Tag Archives: afghanistan

International, U.S.

Gates says still no plans regarding troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

At a press conference in United Kingdom, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted there were no set plans for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“I expect that (the recommendations) will be coming in the not-too-distant-future.”-Robert Gates

Gates said he was still waiting for recommendations from General David Petraeus.  President Obama had announced that troops would start coming home in July, 2011.  But in February, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made statements that the U.S. would be in Afghanistan “beyond 2014“.

International

Taliban “rescue” 500+ people from Afghan Prison

Confusing reports about a jail break at the Kandahar prison.  Some say it was an attack, others say the prisoners dug their way out.  Kandahar prison had at least 1,000 prisoners.

Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, says they helped more than 500 prisoners escape.  It makes the third time that the Kandahar prison was attacked, and/or prisoners escaped.  Afghan police say 476 prisoners escaped.  The Taliban say they rescued 647 ‘brothers’.

Kandahar is also the location of the second largest U.S./NATO base in Afghanistan.


International, U.S.

U.S. ally Turkey to open Taliban Embassy, Obama approves

On April 14, 2011, Turkey, a member of U.S. led NATO, confirmed they will allow an embassy for Afghan Taliban, with the approval of the government of Afghanistan.  Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave approval last December: “If Turkey can be kind to provide for such a venue, we the government of Afghanistan will  be pleased and happy to see that facilitation take place by Turkey.”

On April 15, 2011, Pakistan announced they support Turkey’s recognition of the Taliban.  Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari  declined to comment, but one of his spokesman said: “We are not against it. As long as there’s ownership from the Afghan people and the Afghan government we will not oppose it.”

In February, 2011, President Obama told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly: “…the Taliban will not be retaking Afghanistan.” But, Obama said in December 2010: “…our civilian and military efforts must support a durable and favorable political resolution of the conflict. In 2011, we will intensify our regional diplomacy to enable a political process to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, also in February 2011: “…we are launching a diplomatic surge to move this conflict toward a political outcome that shatters the alliance between the Taliban and al-Qaida.” In other words they are trying to bring the Taliban over to the U.S. side of the Force.  This includes political participation in Afghanistan’s government, and most Afghans can identify with the Taliban, so how can they not take over, at least politically, as Obama stated to O’Reilly.

And for those who think officially recognizing the Taliban will get the U.S. out of Afghanistan any faster, think again: “For reconciliation to take hold – for it to be irreversible – Afghanistan’s government will need to provide security to all its people. So the United States and our allies will continue training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces.”-also-“We have been clear that this transition does not mark the end of our commitment to the people of the region. NATO has pledged an enduring military and financial commitment to Afghanistan that will extend beyond the completion of transition in 2014.”-Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State

Let me remind people that Obama promised to get U.S. troops out starting in July 2011, yet Hillary Clinton stated, back in February, 2011, that U.S. forces will be staying “beyond” 2014.

Many analysts, in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, think the Obama Administration’s policy of trying to reintegrate the Taliban into Afghan politics, is a way of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan so that the U.S. can focus on invading Syria, then Iran.  


International, U.S.

Obama making secret deal with Taliban, will officially recognize them in exchange for permanent U.S. base

“The proposal shows that the United States is willing to pay any price in order to establish a permanent military base in Afghanistan, even… recognition of the Taliban.”-Ghulam Jilani Zwak, director of Afghanistan’s Strategic Research Center

Political analyst Ghulam Jilani Zwak, is making some serious claims against the Obama administration.  Basically he says the United States will recognize the Taliban as a legitimate politically party, and, give southern Afghanistan to the control of the Taliban, in exchange for a large permanent U.S. military base.  It’s part of the Control through Chaos strategy: “Through the establishment of a permanent military base, the U.S. is trying to achieve two major goals: one is to concentrate its troops at one single base to reduce the tremendous cost of military intervention, and the second is to alter the nature of the intervention by starting a civil war, which would involve all Afghan ethnic groups.”-Zwak

He also says Iran is correct when it claims the U.S. has invaded Afghanistan, and Iraq, for the purpose of invading Iran: “After establishing the permanent military base in Afghanistan, the U.S. will widen the current crisis to other countries of the region, and the crisis will be managed through this military base.”-Zwak

 

International

Kidnapped Iranian contractors freed in Afghanistan

12 contractors have been freed, after being kidnapped in Afghanistan.

Iran officials will only say their diplomatic efforts worked to free the men.  “After the news about the abduction of these individuals, we pursued the case through Kabul’s embassy in Tehran as well as Iran’s embassy in Kabul. We have made several contacts with the Afghan political officials and military forces.”-Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iranian Foreign Ministry

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

U.S. Admiral says the first 8 years in Afghanistan were incorrectly “resourced”

“Resourced”?  Is this new mil-speak for “operational planning”? Or “tactics”?  How about pull your head out!

In an official announcement made on the Joint Chiefs of Staff web site, U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen, admitted that the U.S. was totally screwed up for the first eight years of the occupation of Afghanistan, ‘cept it wasn’t quite put like that in the official statement: Although the United States has been in Afghanistan for 10 years, the chairman said, only over the last 18 months has the effort been resourced correctly.

So basically, the first eight years were ‘incorrectly resourced’.  This is the new way to say you’ve F’ed up, without actually saying it.

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama lied about leaving Afgahnistan, U.S. will stay beyond 2014

In an interview with a Pakistani news station, GEO TV,  U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen said the U.S. will maintain bases beyond the 2014 troop pull out.

He also contradicted himself saying the U.S. will not maintain bases in Afghanistan.  Mullen said that Bagram and Shindand air bases will be used by the U.S. to continue training Afghan government forces.   It could be that officially the bases will be maintained by Afghan forces, yet there will be a U.S. “presence” on those bases.  Talking out of both sides of your mouth is becoming a common thing with our leaders.

International

Construction workers kidnapped in Afghanistan

12 Iranian construction workers were kidnapped in Afghanistan.  They were building a police training center.

Iran blames “foreigners” which could refer to Western forces, or to al Qaeda.  The Iranian government did not specify.

In the last few years Iran and Afghanistan have made major economic deals, including construction programs and gas/oil shipments.

In the late 1990s, the Taliban killed several Iranian diplomatic officials, which prompted Iran to mass hundreds of thousands of troops on Afghanistan’s border.

International, U.S.

U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Murdering Afghans

Trying to provide the accused soldier with an “out”, the military officials asked Army Specialist, Jeremy Morlock, if his unit was just trying to scare the locals, and it “got out of hand.” Morlock’s reply: “The plan was to kill people.”

Morlock pleaded guilty to murder. Four other soldiers face murder charges as well.  All together 12 U. S. soldiers are charged with murder and conspiracy to cover it up.  Charges also include drug use, mutilating bodies, keeping body parts as trophies and taking photos of dead bodies.