20 January 2013

Heavy fighting reported in Helmand Province: An Afghan National Army (ANA) troop was sniped in the Charkhakyano Manda area of Sangin district. In Haji Gul Baba village of Sangin district, three ANA personnel were killed and one wounded when they drove over a landmine.   In the Samanji Karez area of Musa Kala district, Mujahideen captured four motorcycles and many weapons from local police.  In Sra Shakh and Mir Hamza Aka areas of Nahr Siraj region, Gerishk district, a U.S./NATO/ANA heliborne operation met resistance by Mujahideen.  In Basolano area of Nawa district, two cops were killed, one wounded, after their vehicle was hit with a bomb.   Near Gorgano village of Babaji district’s Loe Manda, a U.S./NATO armored vehicle hit a landmine, reports say two crewmen were killed.  In Kala Shamir region’s Mandozo area, Maiwand district, three people were killed when Mujahideen attacked a security check post.  U.S./NATO/ANA personnel invaded the Bari Gul bazaar, Shawal and Sawi Sarachi areas.  Mujahideen report that one of their own was killed.  In the Khairabad area reports say cops from the Khan-e-Sheen district HQ attacked border police personnel. Three HQ cops killed, five wounded.  No info on border cop casualties. In Nawzad district’s Sra Kala area, two separate ambushes were launched against Georgian/ISAF personnel.  The battles lasted for hours, no info on casualties for either side.

In Kunar Province, villagers report a U.S. led drone strike killed a family of five.  No other info.

In Herat Province, local police say a family blew themselves up while making explosives.  Police officials say a leader of local Mujahideen was killed, along with his wife, their two sons and a daughter.

The Afghan parliament finally approved a budget for Solar Hijri year 1392.  Most lawmakers refused to approve early budgets because most of the money went to military and national police.  Now, according to Finance Minister Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal, $1 billion USD will go to military/police and $2 billion for development/social projects.  The overwhelming majority of the funding is still coming from the taxpayers of other countries (like the United States).

Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) officials admitted to beating two reporters shortly after a suicide bombing in Kabul city last week.  NDS officials say they were simply concerned for the safety of the reporters and did not want them to get any closer to the crime scene!

19 January 2013

In Kunar Province, Mujahideen report launching an artillery attack on a U.S./NATO/Afghan National Army (ANA) forward operating base (FOB) in Asmar district.  They believe at least two FOB personnel were killed.

In Nangarhar Province, Achin district, Mujahideen reported an hour long ambush on U.S./NATO/ANA troops. Four troops killed, one wounded.  Mujahideen say two of their own were killed.

In Herat Province, two suicide bombers died before reaching their target.  The target was a local government building, but police say their explosive vests went off too soon, while they were riding a motorcycle.

The Afghan government has accused a European based military contractor of refusing to pay taxes.  According to Afghan government sources, supplies for U.S./NATO personnel are not taxed, but no bid food supply contractor, Supreme Group, is supposed to pay taxes on the supply services rendered.  After years of bickering, Afghan police finally arrested Supreme Group employees: “Three employees of Supreme Group including a Canadian Citizen, French Citizen and Afghan were arrested but were freed after they paid taxes.”-Rahmatullah Nazari, Deputy Afghan Attorney General

This is not the first time Supreme Group has been in trouble. Since 2005 the no bid contractor has handled food supply for the U.S. military in Afghanistan.  In 2010 the United States renewed the contract for $4 billion USD, without any bidding from other contractors.  In 2011 company officials confirmed to Newsweek that they were being investigated by U.S. officials, over possible fraud. Court documents also showed that Supreme Group was using taxpayer money to pay another contractor.  That contractor is also being investigated.

U.S. Pentagon officials gleefully reported that U.S. troop casualties due to bombs decreased in 2012.  They reported a 46% decline in U.S. deaths compared to 2011.  But get this, Afghan government troops saw a 124% increase in bomb attacks against them!  U.S. Army Lieutenant General, Michael Barbero, said that after more than ten years “Finally, our war fighters and commanders in the field are the best counter-IED capability we have. They get it and have a deep and thorough understanding of the enemy, the IED threat and how to attack it.” (yeah, it’s called pull back and force the Afghan National Army to do your dirty work)

18 January 2013

In Paktika Province, locals of Omana district say Afghan government personnel raided a village.  They kidnapped four people and stole eight motorcycles, one truck and 25 sacks of pine nuts.

In Khost Province, local Mujahideen say they assassinated a spy working for the United States in Alishir district.

Pakistani officials announced plans to release all Afghan Mujahideen prisoners still in its detention.

In Nangarhar Province, four cops were killed when they drove over a landmine.

To add insult to injury for U.S. taxpayers, after the Pentagon canceled a program to supply Afghanistan with Italian made C-27 Spartan aircraft ($600 million already spent), Airbus says they are now trying to get the Pentagon to spend money on their own transport aircraft.

European company, Airbus (a direct competitor to Boeing), wants the U.S. taxpayer to fund the use of their CN235 and CN295 aircraft.  The planes are similar to the canceled C-27 Spartan.

17 January 2013

In Herat Province, witnesses say U.S. personnel open fired on two women and two children, killing them.  U.S. officials claim the women and children were Mujahideen!

While on trial in the United States, a USMC Staff Sergent admitted to desecrating Afghan bodies (a violation of the UCMJ). He said the whole purpose was to take “trophy photographs”.  He pled guilty, but under a plea agreement he will likely be demoted in rank, only.

In Kandahar Province, a local cop shot and killed his boss. He did it after poisoning his fellow cops. He is on the loose.

In response to Afghan government officials releasing hundreds of prisoners (who’ve never been charged with anything by U.S./NATO forces) the United States has stopped handing over prisoners to Afghan counterparts.   It’s also in response to Afghan officials saying many of those prisoners showed signs of torture, and blamed U.S. personnel since they were in charge.

In Parwan Province, the roof of a building at the Bagram airbase collapsed, killing three people. International Security Assistant Force (ISAF) said they are investigating the cause.

In Balkh Province, a five story building used as a market place/bazar caught fire.  The main product sold there is wholesale clothing.  Witnesses say at least one person died after jumping from the building.  Two other similar markets, in Kabul city, caught fire at the end of December.

16 January 2013

In Uruzgan Province, two Afghan government security personnel were killed, two wounded, after their attempt to diffuse a bomb failed.

In Kabul Province, Kabul City, explosions and gunfire rocked the capital city.  A group of suicide attackers hit the National Directorate of Security compound.  Government officials and witnesses say at least 12 people killed and dozens wounded.

ISAF said: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today.”

The British empire Red Coat Royal Army also reported that one of their troopers, who was blown up a few days earlier in Helmand Province, had finally died of his wounds.

In Daikundi Province, a 15 years old orphan girl was gang raped by six security guards.  Because of her age she was transferred from a children’s home to a shelter for women.  Officials suspect she was raped by the security guards at the shelter, all have been arrested (which resulted in the women’s shelter being closed). Local officials say the victim is in bad shape and probably needs to go to a hospital.  No info on why the security guards did it (if they did).

In Ghazni Province, local government officials say a vigilante group killed a man they say raped one of their own.  They also ‘honor killed’ the victim!  “A man was trying to rape a woman while her husband was away from home but the relatives of the woman kill her along with the man after they were informed of the incident.”-Deh-Yak Mohammad, District Attorney

Yet again the Afghan parliament has rejected the budget for Solar Hijri year 1392.  At issue is the use of most of the funds for military/police, and very little for anything else.  Also, there is a suspicious fund called the Caution Code, which would be allocated $580 million USD, yet gives no explanation for what the money will be spent on.  Taxpayers in other countries (like the United States) should take note; the majority of the funding for the Afghan budget is coming from you!

Your money flowing into Afghanistan is one reason why your country is struggling economically, and why Afghanistan is actually growing!  According to the World Bank, Afghanistan’s economy is blasting off despite other countries going down: “Economic growth in South Asia weakened considerably in 2012 to an estimated 5.4 percent, from 7.4 percent the previous year [still much, much better than the U.S.]. Delayed monsoon rains, electricity shortages, macroeconomic imbalances including large
fiscal deficits and high inflation, and policy and security uncertainties contributed to subdued economic activity in the region, which also faced negative impacts from the Euro Area debt crisis and a weak global economy. In contrast, Afghanistan’s economy grew robustly by about ….”

15 January 2013

In Farah Province, Afghan National Police (ANP), along with local cops,  ambushed an Italian NATO troop convoy, during the night.  Local government officials say the Italians were not hit.  However, Mujahideen say three Italians were killed, and ISAF has refused to comment.

In Kunar Province, Mujahideen say they’ve shot down, or blew up, a U.S./NATO helicopter on or over a U.S. base.  No other info was reported.

In Kandahar Province, four people were killed when they drove over a landmine.

In Helmand Province, local government officials say a program to replace opium crops with saffron is working (it’s another reason why the World Bank says Afghanistan’s economy is booming, see above). Anyone who uses saffron in their cooking knows how expensive it is, which is why it makes a good replacement for opium poppies. Helmand officials plan to expand the program this year.

14 January 2013

Afghan National Army (ANA) conducted military operations in Helmand, Baghlan, Nangarhar and Maidan Wardak provinces. The ANA says four Mujahideen were killed, and eight wounded. Three ANA troops were killed, two wounded.

President Hamid Karzai stated that Afghanistan will be “…more secure and a better place…” without U.S. led occupying troops. Karzai also said that the issue of legal immunity for U.S. troops will be decided, and probably ended, by the end of 2013.  This comes a couple of days after U.S. officials said they want legal immunity for U.S. personnel to continue.

Afghan Finance Minister, Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal, said the United States has promised between $800,000 and $1 million USD in taxpayer money, to the Afghan government for every year after the 2014 pullout.  The United States government has already given the government of Afghanistan $22.34 billion in U.S. taxes ever since the Bush Jr ordered invasion in 2001!

13 January 2013

In Maidan Wardak Province, local government officials say a U.S. led NATO airstrike hit a Mosque/school.  Witnesses say the airstrikes continued for several hours.  As many as 15 people were killed: “All those people killed here were school students, teachers and also university students. They were all civilians. There were no armed men here!”-witness

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan stated they will stop their attacks on Pakistani targets and focus only on U.S. led NATO targets in Afghanistan.

12 January 2013

In Badghis Province, local government officials report that Mujahideen launched a major attack, killing four cops and wounding two.  The battle lasted two hours, one Mujahideen was killed and one cop is missing. In a separate incident, another Mujahideen attack left three cops wounded.

In Baghlan Province, heavy snow has closed highways and left hundreds of people (including 80 children) trapped.

In Bamiyan Province, heavy snow caused an avalanche that buried a car with four people inside.   They were rescued, but one person is in critical condition.

11 January 2013

In Badghis Province, and explosion killed a Spanish NATO soldier. The Spanish Sergent was trying to diffuse a bomb when it, or possibly another bomb, went off.