08 November 2012

Afghan government officials say now that Barack Obama is re-elected, you will see a shift from U.S. combat in Afghanistan to Pakistan: “Our demand from the U.S. President Barack Obama is to pay more attention on militants sanctuaries in Pakistan in a bid to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan and reduce the tension of the international community in Afghanistan.”-Ahmad Zia Seyamak Herawi, spokesman for President Hamid Karzai

Also: “The Democrat Party had four years of experience in Afghanistan and they are aware of the main issues of Afghanistan and specifically Pakistan which has a direct role in the situation of Afghanistan. The election Barack Obama as U.S. president will definitely help for a long term cooperation of Washington with Afghanistan.”-Abdullah Abdullah, National Coalition of Afghanistan

U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, James Cunningham, said: “President Obama remains committed for a long term strategic cooperation with the Afghan people.”

Interestingly, Pakistan announced it has re-started fuel supply for U.S./NATO forces, through the Kyber Pass.

Mujahideen leaders responded to Obama’s re-election: “Obama should use the opportunity provided by the American people in a better way. Washington should prevent from playing an international police role and should rather concentrate on its domestic issues.”-Zabiullah Mujahid

In Uruzgan Province, at least three Australian Diggers were wounded after the Bushmaster armored vehicle they were in ran over a landmine: “They got first aid at the scene before being evacuated by helicopter….Two have been discharged while the third has been transferred to Kandahar Air Field for further treatment.”-Captain Michael Spruce

In Laghman Province, five Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed after the vehicle they were in ran over a landmine.

In Paktia Province, local government officials are reporting that a U.S. airstrike killed 15 people.

In Helmand Province, five men, four women and one child were killed, and seven others wounded, when the bus they were in ran over a landmine.

In Nangarhar Province, just three nights after supposedly handing over night time raid operations to the ANA, U.S. forces conducted another illegal night time home invasion. According to locals a 12 years old boy was killed, and three people kidnapped.

In Kandahar Province, a suicide bomber using a motorcycle bomb, blew himself up at a police checkpoint killing three cops, wounding four.

In Herat Province, Afghan Water and Energy Minister, Mohammad Ismail Khan (who is also head of the new Mujahideen Council), has begun re-distributing confiscated weapons to the people of Herat Province.  This comes six days after Khan announced that the newly formed Mujahideen Council (in Herat) will take over military operations after U.S./NATO leaves in 2014.

07 November 2012

In Ghazni Province, an eight years old boy stabbed a cop to death then stole his assault rifle!  Also, Mujahideen remotely exploded a landmine, in an attempt to assassinate an ANA commander (they’re not sure if they were successful).

According to reports by Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and the Ministry of Public Health, and the United Nations, increased vehicle traffic has caused an increase in lead poisoning cases in the city of Kabul.  In one study 80% of blood samples had lead.  Is it that gasoline fuel in Afghanistan must not be unleaded?

President Karzai left for Indonesia: “Five pacts will be signed during president Hamid Karzai’s visit to Indonesia which will include friendship pact, agreement on removal of visa requirements for political and service passports, agreement on mutual consultancy and agreement on cultural views exchange between Afghanistan and Indonesia.”

In Paktia Province, an ANA soldier joined the Mujahideen.

In Kandahar Province, a man talking on a phone was targeted and killed by U.S./NATO helicopters.  Also, two local cops joined the Mujahideen.

In Nuristan Province, local officials say U.S./NATO forces abandoned a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) base.

In Badghis Province, 15 local cops joined the Mujahideen. They also brought government supplied weapons with them, including 13 assault rifles, one machine gun and one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher.

In Zabul Province, Mujahideen say they ambushed a U.S. infantry patrol.  They admit they had to retreat when helicopters were called in.

06 November 2012

In Uruzgan Province, a U.S./NATO drone crashed near Kash mountain.  Mujahideen have launched a 12 day offensive operation in Chora district.

In Farah Province, one cop surrendered to Mujahideen.

In Herat Province, locals say Mujahideen have issued a warning, that no one should attend the funerals of police or Afghan government soldiers, as they will be targeted for militant attacks.  Another Mujahideen statement, in response to a recent statement by President Karzai, said they consider U.S. puppet Afghan government cops or soldiers to be traitors to Islam and therefore will target them even in a Mosque.

Also in Herat Province, a 25 years old woman was killed by her brother.  The family said they had her killed because the unmarried woman repeatedly left home without permission, apparently to meet with an uncle.  In a twist, local police are connected to the case, because they forcefully returned her to her family’s home the day before her family killed her.

In the United States, military prosecutors are asking for the death penalty against U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales.  Bales, married with two children, is accused of the “methodical” murder of several Afghan families.   Bales wife says he has no memory of the incident.  An Afghan investigation concluded that there was no way Bales could have done the murders by himself, as the locations were spread out over a large area and several bodies had been set on fire using fuel carried in heavy 5 gallon jerry cans.  The time line of the murders does not seem to allow Bales to kill all those people and then return to base to hand carry the fuel to set the bodies on fire.  U.S. Department of Defense, and several Republicans, believe Bales is a rogue soldier who somehow did all on his own.

The murders took place in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar.  The result is extreme hatred of U.S. forces in that area.  On 06 November 2012, Mujahideen reported that they routed a major offensive by U.S. forces.  They say the U.S. used armored and heliborne forces to assault Mujahideen positions in Panjwayi. U.S. forces retreated after two days of heavy fighting.

The Afghan government is threatening to throw out the International Crisis Group (ICG), after it issued a report saying the Afghan government couldn’t handle things after the U.S./NATO pullout in 2014.  Afghan officials also say the ICG report is clearly politically motivated.   ICG is suppossedly “…an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation…”, yet, in response to the threats by Afghan officials, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made a counter threat, warning the Afghan government not to interfere with the ICG!   So much for the ICG being “independent”!

On top of that, Rasmussen stated that U.S. led NATO could stay past the 2014 withdrawal date, regardless of what the United Nations says: “We can have activities in Afghanistan after 2014 if it was required by the Afghan government and this is completely in accordance with the international law. Besides, it would be very good if we have a designated mission by United Nation, but still, we can operate in Afghanistan upon the request of the Afghan government.”

In Logar Province, local officials say a U.S. drone strike targeted an apartment building, killing at least four people.

For awhile now, U.S./NATO/ISAF have stated that “Taliban” forces have decreased in number and strength.  Yet it’s obvious that is not true going by the number of attacks by Mujahideen against the occupiers.  Japanese NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) recently aired a report which showed that U.S./NATO/ISAF officials are basing their claims on a program that pays Mujahideen, with cash and jobs, to stop fighting. However, NHK interviewed a Afghan religious leader who said: “Many farmers and unemployed people pretend to be Taliban to the government so they can get cash and work. The government is giving the wrong impression by saying the group [Taliban/Mujahideen] is weakening.”-Mullah Maruf, Islamic scholar