshir province, north of Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

A policeman keeps watch at a vehicle checkpoint in Kandahar province, September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani


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Afghan policemen search a car at a checkpoint ahead of parliamentary elections in Kabul September 17, 2010. Afghans go to the polls on September 18 in a parliamentary election where poor security and fraud will be among the major issues. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

Workers carry ballot boxes to be distributed to polling stations, at counting center in Kandahar province, September 16, 2010. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

A man rides his bicycle along a street during a dust storm in Kabul September 17, 2010. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj


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Ten Afghans killed as voters brave Taliban rockets to elect new parliament


Ten Afghans killed as voters brave Taliban rockets to elect new parliament

At least 10 Afghans were killed as voters braved Taliban rockets, assaults on polling stations and death threats to vote in the country's parliamentary elections.

By Ben Farmer, Kabul
Published: 12:31PM BST 18 Sep 2010

Early indications suggested turn-out was low in the second parliamentary vote in Afghanistan since the Taliban regime was ousted. The poll is seen as a yardstick of difficult security conditions in the country as London and Washington try to demonstrate progress in the nine-year-long campaign.

Sporadic rocket attacks, bombings and shootings were reported in many provinces as Nato and government forces tried to thwart insurgent threats to disrupt the day. The Taliban had called for a national boycott and waged an intimidation campaign in several southern provinces threatening beatings or execution for those voting for the 249-seat parliament.

The Afghan police and military said none of the days attacks had been significant, many more had been foiled, and only eight per cent of polling sites had been closed. Observers at several polling stations in Kabul, Kandahar and Kunduz said voting was slow however. Fears of fraud and disenchantment with a parliament seen as ineffective and out of touch had also kept people at home, voters said.

"It's about half as busy as last year's presidential elections," said a ballot official running an eastern Kabul polling station where voters were outnumbered by agents and observers. Abdul Nasir, a 26-year-old student in British-patrolled Lashkar Gah, said voters in Helmand had been frequently threatened. He said: "I came any way though, we need honest MPs in parliament rather than the lot we have now."

Juma Khan, a farmer in the Marjah area of Helmand where American marines have been struggling to subdue the Taliban since February, told The Sunday Telegraph he had wanted to vote, but feared he would die. Fighters had visited his mosque a week earlier and broadcast warnings on the loudspeakers, telling locals to stay inside on polling day or be beaten up. Everyone had obeyed, he said.

He said: "They said we should boycott it because it was not Islamic and was corrupt." In the day's worst attack, the Taliban killed one Afghan soldier and six pro-government militiamen in a raid on an outpost next to a polling station in northern Baghlan province. Rockets fell in Jalalabad, Kabul, Logar, Kunar and Ghazni provinces.

In last year's presidential poll Hamid Karzai was re-elected amid widespread fraud and the day of the election proved the most violent of 2009. Turn out then was only around a third of voters. The Afghan government and western diplomats had sought to lower expectations for the vote, but said they hoped it would be better than last year.

Vote rigging was widely expected and there were reports of people trying to use fake voting cards. Some campaign teams complained the indelible ink used to mark voters' fingers and prevent multiple voting was easily washed off. The elections have been keenly contested with over 2,500 candidates standing for 249 seats and around 650 fighting for 33 positions in the capital alone.

Political parties are banned, leading to a chaotic free-for-all of campaigning. Many Afghans have called for a new generation of better educated, young candidates to replace incumbent strongmen who have failed to deliver their 2005 campaign promises and often remain implicated in the savagery of the 1990s civil war.

Walls and billboards have been wallpapered with posters for new candidates including businessmen, an Olympic female sprinter, a chat show host and a television comedian. Bawar Hotak, a 32-year-old bodybuilding, shot put and wrestling champion standing in Kabul, said voters demanded jobs, peace and education after years of disappointment.

He said: "We all voted in the first election. We were promised there would be solutions, but we haven't seen anything. No one reached out to us." The election is instead expected to consolidate power among Mr Karzai's supporters and wealthy strongmen. Warlords and existing ministers and governors have promoted their own candidates. Several campaigns have apparently received vast funding.

The close relatives of existing governors, and ministers are among those standing. Campaign workers and diplomats said voting had become a lucrative market for entrepreneurial election officials. One senior diplomat in Kabul told The Sunday Telegraph that fraudulent votes had been auctioned by officials in Wardak province for $6 (£4) each.

One campaign worker in Parwan, due north of Kabul, said he had been telephoned by a corrupt official and offered fake votes for $20 (£12) each. He said: "They said we could for example send ten people to a polling station, but they would give us 20 ballot papers. Then they could add another 20 votes when they tallied the votes at the end."

 

[chowka]

British Troops Leave Deadly Afghan District


British Troops Leave Deadly Afghan District

12:06pm Monday September 20, 2010
Huw Borland

British troops have handed over responsibility for one of the deadliest districts in southern Afghanistan to America.

UK forces arrived in Helmand province's Sangin district in 2006. Britain has since lost more than 100 troops in the area during fierce fighting with Taliban insurgents. Nearly a third of the 337 fatalities the UK has suffered in Afghanistan since 2001 were lost in Sangin. The British troops there - about 1,000 - are now being redeployed to central Helmand. Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: "British forces have served in Sangin over the last four years and should be very proud of the achievements they have made in one of the most challenging areas of Afghanistan. "The level of sacrifice has been high.

'There Has Been Progress In Sangin’

"We should never forget the many brave troops who have lost their lives in the pursuit of success in an international mission rooted firmly in our own national security in the UK." British troops will continue to lead the fight against the insurgency and assist in building a stable and secure Afghanistan, Dr Fox said. There are currently about 9,500 UK troops in the turbulent country.

The handover was announced earlier this year. The Ministry of Defence said the move was an effort to rebalance foreign forces in Afghanistan more equally amongst the local population as more US troops pour in. Colonel Stuart Tootal, former commander of 3 Para, told Sky News: "The Americans are now going to focus on the north, the British will focus on the centre of Helmand and another American force in the south.

"It actually makes pragmatic good sense that we take our 1,000 men out of Sangin and we push them into the main British area, which is the main effort now, which is around central Helmand." Meanwhile, concerns are growing about intimidation and fraud in Afghanistan's election, as claims of foul play filtered in from across the country.

Millions of Afghans voted on Saturday - against a backdrop of insurgent threats and attacks - in the nation's second parliamentary poll since the 2001 US-led invasion overthrew the Taliban regime. Counting is under way and the first preliminary results are expected on Wednesday. But the Electoral Complaints Commission is compiling reports of irregularities so that final results can be certified by October 31.

 

[Taishi Ci]

Helicopter crash makes 2010 deadliest of Afghan war


Helicopter crash makes 2010 deadliest of Afghan war

KABUL | Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:49am EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Nine coalition troops were killed on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed in Afghanistan's south, the NATO-led force said, making 2010 the deadliest year of the nine-year war. Two NATO service members, an Afghan soldier and a U.S. civilian were wounded in the crash. They were taken to hospital for treatment, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.

There was no indication of the nationality of the dead troops, ISAF said in a statement. An ISAF spokesman said more information would be released later. There was no enemy fire in the area when the aircraft crashed and the cause is under investigation, ISAF said. The deaths take the toll so far in 2010 to at least 529, according to monitoring website iCasualties.org. Last year, the previous deadliest, 521 foreign troops were killed.

Violence in recent months has soared to its highest levels since the removal of the Taliban by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001. There are almost 150,000 foreign troops fighting a growing Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, supporting about 300,000 Afghan security forces. U.S. President Barack Obama ordered in an extra 30,000 troops, the last units of which arrived this month. Aircraft crashes are not infrequent in Afghanistan. In October 2009, two helicopter crashes killed 11 U.S. soldiers and three U.S. civilians.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Paul Tait and Ron Popeski)

 

[yellow people]

France Seeks Talks Over Al Qaeda Hostages


France Seeks Talks Over Al Qaeda Hostages

11:45am Thursday September 23, 2010
Gary Mitchell

French officials are attempting to contact an al Qaeda group to find out what it wants in exchange for five hostages kidnapped in Niger.

Herve Morin, the French defence minister. Picture: Creative Commons

The terrorist organisation's north African branch claimed responsibility after gunmen seized the French nationals on Thursday, September 16. The group, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has warned against any rescue attempt. French defence minister Herve Morin told a French radio station it was believed the five individuals were still alive.

In an apparent admission that officials were prepared to negotiate, he said: "For the moment our concern is to be able to enter in contact with Al-Qaeda, to know what the demands are, which we haven't received." Another two people, one from Togo and and the other from Madagascar, were seized along with the French group on a raid in two houses in the uranium mining town of Arlit in the deserts of northern Niger. France has dispatched a military intelligence team to Niger along with spotter planes.

​

Most of the hostages work for France's state-owned nuclear giant Areva or its engineering sub-contractor Satom, and the firms have since withdrawn foreign workers from their uranium mining operations in Niger. A senior French figure warned this week that the threat of a major terror attack on French soil was very real. Frederic Pechenard, director general of police and domestic intelligence services, said on that security measures had been stepped up after evidence came to light that militants were planning an attack.