12/12/07

Afghan Divide – www.ipsnews.net/afghanistan/index.asp

The US and Her Fundamentalist Stooges are the Main Human Rights Violators In Afghanistan
By RAWA
The US and her allies tried to legitimize their military occupation of Afghanistan under the banner of “bringing freedom and democracy for Afghan people”. But as we have experienced in the past three decades, in regard to the fate of our people, the US government first of all considers her own political and economic interests and has empowered and equipped the most traitorous, anti-democratic, misogynist and corrupt fundamentalist gangs in Afghanistan.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18873.htm

2 NATO occupation force soldiers killed, 3 wounded in Afghan bomb blast :
A roadside blast struck a NATO military convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two soldiers and wounding three others, the alliance said.
snipurl.com/1v6np
 
Suicide attack kills civilian, injures two soldiers in occupied Afghanistan :
A suicide attacker on Wednesday exploded his car near the convoy of Afghan National Army (ANA) in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, killing one civilian and injuring two ANA soldiers, local police said.
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7235588.htm

50 “Taliban” Killed After Musa Qala “Fight” :
More than 50 Taliban fighters who fled a key southern Afghan town were killed in a two-day battle as the militants tried to attack a nearby government center, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
snipurl.com/1v6no

Brown: ‘It’s time to talk to the Taliban’ 12 Dec 2007 As the deadliest year in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in 2001 comes to a close, Gordon Brown is ready to talk to the Taliban in a major shift in strategy that is likely to cause consternation among hardliners in the White House.
news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article3244696.ece

UK to pay to halt opium crop in Afghanistan 12 Dec 2007 Britain will pay Afghan farmers to stop growing the opium poppies that are used to make heroin, Gordon Brown is to say. Plans to give poppy growers a financial incentive to produce alternative crops will be a key part of the long-term Afghan strategy the Prime Minister will present to Parliament this afternoon. [That’s not going to sit too well with the Bush regime. Bush’s raison d’etre for the Afghanistan occupation *is* the opium production.]
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?
xml=/news/2007/12/12/wafghan212.xml

US defense secretary presses NATO for more troops for Afghanistan 11 Dec 2007 US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday called on NATO allies to fill shortfalls of troops, equipment and resources in Afghanistan, warning of rising violence and the emergence of a classic ‘insurgency.’
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iMkFT8GdFaDZemlO6LiPgByJ3Cwg

AFGHANISTAN: NATO Airstrike Kills 14 Afghans
www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14825

Democrats, White House Deadlocked Over US Government Funding
Voice of America – USA
… where Democratic and Republican leaders continue negotiations, which also include discussion of funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. …
voanews.com/english/2007-12-11-voa64.cfm

US defense chief calls for civilian coordinator in Afghanistan
Xinhua – China
After a trip to Afghanistan last week, Gates said that he found the country’s government still needs help in effectively coordinating international aid, …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7231883.htm

Military chief: Attacks up in Afghanistan
CNN International – USA
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Attacks on US and NATO troops in Afghanistan and support for the Taliban are both on the rise, but Iraq remains a bigger priority for …
edition.cnn.com/2007/US/12/11/us.afghanistan/

UK to pay to halt opium crop in Afghanistan
Telegraph.co.uk – United Kingdom
British sources admit the new strategy depends on weaning Afghanistan off opium. Despite repeated promises to combat the heroin trade, Afghan poppy…
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xm
l=/news/2007/12/12/wafghan212.xml

Joint Chiefs chairman says Afghanistan, by necessity, is a …
KMEG 14 – Sioux City,IA,USA
AP – December 11, 2007 9:43 PM ET CAPITOL HILL (AP) – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says that for all the importance of preventing Afghanistan …
www.kmeg14.com/Global/story.asp?S=7483986&nav=menu609_2_1

Gates presses NATO for more troops for Afghanistan
AFP –
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday called on NATO allies to fill shortfalls of troops, equipment and resources in Afghanistan, …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5grKUWcxUJhmypXH03Gxq1E5vxetA

Coalition forces notch two victories in Afghanistan
Canada.com – Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – A battle by coalition forces to rid the Zangabad region of insurgents this past weekend will improve security in the …
www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?
id=248282f8-41eb-4603-a129-887b088d058f&k=19995

Wheat export to Afghanistan causing crisis
The Post – Lahore,Punjab,Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The ongoing massive export of flour to Afghanistan is the main reason behind the wheat and flour crises in the country, officials said.…
thepost.com.pk/MainNews.aspx?bdtl_id=8517&fb_id=2&catid=14

Afghanistan says more than 50 Taliban killed
AFP –
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) — More than 50 Taliban were killed in two days of intense clashes in southern Afghanistan after the rebels were pushed out of a …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJubKHvtHTzm-6CbOGtwJoDB75og

Britain pledges extra £450m to Afghanistan
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown announced that Britain would make £450 million available for development aid in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. …
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,
21985,22917122-5012750,00.html

Kite Runner boys exit Afghanistan
Persian Mirror – USA
Marc Forster’s upcoming film the Kite Runner based on Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini was subject to some controversy in Afghanistan for endangering …
persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1873&
getArticleCategory=79&getArticleSubCategory=233

The payback budget
Cincinnati Post – OH,USA
… spending bill because it contained $18 billion more than President Bush wanted on domestic programs and not enough on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. …
news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
?AID=/20071212/EDIT/712120322/1003

Help is needed
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
He sits down in Edinburgh with seven other ministers representing governments in Afghanistan’s southern region command. The former auto electrician from the …
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0
,21985,22914567-5000117,00.html

Slovakia leaves Iraq, sends more troops to Kosovo, Afghanistan
Xinhua – China
On the other hand, the government will reinforce its contingent in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Slovakia will send another 50 troops to Afghanistan next year so …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7232211.htm

Official: Afghanistan closes border with Pakistan
Xinhua – China
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) — The Afghan authorities have closed its border with Pakistan in the southwestern Balochistan province after tightening …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/12/content_7236113.htm

UK Ministry of Defence to send more Sea Kings to Afghanistan
The UK Ministry of Defence is to deploy a further two Sea King HC4 amphibious support helicopters to Afghanistan in early 2008 to provide battlefield support for British forces in and around the country’s Helmand province. …
www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2007/12/12/220238/uk-ministry
-of-defence-to-send-more-sea-kings-to-afghanistan.html

Humvee hovel
By Michael Tomberlin
The Camp Vulcan motor pool. Continuing our tour of Camp Vulcan, next stop is the motor pool. I’ve already talked about the importance of maintenance. Luckily, we have covered parking and plenty of tools and equipment to keep our Humvees …
blog.al.com/afghanistan/2007/12/humvee_hovel.html

Afghanistan: Are We Winning?
By Dave Hill
“Heartfelt tributes were today paid to a Fylde soldier killed in Afghanistan. Sgt Lee Johnson, who served with the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, died in the early hours of Saturday as troops continued their push to take the town …
davehill.typepad.com/bigbritain/2007/12/afghanistan-are.html

Brown in visit to Afghanistan
British prime minister Gordon Brown made his first visit to Afghanistan since becoming prime minister today and told troops the battle against the Taliban was vital to defeat terrorism.
go.speeple.com/news-frontpage-8H4Fr
0JFABbyZiOQc9QVjL1uYrhObaCz

Gates presses NATO for more troops for Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday called on NATO allies to fill shortfalls of troops, equipment and resources in Afghanistan, warning of rising violence and the emergen…
www.democraticunderground.com/discus
s/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3098798

Afghanistan: Contractor Database
By Adil Nurmakov
Carl Robichaud reviews the Windfalls of War report, an investigation of US contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, puvlished by the Center for Public Integrity.
www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/12/1
2/afghanistan-contractor-database/

Defense Secretary Slams US Counternarcotics in Afghanistan
By Human Security Report Project
EXCERPT: “US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday told Congress the United States has no effective plan for tackling Afghanistan’s opium industry and warned that current efforts could aid Taliban rebels. In a forthright critique of …
www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/2007/12/defense-secreta.html

Korean Troop Withdrawal To Be Completed on December 14
By Human Security Report Project
‘South Korean forces stationed in Afghanistan will return home next week, ending their five-year-long humanitarian operations in the war-torn Middle East nation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday. The 200-strong non-combatant …
www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/2007/12/korean-troop-wi.html

Airpower Brought to Bear in Afghanistan
By John Noonan
From Aviation Week, Dutch airpower fighting the good fight in
Afghanistan:. The Netherlands defense ministry has released photos showing the preparations for the large airmobile operation conducted Dec. 7 in Helmand province, …
www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/20
07/12/airpower_brought_to_bear_in_af.asp

Center on Public Integrity updates its contractor database
By Carl Robichaud
The Center for Public Integrity has just updated its Windfalls of War report, an investigation of US contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. The original report, published in 2003, won the George Polk Award for journalism. …
www.afghanistanwatch.org/2007/12/center-on-publi.html