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Posts Tagged taliban
Corpsman Killed in Afghanistan
Posted by Gary in News, Threat Watch, Warriors on 15/Jul/2011 09:10
MIDLAND, Mich. — A Navy hospital corpsman who enlisted out of high school and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan has been killed in action, his mother said Wednesday.
The remains of Aaron Ullom, 20, of Midland are scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Ullom was serving alongside a Marine unit when he was killed Tuesday.
Marines’ tour was one of the most brutal of the entire war
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Warriors on 12/Jul/2011 17:09
“These Marines’ tour was one of the most brutal of the entire war. In its first three weeks in Afghanistan’s Sangin district, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines got into more than 100 firefights, and sustained 62 casualties. The insurgents managed to negate the Marines’ night-vision gear, and rendered their traditional close-combat tactics useless. Things got so bad, the 3/5’s superior officers even suggested pulling their troops back.
That didn’t happen. Instead, the 3/5 went after the militants, hard. They went on the offensive constantly. They leveled booby-trapped compounds without apology. They didn’t bother with school-building until the insurgents were back on their heels. Nor did they mess with the poppy growers; the Marines had more than their fair share of enemies.”
British Female Medic Awarded Military Cross
From: American Ranger
Courageous Army medic awarded Military Cross
By Brian Brady, Whitehall Editor
Sunday, 27 March 2011
An Army medic who put herself in “mortal danger” to treat a wounded Afghan soldier under heavy Taliban fire has been awarded the Military Cross, Britain’s third-highest medal for gallantry.
Lance Corporal Kylie Watson, who gave the casualty medical care in exposed open ground for 20 minutes before getting him to a helicopter, is one of more than 130 servicemen and women commended for bravery in the latest military honours list.
The medic, who also made a 100-yard dash through enemy fire to help another Afghan soldier, was praised for her “immense courage [and] willingness to put her own life at risk”.
L/Cpl Watson, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, stemmed the soldier’s bleeding despite being hampered by other Afghan troops, and got the injured man to a helicopter landing site 200 yards away.
Meet “the snapper.â€
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch on 8/Jul/2011 00:16
by Michael Yon
“The enemy has difficulty hitting our vehicles with RCIEDs (radio-controlled IEDs) because our countermeasures are excellent. Low-tech inexpensive methods, such as land mines, can work against us on roads, but the problem with land mines is that they are dumb and they blow up the first thing that ticks them off, which likely will be civilian traffic. Enemy CIVCAS toxifies their operating environment and also misses their target.
And so the enemy has developed techniques to circumvent countermeasures and reduce CIVCAS. One of those techniques is “the snapper.â€
The snapper uses a tire for a diaphragm in which nails are used for contacts. When a vehicle rolls over a snapper, the circuit closes. To avoid CIVCAS, the enemy waits in hiding with a battery. One of the electrodes is connected. Traffic is allowed to roll over the snapper but there is no explosion. When the target approaches, the enemy attaches the other connection and now the snapper is ARMED.”
Taliban Hotel Attack: Low Death Toll, High Psychological Value
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 7/Jul/2011 13:54
Taliban Hotel Attack: Low Death Toll, High Psychological Value is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
By Scott Stewart
At about 10 p.m. on June 28, a group of heavily armed militants attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to government and media reports, the attack team consisted of eight or nine militants who were reportedly wearing suicide vests in addition to carrying other weapons. At least three of the attackers detonated their vests during the drawn-out fight. Afghan security forces, assisted by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), needed some eight hours to clear the hotel of attackers. One group of militants even worked their way up to the roof of the hotel, where they fired several rocket-propelled grenades.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 12 people, as well as all the militants. The Taliban had a different take on the attack, posting a series of statements on their website claiming responsibility and saying the assault was conducted by eight operatives who killed 90 people and that the real news of their success was being suppressed. (Initially, the Taliban claimed to have killed 200 in the attack but reduced the toll to 90 in later statements.)
NATO and ISAF spokesmen have noted their belief that, due to the location and use of suicide bombers in the attack, the Haqqani network was involved in the operation. On the evening of June 29, a NATO airstrike killed Ismail Jan, a senior Haqqani leader in Afghanistan who NATO claims was involved in planning the hotel attack. Read the rest of this entry »
The Taliban Will Rule Afghanistan
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch on 3/Jul/2011 20:07
By Walid Phares
The administration’s plan for Afghanistan may include reconciliation with the Taliban, but the latter have no plans that allow American gains, much less bilateral-negotiations to end the conflict.
It appears that the administration is tangoing with an imaginary partner. Neville Chamberlain’s wishful Sept. 30, 1938 proclamation, “I have returned to Germany with peace in our time,†should serve as a chilling reminder to those who are under the illusion that war is receding which in fact, it is about to escalate into global conflict.
The Taliban strategy is not obscure; most of it has been announced, publicized and is based in ideology, as has been the case with totalitarian movements throughout history. U.S. inability to grasp Taliban plans is not due to the jihadists’ highly-developed denial and deception skills, but rather to the unwillingness or inability of the U.S. and its allies to see it.
The Taliban long-term strategic plan is simple: practice taqiyya to gain terrain and power; resume jihad to eliminate the other forms of governance; and implement their version of Shariah to reverse democracy.
http://www.newsmax.com/WalidPhares/taliban-shariah-afghanistan-Taqiyya/2011/07/02/id/402288
Senior Leader of Al Qaeda Group Captured in Afghanistan — Dressed as Woman
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch on 29/Jun/2011 01:34
KABUL, Afghanistan — A senior leader of an Al Qaeda-linked terror group has been captured in northern Afghanistan dressed up like a woman — the latest in a recent series of cases involving male militants disguised as females, the U.S.-led military coalition said Tuesday.
A joint Afghan and coalition force apprehended a senior figure from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and two of his associates during a nighttime operation Monday in Kunduz city, NATO said.
It said the militant, who also supported the Taliban network, had planned attacks against the Afghan National Police, as well as various suicide bombings and assaults against other Afghan security forces.
The coalition said there also have been a handful of recent reports of female combatants in burqas.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/28/senior-leader-al-qaeda-group-captured-while-dressed-as-woman/#ixzz1Qe02i2ys
Death Toll in Afghan Hotel Raid Rises to 10
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch on 29/Jun/2011 01:27
Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“Suicide attackers stormed a popular Western-style hotel in Afghanistan on Tuesday, setting off explosions and exchanging gunfire with Afghan authorities for hours until NATO helicopters took out three of the remaining gunmen.
Guests at the Inter-Continental hotel in Kabul hid in their rooms during the attack, which killed 10 Afghan civilians — mostly hotel workers — and wounded 8, according to Afghan officials. The six suicide bombers and four gunmen involved in the raid were killed.”
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/29/death-toll-in-brazen-afghan-hotel-raid-rises-to-10/
Obama’s Afghanistan Plan and the Realities of Withdrawal
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 23/Jun/2011 13:16
Obama’s Afghanistan Plan and the Realities of Withdrawal is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
By Nathan Hughes
U.S. President Barack Obama announced June 22 that the long process of drawing down forces in Afghanistan would begin on schedule in July. Though the 
initial phase of the drawdown appears limited, minimizing the tactical and operational impact on the ground in the immediate future, the United States and its allies are now beginning the inevitable process of removing their forces from Afghanistan. This will entail the risk of greater Taliban battlefield successes.
The Logistical Challenge
Afghanistan, a landlocked country in the heart of Central Asia, is one of the most isolated places on Earth. This isolation has posed huge logistical challenges for the United States. Hundreds of shipping containers and fuel trucks must enter the country every day from Pakistan and from the north to sustain the nearly 150,000 U.S. and allied forces stationed in Afghanistan, about half the total number of Afghan security forces. Supplying a single gallon of gasoline in Afghanistan reportedly costs the U.S. military an average of $400, while sustaining a single U.S. soldier runs around $1 million a year (by contrast, sustaining an Afghan soldier costs about $12,000 a year). Read the rest of this entry »
Taliban Uses Children In Suicide Attacks
Posted by Gary in News, Threat Watch on 21/Jun/2011 08:39
Use Of Children In Suicide Attacks Part Of ‘Ruthless’ Escalation For Taliban
NationalJournal.com
The Taliban have begun using child suicide bombers in eastern Afghanistan, underscoring the increasingly brutal nature of the fighting in a volatile region that is emerging as the central front of the U.S.-led war.
Soldier from 4 SCOTS killed in Afghanistan
Posted by Gary in News, Threat Watch, Warriors on 4/Jun/2011 15:17
From: MOD
It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must announce that a soldier from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS), was killed in Afghanistan, yesterday, Friday 3 June 2011.
Ministry of Defence
The soldier was fatally wounded by insurgent gunfire while on a security patrol in the Lashkar Gah District of Helmand Province.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick, said:
“It is with much regret that I have to inform you of the death of a soldier from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, in the Pupalzay area of the Lashkar Gah District of Helmand Province.
“The soldier was on a partnered patrol with the Afghan National Police to reassure the local population when his unit came under attack by rifle, Rocket Propelled Grenade and indirect fire from insurgents, during which he was fatally wounded. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Next of kin have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further information is released.
Soldier who died in afghanistan left notes behind for his daughter
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Warriors on 1/Jun/2011 04:20
Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver Died September 9, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom 26, of Hampton, Va.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky; died Sept. 9 at COP Stout, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
“Dear Emma: Well if you are reading this, I guess I did not make it home and therefore, I was not able to remind you again of how much I love you. I love you so much baby and I will always love you. Although I may not be here right now, take comfort in the fact that I am watching over you right now. I am not gone and I will always be with you in spirit. I know this time must be hard for you but I also know how strong you are. Never forget that God knew what was best for us before we were even born. Take comfort in that. This happened for a reason. Although you may not believe it now, you will one day.
I want you to know just how important you are to me. I could not ask for a more caring, beautiful and loving wife. The memories that we have shared over the last few years have been the best of my life. Although it may seem like my life was cut short, I lived a life that most can only dream of. I married the perfect woman. I have a beautiful daughter that amazed me every day. I even had two great dogs – at least most of the time. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
If you feel sad, just think back to the memories that we shared. Look at our daughter and how beautiful she is. Be strong for her. Remind her about her Daddy and tell her that I loved her more than anything else in the world. Her birth was the best day of my life and she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Her smile and laughter represent all that is good and beautiful in this world. Tell her that Daddy is in heaven now and will watch over her and protect her every minute of every day.
I love you Emma. But never be afraid to do what you need to do to be happy. It is so important that you continue to find happiness in your life. Although you may think this is impossible right now, have faith. Much better times are coming. You and Kiley have a wonderful life ahead of you and I am so happy to have shared some of it with you. I love you.
Your loving Husband, Todd”
Todd’s wife’s blog:
http://emmaweaverbabyonboard.blogspot.com/2011/03/struggle-and-peace.html
Spc. Robert Mangini & PV2 Ryan Beach: 120mm mortar in Logar province
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Warriors on 11/May/2011 01:06
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Spc. Robert Mangini, mortarmen from Cinnaminson, N.J., native, and PV2 Ryan Beach, an Atlantic, Iowa, native, fire a 120mm mortar round in Logar province, Aug. 29. The mortar round is fired in under two minutes from the time the mortarmen receive a call for fire.
U.S.-Pakistani Relations Beyond Bin Laden
Posted by Brian in News, Threat Watch on 10/May/2011 14:15
U.S.-Pakistani Relations Beyond Bin Laden is republished with permission of STRATFOR.
By George Friedman
The past week has been filled with announcements and speculations on how Osama bin Laden was killed and on Washington’s source of intelligence. After any operation of this sort, the world is filled with speculation on sources and methods by people who don’t know, and silence or dissembling by those who do.
Obfuscating on how intelligence was developed and on the specifics of how an operation was carried out is an essential part of covert operations. The precise process must be distorted to confuse opponents regarding how things actually played out; otherwise, the enemy learns lessons and adjusts. Ideally, the enemy learns the wrong lessons, and its adjustments wind up further weakening it. Operational disinformation is the final, critical phase of covert operations. So as interesting as it is to speculate on just how the United States located bin Laden and on exactly how the attack took place, it is ultimately not a fruitful discussion. Moreover, it does not focus on the truly important question, namely, the future of U.S.-Pakistani relations.
Posturing Versus a Genuine Breach
It is not inconceivable that Pakistan aided the United States in identifying and capturing Osama bin Laden, but it is unlikely. This is because the operation saw the already-tremendous tensions between the two countries worsen rather than improve. The Obama administration let it be known that it saw Pakistan as either incompetent or duplicitous and that it deliberately withheld plans for the operation from the Pakistanis. For their part, the Pakistanis made it clear that further operations of this sort on Pakistani territory could see an irreconcilable breach between the two countries. The attitudes of the governments profoundly affected the views of politicians and the public, attitudes that will be difficult to erase. Read the rest of this entry »
Allen West: Define the Enemy: What it takes to win in Afghanistan
Posted by Jack Sinclair in News, Threat Watch, Warriors on 6/May/2011 00:07
“Is your operation enemy oriented or is your operation terrain oriented?”
“The first thing we fail to understand is that Afghanistan is not a war in and of itself. Neither was Iraq a war in and of itself.
We have a war against an Islamic, totalitarian enemy which is political, which is informational it is military and it is also economic.”
-Lt. Col. Allen West
Lt. Col. Allen West (US Army, Ret.) speaks to the Center for Security Policy’s National Security Group on Capital Hill. Col. West was a senior advisor, Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command.