Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

16 Dec 2010 10:40

tags

U.S., World: Afghan war report: Troops could start leaving in mid-2011

  • 100k number of troops the U.S. has stationed in Afghanistan right now
  • 30k number of troops Obama added to that total earlier this year
  • 20k troops could leave in 2011 without significantly affecting the war source
  • » The progress so far: Those numbers, which come from the Obama administration’s assessment of the war, suggest that the administration is optimistic about the way things are going – particularly that they’ve stunted the Taliban’s momentum. Hopefully that’s true – a prior report from the US National Intelligence Estimates suggested things were much gloomier.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Nov 2010 10:58

tags

World: Taliban: If you don’t leave Afghanistan, NATO, we’ll force you out

  • Various untoward and tragic events and battles will take place as a result of this meaningless, imposed and unwinnable war. They should not postpone withdrawal of their forces even be it for one day.
  • A message from the Taliban • Suggesting that NATO is going to suffer a world of pain if they hold off leaving the country until 2014 (2015, by some counts). Right now, violence is the worst it’s ever been in the country, leading to record casualties. This is despite the 150,000 international troops there. By the way, let’s emphasize a pretty good point about this mess – this is what the Taliban’s going to say. That’s not to undercut the need for us to stay in the country for another four years – there are good reasons on both sides for us to get out (or stay). But the Taliban is a formidable foe and they’re going to taunt us. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Oct 2010 20:33

tags

World: Good to know: Guards at U.S. bases in Afghanistan have Taliban ties

  • Let’s say that you’re the Pentagon, and you’re fighting a war in Afghanistan. Now let’s say that you have bases for your soldiers. And let’s say that they need guards. Who do you hire? If the answer is private Afghan security firms with little oversight, *ding ding ding* you’ve won a prize. Now, let’s offer up an extra wrinkle for you guys, and this is the one the Senate is getting all caught up on. Apparently, some of these guards have ties to the Taliban, that nebulous enemy that you’ve been fighting for almost a decade. (That’s not even to mention the guards with ties to Iranian intelligence or the ones with criminal ties.) Whaddya do? You get really pissed off, that’s what. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Aug 2010 11:05

tags

Politics: Top British military dude hates Afghan war-aping “Medal of Honor”

  • The point remains that part of this game allows you to play the part of the Taliban attacking ISAF troops in the area of central Helmand where British troops are operating.
  • A spokesperson for British Defense Secretary Liam Fox • Discussing the new “Medal of Honor” game, which covers the war in Afghanistan and allows you to take the enemy’s side during multiplayer play. You know, like just about every other type of game like this does. The game does not allow you to kill British soldiers, by the way, according to maker Electronic Arts. But Fox’s people stand by the comments, which included his belief that it was “shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers.” For EA’s part, they realized the game might spark a little controversy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2010 09:47

tags

World: The Afghan War got much deadlier between January and June

  • 31% increase in civilian deaths in just six months source
  • » Why the dramatic increase? Blame the intensifying insurgency. Seventy-six percent of the casualties were caused by “antigovernment elements” such as the Taliban, a number up by 53 percent from January to June 2009.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Jul 2010 10:55

tags

World: The Taliban: We have two U.S. nationals. The U.S.: We want them back.

  • $20,000 reward for their safe release source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Jul 2010 22:26

tags

World: The wannabe Times Square bomber has his own Talibanesque video

  • The attack on the United States will be a revenge for all the mujahedeen and oppressed Muslims. Eight years have passed since the Afghanistan war and you shall see how the Muslim war has just begun and how Islam will spread across the world.
  • Attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad • Talking in a video shot prior to the attack, which partly aired on Al-Arabiya today. The video appears to be the handiwork of Umar Media, a part of the Pakistan Taliban, which probably explains a lot about the dude’s motives. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Jun 2010 10:33

tags

World: Nice try, Taliban: NATO fends off an attack on their Afghan air base

  • In this incident several insurgents were killed and I can tell you that the security perimeter was not breached and the insurgents were being stopped by Afghan and ISAF forces very effectively.
  • NATO spokesman Brigadier General Josef Blotz • Refuting claims by the Taliban that they killed dozens of Afghan and coalition fighters in the midst of a firefight outside Jalalabad’s Bagram Air Base. Instead, six Taliban solders were killed and two coalition soliders were wounded. The Taliban’s attack was flashy but ineffective – first a car bomb went off and then a bunch of insurgents tried to storm the air base, but never got close. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jun 2010 10:41

tags

World: In Afghanistan, a suicide bomber turns a wedding into a disaster

  • 40+ number of people killed in the suicide bombing, during a wedding in the village of Nagahan
  • 70+ number of people injured; the groom was a anti-Taliban militia member who was badly injured source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2010 21:23

tags

World: Afghan shake-up: Hamid Karzai sacks two dudes from his cabinet

Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and Chief of Intelligence Amrullah Saleh were well-respected but couldn’t stop a Taliban rocket attack on a meeting of 1,600 national leaders. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>