13 February 2013/02 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/25 Bahman 1391

In Kunar Province, provincial government officials say a U.S. led NATO home invasion operation resulted in four men killed (dubbed “militants” by U.S. led forces),  four women killed and five children killed. It happened in Chopan village.  U.S. led NATO and Afghan National Army (ANA) forces said the house was a Mujahideen refuge.  Mujahideen sources say only women and children were killed in home invasion, and that they attacked the U.S. led forces after the home invasion, killing five ANA troops and wounding three.   Also, to add to the confusion, villagers say NATO/ANA forces kidnapped six people.  For even more confusion, other reports say the attack in Chopan village was actually an air strike!  Oh, the fog of war!  The only thing everyone is agreeing to is that four women and five children were killed!

In Balkh Province, a staff member of the Iranian Consulate was shot while he was on his way to university classes.  He was wounded with four bullets in his chest and stomach.  Police say the assassination attempt was done by men on motorcycles.  Israeli and U.S. forces have used similar tactics to assassinate Iranian nuclear engineers inside Iran.

Then along the Iran-Afghan border,  Iranian border police say they engaged a group of armed drug smugglers coming from Afghanistan. Seven were killed, they had 400 kilos (881 pounds) of opium.  Provincial officials in Farah Province used a most common excuse, that the Afghans were sneaking into Iran to find work.  Iran has a no tolerance anti-narcotics policy, drug smugglers are punished with death!  A few years ago Iranian border police say they found U.S. documents on Afghan drug smugglers, such as U.S. issued credit cards!

An independent report out of Kabul shows that violence against Afghans, especially kidnapping, continues to increase. This is not the first time such a report has been made, and it comes as U.S. led forces continue to claim a reduction in violence against their own personnel.  The latest Afghan study explains that the latest increase in violence against Afghans is at the hands of U.S. supported private security contractors (mercenaries/Arbaki).  Recently police in Kabul stopped an attempted kidnapping and it turned out that the kidnappers were working for a U.S. backed security company.   The police said they were forced to let the kidnappers go after being pressured by government officials.

12 February 2013/01 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/24 Bahman 1391

In Ghazni Province, U.S. led forces conducted a home invasion which resulted in two people killed, two kidnapped.

In Khost Province, a U.S. led home invasion killed a medical student.

In Kapisa Province, U.S. led home invasions resulted in 12 people killed.

The Afghan government admits that Mujahideen are still in control of legal proceedings in at least 65 districts around the country.  This is because the government does not have the legal infrastructure to impose government law throughout the country.

11 February 2013/30 Raby` al-Awwal 1434/23 Bahman 1391

In Nangarhar Province, one ANA troop was killed another wounded after they drove over a landmine.

In Kapisa Province, local government officials say a U.S. led ANA operation killed eight Mujahideen.

An Afghan investigation into claims from the United Nations, that torture is on the increase in Afghan controlled prisons, backs up the UN claim.  Afghan investigators found that the use of torture by cops and guards was on the increase, and that secret prisons have been created.

A UN report says bribery is big business in Afghanistan.  A survey showed that almost half of all Afghans were forced, or felt they had to pay a bribe, to the tune of $4 billion in 2012!  That’s double Afghanistan’s official domestic revenue.

In Kandahar Province, local government officials are pushing Afghan investors to bring 80 factories from Pakistan into Afghanistan!  The officials claim the move would create 3000 jobs for the province.

Economically strapped Japan has just promised to give Afghanistan an additional $13 million USD in taxes collected from struggling citizens of Japan.