Afghanistan
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Afghan victory hopes played down
The UK's commander in Helmand has said Britain should not expect a "decisive military victory" in Afghanistan.
Brig Mark Carleton-Smith told the Sunday Times the aim of the mission was to ensure the Afghan army was able to manage the country on its own.
He said this could involve discussing security with the Taleban.
When international troops eventually leave Afghanistan, there may still be a "low but steady" level of rural insurgency, he conceded.
He said it was unrealistic to expect that multinational forces would be able to wipe out armed bands of insurgents in the country.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says Brig Carleton-Smith's comments echo a view commonly-held, if rarely aired, by British military and diplomatic officials in Afghanistan.
Many believe certain legitimate elements of the Taleban represent the positions of the Afghan people and so should be a part of the country's future, says our correspondent.
'Taken the sting out'
Brig Carleton-Smith is the Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade which has just completed its second tour of Afghanistan.
He paid tribute to his forces and told the newspaper they had "taken the sting out of the Taleban for 2008".
But he stated: "We're not going to win this war.
"It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army."
Brig Carleton-Smith said the goal was to change how debates were resolved in the country so that violence was not the first option considered.
He said: "If the Taleban were prepared to sit on the other side of the table and talk about a political settlement, then that's precisely the sort of progress that concludes insurgencies like this.
"That shouldn't make people uncomfortable."
Since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001, 120 UK military personnel have been killed.
The UK's commander in Helmand has said Britain should not expect a "decisive military victory" in Afghanistan.
Brig Mark Carleton-Smith told the Sunday Times the aim of the mission was to ensure the Afghan army was able to manage the country on its own.
He said this could involve discussing security with the Taleban.
When international troops eventually leave Afghanistan, there may still be a "low but steady" level of rural insurgency, he conceded.
He said it was unrealistic to expect that multinational forces would be able to wipe out armed bands of insurgents in the country.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says Brig Carleton-Smith's comments echo a view commonly-held, if rarely aired, by British military and diplomatic officials in Afghanistan.
Many believe certain legitimate elements of the Taleban represent the positions of the Afghan people and so should be a part of the country's future, says our correspondent.
'Taken the sting out'
Brig Carleton-Smith is the Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade which has just completed its second tour of Afghanistan.
He paid tribute to his forces and told the newspaper they had "taken the sting out of the Taleban for 2008".
But he stated: "We're not going to win this war.
"It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army."
Brig Carleton-Smith said the goal was to change how debates were resolved in the country so that violence was not the first option considered.
He said: "If the Taleban were prepared to sit on the other side of the table and talk about a political settlement, then that's precisely the sort of progress that concludes insurgencies like this.
"That shouldn't make people uncomfortable."
Since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001, 120 UK military personnel have been killed.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Afghan death sentence for blasphemy commuted
The Afghan Supreme Court in Kabul has commuted the death sentence imposed on a journalism student to 20 years imprisonment. 23-year-old Perwiz Kambakhsh was sentenced to death at the beginning of the year for blasphemy. He was said to have insulted Islam and the prophet Muhammad in an article.
The death sentence sparked a storm of international protest. International human rights organisations said Mr Kambakhsh had not received a fair trial. Western countries, among them the Netherlands, took up the case and urged the authorities to show mercy. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai personally about the matter.
Afghanistan's judicial system is based on Sharia law, which forbids criticism of Islam and rules that the death penalty should be applied in cases of blasphemy.
The Afghan Supreme Court in Kabul has commuted the death sentence imposed on a journalism student to 20 years imprisonment. 23-year-old Perwiz Kambakhsh was sentenced to death at the beginning of the year for blasphemy. He was said to have insulted Islam and the prophet Muhammad in an article.
The death sentence sparked a storm of international protest. International human rights organisations said Mr Kambakhsh had not received a fair trial. Western countries, among them the Netherlands, took up the case and urged the authorities to show mercy. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai personally about the matter.
Afghanistan's judicial system is based on Sharia law, which forbids criticism of Islam and rules that the death penalty should be applied in cases of blasphemy.
In other news, two German soldiers got killed by Taleban suicide bombers yesterday, shortly after the parliament extended the Afghanistan mandate for another year. The government maintains it's not a war and German leftists whine and want to abolish the Bundeswehr (no joke, saw a sticker for that today).
I hate it when my government lies to me, and I hate it when the leftists start quoting Marx for no apparent reason. Well, I hate leftists. Leftists as in wannabe Communists and those hyper-individual Sociology students who wear Fidel Castro hats and have red stars on their bags. They're so unique I meet one every 20 metres on my way to the cafeteria, and I wish I was exaggerating. Wall 'em back in, I say.
Damn, I'm starting to rant again.
Damn, I'm starting to rant again.
Hey, I'm all for putting more Canadians into Afghanistan as well, since there is still a job there that needs doing. But the resistance in Europe is astounding, it really is. I guess NATO doesn't mean much to some people there.
I wish we could have do more, but we're pretty stretched thin. It'd be nice to see more soldiers come in from Europe, though. Of course, the US will do a lot of the job, but I don't think the NATO forces are to be despised.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I read that from all the countries that participate in Afghanistan the Canadians have the highest deathrate. In relation to the amount of soldiers, per country, operating in the area.
Bomb kills two Canadian soldiers, two Afghans: military
2 hours ago
KABUL (AFP) — Two Canadian soldiers, an Afghan policeman and a local interpreter have been killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, according to the Canadian military.
Four other Canadian soldiers and an interpreter were wounded in the explosion in the southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jay Janzen told AFP.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had earlier announced the death of two foreign soldiers but did not release their nationalities.
"These soldiers died honourably, helping bring security to Afghanistan," a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), British Royal Navy Captain Mark Windsor, said in a statement.
The blast occurred in Panjwayi district, a Taliban stronghold about 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of the southern city of Kandahar.
Janzen, a spokesman for the Canadian task force based in Kandahar, said the troops had been hit while conducting a security patrol on foot.
The attack occurred as Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk wrapped up a three-day visit with troops in Kandahar, Janzen said.
They had arrived on Christmas Day to "visit Canadian soldiers over the holiday season and see firsthand the good work they are doing in Kandahar province," he said.
On Friday, another Canadian soldier was killed and three hurt in another explosion in the nearby Zhari district.
The deaths took to 106 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since their military mission began here in 2002.
Canada has about 2,750 soldiers serving among the nearly 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan under NATO and US command. They work mainly in Kandahar, where the Taliban insurgency is fierce.
"Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar province," said a Canadian defence department statement that confirmed details of the blast.
Around 40 countries are participating in ISAF, with the main deployments in the volatile south from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands. US soldiers deployed as part of a separate coalition also operate in the area.
More than 290 foreign soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan this year, most of them in bombings carried out by insurgents.
In 2007, just over 230 international troops were killed, according to the icasualties.org website that monitors the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bomb kills two Canadian soldiers, two Afghans: military
2 hours ago
KABUL (AFP) — Two Canadian soldiers, an Afghan policeman and a local interpreter have been killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, according to the Canadian military.
Four other Canadian soldiers and an interpreter were wounded in the explosion in the southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jay Janzen told AFP.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had earlier announced the death of two foreign soldiers but did not release their nationalities.
"These soldiers died honourably, helping bring security to Afghanistan," a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), British Royal Navy Captain Mark Windsor, said in a statement.
The blast occurred in Panjwayi district, a Taliban stronghold about 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of the southern city of Kandahar.
Janzen, a spokesman for the Canadian task force based in Kandahar, said the troops had been hit while conducting a security patrol on foot.
The attack occurred as Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Chief of Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk wrapped up a three-day visit with troops in Kandahar, Janzen said.
They had arrived on Christmas Day to "visit Canadian soldiers over the holiday season and see firsthand the good work they are doing in Kandahar province," he said.
On Friday, another Canadian soldier was killed and three hurt in another explosion in the nearby Zhari district.
The deaths took to 106 the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since their military mission began here in 2002.
Canada has about 2,750 soldiers serving among the nearly 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan under NATO and US command. They work mainly in Kandahar, where the Taliban insurgency is fierce.
"Members of Task Force Kandahar are committed to improving security and increasing development in Kandahar province," said a Canadian defence department statement that confirmed details of the blast.
Around 40 countries are participating in ISAF, with the main deployments in the volatile south from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands. US soldiers deployed as part of a separate coalition also operate in the area.
More than 290 foreign soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan this year, most of them in bombings carried out by insurgents.
In 2007, just over 230 international troops were killed, according to the icasualties.org website that monitors the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's true. I think more Americans in total have been killed, but per capita we've given the most. We've also spent the longest time in the south of all the NATO countries, except for the USA.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Nato chief faults Afghan leaders
Nato's secretary general has said corrupt and inefficient government in Afghanistan is as much to blame as insurgents for the chronic instability.
In the Washington Post newspaper, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the international community had paid enough, in blood and money, to demand government action.
It was an unusually strong expression of Nato's dissatisfaction with Kabul
He said Afghans needed a government that deserved their loyalty and trust.
An Afghan government spokesman conceded corruption was a problem, calling for a "shared approach" in tackling it.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's comments, in an opinion piece for the US newspaper, were an unusually strong expression of Nato's dissatisfaction with the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, correspondents say.
"The basic problem in Afghanistan is not too much Taleban; it's too little good governance," Mr de Hoop Scheffer wrote.
"Afghans need a government that deserves their loyalty and trust; when they have it, the oxygen will be sucked away from the insurgency."
2009 is an important year for Hamid Karzai and his government, with a presidential election scheduled for later in the year.
'Favourite warlords'
An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman, Sultan Ahmad Baheen, said the government was committed to trying to eliminate corruption.
"The corruption is not just within the Afghan government, but also within non-governmental organisations and should be eliminated with a shared approach."
He accused Nato member countries with a presence in Afghanistan of questionable policies - supporting "their own favourite warlords".
The US and its allies ousted the Taleban regime in 2001.
There are now about 70,000 mainly Western troops pursuing a "war on terror" - including some 28,000 Nato forces from 40 countries.
Nato's secretary general has said corrupt and inefficient government in Afghanistan is as much to blame as insurgents for the chronic instability.
In the Washington Post newspaper, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the international community had paid enough, in blood and money, to demand government action.
It was an unusually strong expression of Nato's dissatisfaction with Kabul
He said Afghans needed a government that deserved their loyalty and trust.
An Afghan government spokesman conceded corruption was a problem, calling for a "shared approach" in tackling it.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's comments, in an opinion piece for the US newspaper, were an unusually strong expression of Nato's dissatisfaction with the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, correspondents say.
"The basic problem in Afghanistan is not too much Taleban; it's too little good governance," Mr de Hoop Scheffer wrote.
"Afghans need a government that deserves their loyalty and trust; when they have it, the oxygen will be sucked away from the insurgency."
2009 is an important year for Hamid Karzai and his government, with a presidential election scheduled for later in the year.
'Favourite warlords'
An Afghan foreign ministry spokesman, Sultan Ahmad Baheen, said the government was committed to trying to eliminate corruption.
"The corruption is not just within the Afghan government, but also within non-governmental organisations and should be eliminated with a shared approach."
He accused Nato member countries with a presence in Afghanistan of questionable policies - supporting "their own favourite warlords".
The US and its allies ousted the Taleban regime in 2001.
There are now about 70,000 mainly Western troops pursuing a "war on terror" - including some 28,000 Nato forces from 40 countries.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
At the end of this month there will be a big international conference about Afghanistan. Many nations are invited, even Iran.
Many US troops will leave Iraq, many will come to Afghanistan. I am curious. What will happen?
More security? What change of tactics can we expect? Which countries might join?
I am not sure about it all. The growing extremism in Pakistan doesn't help much and the increasing number of attacks on both civillians and military is quite a doomy foresight as well.
I thought the next article might be interesting, as a response to Obama's recent comments.
"We're definitely not losing in Afghanistan"
ISAF regional commander says more troops and civilians needed
"We're not winning yet." That was the reaction of the Dutch NATO commanding officer in southern Afghanistan to the remarks of US president Barack Obama to the American media. Asked whether the United States is on the winning strait in Afghanistan, Obama had replied with a curt 'no'.
On 1 November, Major-General Mart de Kruif took command of NATO troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the six southern provinces of Afghanistan.
Major-General Mart de Kruif
According to the general, the situation in the south at present can best be described as a stalemate.
He says more troops are needed. And above all, there's a need for more civil capacity to widen the existing safe areas and connect them to each other. At the moment, there are 17 similar 'ink spots' in southern Afghanistan.
"I would say we are not winning yet, but we are definitely not losing it. I think we've got our concept right. And the concept is having ink spots all over the place where we can guarantee security, in order for development and good governance to come in. That concept has proven to be the right concept. We just need more assets to fuel and to be able to sustain and extend the concept throughout all of southern Afghanistan."
The Netherlands
General de Kruif compares the situation in ‘his' area with that in the Netherlands. The Regional Command (South) of ISAF, under which he operates, is five times the size of the Netherlands.
"In the Netherlands we have 55 thousand police officers, while in the Afghan police force, the Afghan army and ISAF we have less than 40,000 people in total. So we haven't enough people to bring security".
According to a recent NATO report, last year 35 percent more foreign military personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan. The level of activity of the Taliban and other illegal fighting groups increased by 33 percent - especially in the form of attacks from roadside bombs. The number of civilian casualties has also increased sharply by 46 percent, and, according to NATO, 80 percent of this increase is due to the Taliban.
Roadside bombs
General de Kruif observes that the Taliban has changed its tactics compared to two years ago. Fewer direct attacks on ISAF, more terrorism against the local population and 'asymmetric warfare' such as the use of roadside bombs by small groups of fighters.
"That leads by definition to a situation where you have a lot more incidents. Moreover, we have now entered territory where we have never been before, and that too is leading to an increase in the number of incidents."
But the number of incidents doesn't tell the whole story, according to the NATO regional commander. The existing 17 'ink spots' are being extended, and recently two new ones have been added: one in the central part of Helmand province, and one in the Baluchi valley in Uruzgan.
Opium and heroin
In the near future the United States will significantly strengthen its contribution to ISAF in the south. General de Kruif explains that
"The bulk of these forces will go to areas where we haven't been before. Where from the military point of view the mean effort is, and where a lot of the people of Afghanistan live, and that is central Helmand and around the city of Kandahar."
Helmand lies next to Uruzgan, and is the centre where the Taliban is concentrated on the cultivation and sale of poppies and the production of opium and heroin. It's also the heartland of the Taliban.
In his briefing for journalists, President Obama also touched on possible dealings with the Taliban. General de Kruif had earlier told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that dealing with the Taliban is first and foremost a matter for the Afghan government, which needs to be able to negotiate from a position of strength.
Afghanistan conference
General de Kruif also spoke about the forthcoming Afghanistan conference that is being organized by the Netherlands at the request of Washington:
"We need the long-term support of the international community to help Afghanistan where necessary. That's not just a question of sending more troops, but also strengthening the civil component of the operations. And it's also a question of having the patience for this concept to mature, and waiting for the results."
Many US troops will leave Iraq, many will come to Afghanistan. I am curious. What will happen?
More security? What change of tactics can we expect? Which countries might join?
I am not sure about it all. The growing extremism in Pakistan doesn't help much and the increasing number of attacks on both civillians and military is quite a doomy foresight as well.
I thought the next article might be interesting, as a response to Obama's recent comments.
"We're definitely not losing in Afghanistan"
ISAF regional commander says more troops and civilians needed
"We're not winning yet." That was the reaction of the Dutch NATO commanding officer in southern Afghanistan to the remarks of US president Barack Obama to the American media. Asked whether the United States is on the winning strait in Afghanistan, Obama had replied with a curt 'no'.
On 1 November, Major-General Mart de Kruif took command of NATO troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the six southern provinces of Afghanistan.
Major-General Mart de Kruif
According to the general, the situation in the south at present can best be described as a stalemate.
He says more troops are needed. And above all, there's a need for more civil capacity to widen the existing safe areas and connect them to each other. At the moment, there are 17 similar 'ink spots' in southern Afghanistan.
"I would say we are not winning yet, but we are definitely not losing it. I think we've got our concept right. And the concept is having ink spots all over the place where we can guarantee security, in order for development and good governance to come in. That concept has proven to be the right concept. We just need more assets to fuel and to be able to sustain and extend the concept throughout all of southern Afghanistan."
The Netherlands
General de Kruif compares the situation in ‘his' area with that in the Netherlands. The Regional Command (South) of ISAF, under which he operates, is five times the size of the Netherlands.
"In the Netherlands we have 55 thousand police officers, while in the Afghan police force, the Afghan army and ISAF we have less than 40,000 people in total. So we haven't enough people to bring security".
According to a recent NATO report, last year 35 percent more foreign military personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan. The level of activity of the Taliban and other illegal fighting groups increased by 33 percent - especially in the form of attacks from roadside bombs. The number of civilian casualties has also increased sharply by 46 percent, and, according to NATO, 80 percent of this increase is due to the Taliban.
Roadside bombs
General de Kruif observes that the Taliban has changed its tactics compared to two years ago. Fewer direct attacks on ISAF, more terrorism against the local population and 'asymmetric warfare' such as the use of roadside bombs by small groups of fighters.
"That leads by definition to a situation where you have a lot more incidents. Moreover, we have now entered territory where we have never been before, and that too is leading to an increase in the number of incidents."
But the number of incidents doesn't tell the whole story, according to the NATO regional commander. The existing 17 'ink spots' are being extended, and recently two new ones have been added: one in the central part of Helmand province, and one in the Baluchi valley in Uruzgan.
Opium and heroin
In the near future the United States will significantly strengthen its contribution to ISAF in the south. General de Kruif explains that
"The bulk of these forces will go to areas where we haven't been before. Where from the military point of view the mean effort is, and where a lot of the people of Afghanistan live, and that is central Helmand and around the city of Kandahar."
Helmand lies next to Uruzgan, and is the centre where the Taliban is concentrated on the cultivation and sale of poppies and the production of opium and heroin. It's also the heartland of the Taliban.
In his briefing for journalists, President Obama also touched on possible dealings with the Taliban. General de Kruif had earlier told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that dealing with the Taliban is first and foremost a matter for the Afghan government, which needs to be able to negotiate from a position of strength.
Afghanistan conference
General de Kruif also spoke about the forthcoming Afghanistan conference that is being organized by the Netherlands at the request of Washington:
"We need the long-term support of the international community to help Afghanistan where necessary. That's not just a question of sending more troops, but also strengthening the civil component of the operations. And it's also a question of having the patience for this concept to mature, and waiting for the results."
Deano
Ancient Mariner
I know it is necessary to feed the media the bullshit about "winning" and "losing" because it is all they can understand and fit in their newspapers. This project has not been, cannot be and does not lend itself at all to the concept of winning and losing. It is so vastly different than anything 90% of the world's population understands or can understand without seeing it for themselves. Eventually, "things" (for a lack of a better description) will end in this area and it is impossible to tell at this point how that is going to turn out and when. We can send a million people over there and the outcome will not be determined by that alone. There is only one factor that will ultimately lead to a resolution there, one way or another: the population of the country. That's it.
Deano
Ancient Mariner
It's really hard to say Foro.... as I stated; the ultimate fate of Afghanistan is going to come down to its people. As you know, they are a largely uneducated, semi-nomadic, tribal confederation with almost no resources to support themselves with. It's really quite sad....... to us........ they, for the most part, don't seem to mind. Most of them don't have TV's, radios or even electricity to be exposed to any other kind of way of life. It does not exist to them. They, unfortunately, are caught in a massive tug of war now between a power that wants to dominate them but "protect and govern" them and a power that wants to force completely unrecognizable concepts and means of living upon their country. I have enjoyed meeting and really like most of the individuals I have come in contact with there. I really fell badly for most of them.