Afghanistan Theater

Nazis occupy Afghanistan —really

Bill Weinberg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:20:39 -0600

Two years ago when we reported revelations that two Czech NATO commanders in Afghanistan had worn Nazi SS regalia while on duty, everyone told is it was an isolated incident and not to make a big deal of it. What do you say now, pronoiacs?* From MSNBC, Feb. 9:

Marines posed with flag resembling Nazi SS logo in Afghanistan
SAN DIEGO — The US Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that a sniper team in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS.

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2011 deadliest year for Afghan civilians —again

WW4 Report — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:07:15 -0600

The number of civilians casualties in the Afghan conflict has risen for the fifth year in a row, according to the annual report of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which documents 3,021 civilian deaths in 2011 compared with 2,790 in 2010 and 2,412 in 2009. Most deaths were caused by insurgents, the report said, finding that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were being used more widely and suicide attacks had become deadlier. However, it also said the civilian toll from air strikes in support of the Afghan government rose in 2011. The 2011 "Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict" said a total of 11,864 civilian lives had been claimed by the conflict since 2007.

Obama acknowledges Pakistan drone strikes

Bill Weinberg — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:46:23 -0600

In a Jan. 30 Google-sponsored "video chat," President Barack Obama gave the first public acknowledgment of what has been a very open secret—the use of US drones against militant forces in Pakistan's tribal areas. Obama responded to a question from a young man in Brooklyn, who noted that the president had ordered more drone attacks in his first year in office than his predecessor George Bush. Saying the attacks cause "a lot of civilian casualties," he asked if they were worth it. Obama responded (rather disingenuously, in light of some recent horrific news accounts): "I want to make sure that people understand that actually, drones have not caused a huge number of civilian casualties. For the most part, they have been very precise precision strikes against al-Qaeda and their affiliates. And we are very careful in terms of how it has been applied." Asked by another participant in a follow-up question whether drone strikes "send a message" that the US is interfering in other countries' affairs, Obama responded with the kind of downright Orwellian logic that he has already proved himself capable of:

Secret report: Taliban backed by Pakistan, gaining ground

WW4 Report — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:49:40 -0600

The BBC says it has seen what it calls a "secret NATO report" (referred to in other media accounts as a "secret US military report"), based on some 4,000 detainee interrogations in Afghanistan, that finds the Taliban continue to be heavily backed by Pakistan, are confident they can win the Afghan war, and are gaining popular support at the expense of the Kabul government. The report, "The State of the Taliban 2012," portrays the Taliban as being under the virtual direction of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), but resenting that control. According to published excerpts, the report finds that "Taliban commanders, along with rank and file members, increasingly believe their control of Afghanistan is inevitable. Though the Taliban suffered severely in 2011, its strength, motivation, funding and tactical proficiency remains intact."

Afghan opium production soars

WW4 Report — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:26:55 -0600

A new survey by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates that the value of opium in Afghanistan soared by 133% in 2011 over the previous year, netting farmers $1.4 billion. A blight last year wiped out much of the poppy yield, driving up prices. Yields have now returned to pre-blight levels—a 61% increase, from 3,600 tons in 2010 to 5,800 tons last year. But prices remain high, and UNODC says a simultaneous drop in the price of wheat contributed to the increase in poppy cultivation. Gross income from opium in 2011 was 11 times higher than that earned from wheat—the biggest difference in income since 2003. Afghanistan currently supplies an estimated 90% of the world's opium, with the largest areas of poppy cultivation in the country's restive south. (VOA, Jan. 13)

Afghanistan commission calls for detainee custody transfer, alleges US abuse

Jurist — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:43:52 -0600

An investigative commission in Afghanistan issued a statement Jan. 7 alleging the abuse of detainees held by the US military at prisons in the country. The commission called for the transfer of all prisoners held by the US military to Afghan custody. The detainees held by US forces are a combination of Afghan nationals and foreign accused al-Qaeda operatives. The commission also alleged that some prisoners are being held without evidence and called for their release. The commission was created by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in June 2010.

Af-Pak between two poles of terrorism

Bill Weinberg — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:22:15 -0600

We don't share the right-wing "libertarian" politics of Reason magazine, and we generally don't like atrocity pornography. But in a stroke of grim genius on Dec. 22, Reason juxtaposes photos of two disfigured survivors from the Af-Pak theater. The first you probably haven't seen before: a girl named only as Shakira, who was one year old in 2009 when her village in Pakistan's Swat Valley was targeted for a drone strike. Two other infants were killed in the attack; she survived, her face burned almost to the skull. A Pakistani emigre in Houston has managed to fly her there for special surgery, but a CNN account tells us: "She will never look fully normal." Can you guess what comes next...?

Pakistan: drone victims seek arrest of CIA officials

WW4 Report — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:02:37 -0600

A Pakistan-based NGO, the Foundation for Fundamental Rights (FFR), led by Islamabad lawyer Shahzad Akbar, has filed a legal case in that country's courts on behalf of a Pakistani citizen, journalist Karim Khan, whose 18-year-old son and brother were killed in a drone attack on New Year's Eve in 2009. The criminal complaint for wrongful death has resulted in Pakistan CIA station chief Jonathan Banks fleeing the country, apparently to avoid prosecution after his anonymity was compromised. The FFR, along with the UK-based legal advocacy group Reprieve, is also seeking an international warrant for former CIA legal director John Rizzo on behalf of families of civilians killed in drone strikes. Rizzo was the individual responsible for approving targets in drone strikes in Pakistan..

Islamabad closes Khyber Pass supply route after NATO attacks Pakistan

WW4 Report — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:19:27 -0600

Pakistani officials said Nov. 26 that NATO aircraft had killed at least 25 troops in strikes against two military posts on the border with Afghanistan. The strikes, carried out by helicopters and fighter planes, apparently targeted posts in Mohmand tribal agency. Army chief of staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called the attacks "unprovoked and indiscriminate." Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called it "outrageous" and convened an emergency meeting of the cabinet. The Pakistani government responded by ordering the CIA to vacate the drone operations it runs from Shamsi Air Base within 15 days. It also closed the two main NATO supply routes into Afghanistan, including the one at the border town of Torkham. NATO forces receive roughly 40% of their supplies through that crossing, which runs through the Khyber Pass. Islamabad gave no estimate for how long the routes will be shut down. (NYT, Associated Press of Pakistan, BBC News, Nov. 26)

Afghanistan: Karzai and ISI each play both sides?

Bill Weinberg — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:26:31 -0500

If reports on the recent two-part BBC documentary "Secret Pakistan" are to be believed, Pakistan's security service is providing weapons, training and logistical support to Taliban insurgents fighting US and British troops in Afghanistan, despite official denials. A number of middle-ranking Taliban commanders revealed the extent of Pakistani support in interviews for the documentary, the first part of which was broadcast Oct. 26. One purported insurgent commander, Mullah Qaseem, told the BBC: "Pakistan plays a significant role. First they support us by providing a place to hide which is really important. Secondly they provide us with weapons." Another commander, Mullah Azizullah, said the men overseeing the training are members of Islamabad's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), or are closely linked to it: "They are all the ISI's men. They are the ones who run the training. First they train us about bombs; then they give us practical guidance." (Reuters, Oct. 26)