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August 22, 2005
Winds of War: Aug 22/05
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by evariste of Discarded Lies. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include: August 09, 2005
Good News From Afghanistan: 9 August 2005
Note: Also available from “The Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. To James Taranto, Joe Katzman, and all of you who support the series, as always, many thanks. Recently, a group of talented young Afghans found themselves abroad as great ambassadors for their country – for both good and bad reasons: Four young Afghan students did more than merely stun their competitors when they came away with some of the top prizes at an international mathematics competition held recently in Almaty, Kazakhstan. They also changed how students from 22 other countries perceive Afghanistan. The Australian student is not alone – the negative image of Afghanistan is quite widespread, as the latest Harris Poll shows: While the U.S. public has been paying a fair amount of attention to the situation in Iraq, they have not been paying as much attention to Afghanistan. However, when asked specifically about the situation in Afghanistan, U.S. adults, on the whole, feel quite negative about the prospects for success. Sadly, there simply aren’t enough gifted math students in Afghanistan to send abroad to unmake the negative image of their country being perpetrated by the Western media. Focusing almost exclusively on drugs and violence might make for exciting news, but it does great disservice both to the people of Afghanistan, who already have to work under great disadvantages to turn around one of the most impoverished nations on earth, but also to the international public, on whose strong support the Afghans are relying to rebuild their country. Below, the past four weeks’ worth of stories from the other Afghanistan. July 18, 2005
Monday Winds of War: July 18/05
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio and evariste of Discarded Lies. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include: July 11, 2005
Good News from Afghanistan: 11 July 2005
Note: Also available from “The Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. As always, many thanks to James Taranto, Joe Katzman and all of you for your continuing support. Please also note that as this segment would have normally appeared last Monday but for the Independence Day weekend, it contains stories from the past five, and not the usual four, weeks. In the early days of this series, I noted a story of three Afghan exchange students coming to Florida to learn about life in America. Now, year later, they are going back to their homeland: Abdulahad Barak, Abdulahad Fazil and Khushal Rasoli joined Floridians and other Americans in a year punctuated by hurricanes, holidays and a presidential election focused largely on a U.S. war against a Muslim country. They watched as American media covered Iraq, Israel, Palestine and Afghanistan. They jumped on rides at Universal Studios, Disney World and Busch Gardens, and volunteered to help victims of nature’s wrath. Barak even got a chance to meet the president. Back home, the three want to pursue careers where they can help their fellow countrymen and women: doctor, pediatrician, and politician. “The three said they were most amazed by the U.S. presidential election, watching George W. Bush defending his record in televised debates against challenger John Kerry. The thought that it was even possible for a world leader to be deposed without violence was new to them.” It’s just one of many things they will take home with them. Says Barak: “It was the first time we have ever seen an election… It was good to see people choosing their own leader.” And Rasoli adds: “I know when I go back that people are going to say bad things about America, about Jews and Christians… I am going to tell them no. They are wrong. It is not like that.” Perhaps we need more exchanges to build in longer-term real understanding of our two cultures and societies. In the meantime, however, since we can’t all swap places with a family in Kabul for a month or two, it would be good to have comprehensive and balanced media reporting to build a clear picture of realities, challenges, and successes, and not just disjointed series of glimpses when something goes wrong. Below are the last five weeks’ worth of stories from Afghanistan that you might have missed. July 10, 2005
Taliban Execute Six Afghan Police
Six Afghan policemen have been beheaded after an ambush by suspected Taleban guerrillas, Afghan officials have said. July 04, 2005
Second Missing U.S. Soldier Found
Reuters reports that a second American soldier missing in Afghanistan for the past week has been located: The governor of Kunar, Assadullah Wafa, told Reuters Afghan forces received information on Sunday night that a wounded American was being treated by villagers in a remote mountainous part of the province:
From California Yankee. July 03, 2005
Missing U.S. Soldier Rescued In Afghanistan
CNN reports that a member of the U.S. special operations reconnaissance team missing in Afghanistan since Tuesday has been rescued. From California Yankee. July 02, 2005
US Planes Bomb Taliban Compound
American fighter planes have bombed a suspected Taleban hideout in the same area of eastern Afghanistan where US servicemen are missing, officials say. July 01, 2005
Team of U.S. Soldiers Missing in Afghanistan
A small team of U.S. soldiers was still missing Friday in the same mountains in eastern Afghanistan where a special forces helicopter was shot down earlier this week, and U.S. forces are using “every available asset” to find them, a U.S. military spokesman said. June 30, 2005
Red Wing Down: The Afghan Chopper Crash
US forces suffered a tragic blow in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. A MH-47 Night Stalker was shot down while conducting a support mission for a special operations observation team working in the mountains at about 10,000 feet above sea level, alone in perhaps the most harsh and dangerous territory on the planet. The MH-47 serves in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and is a specialized helicopter designed for “overt and covert infiltrations, exfiltrations, air assault, resupply, and sling operations over a wide range of environmental conditions.” The ground team came under heavy fire from al Qaeda/Taliban fighters and called for assistance. Reports indicate the crew of the Night Stalker and a Navy SEAL squad been lost after being shot down with an RPG, however ROFASix reports the likely culprit was an SA-16 Gimlet, an advanced Russian made surface to air weapon. Matt Heidt from Froggy Ruminations states “this would be the largest casualty incident in SEAL Team history.” The impact is felt in Rev. Donald Sensing’s home town. The crash site has been secured, and the BBC is reporting the bodies of 13 Americans have been recovered. The special operations ground team is also unaccounted for at this time. An A-10 Thunderbolt and Predator drone provided air support at the crash site until the relief mission could be conducted. The composition of the forces lost tells us plenty about the mission. Updates on Chopper Crash
Military officials said Wednesday that it appeared that an American Chinook helicopter that crashed Tuesday in Afghanistan was brought down by hostile fire as it was landing during combat in a mountainous border area. June 29, 2005
Fate of 17 Us Troops in Afghan Crash Unclear
A U.S. military helicopter crashed during an anti-guerrilla mission in eastern Afghanistan after being hit by ground fire and the fate of 17 U.S. troops aboard was not known, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. June 25, 2005
Another 76 Insurgents Killed In Afghan Fighting
The Associated Press reports that Afghan forces have found the bodies of another 76 Taliban fighters:
Two Taliban commanders, Mullah Dadullah and Mullah Brader, are still believed to be surrounded in the mountainous region. From California Yankee. June 23, 2005
Senior Taliban Commanders Hunted In Afghan Fighting
Reuters reports that Afghan forces are closing in on a number of senior Taliban commanders in southwestern Afghanistan:
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said it appeared the guerrillas had been building up strength to launch attacks on the main southern city of Kandahar and elsewhere ahead of Afghanistan’s September 18 elections. From California Yankee. Over 100 Insurgents Killed In Afghan Fighting
Something is going on in Afghanistan. The Associated Press reports that more than100 insurgents have been killed in three days of fighting in Southern Afghanistan:
From California Yankee. June 20, 2005
Afghanistan Foils Plot to Kill U.S. Ambassador
The Associated Press reports that Afghan intelligence officials thwarted a plot to assassinate U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad:
From California Yankee. June 06, 2005
Good News from Afghanistan: 6 June 2005
Note: Also available from “The Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. As always, thanks to James Taranto, Joe Katzman, and all of you for continuing support. Please also note that because of the Memorial Day weekend, the publication of this “Good news” has been postponed, so it now contains the news for the past five, and not the usual four, weeks. Over the last few weeks, Afghanistan has been in the news again - unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. The media pack has made a brief re-appearance in Afghanistan to report on carefully staged “spontaneous” riots, which briefly erupted around the country, ostensibly in protest over a report in “Newsweek” (later retracted) about desecration of Koran by the American military personnel at Guantanamo Bay. Sadly, in the rush of commentary about Afghanistan’s slide into anarchy and America’s deteriorating position in Kabul, most of the international media again missed or downplayed many other stories, some of them arguably far more consequential than an anti-government rampage whipped up by opponents of President Karzai. Take this story, for example: A crowd of 600 Afghan clerics gathered in front of an historic mosque yesterday to strip the fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar of his claim to religious authority, in a ceremony that provided a significant boost to the presidency of Hamid Karzai. This important gathering and its implications were reported by only a handful of news outlets around the world - in stark contrast to the news several days later about the assassination at the hands of the Taliban of the head of the council and the suicide bombing at the historic mosque during his funeral, which appeared through hundreds of media outlets around the world. Faced with this sort of media coverage, President Karzai expressed his exasperation during his recent visit in the United States: “Sometimes - rather often - neither our press, nor your press, nor the press in the rest of the world will pick up the miseries of the Afghans three years ago and what has been achieved since then, until today.” Below, then, the last five weeks’ worth of stories that were yet again completely overshadowed by terrorism and violence. May 02, 2005
Afghan Arms Dump Explosion Kills 28
A hidden weapons cache exploded in northern Afghanistan on Monday, killing 28 people and injuring more than 70, officials said. Good News from Afghanistan: 2 May 2005
Note: Also available at the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. Big thanks, as always, to James Taranto, Joe Katzman, and everyone else supporting this project. Sometimes, a simple story can better encapsulate the essence of a situation than dozens of learned articles and reports. This is one such story: They practice on concrete rather than on grass, and their kit is far from uniform, but Afghanistan’s premier women’s football team is looking forward to making history this summer when it plays its first international match. The team is now practicing next to the grass pitch of Kabul Athletic Stadium, where the Taliban used to conduct their public executions - making one wonder whether, perhaps, God is a woman, after all. Just as it reveals the triumphs, the story also illustrates the challenges facing Afghanistan and its people: lingering discrimination and the need to maintain the struggle against ingrained conservative attitudes, lack of resources and an all too slow flow of foreign assistance. But positive development should not be overshadowed by negativity; Afghanistan has had enough of it for the past quarter of a century. The difference now is the unparalleled range of opportunities opening to Afghans, and the fact that with some much needed and generous help they are starting to make the better tomorrow happen. Below are some of their stories from the past month. April 06, 2005
Chopper Crash Kills at Least 16 in Afghanistan [Updated]
A U.S. military helicopter crashed in bad weather in southeast Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, including four American crew members, the military said. Update: Latest reports say 16 dead, including four American crew. April 04, 2005
Good News from Afghanistan: 4 April 2005
Note: Also available at the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. Many thanks, as always, to James Taranto and Joe Katzman for their support for this ongoing project, and to all of you fellow readers and bloggers who continue to assist and publicize it. Like Grinch who stole Christmas, Taliban in their days had banned the popular holiday of Nowroz, the first day of the Afghan year. A few weeks ago, people all around Afghanistan got the chance to celebrate, for the fourth time in their free country, a new beginning. “The new year arrived with snows and rains. May it be full of peace and security as well,” Allah Mohammad, a resident of Kabul, had expressed a popular sentiment. Considering how much snow fell on Afghanistan this winter, wishing for an equal bounty of peace, security, and prosperity might be somewhat optimistic. But even a moderate precipitation of good and stable government and economic growth will guarantee that this war-shattered, impoverished and traumatized country continues its slow and often painful - yet at the same time very inspiring - ascent from the nightmare of its past twenty-five years of history. Below are some snapshots from that journey that no longer attracts much media attention, but one that, nonetheless, matters a lot not only to the Afghans themselves but also all those around the world who believe in the redeeming power of freedom. March 14, 2005
Monday Winds of War: March 14/05
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio of the fourth rail and evariste of Discarded Lies. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include:
March 07, 2005
Good news from Afghanistan, 7 March 2005
Also available from the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. Many thanks to James Taranto, Joe Katzman, and all of you readers and fellow bloggers for your help with the series. Send tips to goodnewsafghanistan, here @windsofchange.net “Before my arrival in Virginia in August of last year, I had never slept in my own bedroom, attended school with boys, or gone out in public without covering my hair. I never thought I’d come to the USA. The odds were against me: Most people from Afghanistan have never traveled outside its borders,” writes Ghizal Miri, a 15-year old Afghan woman who is one of the forty high school students spending a year in the United States under a scholarship program. In her letter (“Thanks, America, for sowing seeds of freedom in my Afghanistan”) to the local newspaper in a community where she currently lives, Miri recounts her personal odyssey, contemplates her dreams and opportunities, and also writes about the progress at home since the overthrow of the Taliban regime: “Believe it or not, my country has made great advances toward improvement. Most people in the U.S. do not hear of these advances, however. I’m not saying that problems don’t exist or that everyone’s happy. Security, drugs, organized crime, corruption, and poverty are still in Afghanistan, but significant advances have been made over the past three years to improve things.” As Afghanistan falls off the media map of the world, here is the snapshot of the previous month’s efforts by the Afghan people to rebuild their lives and their country. February 07, 2005
Good News from Afghanistan: 7 February 2005
Note: Also available at the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. Thanks to James Taranto and Joe Katzman for the continuing support and to all of you who make this project worthwhile through your readership, feedback, linkage and publicity. There are signs that the drought which has gripped Afghanistan for the past several years might be finally breaking. “In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, about 3 1/4 inches of rain fell in Kandahar over a two-day period… Rainfall for December was four times the normal amount for the month… North of Kandahar Air Base, the Tamak River rose so high the water was nearly touching the bottom of the main bridge leading into town. Meanwhile, near Kabul, rainwater filled some smaller streams that are usually bone-dry this time of year.” According to Khoshhal Murad, a United Nations interpreter in Kabul, Afghans are saying “this is a sign from God.”
The drought has broken throughout Afghanistan - both literally and metaphorically. As Kim Hart of the “American Journalism Review” writes, “with the establishment of a new government and building of infrastructure, a continuing U.S. military presence and the hunt for terrorists, Afghanistan is rife with stories of long-term consequence.” Unfortunately, as Hart notes, there’s hardly anyone left in Afghanistan to report it:
As the old saying goes, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Just when after decades of bloodshed and despair Afghanistan is finally getting back on its feet the media has already moved off to cover another crisis and another quagmire somewhere else - perhaps in Iraq. But as citizens of countries whose servicemen and women have liberated Afghanistan from under the Taliban yoke and which continue to participate in rebuilding of the country, we deserve to be told when all that blood, sweat and money is bringing good results. Below are the last month’s stories from Afghanistan that you might have missed. January 10, 2005
Good News from Afghanistan, Jan 10/05
Note: Also available at the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. Thanks to James Taranto and Joe Katzman for their support for this project, and thanks to readers and bloggers who have done so much to publicize the series and make it better. Stephen Hayes from “The Weekly Standard”, who has traveled to Afghanistan to witness the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai, quotes from the speech by the country’s first democratically elected leader: Whatever we have achieved in Afghanistan—the peace, the election, the reconstruction, the life that the Afghans are living today in peace, the children going to school, the businesses, the fact that Afghanistan is again a respected member of the international community—is from the help that the United States of America gave us. Without that help Afghanistan would be in the hands of terrorists—destroyed, poverty-stricken, and without its children going to school or getting an education. We are very, very grateful, to put it in the simple words that we know, to the people of the United States of America for bringing us this day. Sounds familiar? It shouldn’t. As Hayes writes, “Sadly, most Americans never heard these words. Gratitude, it seems, is not terribly newsworthy. Neither is democracy. The Washington Post played Karzai’s inauguration on page A-13, a placement that suggested it was relatively less important than Eliot Spitzer’s decision to run for governor of New York or the decision of the U.S. government to import flu vaccine from Germany.” As columnist Charles Krauthammer commented on the mainstream media’s reaction to the inauguration, “Miracle begets yawn.” Yet, ironically, one of the most comprehensive and most optimistic overviews of the tremendous progress achieved in Afghanistan over the past three years comes, of all places, from an official Chinese press agency Xinhua (just consider the surreal picture of Chinese newsmen celebrating democratic election and defeat of “anti-US” Taliban). If you want to read the “good news from Afghanistan” in one short, sharp piece, go Xinhua; if you are after more detail about all the positive - and under-reported, yawn-inducing - developments in Afghanistan over the past month, read on. December 14, 2004
Taliban Security Chief Captured
From Reuters via The Australian : Afghan security forces have captured Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar’s personal security chief as he travelled in a van to the southern city of Kandahar, provincial officials said today. December 13, 2004
Good News from Afghanistan, Dec 13/04
Note: Also available from the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. As always, big thank you James Taranto and Joe Katzman for their support in publicizing the good news - and to all of you who read it, link it, and pass it on. A few days ago, hundreds of Afghan leaders and some 150 foreign dignitaries, including the Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, got to witness a historic event; the swearing in of Afghanistan’s first democratically elected president, Hamid Karzai: Wearing a black lambskin hat and traditional striped silk coat over his shoulders, Mr. Karzai took his oath before the aging former king, Zaher Shah. The president himself then swore in his two vice presidents, Ahmed Zia Massoud and Mohammed Karim Khalili, who represent the two largest ethnic minorities, the Tajiks and the Shia Hazaras, after Karzai’s own ethnic group, the Pashtuns. “We have now left a hard and dark past behind us, and today we are opening a new chapter in our history, in a spirit of friendship with the international community,” said Karzai in his inauguration speech, switching between Pashto and Dari, Afghanistan’s two main languages. The irony of the situation, if irony is indeed the correct word, is that the country that only three years ago was still ruled by the most dictatorial and backward of regimes can now claim to have one of the few democratically elected leaders in the whole region. Electing a president, of course, is only a start; great many challenges remain for this impoverished and war-scarred country. How much still remains to be done to improve security, eradicate the scourge of drugs, and rebuild the physical and human infrastructure should not blind us to how much has already been achieved in the three years since the overthrow of the Taliban regime - indeed, how much continues to be achieved every day throughout Afghanistan, for most part out of the media spotlight. Below is a snapshot of the past month’s unsung efforts to face and meet the challenges. November 30, 2004
Plane Wreckage Found in Afghanistan, Bodies Recovered
See previous story here.
. Military Plane Goes Missing Over Afghanistan
The U.S. military said Tuesday that it was searching for six Americans who were aboard an aircraft that went missing over Afghanistan (search). November 25, 2004
Al-Qaeda Called To Action In Afghanistan
Agence France-Presse reports that Major General Eric Olson, second in command of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, says that al-Qaeda is believed to have called its followers to action in response to the Afghan election:
According to AFP, U.S. intelligence has found evidence of Taliban anger and disarray because of the success of the elections, which drew millions of Afghans to the polls despite the threat of insurgent attacks. From California Yankee. November 23, 2004
Three UN Hostages In Afghanistan Freed
Well here's some good news out of Afghanistan. The three UN hostages have been released. Three U.N. workers kidnapped in Afghanistan have been released unharmed after more than three weeks in captivity, officials said Tuesday. "They are out," U.N. spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva said. Tipped by: In The Bullpen Other Commentary: The Jawa Report, which has much more backstory on the terrorists, the workers and their ordeal. Originally posted at Diggers Realm
November 09, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia -stans Summary: Nov 9/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Include: More on Uzbekistan Riots; Bush & Central Asia; Corruption High in the Region; India Follows China’s Lead; The Emptying of Tashkent; Terrorism Warning in Uzbekistan; Monitoring the Carolina Vote With Kazakhs; Saakashvili’s Honeymoon Over in Georgia; Armenia Pushes Back Iraq Deployment; Georgia Boosts Iraq Commitment and Receives Renewed US Military Assistance; Iran Tells Afghans to Go Home; Afghanistan’s Oldest Voter; Red Sox Nation’s Imperial Overstretch October 23, 2004
Karzai's Lead Narrows
The Associated Press reports that Karzai still appears on course to secure a majority and avoid a run-off vote even though his share has slipped from around 60 percent to around 55 percent:
September 21, 2004
Charity Looking for Help to Ship 7 Tons to Afghanistan
Master Corporal Storring is a Canadian Soldier who was deployed with the ISAF Peacekeeping force near Kabul. Project Mercury Hope is his effort to mobilize civilians to help the soldiers help the orphans of Afghanistan. I spoke with them by phone yesterday. The problem: They have 7 tons of goods ready to go, and need to find a way to ship it to Kabul for distribution. We’d be interested in hearing from people in the blogosphere who might have sugeestions for them, or organizations who may be able to partner with Project Mercury Hope in order to get this done. If you can help or have some suggestions, please notify us here. Nathan's Central Asia -Stans Summary: Sept 21/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Include: Turkestan; Kazakhstan Votes; Secret Mission Removes Uzbek Uranium; “Borat” Give Kazakhstan a Bad Name; It’s Cotton Time; Japan and Korea Pursue Central Asia Partnerships; Kazakhstan Tightens Borders; Georgia, Russia, and Pankisi; Idema Sentenced; Elections Near in Afghanistan September 20, 2004
Chrenkoff's Good News from Afghanistan
Note: Also available from the “Opinion Journal” and Chrenkoff. The third anniversary of a significant event had passed recently without much notice or commentary, not unexpectedly overshadowed by another, more prominent third anniversary. On September 9, 2001, two al Qaeda suicide bombers impersonating foreign journalists assassinated Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. Rightly so, this event came to be seen as a prelude to S11, the opening shot in al Qaeda’s renewed offensive against the West as well as its enemies within Afghanistan. Three years can make a huge difference. The presidential campaign in Afghanistan has officially commenced on September 7. Perhaps it would have been more symbolic had it started two days later, but the very fact that a country which for a quarter of a century has been successively ravaged by the Soviet occupation, a bloody civil war, and a theocratic dictatorship is now embarking on its very own democratic journey is an achievement in itself and a cause enough for celebration. Getting to this point has not been easy, but Afghanistan slowly and steadily continues to achieve normalcy; mostly out of the media spotlight. Here are some stories of hope and promise that you might have missed over the last month while the mainstream media continued to focus on violence and mayhem, or not at all. August 29, 2004
Explosion Kills Six In Kabul
The Associated Press reports that an explosion in the office of an American defense contractor in Kabul Sunday, killing as many as six people:
From California Yankee. August 24, 2004
Good News From Afghanistan
Note: Also available at the WSJ Opinion Journal, Winds of Change.NET, and at my blog, Chrenkoff (here). Kudos and thanks to James Taranto, one of the few in the mainstream media who continues to spread the good news. The former king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, has seen it all in his 89 years: after four decades on the throne, a coup that saw his deposed, and another three decades in exile, he is now back in his homeland, living the peaceful life of a private citizen, albeit in the security of a private mansion on the grounds of the presidential palace in Kabul. Asked recently by an interviewer about his country’s future, Mohammad Zahir Shah replied: “I am not a fortune-teller, but I am optimistic.” For the past quarter of a century, one need not have been a fortune teller to expect that Afghanistan’s near future would remain grim. A communist coup, followed by the Soviet invasion and occupation, then the civil war between former mudjahedin freedom fighters, and finally the oppressive Taliban theocracy have all drastically reduced the number of optimists in this unlucky corner of Central Asia. But optimism is back, and since the overthrow of Mullah Omar’s regime almost three years ago it has been making a slow but steady comeback. For all the continuing security problems and sporadic fighting with the Taliban and al Qaeda remnants, Afghanistan’s resurrection has been an unheralded success story of the recent times. Huge challenges remain, to be sure, but for the first time in a generation there is real hope that the country is finally breaking out of the cycle of violence and succeeding in its first steps on the road to normalcy. The Afghans know it’s happening, but we in the West, looking at Afghanistan through the prism of mainstream media coverage, are far less aware of all the positive developments taking place over there. Here is some good news from the last four weeks that you might have missed while the media, true to their form, continued to focus on the negatives. August 17, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia "-Stans" Summary: Aug 17/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. JK: And a big happy first blogiversary to Nathan Hamm! TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Include: Terrorist Defendants & Groups in Uzbekistan; State Department Cuts Aid to Uzbekistan; but, Department of Defense Boosts Aid to Uzbekistan; The Dear Leader Commands It; The Role of Clans in Central Asian Politics; More on South Ossetia; Georgia Vows to Protect Its Waters; Voter Registration Ends in Afghanistan; and, Meskhetian Turks Finally Find A Home. August 09, 2004
Taliban Splits
Reuters reports that the Taliban has split. A rift has emerged in the ranks of Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban militia, with members of the breakaway faction saying they no longer recognise fugitive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Omar’s men deny the split. Duplicate post from The Argus August 06, 2004
CSTO to Operate in Afghanistan?
Russia and three Central Asian members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (an military alliance of six post-Soviet states) conducted anti-terrorism exercises in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. In its report, the AP says that Kyrgyzstan’s president hinted that the CSTO may be preparing to conduct anti-terrorist operations in Afghanistan: “We don’t have to wait for militants from Afghanistan to cross the Afghan-Tajik border, but we should take preventive measures rather than allow them to come to the region,” Akayev said. Russian and Tajik border guards are hard-pressed to stop the movements of drugs and militants across this border. August 03, 2004
50 Suspected Taliban Killed (UPDATED)
U.S-led coalition forces in Afghanistan say they have killed up to 50 suspected insurgents linked to the ousted Taleban government. 12:55 UPDATE: Associated Press reports say up to 70 Taliban may have been killed: In one of the bloodiest clashes since the fall of the Taliban, Afghan troops backed by U.S. warplanes killed as many as 70 militants in a daylong battle near the Pakistani border, military officials said Tuesday. Cross-posted from Backcountry Conservative. July 28, 2004
Bomb Kills 6 in Afghanistan
At least six people were killed, including two United Nations workers, when a bomb exploded inside a mosque in the central Afghan province of Ghazni, the U.S. military said in a statement. Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. July 27, 2004
Chrenkoff's Good News from Afghanistan: July 26/04
Yes, it’s a new feature on Winds of Change.NET - and a new team member, too! “We are becoming hopeful day by day. We cannot develop our country, in which the fighting existed for 23 years, within two years. We had lots of problems in the past but they are being solved day by day.” If there is one place where good news is harder to come by than Iraq, it’s Afghanistan. For that we should partly blame our poor understanding of Afghan realities, and consequently, unrealistic expectations. An isolated, poor, largely rural country with harsh landscapes and limited natural resources, Afghanistan has been for the past quarter of a century cursed with constant violence and oppression. Good news from Afghanistan will not in any foreseeable future mean mushrooming shopping malls and health care clinics in every village. For the people who have suffered so much for so long, relative peace and absence of theocracy are a good start. But, as is the case with reporting from Iraq, we shouldn’t let the media off the hook so easily, either. For all the fashionable talk about Iraq distracting the Bush Administration from the war on terror, it’s largely been the media who have ignored Afghanistan except for the occasional story about another skirmish with the Taliban remnants or the explosion in opium cultivation. CBS’s veteran journalist, Tom Fenton, recently had this to say about the work of his media colleagues: “You know the old saying: No news is good news. But in the news business, it is just the opposite: Good news is no news - which is why you have been hearing so little from Afghanistan recently. Not to mention in Kabul. If they did, they would arguably find more stories like these: July 11, 2004
Bomb Attack in Afghanistan (Herat)
The BBC is reporting a bomb attack in Herat. The bomb was reportedly on a bicycle (?!) and killed at least five civilians, including a child. July 08, 2004
Anti-Terror Vigilantes Arrested in Afghanistan
Three foreigners, including one American, have been arrested in Kabul. Three foreigners, including at least one U.S. national, arrested in Kabul were apparently waging a private war against supposed terrorists, illegally holding Afghans, the Afghan interior minister said on Thursday. July 01, 2004
Marines Say Hold 'High Value' Taliban Commander
REUTERS: Marines Say Hold ‘High Value’ Taliban Commander U.S. Marines arrested a Taliban commander they described as a “high value” provincial target and killed another guerrilla in a sweeping operation in the central Afghan province of Uruzgan on Thursday. But the best quote is: “If you fire on Marines, they are going to kill you,” said Martin, the company commander. June 29, 2004
Robi & Nitin's S. Asia Briefing: June 29/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on South Asia, courtesy of Robi Sen and Nitin Pai of The Acorn THE THAW AND THE MELT
Other Topics Today Include: Double agents and nuclear con-men in India; Palace intrigues and provincial rebellions in Pakistan; Nuclear Proliferation; India and Israel; Much ado about something in Bangladesh; Potential missteps in Afghanistan; Dalai Lama rejects Colonel Saunders in Tibet. June 27, 2004
Taliban Slaughters Registered Voters
Would-be voters slaughtered in Afghanistan. Suspected Taliban gunmen stopped a van packed with people on a road in southern Afghanistan, then sprayed the occupants with bullets after finding that they had registered to vote, a local police official said Sunday. Ten people were killed. June 15, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia "-Stans" Summary: June 15, 2004
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Include: More on South Ossetia; Russian and Chinese Great Game Moves; Kazakstan and Uzbekistan Dabbling in the Space Game; Kazakstan’s Slick Opposition Party; Continuing Erratic Behavior in Turkmenistan; A US Free Trade Deal in Central Asia; Armenia Fights For Its Rights (to Nuclear Power); Violence Flares in Afghanistan; Vikings Returning to Central Asia; and much more. May 29, 2004
Afghans Arrest Suspected Kabul Suicide Recruiter
REUTERS: Afghans Arrest Suspected Kabul Suicide Recruiter Afghan police have arrested a man suspected of trying to recruit students to carry out suicide attacks on international peacekeepers in Kabul, a spokesman for the multinational force said on Saturday. Army finds Tillman likely killed by friendly fire
CNN: Army finds Tillman likely killed by friendly fire U.S. Army Cpl. Pat Tillman, the former professional football player killed last month in Afghanistan, probably died from friendly fire, a Pentagon source told CNN Saturday. May 21, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia -Stans Summary
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Include: More on Ajaria; Russo-Uzbek Love-in; US Trains Uzbek NCOs; Russian Border Guards to Leave Tajikistan; Afghanistan’s Disarmament Plan Hits Snags; Turkmen Education System in Freefall; The Makings of a To’y; and, Disabled Athletes in Afghanistan May 04, 2004
Taliban Kill 14
Taliban guerrillas have killed nine government troops and five policemen in Southern Afghanistan. According to Reuters:
April 20, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia -stans Summary: Apr 20/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan served in Peace Corps Uzbekistan from 2000-2001. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Today Include: Much More on the Tashkent Bombings; Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections; The Ajarian Thorn in Georgia’s Side; I Love You Turkmenbashi!; Armenia Protests; China’s Designs on Central Asia; When Congressmen Get Involved in Custody Cases; Sgt. Hook: Live From a Mountaintop in Afghanistan; Coolio Comes to Baku; and, Much More. April 08, 2004
Provincial Capital in Afghanistan Is Seized by a Warlord's Forces
NY TIMES: Provincial Capital in Afghanistan Is Seized by a Warlord’s Forces Forces loyal to Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum seized control of the capital of Faryab Province in northern Afghanistan on Thursday, forcing the governor to flee and drawing a sharp rebuke from President Hamid Karzai and his ministers in Kabul. (Good luck to the Spanish troop reinforcements going there, unless the incoming government pulls troops out of Afghanistan due to Al-Qaida pressure, too.) March 25, 2004
U.S. Places 2,000 More Marines Near Afghanistan
REUTERS: U.S. Places 2,000 More Marines Near Afghanistan The United States has placed about 2,000 Marines with special operations training aboard Navy ships in the Gulf, poised for use in Afghanistan, where the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives is intensifying, defense officials said on Thursday. March 24, 2004
JAG Meddling in Afghanistan
Out the door to a dinner, but here’s something to pass up the food chain. Roadracing World, a motorcycle roadracing magazine and website I read regularly, intermittently publishes letters from riders and racers stationed over in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s an excerpt from one published today: “My former NCOIC was severely injured in a terrible roadside bomb yesterday. He was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle commander’s hatch when it exploded and some shrapnel hit him in the back of the neck. Luckily the convoy he was in was right next to a U.S. base so they managed to air-evacuate him almost immediately. He spent about 6 hours in surgery and they almost declared him dead twice. They finally managed to stabilize him but they weren’t showing any brain activity. So basically they thought he had brain stem damage. But this morning he was doing better and they are putting him under observation for 2 days to see if the swelling in his brain goes down before they try to evacuate him to Germany. My soldiers are pretty upset. He is now the 3rd soldier that I personally know who has been killed or severely injured here. He had a month left to go—he has a wife and 3 kids back in Germany. We are all just praying for his recovery. If the latter is true, than someone needs to get hammered. We’re still at war, and to the extent that the JAG staff is applying peacetime public-defender standards (and remember, I’m the pro-defense attorney liberal) there’s something seriously wrong. If anyone knows more about this, I’d love to hear about it: armed [at] armedliberal {dot} com… or in the comments section over at the original Winds of Change.NET post. The Networked Force
In Dr. Evil Cornered, Robin Burke and Tom Roberts were talking about communications and U.S. forces, and how that affected our NATO allies in Afghanistan. That’s something’ve I covered before in U.S. Military — Back to the Future! Here’s Robin…
…and Tom Roberts:
Which brings up two things I talked about in my article clips: March 23, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia "-Stans Summary" March 23/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Major Afghsanistan briefing; More on Yo’ldosh & the IMU; Georgia’s Ajaria Problem; Uzbekistan, Human Right, and The West; Turkmenistan’s Continuing Slide Towards Absurdity; and, Much More. March 21, 2004
The IMU's Last Stand
The Telegraph is reporting that the “al Qaeda leader” holed up in a fortress near Wana is Tohir Yo’ldosh with his Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan: officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan identified Tahir Yuldash, the leader of several hundred Central Asian Islamic fundamentalist fighters, as the key figure being protected by up to 400 al-Qa’eda militants. The IMU, gathering strength in Wana after it was devestated by the war in Afghanistan, may be making its final stand. March 08, 2004
Life in Purgatory
TERRY BOYD visits the 10th Mountain Division at Firebase Purgatory, southeastern Afghanistan.
Go learn what it’s like to live in a former Taliban town. March 06, 2004
U.S., Afghan Forces Kill Nine Militants, Capture 14
AP: U.S., Afghan Forces Kill Nine Militants, Capture 14 American and Afghan troops killed nine suspected Islamic militants during a gun battle in the eastern province of Paktika, the U.S. military said on Saturday, in one of the heaviest clashes reported in recent months. February 24, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia "-stans Summary": Feb 24/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia & the Caucasus, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Today Include: Khan Wilhelm; A Bad Month for Jihadists in Turkestan; The Chicken Sandwich Transforms Kyrgyzstan; Russia Revives Soviet Ob-Redirection Plans; The Uzbek Model of Economic Reform; Afghan Militia Disarmament A Success?; Uighurs Under Siege Across Central Asia; and, Much More. February 09, 2004
Robin's Winds of War: Feb 9/04
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today’s “Winds of War” is brought to you by Robin Burk. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: hunting al Qaeda on the border; poppies and fake dollars; LET Down Under; assembling bombs mid-flight; Palestinian Authority in chaos; Sharon and Gaza; Iranian moderates cave; GITMO tribunals; emerging hotspots in the Andes and Sri Lanka; Asian free trade zone; weather and the war on terror; Turkish relaxation. February 06, 2004
Rumsfeld: NATO to Have Greater Role in Afghanistan
AP is reporting that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld sees NATO having more of a role in the future of Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Friday he expects the NATO alliance to expand its military contribution greatly in Afghanistan by summer and eventually take over the entire operation except for the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The article goes on: One reason for U.S. interest in getting more NATO help in Afghanistan: the military already is stretched thin by Iraq, where at least 100,000 troops will remain for at least another year. January 29, 2004
Seven GIs Killed in Afghanistan Blast
FOX: KABUL, Afghanistan — Seven U.S. solders are dead and one is missing Thursday after an explosion in Afghanistan. January 28, 2004
Nathan's Central Asia -Stans Summary: Jan 28/04
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia’s “-stans” (including Afghanistan) is courtesy of Nathan Hamm, whose creds include a stint in Uzbekistan as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Nathan’s regular blog is The Argus. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: US & Russia Square off in the Caucasus; India’s 20-Year Plan & Central Asia; UN Criticizes Turkmenistan’s Human Rights Record; Uzbekistan Risks Sanctions & Losing US Aid Over Human Rights; The ICG Offers Solutions to Rising Extremism; Uzbekistan’s “Princess” Wanted in New Jersey; and, Much More. January 22, 2004
Five siblings may reunite in Afghanistan
lWith her husband and five children in the military, Terri Lamb said she doesn’t mind when friends mention the movie “Saving Private Ryan” or compare her family to the Sullivan brothers. “To me, it’s a real honor to compare them to a family that sacrificed so much,” Terri said of the five Sullivan brothers who all perished aboard the USS Juneau when a torpedo sank the ship during World War II. “I look at it as if they are true patriots.” Terri admitted that when her husband Sgt. Maj. Mike Lamb was deployed to Bosnia last year and she heard that her son Spc. Jason Lamb was about to deploy to Afghanistan, she was initially concerned. “That made me just a little bit nervous,” Terri said. Now her son Spc. Richard Lamb is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in the spring with a 25th Infantry Division unit out of Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. Her oldest son Spc. Scott Lamb is now at Fort Polk, La., but he is scheduled to deploy with the 25th Inf. Div. to Afghanistan at the end of the summer. Her son-in-law, Spc. Jerry Diaz, is already in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y. And her daughter, Airman Renee Lamb, could possibly deploy to Afghanistan in April, Terri said. Spc. Timothy Lamb with the Indiana National Guard is the only son not yet scheduled to deploy. But Terri is taking the deployment news in relative stride these days. “I’m very proud of them,” Terri said. “It’s amazing that they’ve all gone this route. They’re doing it for very unselfish reasons.” One of the amazing aspects, Terri said, is that neither she nor her husband encouraged their children to join the military. “I was very much reluctant to encourage them to join the Army,” said Sgt. Maj. Mike Lamb who serves with the Army Training and Doctrine Command headquarters at Fort Monroe, Va. He’s the top enlisted Soldier in the office of the TRADOC Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Training. “Neither my wife nor I pushed them in any direction. It was their decision,” he said. “I didn’t want them to feel any pressure.” “I encouraged them to go to college,” said Terri, who works as an academic adviser for St. Leo University. Despite that, four of her children enlisted in 2001, even before Sept. 11, within a period of less than six months. And both parents said they are extremely proud of the decisions their sons and daughter made. During holiday visits, Terri said it’s easy to gather the family in one room. “We just yell `specialist’ and everybody comes running,” she said. In Terri’s job as a college counselor, she works at the post Education Center at Fort Eustis, Va., where she recommends course direction for Soldiers. She said a number of her clients recently returned injured from Iraq or Afghanistan, and she feels a special tie to all of them. “Any Soldier who comes to my door is part of my family too,” Terri said. via Sgt. Hook Korean Soldiers at Bagram
BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2004 – The more than 200 Republic of Korea soldiers serving at the air base here welcomed their president’s top military adviser for a Jan. 19 visit. Retired Lt. Gen. Hee-Sang Kim, accompanied by Maj. Gen. Ki Seok Song, operations director for the South Korean joint chiefs of staff, stopped in Bagram as part of a tour to deliver words of support from the South Korean people to their soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Iraq in support of the global war on terrorism. Bagram is home to three deployed South Korean units: the “Dong-yi” medical group, the “Da-san” engineer group and a small civil affairs unit that is part of the Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team. In the evening, all of the South Korean soldiers here gathered in the Enduring Faith chapel to hear a message from Kim about the importance of their work in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s situation today is the same as that in Korea 50 years ago after the Korean War, Kim said. He told the soldiers the work they’re doing gives hope to the Afghan people and helps them develop their country, and he expressed South Korea’s pride in their performance. Since arriving in Afghanistan in late August, the current engineer group has completed 46 construction projects, the biggest of which was the expansion of the Bagram airfield’s taxiway and runway. The medical group, the fourth Korean unit of its kind to be deployed to Afghanistan, has treated more than 16,000 Afghan patients since arriving here in late August. In total, the four medical units have treated more than 84,000 Afghans over the last two years. For medical group interpreter Sgt. Andrew Kyungyoon Kim, and many others, it was a surprise to see such a high-ranking government official come all the way to Afghanistan to visit a relatively small group of soldiers. The sergeant said one of the most impressive aspects of the entire visit was a simple gesture made by the distinguished visitor. “We had spent a lot of time setting up a special room for him and his entourage, but he said he wanted to sleep in the tents with the soldiers,” said the translator. “It showed me that they wanted to feel what we are feeling out here.” January 21, 2004
Kandahar Kids Continue Recovery at Combat Support Hospital
BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2004 – On Jan. 6, a series of explosions ripped through the east side of the city of Kandahar, and 11 days later the effects of those explosions were still evident on the children in the 452nd Combat Support Hospital here. January 20, 2004
Combined Forces Command Afghanistan Statement
KABUL, Afghanistan -- In Oruzgan province this weekend, coalition forces did engage five armed adult males who were fleeing from a known terrorist compound. Currently, we have no indications that civilians were killed in that incident. We reiterate our adherence to the rules of land warfare and to stringent rules of engagement. Saturday evening coalition forces received intelligence that in a compound in Oruzgan province, in the Cahar Cineh Valley, there was a gathering of mid-level Taliban leadership. Coalition Special Operations Forces and Afghan Militia Forces were sent to capture or kill the Taliban leaders at that compound. At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Saturday we observed 5 armed men leave the compound and move toward the coalition forces which have cordoned off the original compound. The commander on the ground verified that these individuals were indeed armed and, at night, moving toward a known coalition military unit. At approximately 8:12 p.m. on Saturday an aircraft engaged those 5 individuals in a streambed. Our forces moved toward the engagement site, but a large massing of armed personnel then came out of nearby compounds and gathered near the streambed. In order to avoid a larger engagement in the area of the compounds that might incur civilian casualties our forces halted and observed the activity from secure positions. Those people near the streambed recovered the bodies from the streambed. The next day, coalition forces searched a number of compounds and the streambed without finding anything of significance. In the process of 72 hours of operation in this area, we detained six individuals. Typically, the Taliban are attempting to spread disinformation, propaganda, in order to discredit the coalition. Let me lay out the facts, --the only time of our firing was at 8:12 p.m. on Saturday, not 4 a.m. on Sunday. --there were no helicopters in the area either at the time of the engagement on Saturday or at 4 a.m. on Sunday. --at no time in the past 5 days did a US helicopter fire any ordnance of any kind in Oruzgan province. --at no time during this operation were shots fired from any weapons system, ground or air, at any house compound or walled structure. --our aircraft did not engage noncombatants. We clearly identified and engaged 5 armed adult males. We have stringent rules of engagement and we continuously assess and refine those rules of engagement. In this case, as there are allegations of civilian casualties, we have reviewed the incident, but, as I stated above, there is no indication that any civilians were involved. The coalition's long-term commitment to the people of Afghanistan is unwavering. While we continue to destroy terrorist organizations and their infrastructure, we enable and assist the accelerated growth of Afghan political, civil and military institutions. December 15, 2003
Robin's Winds of War: Dec 15/03
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by guest blogger Robin Burk. Note that these entries are a private effort, and do not represent the official position of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Why Gitmo is so important; the UN prepares to leave Afghanistan; Assasination attempt on Musharraf; Iran's nuclear program; IAEA ineffective; Another Canadian al-Qaeda; Chaplain Yee; JI in Indonesia; Venezuela; expanding the U.S. military; Saddam - riches to rags. December 11, 2003
Dan's Winds of War: Dec 11/03
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis. TOP TOPICS * US News and World Report has an excellent article on how Saudi money finances al-Qaeda's war against the West. You can read my analysis of the situation here. As the article notes, the Saudis have paid off numerous individuals from both sides of the political fence in order to further their objectives, one of whom appears to be Republican Grover Norquist, whose connection with what I have affectionately termed the "Wahhabi lobby" you can read about here. * Alphabet City and yours truly (along with several other bloggers) have taken a look at the wiretap transcripts made by Italian authorities in Milan on Ansar al-Islam. It's quite chilling and provides a good look at how al-Qaeda operates in Europe as well as fitting yet another piece of the puzzle together, namely that Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an al-Qaeda front organization. * Newsweek is reporting that bin Laden is increasingly diverting resources to support the Iraqi insurgency, resulting in him cutting $1.5 million from the Taliban's monthly budget and pulling over 300 operatives from northern Pakistan to send them to the Gulf. * The Center for Defense Information has a nice profile up of the Turkish Hezbollah, the al-Qaeda affiliate that orchestrated the Istanbul bombings along with the Great Islamic Eastern Raiders' Front. Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Operation Avalanche; Taliban arrests in Spin Boldak; Zadran arrested in Pakistan; Chechen suicide bombing in Moscow; Sufaat may be freed; internal debate in JI; Islamists and commies fighting side-by-side; the Robot is caught; and elephant hijackers! November 30, 2003
Good News For A Change
Worth reading: The New Brunswick Home News Tribune writes about what Raritan Valley Community College is doing to raise funds for a secular school in Afghanistan. November 23, 2003
Afghanistan: Helicopter crash kills 5 U.S. soldiers
USAToday is reporting that five U.S. soldiers were killed and seven injured when their helicopter crashed Sunday near the American military headquarters north of Kabul. November 19, 2003
Nathan's Asia "-Stans" Summary: Nov 19/03
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia's "-stans" courtesy of Nathan Hamm, whose creds include a stint in Uzbekistan as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Nathan's regular blog is The Argus. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Russia's Quest for a Liberal Empire; India Marches North; Special focus: Afghanistan; A Landmark Agreement on the Caspian; World Bank Backs BTC Pipeline & Rebukes Uzbekistan; Karimov is not Hussein; and much more. October 30, 2003
Dan's Winds of War: Oct 30/03
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis. Top Topics * Most readers of my Winds of War by now are quite familiar with the antics of a certain Jordanian Palestinian named Ahmed al-Khalayeh, the real name of an al-Qaeda leader far better known as Abu Musab Zarqawi. Rewards for Justice has now placed a $25,000,000 reward, putting him in the same category as al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri, * As my colleague Andrew Olmstead noted in his own Winds of War on Monday, suicide bombers in Baghdad celebrated the beginning of Ramadan with four simultaneous attacks on three Iraqi police stations and the headquarters of the International Red Cross. The death toll from those bombings now stands at 40, with 200 wounded. See more on this in today's Iraq Briefing. Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; al-Qaeda bases in the Sahara; GSPC plot against the US Embassy in Mali; Jemaah Islamiyyah training camps in Indonesia; a fresh round of violence in Sulawesi; Willie Brigitte Virgile's resume and arrest; Australia on alert; Bimbo's arrest in General Santos; US/Afghan troops vs. the Taliban in Afghanistan; support for the Taliban in northern Pakistan; the Saudi airline threat; Hizb-ut-Tahrir's global sha'riah plans; Mugabe has a stroke; and a Turkish brothel on wheels! October 24, 2003
Nathan's Asia -stans Summary: Oct 24/03
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. TOP TOPIC * Azerbaijan has a new President, the son of the old one. In an election likely full of massive fraud, Ilham Aliyev has been declared the winner with approximately 3/4 of all votes. * Baku has been rocked by unrest amidst protests by opposition parties, including the Musavat Party of self-proclaimed winner Isa Gambar. Exit polls by the Turan Information Agency indicate that Gambar received a plurality of the votes. Two opposition leaders and hundreds of protesters have been arrested in a police crack-down, while 73 journalists were attacked during and immediately after the election. * Meanwhile, the OSCE is "concerned," while Russia and France are reportedly pleased with the outcome. The U.S. reaction is mixed, recognizing the results of the election while independent monitors sent by the Bush administration heap scorn on its conduct. Other Topics Today Include: Georgia's Parliamentary Elections; Russian Business Leader Seeks Empire; Is Kazakstan Moving Towards Dynasty?; Positive Political and Economic Developments in Uzbekistan; The Ferghana Valley and Islamic Extremism; Afghanistan's New Constitution; The US Military Footprint in Central Asia; The Taliban Pours Into Afghanistan; Russia Moves to Join the Islamic World; and, a Peace Corps Volunteer Fights a Small Battle Against Uzbek Agricultural Policy. September 23, 2003
Nathan's -stans Summary: Sept 24/03
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia's "-stan" countries, including Afghanistan, courtesy of Nathan Hamm of The Argus. TOP TOPIC * India's former ambassador to Uzbekistan presents a clear picture of the shadowy great power competition in Central Asia. These competing influences has led to little multilateral policy coordination, leaving none of the three powers dominant in the area. As a result, Central Asia's governments have been able to pick and choose benefits without firmly committing themselves to a particular camp. Other Topics Today Include: Al-Qaeda's 2,000 men & plans for Central Asia; Confessions of a terrorist; China and Russia's Great Game moves; The Taliban's changing tactics; America's "new" plan for Afghanistan is more of the same, literally; Attacks on human rights activists rise in Uzbekistan; India-Israel cooperation leaves Pakistan in the cold; Azeri election; Missionaries are buying converts and drawing ire; and a look at the state of education in the region. September 22, 2003
Andrew's Winds of War: Sept 22/03
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted, and is split into an Iraq Report and this briefing on the Wider War. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: The EU, Russia & Iran's bomb; Too late to stop a nuclear Iran?; China's NK dilemma; Japan backing away from no-nukes tradition; The Taliban on the rise again in Afghanistan; Afghan battle reports; Syrian WMD; Is Israel preparing to ramp up the war; Israelis happy, despite all; No, Geitner - I AM your father.... September 14, 2003
Pak Complicity in Propping Up Al-Qaeda?
Let’s see … how does that go? The friend of my enemy … or the enemy of my friend … whatever. The point is that US intelligence has released a report suggesting that Pakistan helped Al Qaeda members launch their operations in Afghanistan in the 1990s. There are several stories on the report, but of additional interest is the variety in it’s reporting. Compare these two headlines and leads … From the Hindustan Times: US report brings out Pak complicity in propping up Al-Qaeda: It’s more or less official now. Declassified portions of US intelligence documents bring out what has always been known: Pakistan’s complicity in propping up not only the Taliban, but also Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Islamabad, it is now revealed, had directed the Taliban to facilitate Al-Qaeda’s expansion.From ABC News (Australia): Pakistan rejects report it assisted Al Qaeda in Afghanistan: Pakistan has dismissed as baseless a United States intelligence report claiming it helped Al Qaeda members launch their operations in Afghanistan in the 1990s.At least we’ve established there’s no media bias (to the Left or Right) … September 03, 2003
Suspected Taliban burn school in central Afghanistan
More... August 25, 2003
Taleban fighters bombed
BBC:
More... August 23, 2003
U.S. Soldier Killed in Eastern Afghanistan
More... August 22, 2003
Central Asia "-Stans Summary": Aug. 22/03
Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia, guest blogged by Nathan Hamm of The Argus. Nathan got a feel for the area while with the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan. Top Story * Cross-border confrontations between Afghan and Pakistani troops continue, and Hamid Karzai warned Pakistan that Afghanistan will not tolerate these incidents. The Telegraph also has a report from the frontlines. Other Topics Today Include: More reports from Afghanistan; Naval exercises complicate a Caspian compromise; SCO takes aim at Uighur separatism; Uzbek-Kyrgyz border problems; Iran and Pakistan plan to boost trade in Central Asia; Rising violence and a new plan for Afghan reconstruction; India looking for a perch in Central Asia; Birth of a dynasty in Azerbaijan?; Kazakhstan eager to enter WTO; Uzbek human rights activist jailed for homosexuality. August 13, 2003
Two Students Killed While Making Bomb in Kabul
Whaddaya know ... there IS justice in the world. Two university students were killed and one wounded in Afghanistan's (search) capital on Wednesday when a bomb they were making -- apparently in preparation for a terrorist attack -- exploded by accident, police said.Via FOXNews. August 04, 2003
Winds of War: August 4/03
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Defining our enemies, defining ourselves; Duelling WMD reports; Iraq - view from the streets; German post-occupation history 1945-49; Shredders revisited; Rebuilding the oil industry; NK and the bomb; Terrorists strike in the USA; Regime decapitation; Afghanistan; Syria; Good fences in Israel and India; Chechnya; and 50 things every guy should know. July 31, 2003
Dan's Winds of War: July 31/03
Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Iraq and Iran updates; President Bush's press conference; more possible hijackings; thwarted attack against the US Embassy in Ottawa; seiges underway in Monrovia and Buchanan; battles against the Taliban and warlords in Afghanistan; al-Qaeda's brain trust, terrorist training camps and shoot-outs in Saudi Arabia; a raid on al-Muhajiroun; Equatoria Guinea's new god, a peaceful transition of power in Sao Tome; Australia's planned deployment in the Solomon Islands; an update on the kidnapped Algerian tourists; and a satire by Mark Steyn on how today's BBC might take the news of Mussolini's death. July 30, 2003
Taliban 'kids' using pen bombs
More... Central Asia Briefing: July 30/03
July 30/03: Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings normally run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia and "the -stans," including Afghanistan. TOP TOPIC
Other Topics Today Include: al-Qaeda's new Afghan offensive; Afghanistan/Pakistan ties strained; The new Afghan Army; "aid" workers; Preserving Afghanistan's cultural heritage; Azeris in Iran push for change; Russian-led rapid reaction force in Kyrgyzstan; Chechnya - a lesson for China?; 'Oil curse' for Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan?; Central Asia's water crisis; and The Agonist cheats death in Tibet. July 15, 2003
Suspected Taliban Kill 5 Afghan Policemen
AP: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Suspected Taliban fighters attacked a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan, killing the police chief and four other officers, an official said Tuesday. Two other policemen were wounded in the attack Monday in Ghorak district, 72 miles northwest of Kandahar, said Mohammed Salim, deputy police chief in Kandahar. About 12 suspected Taliban drove up to the district police headquarters in two cars and a pickup truck. They stormed the station killing police chief Sakza Mama and his men. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Salim blamed the Taliban, who are usually the first ones to be accused of any attack on government offices in Afghanistan. July 05, 2003
Three Dutch Peacekeepers Wounded in Afghan Blast
More... July 04, 2003
New Operation Launched in Afghanistan to Stop Fleeing Taliban, Al Qaeda
More... June 24, 2003
Taliban Form 'Resistance Force'
CNN: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The elusive leader of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime, Mullah Omar, has named a 10-member council to organize resistance to U.S. and allied forces in the country, a news report said Tuesday. Full article... May 06, 2003
Taliban Ambush Afghan Deminers in Third Attack
Taliban have been firing on deminers (people who remove mines). May 01, 2003
Rumsfeld declares war over in Afghanistan
Rumsfeld declares war over in Afghanistan U.S. combat operations are over in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared in Kabul Thursday, the same day President George W. Bush is expected to announce the same thing about Iraq from the deck of an aircraft carrier. April 27, 2003
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