The Afghan Interior Ministry says at least 14 people killed in military operations in Balkh, Ghazni, Kandahar and Kunduz provinces.  Three Mujahideen wounded, two captured.

In Ghazni Province, reports that men dressed in Afghan National Army (ANA) uniforms stopped a bus, then dragged eight people off and killed them (sounds like what’s happening in Mexico).

In Kandahar Province, another cemetery bomb killed two people and wounded three.

In Uruzgan Province, Char Chino District, seven people killed, four wounded after at least three explosions, according to local police.

In Farah Province, Bala Baluk District, reports that one woman killed, and four women and five children wounded after U.S. trained government forces fired indiscriminately into a village.

In Bakhshan Province, Derayam District, 1400 people sickened with cholera.  25 people are critical, a 19 years old woman died.  Health officials blame lack of clean water.  NGOs and the United Nations have sent health teams to treat the sick.

In Parwan Province, Parsa Valley, villagers rebelled against U.S. trained government troops.  Reports say the villagers have succeeded in kicking out government forces.

43 members of the Afghan National Army, and various police agencies, joined the Mujahideen.  At least five are ANA officers.  The defections took place in the provinces of Laghman, Paktiya, Balkh, Uruzgan, Helmand and Juzjan.

The family of a female member of parliament who was reported kidnapped, along with her children, claims she is safe in Turkey.  However, police swear she was kidnapped as she drove to Kabul.

More reasons why the U.S. is really in Afghanistan for the natural resources: An estimated $1-trillion USD worth of rare earth minerals to build your new tablets and cell phones!  That’s according to a U.S. Department of Defense report which calls Afghanistan the “Saudi Arabia of lithium”.