http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=6cd_1302951275 Items in channel 'LaRondelle' Fri, 24 May 2013 17:11:57 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=6cd_1302951275 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:53:21 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d3e_1315975530 LaRondelle PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Taliban gunmen attacked a school van in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing four children and the driver in an assault they said was carried out to punish local tribesman for resisting the insurgent movement.At least 12 boys, two girls and two female teachers were wounded in the attack in Matani on the outskirts of the main northwestern city of Peshawar, said police officer Qayyum Khan.Two local tribal leaders in Matani have formed militias to stop militant infiltration into Peshawar from the nearby border regions with Afghanistan. They get government financial and logistical help, and have killed or captured many militants over the last 18 months.In return, they and their families have been targeted by the militants, who controlled the area until three years ago. Its proximity to the tribal regions and the main northwestern city of Peshawar make it highly strategic."This was to teach them a lesson, and we will continue to carry out attacks wherever and whenever possible, no matter if it is a school or a school bus," said Mohammad Afridi, a Pakistani Taliban spokesman in the Dara Adam Khel region, which is close to Matani.Another police officer, Ejaz Khan said five gunmen armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked the van, which was taking students from the Khyber Grammar School. He said no rocket fire hit the van and that all the dead students were boys between the ages of 10 and 15.Source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/13/general-as-pakistan_8676099.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d3e_1315975530 LaRondelle Taliban Kill 4 Children During Attack on School Bus Taliban, Pakistan, Murder, Children, School Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:53:12 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=75f_1315403361 LaRondelle SOURCE: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/indonesian-man-eaten-by-pet-dogs-after-starving-them/story-e6frfku0-1226131722502#ixzz1XH4orriD SEVEN dogs are believed to have eaten their owner after he left them starving without food for two weeks, The Jakarta Post said today. Andre Lumboga's mutilated body was found with his head cut from his body Monday inside his home at Greenland, Batam Center, in the Riau Islands, a province of Indonesia. Seven dogs belonging to Lumboga attacked their master apparently as a result of being famished, police chief Eriyana, who uses one name, said. "The victim was believed to have had nine dogs as pets. He went to Manado during the Eid al Fitr holidays, leaving the dogs for 14 days without any food," the newspaper quoted him saying. Two of the dogs were eaten by the others, Eriyana said. The seven surviving dogs also lashed out at police when they tried to enter the house. "We had to paralyze them," Eriyana added. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=75f_1315403361 LaRondelle Indonesian man eaten by pet dogs after starving them Dogs, Eat, Owner, Indonesia Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:12:43 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e71_1295996861 LaRondelle A DISABLED teen recovering from a double lung transplant was kicked in the chest and bashed in a cowardly attack. Lindon Crellin, 19, was at McDonald's in the Melbourne suburb of Pakenham with friends when he was attacked. Lindon, who has cystic fibrosis, said his attacker knew him and his medical condition. He said the assault happened after he started talking to the thug's former girlfriend. He was forced to the ground, beaten and kicked in the chest. "I was sitting down on a wooden bench with a mate when another male came over and kicked me off the bench, in the chest, and hit me when I was on the ground," Lindon said. "I got back up and he pushed me back on the ground and continued to lay into me." He said the attacker was with a group of friends when the assault happened about 2am on Saturday. Because of his condition and the recent operation, he was not in a position to defend himself. "I'm not exactly a big bloke and I don't have enough body strength to defend myself," Lindon said. "I think they're low-life thugs." His father, Robert Crellin, said his son had spent six months a year for the past five years in hospital, and was still struggling to recover from the double lung transplant in October. "What has happened to him could be considered attempted murder," an emotional Mr Crellin said. "He could have been killed with that kick, and he's not out of the woods yet. We don't know what sort of damage has been done." He said he rushed his son to Monash Medical Centre, where he spent more than 12 hours. "You'd think some people in society would be safe, certainly someone who's disabled," Mr Crellin said. He was disgusted that the thug attacked despite knowing Lindon. "To know someone has had major surgery and then to kick them in the chest is just damn cowardly," Mr Crellin said. "He's been given a second chance of life, and he's just sitting there talking with mates and this kid comes out and bashes him. It's disgusting." He said Lindon had been the target of further threats after he filed a complaint with police. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the incident was under investigation. A Pakenham McDonald's store manager said she knew nothing about the attack. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e71_1295996861 LaRondelle Cowards Attack Disabled Lung Transplant Teenager Thugs, Attack, Lung Transplant Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:34:16 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8a3_1295962210 LaRondelle AN iPhone app that tracks down the Taliban has been developed by a US soldier who put $26,000 of his own money into the project. The idea for a smartphone application to assist soldiers in combat came to Captain Jonathan J. Springer in a dream last July. The 31-year-old, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, has worked with programmers ever since to make the idea a reality. Tactical Nav, which is expected to be available through Apple's App Store next month, assists soldiers in mapping, plotting and photographing waypoints on a battleground and conveying coordinates to supporting units. Captain Springer used a variety of armoured vehicles, remote observation posts and harsh combat conditions to test the accuracy of his invention, which can also be used to direct artillery fire on enemy positions or call in helicopter support. The soldier, who serves as a battalion fire support officer in eastern Afghanistan, said most soldiers use smartphones and the app has been designed specifically for them. "Since day one, I always believed that smartphones could be utilised by the US military for combat purposes," he said. "Basically, the issue was the fact that these smartphones were being untapped by the army and I was motivated and determined to change that, even if it cost me my own money out of pocket to do so." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8a3_1295962210 LaRondelle iPhone App to Target Taliban iPhone, App, Taliban Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:29:44 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ddd_1295458014 LaRondelle One of the latest weapons to be deployed by the US military is a new drone with the ability to use nine different cameras, sending up to 65 different live images to ground troops. The drone, called Gorgon Stare, is named after the mythical Greek creature known for a gaze that turned its foes to stone, has been in production for the last 18 months and should be ready for tour duty in Afghanistan within two months, the Nation reports. Maj Gen James Poss, assistant deputy chief of staff in the Air Force, said each new Gorgon Stare will cost $17.5 million. "Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we're looking at, and we can see everything," Poss told the Washington Post. Predator and Reaper drones currently used have just one camera for shooting video. Due to the indiscriminate nature of their violence, in many cases killing innocent men, women and children, the use of drones by the US military has drawn heavy criticism in the world community. When innocents are killed, the US government simply apologizes and then orders more strikes. "I have yet to go a week in my job here without having a request for more Air Force surveillance out there," Poss added. The monthly use of remote controlled warfare in the occupation of Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan - a nation we currently do not occupy - has increased substantially in the last year, more than doubling since January 2010 and, since President Obama took office in January 2009, their use has quadrupled. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ddd_1295458014 LaRondelle New US Drone (Gorgon Stare) to be Deployed US, Drone, Gorgon Stare Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:49:15 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c6a_1295448271 LaRondelle ARMY chiefs have revealed the heroic lives and deaths of five British Army dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military working dogs were killed in action fighting alongside their human comrades. One was cut down by his soldier handler's side during a firefight in Afghanistan while others were killed guarding frontline troops. A Sunday Mail investigation showed that two guard dogs and three arms and explosives search dogs made the ultimate sacrifice in the last three years. Our probe also highlights the efforts by Army staff to keep the unsung hero dogs in the fight. Handlers are trained in canine first aid and four-legged casualties are often evacuated by helicopter from frontline bases for life-saving veterinary treatment. In one horrific attack on July 24, 2008, Lance Corporal Ken Rowe and his golden Labrador Sasha, of the 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, were killed in a Taliban rocket ambush. Ken had volunteered to stay behind with his dog because he was worried about a lack of cover for his comrades on patrol. Sasha and the 24-year-old, of Newcastle, died side by side as they searched compounds for enemy weapons in the notorious Sangin area. Army vet Captain Tom Roffe-Silvester was responsible for the health of scores of dogs at his clinic at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. He said: "Obviously, in an emergency, humans are always given priority but in Afghanistan, military working dogs are given treatment just as good as that given to soldiers. "They are trained to an extremely high standard. When the dog finds weapons, drugs or an improvised explosive device, it gives an indication to its handler by sitting or standing up. "There are hundreds of dogs in the Army and their service is essential. "We have to make sure they are acclimatised to the heat in Afghanistan and they get two weeks to get used to the temperatures. "We also take care of their paws as the terrain is much more harsh there than what they are used to in the UK or bases in Germany. "We even have specially made boots for them to deal with the terrain. The handlers are also trained in first aid and can deal with heat illnesses, allergies, burns, poisonings and fractures. "Our vet clinic at Camp Bastion is staffed by a nurse and a veterinary technician at all times. When the handler is given a period of rest and recuperation, the dog is given a health assessment and rest. "In Afghanistan, dogs save dozens of lives every day of the week. As well as sniffing out bombs and weapons, they can be trained to find drugs - the main source of cash for the Taliban." A sniffer dog called Benji spearheaded a strike by Scots troops against Taliban warlords last year - by finding 250kg of opium and a deadly cache of weapons. The three-year-old Labrador sniffed out the haul, potentially worth millions, during a raid by 3 Scots, the Black Watch, in Sangin. His handler, Private Edward Buckland, 25 - pictured below with Benji - said: "Finding the explosives and drugs is like a game to Benji. When he finds them, he gets his reward - his toy ball. It is work but he also enjoys it and he has fun." Arms and explosive search dog Benji was killed in support of a convoy in Iraq on April 29 last year. Labrador Max was killed searching for weapons in Basra, Iraq, on February 19 last year. German Shepherd Oz was working as a guard dog in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, when he was killed on September 28, 2008. Golden Labrador Sasha died with Lance Corporal Ken Rowe in Afghanistan in July 2008. German Shepherd Hero, a protection dog with 1st Battalion, Royal Horse Artillery, was killed on patrol in Iraq on August 7, 2007. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c6a_1295448271 LaRondelle Dogs of War Afghanistan, Iraq, Dogs Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:08:08 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2bd_1295445380 LaRondelle An improvised explosive device went off as a rickshaw hit it, killing women and children. There have been three roadside bombings in the last four days in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, a roadside bomb has killed 20 civilians, including six women and 13 children, according to an official. The device went off as a rickshaw hit it on Wednesday morning. The incident took place in Nawi Kali area, Khoshamand district of Paktika province, which is on Afghanistan's border region with Pakistan, where Taliban fighters have hideouts. Afghanistan's interior ministry has blamed the attack on "enemies of Afghanistan's people", a phrase often used by officials to refer to the Taliban. Afghanistan National Police has launched an investigation into the case. A total of 28 Afghan civilians have now been killed in three roadside bombings in the last four days. The latest incident comes three days after nine civilians, including six women, two men and a child, died in a roadside bombing in northern Afghanistan when they were travelling to a wedding on a road often used by foreign forces. A day earlier, another roadside bomb killed six people travelling in a minibus in the Sangin district of Helmand province in the troubled south. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or home-made bombs are the weapon of choice for insurgents and are a frequent cause of death for civilians as well as foreign troops in Afghanistan. Afghan officials say that last year 2,043 civilians died as a result of Taliban attacks and military operations targeting the fighters. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2bd_1295445380 LaRondelle Afghan Civilian Killed by Roadside Bombs Afghanistan, Civilians, IED, Taliban Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:27:04 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e3d_1295032989 LaRondelle Investment from the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the Military Stabilisation Support Team (MSST) has seen a school in Nad 'Ali fully restored, with 600 pupils now being taught there every day. The district of Nad 'Ali was until recently a stronghold for the Taliban and the local people would avoid allowing their youngsters out of their sight, let alone travel to be educated. And, during the Taliban's rule, the school was left to fall into a dilapidated state. Now, security in the area is handled by the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, supported by International Security Assistance Force troops. One student at the school, nine-year-old Samiullah, wants to become a doctor and help the people of his home district. The youngster listens intently to every word uttered by his teachers and is regarded as one of the brightest pupils at Nad 'Ali Central School, so much so that he is a year ahead of other boys his age. He said: "I want to be a doctor when I am older. I want to serve my people and help them when they are sick. I like all of the subjects at school. History is my favourite because we learn about the stories from the history of Afghanistan. There are lots of good stories." Nad 'Ali Central School was restored by the MSST based at Forward Operating Base Shawqat. The team has also been involved with the rebuilding of the health clinic in Nad 'Ali, the district governor's new compound, a new mosque, and even a new football pitch, complete with goal posts, for the local children. The management of investment covering the cost of the work comes from the PRT. The PRT works closely with District Stabilisation Teams (DSTs) which typically consist of civilian stabilisation advisers, political officers and development advisers. DSTs work with a MSST within a British area of operations. The teams bring together people with a range of backgrounds including in development, politics, engineering and project management. Another pupil at the school is 18-year-old Allif Noor, who hopes to go to university in Kabul and eventually become a pharmacist. Allif said: "I enjoy physics, maths and history. Physics is important because it helps us to understand how things work. It is an important subject to understand for the making of medicine, also. "Education is really important. Uneducated people find life more difficult so it is important to have the chance to go to school and then to university." The school's head teacher, Kamalludin, who has been teaching for 42 years, said a number of pupils from the school had gone on to work for the Afghan Government. He said others were now working within the provincial governor's offices in Helmand province. He added: "The Taliban did not recognise education. We had no furniture because it was not important enough. Now things have changed and it is a change for the good. "Education helps to teach the children the differences between right and wrong. That is why it is so important. I hope in the future many more of the children from the school go on to work in the government and council offices in the district." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e3d_1295032989 LaRondelle UK Helping Educate Afghan Children in Helmand Afghanistan, UK, Education Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:59:19 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=11c_1295031001 LaRondelle The Taliban are ready to drop their ban on schooling girls in Afghanistan, the country's education minister has said. Farooq Wardak told the UK's Times Educational Supplement a "cultural change" meant the Taliban were "no more opposing girls' education". The Taliban - who are fighting the Kabul government - have made no public comment on the issue. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12188517 Afghan women were not allowed to work or get an education under the Taliban regime overthrown in 2001. Mr Wardak made his comments during the Education World Forum in London. He told the TES: "What I am hearing at the very upper policy level of the Taliban is that they are no more opposing education and also girls' education. "I hope, Inshallah (God willing), soon there will be a peaceful negotiation, a meaningful negotiation with our own opposition and that will not compromise at all the basic human rights and basic principles which have been guiding us to provide quality and balanced education to our people," the minister added. Across the country agreements have been struck at a local level between militants and village elders to allow girls and female teachers to return to schools, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul reports. Last October, Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed unofficial talks with Taliban leaders were under way in an attempt to end the bloody insurgency that has wrecked the troubled country for more close to a decade. Mr Wardak's words suggest the negotiations have gone beyond issues like the release of prisoners to touch on areas of government policy, correspondents say. However, the education minister admitted historical opposition to schooling extended beyond the Taliban to the "deepest pockets" of Afghan society. "That is the reason that in many provinces of Afghanistan we do not have either male or female teacher," he said. "During the Taliban era the percentage of girls of the one million students that we had was 0%. The percentage of female teachers was 0%. Today 38% of our students and 30% of our teachers are female." Female MPs greeted with disbelief the Taliban's supposed softening of stance on schooling for girls. Roshanak Wardak, a member of parliament from the central-eastern Afghan province of Wardak, told the BBC: "The Afghan government is saying that, but it's not true. "I don't believe in this because in Wardak we have six Pashtun-dominated districts and all the girls' schools are closed and have never been open. There are only schools open in two Hazara-dominated districts." Marman Gulhar, MP for the north-eastern province of Kunar, was also sceptical. "This is not true and it will never happen," she told the BBC. "The Taliban will never be ready for that . "In fact they are fighting against that. The girls' schools are closed and still are closed." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=11c_1295031001 LaRondelle Could Afghan Taliban 'end' opposition to educating girls? Afghanistan, Taliban, Women, Girls, Education Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:41:23 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d45_1293661958 LaRondelle He was an Iraq war veteran home on leave in time for Christmas. She was looking forward to a night out with her husband after so much time apart. But a group of teenagers had other plans for Federico and Kalyn Freire, who were assaulted outside a Florida movie theater after asking the teens to be quiet during a movie on Christmas Day. http://www.bradenton.com/2010/12/26/2836179/youths-arrested-in-cinema-fight.html Federico Freire, a 28-year-old Marine, and Kalyn Freire were attacked after the couple attended a showing of "Little Fockers" on Saturday in Bradenton, Fla. "The saddest part about it was that this was our first date night together in a long time," Freire's wife, Kalyn, said in an interview Wednesday with FoxNews.com. "We were just looking to spend some time together." Freire, a Florida native stationed at Camp Pendelton in California, said he and his wife asked a group of "obnoxiously loud" teenagers talking on cell phones to "be quiet" during the 8:20 p.m. movie. "This was my first time back in town from my tour in Iraq," he said. Freire said that when the disturbance escalated and the group began cursing, his wife called the manager, who asked several of the teenagers to leave the theater. The couple said they thought the fracas was over until they walked out of the theater and were assaulted by a mob of menacing teenagers. "On our way out of the movie theater, my wife gets surrounded with about 10 to 15 girls that were about to attack her," Freire told FoxNews.com. "As soon as I saw this I immediately ran and got her out of harm's way." Freire said he was kicked and punched as he and his wife tried to run from the group. "I leaned down to grab my purse and there were literally 100 teens around us," Kalyn Freire said, "While the manager was in the corner with his mouth open and not doing anything." Freire said one bystander stepped forward and told the couple to follow him to his car, saying he could scare the crowd off with a gun. But before the two reached the man's vehicle, one of the teenagers said, "I'm going to knock your wife out," before punching Freire's wife to the ground, the couple said. Deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene and arrested two 15-year-old brothers and charged them with misdemeanor battery. According to a police report, three others -- 16-year-old Ishmael Dunbar, 17-year-old Reginald Gardner and 20-year-old Destiny McNeil -- were arrested and charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer and trespassing. "All available units were requested to respond to disperse the crowd for officer safety and to restore order," the police report said. One teenager was stunned by a Taser. Authorities said the fight attracted about 300 bystanders. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d45_1293661958 LaRondelle Movie Theater Attack: Teens attack Marine and wife during Christmas screening of 'Little Fockers' Marine, Movie, Attack, Christmas Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:37:59 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=491_1292333602 LaRondelle A police chase in Texas has left the driver dead and a crying three-month-old baby girl having to be cut out of her car seat. Officers from the Magnolia Police Department said they pulled over a 2004 Chevy Impala yesterday afternoon just outside of Houston while looking for a robbery suspect. They managed to pull the driver out of the car but the passenger then locked the doors, hopped into the driver seat and sped off. 'Once I noticed the passenger was moving around quite a bit, I attempted to get him out of the passenger side of the vehicle. He had the doors locked where I couldn't get in', said Detective Brian Clack. A five-minute high speed chase then ensued with officers following the suspect through a construction zone. Police said they threw spikes into the road which led the car to roll into a fence and land upside down. 'When he tried to avoid the spikes, he started swerving, lost control; the tires were very worn on the vehicle', said Trooper Allen Williams from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The new driver, identified as 33-year-old Derick McMichael, died instantly at the scene but officers heard a baby crying and saw that the little girl was still strapped into her car seat, hanging upside down. 'We did cut the car set out to remove the baby out of the vehicle because the baby was crying', said Trooper Williams. Two officers had to kick out the windows of the mangled car and pulled the baby girl out before she was transported via air ambulance to a nearby hospital in Houston. The 3-month-old girl is said to be in stable condition and is expected to fully recover. Investigators believe the original driver who they detained before the car sped off is the baby girl's father. He is currently in police custody and is being questioned. Police are trying to determine what the relationship was between him and the deceased suspect. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1338285/3-month-old-baby-hanging-upside-car-seat-deadly-police-chase.html?ito=feeds-newsxml http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=491_1292333602 LaRondelle Baby found hanging upside down in car seat after deadly police chase Police Chase, Baby, Texas, Car Crash Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:27:27 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3da_1292332851 LaRondelle British and Afghan soldiers have made a significant advance deep into the Taliban's Helmand heartland, driving out insurgents and establishing government control. The operation, into the settlement of Tor Ghai in the Nahr-e Saraj district, was led by 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), with support from troops from 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 SCOTS), and Afghan National Army soldiers. Since last year's Operation PANCHAI PALANG (PANTHER'S CLAW), British forces have built a series of patrol bases along Route Trident, a key route linking the cities of Lashkar Gah and Gereshk, but this is the first time that British and Afghan forces have driven this deep into Nahr-e Saraj's 'Green Zone' to establish an enduring presence. The troops began the operation by marching on foot through ice-cold irrigation ditches, across undulating terrain, and over 10-foot-high (3m) compound walls through the night. Carrying kit weighing around 50kg, the troops were in position before first light. As the sun rose and visibility following a sandstorm improved, the advance into Tor Ghai, a known area of insurgent activity, could commence. The advance was led on the ground by the Commanding Officer of 2 PARA, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Harrison. Approaching the village from the west, B Company, 5 SCOTS, were the first to come under insurgent small arms fire as they established a presence in the western outskirts of the village to block any exit routes. As E Company and the Patrols Platoon advanced to the north and north east of the village, they too were 'contacted' by insurgent rounds. For around 30 minutes, all sub-units involved in the operation were engaged by insurgents. But, significantly, as it became clear that the Afghan National Army was arriving in large numbers, along with further British support, the fight was not sustained and the insurgents retreated. As soon as the village was secured, the soldiers engaged in a shura (traditional Afghan meeting) with the influential elders of the village. During this time, the local nationals were handed Afghanistan flags by the Afghan National Army and the following message was broadcast by loudspeaker: "The Afghan National Army and ISAF are here to stay so we can provide security for the development that is coming to your village. You can come out now. This is a new time in your lives, please stay and support your village elders who are working to bring you the many benefits of governance." The shura took place between two compounds in open ground in Tor Ghai and was attended by the village elders, the Commanding Officer of the Afghan National Army's 6th Tolay, Colonel Sboor, and the Commanding Officer of 2 PARA. During the discussions, a permanent Afghan National Army presence was welcomed by the elders. Projects were discussed to provide jobs and improve the quality of life for the community. This included plans for access to discounted vegetable seed for local farmers to use as an alternative to growing poppy. The shura appears to have been very well-received by locals and, in the days following the operation, there have been several more shuras that have enabled people to raise their concerns. Officer Commanding Information Operations with 2 PARA, Major Justin Tancrel, said: "The quiet discussions behind the scenes with village elders who risked their lives to talk to us really paid off. The Tor Ghai community has embraced the Afghan Government and are keen to receive the benefits." Now that the 2 PARA Battle Group has established a presence in the community of Tor Ghai, work is underway to build checkpoints to provide security and prevent Taliban intimidation of the population. Work is also underway to repair the local road network and to clear known areas of insurgent improvised explosive devices. Shuras will continue to understand how the partnered security presence can assist the Government in bringing development to the community of Tor Ghai. Lieutenant Colonel Harrison said: "The extension of our security presence into this area is significant. We have struck a blow right into the heart of the insurgency in Nahr-e Saraj. "Yesterday, this area was a command and control node for those who subjugated Afghan and British soldiers. Today, soldiers patrol together to bring security in order to open the door for development, education and the rule of law." http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/BritishAndAfghanForcesstrikeABlowIntoHeartOfInsurgency.htm http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3da_1292332851 LaRondelle British and Afghan forces 'strike a blow into heart of insurgency' Afghanistan, British, UK, NATO, Insurgency