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Posts Tagged afghanistan
Solution: Kill The Enemy
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 7/Dec/2010 18:10
The Washington Examiner has a great article on our military capturing and releasing combatants.
A marine stationed in southern Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province told The Examiner that efforts to detain insurgent fighters are “worthless.”
Earlier this year, his unit held a man known to be working with the Taliban. The Marines had gathered evidence that the man was transporting hundreds of pounds of bomb-making equipment and explosives for the Taliban. But, shortly after they captured him, he was set free.
“Less than two weeks later, we saw the same guy walking through the bazaar,” said the marine, who spoke on condition that he not be named. “He recognized us. I wanted to shoot him right then and there. We got the guy, and yet there he was, walking around planning to kill again, and we couldn’t do a thing about it.”
If the military brass and politicians would stop trying to direct the war and instead focus on killing those who take up arms against us and those who are helping them, I think the morale of the soldiers would be higher and the war would be over. It seems ever since World War II we decided to fight the rest of our wars with one hand tied behind our back.
Do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy?
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 4/Dec/2010 22:33
“The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot. The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.”
“In the chaos of an early morning assault on a remote U.S. outpost in eastern Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips’ M4 carbine quit firing as militant forces surrounded the base. The machine gun he grabbed after tossing the rifle aside didn’t work either…
Just what did happen in Wanat, the firefight in Afghanistan in the summer of 2008 that left nine American soldiers dead?
…”My weapon was overheating,” McKaig said, according to Cubbison’s report. “I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn’t charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down.”
When the battle in the small village of Wanat ended, nine U.S. soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the attack by a military historian found that weapons failed repeatedly at a “critical moment” during the firefight on July 13, 2008, putting the outnumbered American troops at risk of being overrun by nearly 200 insurgents…”
US Troops fight to re-open school in Taliban area
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 4/Dec/2010 17:10
In this photograph taken Sept. 10, 2010, an Afghan soldier looks out from a guard tower above the Pir Mohammed school, in Zhari district, Kandahar province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan. Over the last six months, U.S. troops have wrested the school away from insurgents. They've hired Afghan contractors to rebuild it, and lost blood defending it. But the tiny school has yet to open, and nobody's quite sure when it will. (AP Photo/Adil Bradlow)
“Over the last six months, U.S. troops have wrested the school away from insurgents. They’ve hired Afghan contractors to rebuild it, and lost blood defending it.
But the tiny school has yet to open, and nobody’s quite sure when it will.
American commanders have called the Pir Mohammed primary school “the premier development project” in Zhari district, a Taliban heartland in Kandahar province at the center of …. [the] 30,000-man surge.”
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2010/12/04/5579182-us-fights-to-open-school-in-taliban-area
ANA Commando
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 3/Dec/2010 22:18
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An Afghan National Army Commando checks his communication in preparation for an Afghan National Army-led counter-narcotics operation in northern Zabul, April 10. The Afghan National Army-led narcotics operation, in concert with Drug Enforcement Administration and assisted by U.S. Special Operations Forces, was to investigate the presence of facilities and re-engagement with villages in the province. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW) Jeremy L. Wood) (Released)
ANA Special Forces
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 3/Dec/2010 22:16
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Afghanistan National Army Special Forces soldier looks down his sights to fire his M-4 Carbine rifle accurately at his target at Forward Operating Base Price, Afghanistan, Oct. 7. Weapon training is one of the many training elements the ANASF uses to keep skills sharp. The ANASF practiced tactical movements and firing with accuracy during their weapons training. Photo by Staff Sgt. Rasheen Douglas
Kutschbach, Afghanistan
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 3/Dec/2010 22:15
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International Security Assistance Force Special Operations Forces fire a 81mm mortar at an insurgent position from Forward Operating Base Kutschbach, Afghanistan, Nov. 18. The ISAF SOF fired mortars to drive back insurgents attacking an Afghan Security Forces checkpoint.
Oops – NATO hands big bucks to shopkeeper posing as Taliban commander
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch on 25/Nov/2010 19:09
“It sounds like the plot from a spy novel or James Bond film.
But NATO chiefs in Afghanistan have been severely embarrassed by a shopkeeper who fooled them into thinking he was a Taliban commander during secret peace negotiations.
Astonishingly, the ruse went on for two months, during which time the ‘contact’ was paid a substantial sum of money.
He was also flown on a British military plane to three meetings designed to end the insurrection.
Despite suspicions about his identity, nobody disputed his claim to be Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, one of the Taliban’s most senior leaders.
It was only months later — and after the handover of piles of cash to keep him coming back — that an old friend of Mr Mansour said they had the wrong man.
They now believe he was nothing more than a shopkeeper from the Pakistani city of Quetta.”
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2010/11/taliban-mansour-leaders
Pentagon report: Afghans believe Taliban victory inevitable
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 23/Nov/2010 22:33
“Washington (CNN) — A new Defense Department report on Afghanistan says dramatic increases in fighting against the Taliban have failed to convince the local population that the Afghan government and coalition forces will succeed.
“The Taliban’s strength lies in the Afghan population’s perception that Coalition forces will soon leave, giving credence to the belief that a Taliban victory is inevitable,” the report says.”
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/us.afghanistan.taliban/
M1 Abrams Tanks Arrive in Afghanistan
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 19/Nov/2010 17:02
In another increase of force, a small contingent of Abrams tanks are headed to Afghanistan.
From The Washington Post:
The deployment of a company of M1 Abrams tanks, which will be fielded by the Marines in the country’s southwest, will allow ground forces to target insurgents from a greater distance – and with more of a lethal punch – than is possible from any other U.S. military vehicle. The 68-ton tanks are propelled by a jet engine and equipped with a 120mm main gun that can destroy a house more than a mile away.
The Marines had wanted to take tanks into Afghanistan when they began deploying in large numbers in spring 2009, but the top coalition commander then, Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, rejected the request, in part because of concern it could remind Afghans of the tank-heavy Soviet occupation in the 1980s. As it became clear that other units were getting the green light to engage in more heavy-handed measures, the Marines asked again, noting that Canadian and Danish troops had used a small number of tanks in southern Afghanistan. This time, the decision rested with Petraeus, who has been in charge of coalition forces in Afghanistan since July. He approved it last month, the officials said.
Body Armor – Free Webinar
Posted by Gary in Body Armor, Training, Warrior Tools, Warriors on 3/Nov/2010 21:52
From: IDGA
Armor Up: A Coalition Perspective on Personal Protective Gear
This FREE webinar will be on: December 8, 2010 9:00:00 AM EST
Presenters: Carl Thompson, Cameron Finch, Dr. Kelechi Anyaogu,
Body Armor is one of the most important pieces of equipment a soldier has and can mean the difference between life and death.
Amidst the heightened tempo of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, body armor and personel protection equipment have attracted renewed interest. This interest has come from several sectors: military procurement, civilian defense production, operational units (regular and special forces), as well as command level strategists.
- Yet NATO and the US Military still face many challenges, including: The extremely high price of underperforming and obsolete technologies.
- The employment (or deployment?) of such systems in the field can have direct and immediate impacts on soldier endurance and performance.
- Aside from dollar cost per unit, the use of body armor exacts a certain physical toll—increased risk of heat exhaustion and reduced mobility and speed.
Body Armor in Action:
The first living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient since the Vietnam War, Staff Sgt Salvatore Giunta can attribute his survival to his personal protective gear. In Afghanistan Staff Sgt Giunta was shot in the chest while braving enemy fire to come to the aid of comrades and was saved by his ballistics vest.
WikiLeaks and the Culture of Classification
WikiLeaks and the Culture of Classification is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
By Scott Stewart
On Friday, Oct. 22, the organization known as WikiLeaks published a cache of 391,832 classified documents on its website. The documents are mostly field reports filed by U.S. military forces in Iraq from January 2004 to December 2009 (the months of May 2004 and March 2009 are missing). The bulk of the documents (379,565, or about 97 percent) were classified at the secret level, with 204 classified at the lower confidential level. The remaining 12,062 documents were either unclassified or bore no classification.
This large batch of documents is believed to have been released by Pfc. Bradley Manning, who was arrested in May 2010 by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command and charged with transferring thousands of classified documents onto his personal computer and then transmitting them to an unauthorized person. Manning is also alleged to have been the source of the classified information released by WikiLeaks pertaining to the war in Afghanistan in July 2010.
WikiLeaks released the Iraq war documents, as it did the Afghanistan war documents, to a number of news outlets for analysis several weeks in advance of their formal public release. These news organizations included The New York Times, Der Spiegel, The Guardian and Al Jazeera, each of which released special reports to coincide with the formal release of the documents Oct. 22. Read the rest of this entry »
Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan – but there’s no link. Right.
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News on 28/Oct/2010 13:59
France caves to threats, submits to Sharia Law. Big surprise.
“France is leaving Afghanistan. Though President Obama has committed to reducing America’s footprint in Afghanistan beginning July 2011, the withdrawal of another ally is likely to add an additional layer of challenge to maneuver that reduction. And the timing of the announcement has put France’s decision under some scrutiny.
France’s announcement came a day after the release of a tape with a message believed to be from Osama Bin Laden, who threatened to attack French citizens because of their presence in Afghanistan and treatment of Muslims. French officials were quick to insist that there is “absolutely no link†between the threat and their decision to begin withdrawing troops in 2011.”
U.S. Midterm Elections, Obama and Iran
U.S. Midterm Elections, Obama and Iran is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
By George Friedman
We are a week away from the 2010 U.S. midterm elections. The outcome is already locked in. Whether the Republicans take the House or the Senate is close to immaterial. It is almost certain that the dynamics of American domestic politics will change. The Democrats will lose their ability to impose cloture in the Senate and thereby shut off debate. Whether they lose the House or not, the Democrats will lose the ability to pass legislation at the will of the House Democratic leadership. The large majority held by the Democrats will be gone, and party discipline will not be strong enough (it never is) to prevent some defections.
Should the Republicans win an overwhelming victory in both houses next week, they will still not have the votes to override presidential vetoes. Therefore they will not be able to legislate unilaterally, and if any legislation is to be passed it will have to be the result of negotiations between the president and the Republican Congressional leadership. Thus, whether the Democrats do better than expected or the Republicans win a massive victory, the practical result will be the same.
When we consider the difficulties President Barack Obama had passing his health care legislation, even with powerful majorities in both houses, it is clear that he will not be able to push through any significant legislation without Republican agreement. The result will either be gridlock or a very different legislative agenda than we have seen in the first two years. Read the rest of this entry »
Air Force Pararescue – Helmand Province Afghanistan
From: Michael Yon
More great photos and words from Michael Yon. Read the whole dispatch.
The last mission. Just under 400 on this tour, and I had the honor of going along. We’ll never know how many lives the Pedro crews saved this year in Afghanistan, but it was a lot. A book could be written about their tour, but alas, this is likely about all the recognition they will ever get. The two crews that I did missions with were:
Pedro 35
Maj Mathew Wenthe
1Lt Josh Roberts
CMSgt Rick Nowaski
TSgt Christopher Gabor
Capt Dave Depiazza
TSgt Tom Pearce
SrA Eric MathiesonPedro 36
Maj Mitzi Egger
Capt Adam Tucci
MSgt James Patterson
SrA Adrian Jarrin
SSgt Joe Signor
SrA Anthony Daroste
SrA Alejandro Serrano
Loading a Chinook in Afghanistan
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Warriors on 23/Oct/2010 16:45
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From Left: Spc. Christopher Hickey, Spc. Xavier De Leon and Sgt. Alexander Correa prepare attach a sling load to a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter at Forward Operating Base Altimur in Logar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 9, 2009.