30 November 2012
In Ghazni Province, at least four people killed, one wounded, after they drove over a landmine.
United Kingdom is refusing to hand over prisoners to Afghan control. British say it’s because they suspect the Afghan security officials will torture the prisoners (kettle calling the pot black). This comes after President Hamid Karzai ordered the execution of dozens of suspected Mujahideen held in Afghan controlled prisons.
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is backing the appointment of USMC General Joseph Dunford Junior, to take over command of ISAF in Afghanistan.
U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, confirmed that U.S. personnel will stay in Afghanistan past the official 2014 pull out, but refused to say how many: “The fundamental mission in Afghanistan is to establish an Afghanistan that can secure and govern itself and ensure that al Qaeda never again finds a safe haven within Afghanistan from which to conduct attacks on the United States or any other country.”
In Faryab Province, fighting going on in Almar district. At least two Mujahideen killed by airstrikes, and one U.S./NATO armored vehicle destroyed by landmine.
29 November 2012
In Baghlan Province, two people have died and at least five people are sick with an unknown disease in Uruzngan village in Deh-Salah district. Locals say those who died did so within ten minutes of showing symptoms: “One of my relative died after receiving a short shiver and another neighbor died within 10 minutes from the same disease.” (nerve agent?)
In Uruzgan Province, ten people killed and eight wounded after a bus ran over a landmine.
In Helmand Province, U.S./NATO launched heliborne operations in Kajaki district’s Loe Manda area. The battles lasted from the morning until midnight. U.S./NATO forces retreated. Mujahideen at first said one of their own was killed, but later said they suffered no casualties. Also, in Nawzad district Mujahideen claim they destroyed a Georgian tank with multiple rocket propelled grenades (RPG).
28 November 2012
More scandal for the Kabul Bank. After it was revealed that international customers have withdrawn billions in cash from the Afghan bank, a new report shows that bank employees helped 19 individuals and companies take as much as $861 million USD in fraudulent loans (92% of all loans issued), in what the International Monetary Fund called a Ponzi scheme.
In Kandahar Province, at least seven people wounded after a suicide bomber exploded his motorcycle. The bomber was killed.
In Helmand Province, four people killed after they drove over a landmine.
In Badghis Province, three Afghan National Army personnel killed, four wounded, after they drove over a landmine.
U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, has resigned. The reason given was that he wanted to “…return to private life”.
The country of Georgia revealed they have increased the number of troops in Afghanistan. They currently have 1,570 personnel in country, which is about double what they originally offered to send. According to Georgian Minister of Defense, Irakli Alasania, they are willing to send more if the U.S. requires, and they will remain past the official 2014 pull out.
27 November 2012
In Herat Province, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reports one of their drones crashed while on recon mission in Mujahideen territory. Mujahideen say they did not shoot it down, that it crashed because of technical problems.
ISAF reports that 250 U.S./NATO bases have been turned over to Afghan government forces.
In Baghlan Province, local elections resulted in cop on cop firefights. Police loyal to outgoing district security chief attacked police loyal to the newly elected district police boss. Local officials say at least two people killed, several wounded.
In Uruzgan Province, officials from Char Chino district report that U.S./NATO forces raided local homes in the Kakarki, Gohergeen and Nojoi areas. One man was killed, another wounded.
The government of Germany says Afghanistan is not ready for U.S./NATO pull out in 2014. In the Afghanistan Report, Germany says too many Mujahideen remain operational, and there has been no efforts at reconciliation (blame the U.S. and even U.S. based NGOs for that). Germany is planning on giving the Afghan government the equivalent of $558 million taxpayer dollars every year until the year 2016 (not counting the taxpayer funds going directly to Afghan security forces).