Discussion: Afghanistan II

[Paradoxium]

Report: Taliban training monkeys to fight against U.S. soldiers

 

[Matt]

Oh Dear God, no!!!! Its only a matter of time now!!!! I give you, our future!!!

Spoiler

 

[Marx]

'Get your paws off me you damn dirty ape!'

 

[Marx]

REPORT: TWO US SOLDIERS ABDUCTED IN AFGHANISTAN
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/24/afghanistan.troops.missing/index.html?hpt=T1

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

NY Times assesses New Wiki Leaks on Afghanistan:

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/world/asia/26warlogs.html?no_interstitial

Some quotes of the leaks:

" The Taliban have used portable heat-seeking missiles against allied aircraft, a fact that has not been publicly disclosed by the military. This type of weapon helped the Afghan mujahedeen defeat the Soviet occupation in the 1980s."

"The Central Intelligence Agency has expanded paramilitary operations inside Afghanistan. The units launch ambushes, order airstrikes and conduct night raids. From 2001 to 2008, the C.I.A. paid the budget of Afghanistan’s spy agency and ran it as a virtual subsidiary."

"..His report began with an account of Afghan soldiers and police officers harassing and beating local civilians for refusing to cooperate in a search. It then related the story of a district police commander who forced himself on a 16-year-old girl. When a civilian complained, the report continued, “The district commander ordered his bodyguard to open fire on the AC [Afghan civilian]. The bodyguard refused, at which time the district commander shot [the bodyguard] in front of the AC.”"

 

[Paradoxium]

Leaked War Files Expose Identities of Afghan Informants

The Times of London found the names of dozens of Afghans credited with providing detailed intelligence to U.S. forces. Their villages are given for identification and also, in many cases, their fathers' names.

 

[Kelly]

As much as I want us out of Afghanistan, I don't want it this way....this is not good.

 

[Marx]

Leaked War Files Expose Identities of Afghan Informants

Whoever released these files should be taken out back and beaten. It's bad enough that these were released, but it's even worse that they couldn't black out the names of the people who were actually helping us in the region! They have effectively put these informants' lives in incredible danger.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Whoever released these files should be taken out back and beaten. It's bad enough that these were released, but it's even worse that they couldn't black out the names of the people who were actually helping us in the region! They have effectively put these informants' lives in incredible danger.

There lives are already in incredible danger. The Taliban have moles in the government who usually warn them of the double-dealers. Some Taliban are part time government workers themselves.

 

[Marx]

There lives are already in incredible danger. The Taliban have moles in the government who usually warn them of the double-dealers. Some Taliban are part time government workers themselves.

While that may be true, it is absolutely disgraceful that the person who leaked this information didn't have the decency to blackout the names of aids in the region. These leaks have definitely increased the danger level.

 

[Dr. Evil]

'Get your paws off me you damn dirty ape!'

Reminds me of "Planet of the Apes: The Musical" starring Troy McClure.

Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius!

 

[Marx]

I just heard that they found the body of the second US soldier that was abducted.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I want to know what would it take for us to leave Afghanistan. They don't have the infrastucture to counter the Taliban. And Bin Laben is no where near the frontlines.

So when do we leave?

 

[Marx]

The 'official' drawdown is scheduled to begin next summer. We'll just have to wait and see...

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

I want to know what would it take for us to leave Afghanistan. They don't have the infrastucture to counter the Taliban. And Bin Laben is no where near the frontlines.

So when do we leave?

According to Obama, 2014.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Some Good News:

New road to make Bamyan to Kabul travel easierr

(backdrop are ancient Buddhist monasteries)

This week, Habiba Sarobi, the governor of Afghanistan’s central province of Bamyan, attended a road sealing ceremony with officials from New Zealand’s Provincial Reconstruction Team. An important part of the Bamyan-Kabul Road will be paved with asphalt; this will open Bamyan to Kabul in the east and allow Bamyan farmers to take their produce to market much faster, and prevent them from rotting. As a result, this will help the farmers to make more money and improve not only the economy of Bamyan, but the country as a whole will benefit.

--

Other Good News:

http://www.goodafghannews.com/




.

 

[Dr. Evil]

The 'official' drawdown is scheduled to begin next summer. We'll just have to wait and see...

The Dutch have already left.

 

[chaseter]

I actually agree, and I believe I had this idea before Biden!, that we should have little to know troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and the only people that should be there are black ops and highly trained and skilled people along with drones and other flight recon. The only other people besides black ops that should be there are a handful of troops that are there to train soldiers.

 

[Marx]

The Dutch have already left.

I think quite a few countries have already pulled out.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

According to Obama, 2014.

So there's a timetable. I did not know this.

Things will get interesting because Republicans hate time tables.

 

[Paradoxium]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/wikileaks-chat

Leaker has been teh outed.

 

[Heretic]

While those names should have been blacked out, I see nothing wrong with the leak in general. This idea that America should be able to rape, murder innocent civilians etc without being called out for it is absurd. Every day American soldiers are committing atrocities over there...and the ones responsible should be named and punished.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions..

WikiLeaks to Leak 15,000 other US Secret Logs ​

"From our prospective, transparency and knowledge about ongoing issues like war are the only things that can help to create something remotely like safety, so they will directly contribute to the public understanding what is going on in these regions. And from public scrutiny hopefully also influence the politics to develop in a better way." - Dan Schmitt

Source: Tolo

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Afghan Commission and UN: Afghan Civilian Deaths Rise between 6-31%

UN Account:

More than 1,250 civilians were killed in the first six months of 2010 and another 1,997 civilians were injured, the latest UN six-monthly report shows. The number of children killed or injured has risen 55% compared to last year. According to the UN report, 76% of the casualties were caused by the Taliban.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10922405

Afghan Commission Report:

Civilian war deaths in the first seven months of 2010 rose by 6 percent over the same period last year, Afghanistan's human rights commission said Sunday. The modest increase suggested that U.S. and NATO efforts to hold down civilian casualties were having some success. - 67 percent of them by insurgents and 23 percent by government-allied forces, the group said. Responsibility for the remaining 9 percent could not be determined because they occurred in areas that were too dangerous for a thorough investigation, the commission said.

Source:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/08/world/main6754430.shtml

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Afghan civilian shot, tied up between IEDs

NATO News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 20) - An Afghan civilian was found dead and tied to a sign between two improvised explosion devices in Kandahar province today.

The man had been shot in the head before being tied up. The IEDs appear to have been placed near his body to target first responders attempting to help him, according to local police.

"It's hard to understand why insurgents continue to kill innocent civilians in spite of Omar's direct guidance," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "This kind of senseless un-provoked violence steels our resolve to rid this country of these barbaric criminals."