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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.
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