http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=ISAF Thu, 23 May 2013 09:52:22 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=ISAF Wed, 22 May 2013 05:39:44 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d3b_1369213125 sahaafi_mujahid their first release from afghanistan http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d3b_1369213125 sahaafi_mujahid Islam Awazi : "The Lions of War - 1" Operations in Eastern Afghanistan afghanistan,turkinstan,islamic,mujahidin,nato,isaf,fail,car bomb,shuhada,fidayan,martyr,martyrdom Tue, 21 May 2013 21:12:57 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7c_1369184263 BekasKhan By Michael Hirsh National JournalKABUL, Afghanistan - None of President Hamid Karzai's top advisers knew that he had been receiving tens of millions of dollars in secret cash from the CIA, Afghanistan's senior anticorruption official said, and he added that he did not believe the Afghan leader's claim that he had been giving the agency regular receipts for the money. Mohammad Yasin Osmani, the head of the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, said in an interview last week that he and 39 other advisers who audit expenditures throughout the government "were not aware" of the decade-old payouts, which Karzai acknowledged at a news conference in Kabul on May 4. But Osmani, like other Afghan government officials, was reluctant to criticize Karzai or accuse him of personal corruption, highlighting a growing friction between Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force led by the United States over an issue that threatens to upend the rebuilding effort here, and possibly U.S. plans for a post-2014 "strategic partnership" with Afghanistan. Many Afghan officials and politicians contend that their nation's reputation for rampant corruption is exaggerated-according to Transparency International, a monitoring group, Afghanistan is the most corrupt nation on earth, along with Myanmar, North Korea, and Somalia. They say that more to blame are poor procedures by ISAF and Washington that hand aid money directly over to graft-plagued contractors and subcontractors. Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister who is currently the chairman of the Afghan Transition Coordination Commission, said the Karzai cash controversy is viewed in Washington as simply more evidence of Afghanistan's corrupt ways. But he asked: "What does it say about the way the American government conducts itself?" It is, perhaps, a fair point, especially coming after a decade in which the $60 billion American rebuilding effort in Iraq was deemed hopelessly corrupt-in part because, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen concluded in his final report in March, in many cases U.S. officials did not consult with Iraqis closely or deeply enough to determine what reconstruction projects were really needed. Now the Afghans are saying the same thing. Even as the security transition to the Afghan National Security Forces is said to be going more smoothly, civilian transition from U.S. to Afghan oversight is a disaster, Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal said in an interview. "The transition has not happened," he said, although as the ISAF-formed "provincial reconstruction teams" are being dismantled. U.S. aid rules have themselves become a source of corruption, Osmani says. Too many private contractors skim off the top as they subcontract a job out, a practice that the Afghan government itself would not permit, he says. Beyond that, "nobody has the right to monitor international community projects," and yet international auditors are often too leery of going to insecure areas. So little monitoring occurs. And in some cases U.S.-built projects appear to be following the pattern in Iraq. Osmani cited a case in which the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko, criticized a $73 million contract given by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to DynCorp International for a shoddily built Afghan National Army base in Kunduz Province. "They didn't allow the government to go out and supervise the project!" Osmani said. The finger-pointing on both sides suggests a long-married couple-10 years of geopolitical marriage in this case-who are fed up with each other but can't bear the idea of divorce. And the mood is getting testier. In a recent report, Sopko accused the Afghan government of "targeting American contractors with unjust taxes and intimidation." Zakhilwal says the allegations are false. Even in the case of Afghanistan's biggest economic weakness, the heroin trade, Afghan officials say the corruption is far greater outside Afghanistan than inside. "From 2002 to 2009, $420 billion to $460 billion was made by international dealers , while $18 billion made by the Afghan mafia," says Ghani, citing a report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. "The illegal economy is totally integrated into globalization: with credit and transport." The question of whether Afghanistan is just too corrupt to save has shaped the entire U.S. approach to post-9/11 Afghanistan, tilting the Obama administration gradually away from "nation-building" and toward a more pared-down counterterrorism strategy. In February 2008, three U.S. senators who are today the Obama administration's key foreign-policy heavyweights-Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel, and John Kerry-had a crucial dinner with Karzai at the Afghan president's palace. After Hagel raised the subject of corruption in Karzai's government, including runaway graft and narcotics connections, Karzai replied, "My dear senator, there is no corruption in my government." Things then got testier. The American visitors insisted they had a list of corrupt officials and that Karzai's brother was at the top of it, but the Afghan leader disingenuously denied it all-until Biden, by the dessert course, threw down his napkin. "This dinner is over," he said, walking out. Hagel and Kerry followed. Biden never really regained his trust in Karzai, and by 2009, after he became Barack Obama's vice president, he turned into the new administration's No. 1 skeptic about nation-building. The doubts about Karzai, culminating in charges of election fraud, also poisoned the Afghan president's relations with the late Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special representative for Afghanistan. Karzai continues to deny charges of personal corruption, including about the CIA money. "This money was not given to warlords," he said at the May 4 news conference in Kabul. "The major part of this money was spent on government employees such as our guards.... It has been paid to individuals, not movements.... We give receipts for all these expenditures to the U.S. government." Even Osmani is skeptical about that last point. Asked whether he believed there were "receipts," he responded, "No." But there are clearly two sides to every corruption story, and the U.S. and Afghan governments need to get their stories straight if the "partnership" is to survive after 2014. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7c_1369184263 BekasKhan Which Is More Corrupt: Afghanistan or America? Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan Thu, 16 May 2013 11:42:55 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f86_1368718637 BekasKhan The Telegraph A suicide bomber in a car attacked a convoy of foreign troops in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 15 people including six Americans in one of the worst attacks in the Afghan capital in months.By William Clarke and agencies 3:00PM BST 16 May 2013 The attack, targeting a Nato military convoy, killed six American Nato personnel and at least eight Afghans, including two children, in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital for nearly a year. The Toyota Corolla, laden with explosives, detonated in Kabul's Shah Shaheed district at 8:00am injuring 37 passers-by including children going to school. Nato's US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) declined to identify the nationalities of the personnel killed, in line with coalition policy. Insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which is independent of the Taliban, has previously claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed nine people in Kabul last year, carried out by an 18 year old girl. Hezb-i-Islami, which is led by former prime minister and mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is active mainly in the east of the country. Related ArticlesSuicide bomb hits convoy of foreign military vehicles in Kabul 16 May 2013 Soldiers pay the price 14 May 2013 Hammond extends tours for British troops in Afghanistan 14 May 2013 Taliban renounces war on anti-polio workers 13 May 2013 "Our comrades carried out this attack," Zubair Sediqi, the Hezb-i-Islami spokesman, told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location. "Ten foreigners were killed and two of their vehicles were destroyed." All Nato combat missions will finish in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and foreign troops have already begun to withdraw from the battlefield as the Taliban begin their annual "spring offensive", to push back the coalition in the south. Thursday's bomb was the first major attack in Kabul since March 9 when a suicide bomber on a bicycle killed nine people outside the defence ministry during a visit by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. It was the deadliest attack since June 2012 when Taliban militants killed 18 people at a lakeside hotel on the edge of the city. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f86_1368718637 BekasKhan 15 killed including 6 Americans in Afghan suicide attack by Hezb e Islami in Kabul Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan Wed, 15 May 2013 01:55:05 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d71_1368596999 bravo61 B-Roll of Royal Tongan Marines conducting a Transfer of Authority Ceremony at Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan on May 12, 2013. Tranche 5 transferred authority to Tranche 6. Also available in high definition. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. William M. Kresse). http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d71_1368596999 bravo61 Royal Tongan Marines Transfer of Authority Ceremony Afghanistan, Tonga, Royal Tongan Marines, US Marines, Sipi Tau, OEF, ISAF, Helmand Province, RC Southwest Wed, 15 May 2013 22:44:35 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4b9_1368670155 BekasKhan Three Georgian soldiers have been killed in southern Afghanistan after fighters detonated a vehicle laden with explosives, according to a senior Western military official and NATO. The death toll of the number of Georgian troops in Afghanistan increased to 22 after Monday's attack, which targeted their base in Helmand province. "Two Georgians died on the spot, a third died of wounds," the senior Western military official in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. From the perspective of one neighbourhood in Herat Georgian media quoted Irakly Alasania, the country's defence minister, as saying that a suicide bomber drove a lorry full of explosives into their base. In another separate incident on Monday, 10 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed when a roadside bomb hit the bus they were travelling in in Maroof district, roughly 60km northeast of Kandahar city. Georgia, which has more than 1,500 soldiers serving in Helmand, has the largest non-NATO combat troop commitment in Afghanistan. May has proved particularly bloody for members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is preparing to withdraw all combat troops by the end of next year. The blast also wounded 12 people. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4b9_1368670155 BekasKhan NATO's 3 Georgian troops killed in Helmand Afghanistan blast Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan Fri, 10 May 2013 02:41:15 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a3c_1368163574 LiveLeakAccount Trillions of tax dollars spent and 3305 ISAF troops dead and this is what has been achieved. Congratulations to all the brave troops who have fought and died in Afghanistan and to those who have come home broken in mind and body, your sacrifice truly has made the world a better and safer place. Finally a huge debt of gratitude must go to the individuals and companies that have made billions of dollars from this venture, it couldn't have happened without you. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a3c_1368163574 LiveLeakAccount Have We Won In Afghanistan ? 2013 Afganistan, War, Taliban, US, Win, Lost Tue, 07 May 2013 19:38:40 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=852_1367969679 catthirteen Major Toryalai Najibi (L) and Captain Said Aga Mahammadi of the 2/1/205 ANA based in Panjwai district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Photo by Bill Ardolino for The Long War Journal . Panjwai district in Kandahar province is home to four separate indigenous security forces: the Afghan National Army (ANA), the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP), the Afghan Uniform Police (AUP), and the Afghan Local Police (ALP). Of these entities, the ANA's Second Kandak (battalion) of the First Brigade, 205th Corps arguably most represents the face of the central Afghan government. The 2/1/205 ANA have maintained a consistent presence in Panjwai for five years, whereas the ANCOP, a relatively well-trained and equipped national police service, has units that rotate in for short tours in the district. The officers of the AUP, another technically national police service, are currently headed by a police chief with local tribal ties that can place him at odds with other leadership figures in the district. Finally, the ALP is a truly local movement, consisting of minimally trained area men who have opted to fight the Taliban. The ANA are outsiders -- the force includes many ethnicities that predominate in northern Afghanistan (i.e. Tajiks and Uzbeks) -- a makeup which sets them apart from the Pashtun-dominated local police forces, as well as the Pashtun citizenry of Panjwai. This distinction has drawbacks and benefits. The Afghan soldiers don't possess quite the local knowledge and intelligence sources maintained by the police (although their longtime presence in the area has mitigated this issue), but they are widely assessed as being better educated and trained, and their outsider status distances them from the tribal politics that influence local civilian leaders and cops. After the Americans, the ANA might resemble the closest thing to an honest by CouponDropDown">broker in Panjwai. US advisers to the 2/1/205 ANA and members of the American infantry units that partner with them on patrol offer mixed, though hesitantly positive ratings of the Afghan soldiers. Shortly after US forces with the 4-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team rotated into the district in late November, they faced a difficult transition period: a December directive from higher US command mandated that the Americans would no longer augment the Afghan Army with fuel or other logistical help. Forced to suddenly rely on the Afghan Ministry of Defense's shaky requisitions system, the Afghan soldiers were significantly challenged for about three weeks. But then things started to click, and soon the ANA were obtaining their own fuel, food, and most essential supplies without US assistance. Logistical issues remain. It is difficult for the Afghan soldiers to obtain parts for vehicle maintenance, for example. But the ANA have started to operate independently and with greater competence -- at least when they decide to do so. Despite their improved capability, the soldiers of the 2nd Kandak opt out of a regular patrol by CouponDropDown">schedule about 20 percent of the time, according to a number of Americans, and recently did so for two consecutive partnered patrols between April 7 and April 9. The reasons typically cited for a refusal to operate include holidays, weather, bureaucratic excuses, and sometimes just because the Afghan soldiers "don't feel like it." While some Americans offer a dim view of this inconsistency, some of the same individuals, at other times, have been genuinely impressed with the ANA: "I've seen them get out there and do crazy operations, be really aggressive," remarked one US infantryman. On March 28, the ANA, along with police forces, led Operation Baz ("Hawks") 1392, a major clearing operation across eight villages in the western horn of Panjwai. Over five days of searches and disruption patrols, the ANA found and disabled 10 IEDs; killed three insurgents while losing one Afghan soldier; and found a large cache consisting of 30 IEDs, 100 pounds of homemade explosives, two bicycles, two radios, two bags of batteries used in IEDs, and five plastic AK-47s used for weapons training by insurgents. The Long War Journal interviewed Major Toryalai Najibi, the 2nd Kandak's executive officer, and Captain Said Aga Mahammadi, the unit's 'Battle Captain' (operations officer) just after the completion of the Baz 1392 operation. Mahammadi is a methodically-spoken 50-year-old from Kapisa province who has spent 30 years with the Afghan Army in its Soviet-affiliated and post-2001 forms. Najibi is a gregarious 43-year-old from Logar province who has been a self-described "freedom fighter" since he was 17; this stretch includes 12 years with the present Afghan Army and before that, service with the Mujahedeen who fought the Soviets and then the Taliban. As Najibi pointed out with a smile, the latter experience put him on opposing sides of a war with his current Battle Captain many years ago. The Long War Journal's interview with Major Najibi and Captain Mahammadi follows. The Long War Journal: Can you tell me a little bit about your recent operation (Baz 1392) - how did it go and what was its goal? Battle Captain Said Aga Mahammadi: The second Kandak is responsible for all of western Panjwai, and it conducts a number of different operations throughout the year. Basically, every time we conduct an operation it's based on intel that we receive on enemy depots, enemy activities, enemy manpower, and enemy weapons caches, if available, and from that we put together our operational plans. This is how the most recent operation was conducted. We had a very successful operation. The participants were the Afghan Army, Afghan Uniform Police, Afghan Local Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. They were all combined forces that participated in this operation. LWJ: And what did the operation accomplish? Captain Mahammadi: We were able to get some of the weapons caches and also some of the training sites of the Taliban. We set up in the villages and we were able to get a hold on the area and remove the insurgents. And we sent a report to our higher commanders about the results we achieved. LWJ: How does the ANA work with the AUP, ALP, and ANCOP? Do they work well, are there any issues? Captain Mahammadi: Since the beginning the ANA have taken a leading role in any operation, so for any operation to take place, the police, the local police, and ANCOP are supposed to coordinate their plans with us. So far, we haven't had any problem with them and I can say we have a great relationship. LWJ: It is a perception among Western advisers in Afghanistan that there are sometimes cultural tensions between the Afghan Army units and local civilians because of a different ethnic makeup. Do your soldiers get along with local civilians, or is there a resistance to the Army because many of the soldiers are ethnically different? Captain Mahammadi: In the beginning when the ANA was formed, there were some of these problems because the ethnicities of most of the people who backed the new government were from the north (of Afghanistan) and we had some problems in the south when we came to Pashtun areas. But right now we have some soldiers who are from neighboring provinces who speak the language of the local people, and now we don't have any problems with the locals here. Executive Officer Major Toryalai Najibi: The local people used to think whoever is with the ANA are Americans, because the Americans are operating here. But right now I think the people appreciate us even more than the local police here, and I'll tell you the reason: the ANA soldiers will never take any of people's property; they will never unlawfully kill anybody; they will not fire on anyone unless fired upon; and ANA soldiers and staff are better educated and have better relationships with tribal leaders and the elders of the villages. In Kandahar, eight different languages are spoken, each tribe has a different dialect and they have disagreements between themselves. I'm from Logar province, Captain Mohammadi is from , and Captain Hughes is from America; we don't have any problems with each other. But in Kandahar province they are all from here and they have problems among themselves, the DGOV (district governor) the DCOP (district chief of police), whoever is in security and all the government staff who are from this province itself. So the problem here is really a tribal one; for example, the Alikozai tribe has problems with the Popalzai tribe, so there is a lot of intertribal conflict. It's been about 10 years I've been here doing my duty ... with the Americans. I see all these tribal conflicts, but the don't really have any problems with us. I think it would be good if people from other areas to do their jobs . LWJ: So you're saying that the ANA serves as an honest broker between the tribes; because they don't have the tribal ties they can be neutral? Major Najibi: Yes, we are just like American forces; we don't touch anybody's money, we don't really care what tribe someone is from, who their elder is, we aren't influenced by those issues that they have among themselves. If someone shows us a good face, we make sure that we show them a good face in return. If they shoot at us, we will certainly shoot back at them. LWJ: Is there a flip side to that benefit of being an outsider? Because the ANA are not from around here, maybe the civilians are hesitant to talk to outsiders? Major Najibi: I don't think so. I think we have better relationships with the locals than the police who are originally from this area. I think Captain Hughes is also aware of this, because we are really good people and we are really treating well. I don't think an ANA soldier at any given time is going to do anything unlawful toward the people, I think if you get out with us and ask the locals about the ANA, they are all going to tell you positive things about us. Please ask the locals if we have ever unlawfully entered their property, if we have ever taken any of their belongings, or if we have ever disrespected the tribal elders of their villages. LWJ: I have heard positive things about the ANA from , the district governor, and civilians who live near the Panjwai district center . The other side of that question is what problems do local people have with the police that they don't have with the ANA? Major Najibi: Whenever we go on duty, we have our own fuel, we have our own ammunition, we get our salary paid on time, we get our food delivered on time for our soldiers, and we don't have any problems. I think the police don't get paid enough, they don't get enough food for their soldiers from their commanders, and they aren't well supplied, so they are forced to take from people's homes. LWJ: There have been problems with police forces in certain parts of Afghanistan that are so significant that local citizens wind up hating them more than the Taliban. In other sections, the problems are milder, and people work with the police . How much of a problem do you think corruption is here, and do you feel that the local people will work with the police? Major Najibi: I think in Kandahar the problem is different. Captain Hughes is from America and he doesn't know any Taliban, I'm from a different province and I don't know the locals here, but the local police know who belongs to the Taliban. They know who is active in the insurgency and who is not. And that is why the Taliban is so against them and tries to kill so many of them; to make it unable for them to pass this information to other forces. Right now that's why the Taliban is on the hunt for the Afghan Local Police (ALP) and in every place they can find them they will kill them. They are also telling the tribal elders and others in the villages that they should prevent anyone from joining the local police. The Taliban ... is threatening the local elders to disrupt the relationship between the ALP and the locals because they fear the ALP. LWJ: How is security in Panjwai now and how has it been trending? Major Najibi: Right now I think security is great in Panjwai. I don't know if you guys are aware, but a few days ago the shadow district governor was killed. LWJ report, US special operations forces kill Panjwai shadow governor. ] LWJ: Yes. Why has been ? Major Najibi: I think there are a few reasons. One of them is that the DCOP's (district chief of police Lt. Col. Sultan Mohammad) forces are increasing in Panjwai, another is the increase in the Afghan Local Police in several different areas, a third reason I can give you is our (ANA) operations jointly and with ISAF support, and another reason is the locals are aware of where the Taliban gets their support from, and that's why they are backing the government right now. A little while ago the Taliban captured two civilian engineers that were building roads and they killed them at (the village of) Garandai. After they killed them they hung them from the trees and shot them a few times. And right in front of the bodies, they placed seven IEDs for us. During a shura, the district governor asked us to remove the bodies from the site. When we went there we were hit three times by a Taliban ambush, but finally we were able to neutralize all of the IEDs, fight with the Taliban, and get the bodies out of there. People are now worried that the Taliban kills more civilians than soldiers because they can't fight against armed people; that's why they kill civilians. And now people are really angry about this. They also see other provinces being developed, schools being opened, health system is being emplaced, and they see that even though their President (Hamid Karzai) and their king is from this province, it is still undeveloped and the illiteracy rate is still high. So they are becoming aware that this is all thanks to the insurgency. LWJ: I understand that this may sound like a simple question, but can you explain to me who the enemy is, and why they are fighting? Major Najibi: The enemies are Pakistanis and Iranians and there are some people that we have files on who we know come from Pakistan to fight here. The Taliban's shadow district governor who was just killed, we know that just a week ago he came from Quetta, Pakistan. LWJ: But Panjwai is considered the birthplace of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, so obviously some of the insurgency is based here. What percentage of the insurgency is local, even if it is currently controlled from Pakistan? Major Najibi: I think it's 50/50; in 10 people, five are from Pakistan and five are locals from Panjwai. But it is the clerics in Pakistan that encourage the people because of religion to fight against the ANA because we are working with the Americans, and they feel the Americans are fighting against Islam. The Taliban enjoyed power here for a while, and they are still dreaming about getting that power back, and having the same regime they had in the past. But I think the local people are the enemies of the Taliban. I think the ratio for government support is 80 percent for the government, 20 percent against. And I think that the 20 percent is also being influenced under the propaganda of the enemy. The Taliban are also encouraging people to plant poppy, and a few days ago when we went to destroy poppy fields, were shooting at us. I think the Taliban is encouraging people to plant the poppy so they make extra income, and thus back the Taliban. But otherwise, in our religion, opium is forbidden and cultivating poppy is also forbidden, according to our Koran. LWJ: How is your relationship with the Americans, and how are you operating in conjunction with them? Major Najibi: The same way we are sitting side to side, we are also operating in conjunction with them, side to side. LWJ: But as the Americans are drawing down and pulling back, how much is the ANA working with the Americans at this point compared to in the past? Major Najibi: Right now the Americans are just providing blocking positions during operations, and also providing air support. LWJ: It is my understanding that in the past the ANA has had trouble getting their own fuel and other logistical support from their own government systems. It's also my understanding that the Americans have withdrawn support of this nature and that the ANA have found ways to get these resources. How have you managed to obtain these resources? Major Najibi: Right now we don't have any problems; we get our salaries, ammunition, food, and supplies on a weekly basis. LWJ: And do you think this supply is sustainable past 2014, when you are on your own? Major Najibi: The world community has promised they will keep it this way and we hope it is sustained the same way. President Obama has promised that some American forces will remain past 2014 and they will not leave Afghanistan. Also the American said that you won't withdraw from Afghanistan and as long as your soldiers can remain, they will remain here. LWJ: What about your own government? For example, I've spoken to the district governor, and he has very low financial support from the government in Kandahar City and Kabul; is there greater support from the Afghan Ministry of Defense to the Afghan Army, and is it a priority to project into Kandahar province long term? Major Najibi: We don't have any problems, sir. On a monthly basis 24,000 liters of fuel gets distributed to us, and we distribute it among our bases here in Panjwai. Every month the soldiers get paid for their job and soldiers get to go on leave that they accrue, and we manage to cycle our companies every once in a while. The police forces have their own problems, but we don't have any problems with salary, phone cards, or anything. LWJ: As the Americans pull back, two resources the ANA do not have the ability to replace are helicopters, such as those used for medevac, and the reconnaissance and surveillance resources. How does the Afghan Army plan to cope with the loss of these resources? Major Najibi: We recognize that there are problems but we think that with the withdrawal of Americans, the government is going to step by step, little by little increase the size of ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) in general, and there shouldn't be any problem, even with few Americans remaining here in the country. LWJ: Do you get any support here in Panjwai from the Afghan Air Force helicopters, such as the Mi-35 (Hind) and Mi-17 (Hip) helicopters that are based out of Kandahar Airfield? Major Najibi: They are all expired and not mission capable. LWJ report from 2010, Soviet workhorses, ISAF training form the backbone of a developing Afghan Air Force ] LWJ: In we have heard a great deal about insider attacks, or "green-on-blue" attacks. How much of an issue has that been in Panjwai and the wider Kandahar and how do you prevent such attacks? Major Najibi: It's been about 10 years for me working with Americans and personally, I have not witnessed any green-on-blue attack. In about 80 to 100 kandaks of ANA there were no suspicious people or activities among them. But lately some of the people who have been influenced by others conduct those attacks. But this kandak has been here for the past five years in Panjwai and not one single attack or attempt has occurred here. LWJ: That seems like a long time for one national unit to be based in an area, is this normal? Major Najibi: It's not normal, but they decided to leave this kandak here because during this time we came to know the area, we know the enemy's activities, and we know what type of IEDs they use and where they put them. And that's why I think if they bring a new kandak in here, they are going to take a lot of casualties. LWJ: I heard about a scenario involving a civilian janitor here on the base who tried to fake a Koran desecration. Can you explain to me what happened? And does this happen often, when insurgents try to exploit cultural tensions? Major Najibi: To answer your question, the problem is because of the Americans, but please don't write that. I'm just joking with you ... because it was the Americans who brought the contractors here to clean the trash cans and the restrooms. Also, the contractor was a native from Kandahar. And this guy, whether he was threatened, encouraged, or paid by the Taliban, to do it himself. We took care of it. The Americans arrested those two people, brought them to Kandahar Airfield and returned them to Zangabad after the investigation was complete. I arrested them, tied them together, and let them go but I told them, 'Even if the Americans ever decide to let you come back inside this base, I won't.' I think their intent was to disrupt the relationship between us and the Americans. I also tasked our intelligence officer to do a background check on everyone who enters the camp and to get a guarantee letter from one of the members of the Kandahar provincial council for anyone who comes to work at Zangabad. LWJ: Regarding the local uprising that had started in Peshinagan and spread to Sperwan : How widespread is it and how did it start? Captain Mahammadi: The people in this area are really bothered by the fighting and the pressure from the Taliban. Also they are not happy with how the Taliban treat them. Finally they became united, and 13 villages around Zanganbad rose up against the Taliban and backed the government forces. The following villages: Peshinagan, Korozai, Sapozai, Alikozai, and other villages like that. LWJ: Is it sustainable? For example, there has been another, similar uprising in Andar, another part of Afghanistan, but there are reports that the Taliban have come back and are crushing the uprising .... Captain Mahammadi: I don't think that this will occur here because we are in very close contact with the locals and we are supporting them. Any time the Taliban tries to attack them or wants to bother civilians, we will be there in a short time to back them. Also, another solution would be if government starts reconstruction programs here, for example potable water , road construction, new schools, and health clinics; that will keep the people away from the insurgents and with the government. Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/04/the_taliban_are_stil.php#ixzz2SeYMqC4c http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=852_1367969679 catthirteen The Taliban are 'still dreaming' of a return to power: an interview with Afghan Army officers in Panjwai Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/a afghanistan Tue, 07 May 2013 19:21:40 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e89_1367968120 catthirteen In Waygal district, Nuristan province May 2, an Afghan and coalition security force killed a senior leader with ties to the Taliban and other terrorist networks, Mohammad Issa, and other insurgent, ISAF said. According to ISAF, Issa, also known as Emirati, was in charge of training Taliban fighters and leaders responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also had a history of hosting transitory international terrorist in his home prior to them engaging in terrorist activities http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e89_1367968120 catthirteen Afghan and coalition security force killed a senior leader with ties to the Taliban afghanistan Tue, 07 May 2013 19:06:54 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e56_1367967634 catthirteen Senior insurgent leader Jamal killed in northern AfghanistanA senior insurgent leader was killed following a joint military operation by by CouponDropDown">Afghan and coalition security forces in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan. NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) following a statement announced, "Afghan and coalition security force killed a senior insurgent leader, Jamal, who had ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Three other insurgents were killed and detained two insurgents during the operation in Burkah district, Baghlan province, May 3." The source further added, "As the security force approached Jamal's location, a group of fighters opened fire on the Afghan and coalition troops. The security force returned fire, killing Jamal and three other insurgents." Also known as Mullah Zabiullah, Jamal was the second highest ranking insurgent official in Burkah district. His cell of terrorists is responsible for a significant number of attacks, including suicide bombings, against Afghan civilians throughout Baghlan and Takhar provinces, coalition forces said adding that the leader himself was personally responsible for recruiting and training Afghans in insurgency operations and targeting Afghan officials for kidnappings and executions. He also played a significant role in linking Taliban and IMU fighters in Baghlan, working as a mediator and coordinating operations between the two networks. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e56_1367967634 catthirteen Senior insurgent leader Jamal killed in northern Afghanistan afghanistan Sat, 04 May 2013 19:59:54 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e36_1367711333 TheLIGHT At-least Seven US soldiers serving with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have been killed in two separate attacks in Afghanistan, according to US and Afghan officials. At-least Five of them were killed in the southern province of Kandahar when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb on Saturday, a spokesman for the US forces in Afghanistan and local Afghan officials said. Kandahar police chief General Abdul Razeq said that "five American soldiers were killed at about noon when their armored vehicle hit a powerful roadside mine in Maiwand district." Later in the day, At-least two more US soldiers were killed by a soldier of the Afghan National Army in the western province of Farah. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the "green-on-blue attack." Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi sent an email to reporters, saying the "infiltrated mujahid" killed the US troops at a base in the Bala Boluk district of Farah. According to Ahmadi, the Afghan soldier shot and killed four people at the base before he was killed. Source many including http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2013/05/201354133546255870.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e36_1367711333 TheLIGHT At-least 7 u.s. soldier killed in Afghanistan , At-least 2 were shoot by ana At-least 7 u.s. soldier killed in Afghanistan , At-least 2 were shoot by ana Thu, 02 May 2013 15:03:06 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=319_1367520476 BekasKhan NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has not yet formally announced the nationality or identity of the troops killed. They were in a vehicle searching for IEDs on a tarmac surface when the device exploded. The deaths come just two days after the Taliban launched its spring offensive, saying it would take aim at British, US and other foreign military bases and diplomatic areas. The militant group's leadership vowed that "every possible tactic will be utilised in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors." A total of 441 British soldiers and 2,207 US troops have died since fighting began in the country back in 2001. Related Articles Afghan donkey bomb kills policeman 05 Apr 2013 Britain's Afghan war is over - but there's no sign of peace 11 Apr 2013 Nato air strike 'kills Afghan policemen' 04 Apr 2013 Three have been killed so far this year, the last of whom was L/Cpl Webb, 24, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, who died after an attack by insurgents in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand. In a separate attack in the south of the country today, a roadside bomb in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province killed three civilians and wounded five, said Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial governor. The Taliban and other insurgent groups make heavy use of roadside bombs. They are among the deadliest weapons in the Afghan war for civilians. Far to the north, in Archi district in the province of Kunduz, a roadside bomb killed two people, including a local police commander who had been credited with reducing the number of insurgent attacks in his area, said Abdul Nazar, a local council member. Commander Miran and his driver were killed and two other police officers wounded when the car they were driving toward Kunduz City was destroyed by a bomb hidden by the road, said Nazar. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=319_1367520476 BekasKhan A roadside bomb has killed 3 UK soldiers in multimillion armor in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan Thu, 02 May 2013 14:47:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aea_1367519592 BekasKhan The moment a US cargo plane spun out of control and crashed shortly after take-off in Afghanistan, killing all seven cre The Boeing 747, which had taken off from Bagram airbase near the Afghan capital Kabul destined for Dubai, exploded in flames after crashing to earth on Monday, killing all seven people on board - all of whom were American citizens. The video footage, filmed by what appears to be a camera on the dashboard of a vehicle driving nearby, shows the plane gaining altitude and then twist, plummeting to earth. It is then engulfed in flames. The Taliban, in a statement, claimed responsibility for the crash, but Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said there were no reports of insurgent activity in or around the base, which is one of the largest in the country. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to Afghanistan to assist local authorities with their investigation. The plane - owned by National Airlines, an Orlando, Florida-based subsidiary of National Air Cargo - was carrying vehicles and other cargo, according to National Air Cargo Vice President Shirley Kaufman. Related Articles Three British soldiers killed by IED in Afghanistan 01 May 2013 Barack Obama: close Guant'anamo 30 Apr 2013 Armed drones in Afghanistan flown from UK for first time 27 Apr 2013 Taliban blamed for bus crash that killed 30 Afghans 26 Apr 2013 PM: UK has 'paid high price' in Afghanistan 01 May 2013 Salmond: Afghanistan 'inherently dangerous' 01 May 2013 She said those killed were four pilots, two mechanics and a load master, who was responsible for making sure that the weight and balance of the cargo is appropriate. "We are not yet releasing the identities of the colleagues we lost out of respect for their families who need a little more time to reach other loved ones," she said in an email to The Associated Press. w members, has been captured on video. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aea_1367519592 BekasKhan US cargo plane crash in Bagram Afghanistan caught on camera; 7 Americans killed Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan