Clipmarks | Afghanistan Clips

Advance To The Rear!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:53:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: (Well, in fairness, even if the president did declare back in 2008 this war was a vital national security interest, and he did signal last spring he was on board with counterinsurgency, and even if he did appoint Gen. Stanley McChrystal to get the job done in May, the general’s recommendations only arrived in August, and the president didn’t look at them until, what, late September, and he’s been really busy this whole time letting Congress bollix his health-care initiative, throwing Eastern Europe under the bus and flying to Copenhagen, that kind of thing, so he’s only been able to squeeze in seven high-level national security meetings, or is it eight? Is it so unreasonable to ask for new options on top of the new options that he asked for on top of the new options that McChrystal gave him? Meanwhile, China’s ass wants kissing and then we’re into the holidays … )

OK, I get that the political piece is vitally important, and for Eikenberry, up to his armpits in scheming

Clip Source: www.julescrittenden.com

But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama’s thinking.

Never mind whether he’s going to commit more troops. He isn’t ready to commit to whether he’ll commit to commiting more troops. This part is fun:

Military officials said Obama has asked for a rewrite before and resisted what one official called a one-way highway toward war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendations for more troops. The sense that he was being rushed and railroaded has stiffened Obama’s resolve to seek information and options beyond military planning, officials said, though a substantial troop increase is still likely.

ha, his resolve to keep dithering has been stiffened! Good one. AP scribbler with a keen sense of irony or AP scribbler without a clue?

Tags: afghanistan, ambassador karl eikenberry says no, general mcchrystal, president karzai

Maximal eine Amtsperiode für Kriegs-Nobelpreisträger Obama ...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:06:46 GMT

clipped by: nachrichten
clipper's remarks: ... wenn überhaupt.

Sollte sich Obama seiner vollmundigen Wahlversprechen erinnern und diese tatsächlich noch im Ansatz erfüllen wollen, wird er vorzeitig auf dem Heldenfriedhof Arlington landen.

Man hat John F. Kennedy verhindert. Warum sollte man Obama gewähren lassen? Er ist auch nur eine Marionette der FED, der Rüstungs- und Pharmaindustrie.

Clip Source: www.berlinerumschau.com

Das Reich des Bösen

Obama wird es zu nicht mehr als einer Amtsperiode bringen

Von Paul Craig Roberts

Die Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika steht nunmehr dermaßen total unter dem Einfluss organisierter Interessensgruppen, dass „unsere” Regierung nicht mehr in der Lage ist, auf die Bedürfnisse der amerikanischen Menschen einzugehen, die den Präsidenten und die Abgeordneten in Kongress und Senat wählen.

Er versprach Erneuerung, hat aber nichts dergleichen zusammengebracht.

Obama hätte eine exzellente Möglichkeit gehabt, die U.S.-Soldaten aus den verbrecherischen Aggressionskriegen des Bushregimes nach Hause zu bringen.

Statt also zu tun, was zu tun er versprochen hatte und wofür ihn die Wähler gewählt hatten, startete Obama beim Krieg gegen Afghanistan neu durch und begann einen neuen Krieg gegen Pakistan. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis Obama Bushs und Cheneys Drohungen übernahm, den Iran anzugreifen.

Statt Frieden wird es mehr Krieg geben.

Bundeswehr trainiert für Bürgerkrieg - Bürgerkriegsmanöver

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:44:03 GMT

clipped by: nachrichten
clipper's remarks: Der größte Feind der Parteien-Diktatur in Deutschland ist der eigene Bürger. Falls er jemals aus der Medien-Gehirnwäsche und Volksverdummungs-Hypnose aufwachen sollte und auf die Straße geht, erwartet ihn eine durchtrainierte Bundeswehr, die ihn wie einen Terroristen behandeln wird.

Es könnte sich eines Tages rächen, dass man den gleichen Leuten vertraute, die Deutschland finanziell und wirtschaftlich ruiniert haben. Spätestens, wenn die ersten Mitbürger hingerichtet werden, weil sie gegen die Diktatur demonstrieren, wissen wir, woran wir sind.

Clip Source: www.german-foreign-policy.com

Berichte von einem Manöver in Bayern lassen konkrete Planungen der Bundeswehr für Kampfeinsätze im Inland erkennen.

ein bürgerkriegsähnliches Szenario

Dabei wurden der Umgang mit demonstrierenden Friedensaktivisten sowie die Verteidigung einer inländischen Radarstation gegen schwer bewaffnete "Terroristen" trainiert.

An der Übung beteiligt waren neben Soldaten und Reservisten des "Landeskommandos Bayern" auch zivile Rettungs- und Sanitätsdienste.

widerlegt die von Berlin vorgebrachte Behauptung, die "zivil-militärische Zusammenarbeit" im Inland diene nur der Hilfeleistung bei besonders schweren Unglücksfällen und Naturkatastrophen.

Ausweitung des Afghanistan-Einsatzes

Flugblätter und Feuergefechte

"Zivile" Helfer

Feinde

Verbindungskommandos

Einsatzbezogenes Ziel

Objektschutzübung "Hoher Franke II"; www.luftwaffe.de 03.11.2009

Fast echte Schüsse und Flammen; www.frankenpost.de 13.10.2009

www.streitkraefteunterstuetzungskommando.bundeswehr.de

www.reservistenverband.de

Bürgerkriegsmanöver

Tags: bundeswehr, bürgerkrieg

The sleazy advocacy of a leading "liberal hawk"

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:43:15 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: What Galbraith kept completely concealed all these years was that a company he formed in 2004 came to acquire a large stake in a Kurdish oil field whereby, as the NYT put it, he "stands to earn perhaps a hundred million or more dollars." In other words, he had a direct -- and vast -- financial stake in the very policies which he was publicly advocating in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and countless other American media outlets, where he was presented as an independent expert on the region. As Cobban wrote:

Galbraith has never expressed any such regrets, and last November, he was openly scornful of Bush's late-term agreement to withdraw from Iraq completely. The revelation that for many years Galbraith had a quite undisclosed financial interest in the political breakup of Iraq may now further reduce the clout, and the ranks, of the remaining liberal hawks.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

The New York Times today details the unbelievably sleazy story of Peter Galbraith, one of the Democratic Party's leading so-called "liberal hawks" and a generally revered Wise Man of America's Foreign Policy Community. He was Ambassador to Croatia under the Clinton administration in the mid-1990s and, in March, 2009, the Obama administration (specifically, Richard Holbrooke, Galbraith's mentor) successfully pressured the U.N. to name Galbraith as the second-in-command in Afghanistan. The NYT does a good job today of adding some important details to the story, but it was actually uncovered by Norwegian investigative journalists and reported at length a month ago in pieces such as this one by Helena Cobban. In essence, this highly Serious man has corruptly concealed vast financial stakes in the very policies and positions he has spent years advocating while pretending to be an independent expert.

Tags: iraq, war, empire, conquerst, neomercantilsim, theft, hawks

How the US Funds the Taliban

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:18:32 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: Let's just hand them the money and bring our Men and Women home.

Clip Source: www.thenation.com

Welcome to the wartime contracting bazaar in Afghanistan.

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Reuters Photos

Taliban fighters in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

In this grotesque carnival, the US military's contractors are forced to pay suspected insurgents to protect American supply routes. It is an accepted fact of the military logistics operation in Afghanistan that the US government funds the very forces American troops are fighting.

And it is a deadly irony, because these funds add up to a huge amount of money for the Taliban. "It's a big part of their income

. In fact, US military officials in Kabul estimate that a minimum of 10 percent of the Pentagon's logistics contracts--hundreds of millions of dollars--consists of payments to insurgents.

Clip Source: www.thenation.com

Many officials acknowledge what is going on while also expressing a deep disquiet about the situation. The trouble is that--as with so much in Afghanistan--the United States doesn't seem to know how to fix it.

Tags: news, politics, war, afghanistan, contractors, security, insurgency

Blackwater:Ain't Misbehaving, Saving My Contracts for You

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:03:53 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Of course the US government was blind to this - they didn't want to know, they turned a blind eye to what Blackwater was doing because it would have been too hard to arrange for another contractor to do all the security missions that it had ongoing. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, there are as many private contractors as there are uniformed military personnel. Most of them are not security guards as Blackwater's most visible function was. The lack of oversight is abhorrent but not surprising; the State Dept's failure to can this company is inexcusable.

My only observation on this article is to suggest how the US government got into this predicament, and it's pretty easy to see. The Bush administration wanted to hold onto the fiction of a few conservative principles, one of those being the concept of a small federal government. Since it already blew that "principle" with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, I'm betting there was White House guidance that directed "no mo

Clip Source: crooksandliars.com

I am shocked, shocked to discover that US contractors bribed Iraqi government officials to overlook its misconduct... Really, does this surprise anyone when it comes to Blackwater?

Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials.

American and Iraqi investigators had already concluded that the shootings were unjustified, top Iraqi officials were calling for Blackwater’s ouster from the country, and company officials feared that Blackwater might be refused an operating license it would need to retain its contracts with the State Department and private clients, worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Tags: blackwater, mercenaries, iraq, murder, empire

Handler never gave up on lost army dog

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:05:12 GMT

clipped by: jkrabbit

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Handler never gave up on lost army dog

The handler of an army-trained labrador that went missing for more than a year says he never gave up hope for the lost dog.

The black Labrador called Sabi went missing in action in southern Afghanistan, during the battle in which the SAS trooper Mark Donaldson won the Victoria Cross.

Now Sabi has been reunited with her Australian unit. The Australian Defence Force says an American soldier spotted the dog last week.

The 10-year-old female was trained to detect explosives like the roadside bombs used extensively by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was the dog's second tour of duty.

Soldier spots dog

He says the dog was recovered by a US soldier who can only be identified as John. The soldier was aware the Australians were missing an explosive detector dog.

He says the soldier reportedly gave it some commands it understood.

"When she did come back we were all overjoyed with what happened," he said.

Dog back after a year MIA in Afghanistan

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:03:38 GMT

clipped by: jkrabbit

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Dog back after a year MIA in Afghanistan

(CNN) -- An Australian special forces dog has been found alive and well more than a year after going missing in action in Afghanistan.

Explosives detection dog Sabi was recovered by a U.S. soldier who found her wandering near an isolated patrol base in the desolate southern province of Oruzgan last week, according to the Australian Government Department of Defense.

John, the U.S. soldier, who was identified only by first name, knew his Australian counterparts were missing an explosive detection dog. He knew immediately that Sabi was not a stray.

When she disappeared, the black Labrador was nearing the end of her second tour of duty in Afghanistan. She went missing in September 2008 when insurgents ambushed a combined Australian, U.S. and Afghan army convoy. Nine Australian soldiers, including Sabi's handler, were wounded during the gunbattle.

Video: MIA military dog found

Tags: k9

Dogs greet those returning from war

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:33:11 GMT

clipped by: jkrabbit

Clip Source: weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Happy Vets Day: Dogs greet those returning from war

In honor of Veterans Day, the Mental Floss blog posted a series of videos showing servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq being greeted (extremely enthusiastically) by their dogs who missed them. Here's one. Find more here. Get your tissues ready....

[Video]

Tags: k9, vets, troops

Emergence of Anti-Taliban Militias a Cause for Concern

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:25:25 GMT

clipped by: gppixelworks

Clip Source: www.spiegel.de

Emergence of Anti-Taliban Militias a Cause for Concern

To make up for a lack of manpower in the fight against the Taliban, the Afghan government has encouraged the formation of armed militias in Kunduz Province. But German soldiers fighting in the area are unsure how to deal with these roving bands of guerillas fighters.

For now, they are just militias," he says. "But maybe we will be able to make real policemen out of them in the next few years

When they have been used, there has only been partial success. When it goes bad, though, former allies can quickly become the enemy

At the moment, the militias are still mostly deployed against the Taliban. But what will happen, officers ask, if the groups that have been armed and gained battle experience go their own way and start pursuing their own agenda?

Indeed, many skeptics fear that the current fostering of private armies could spell the beginning of a new process of disintegration in Afghanistan

Tags: afghanistan, taliban, armed militias, guerillas fighters

Prayer for Muslims

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:03:05 GMT

clipped by: chetler

Clip Source: www.kairosjournal.org

A Prayer for the Muslim World—Samuel Zwemer (1867 – 1952)

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who hast made of one blood all nations and hast promised that many shall come from the East and sit down with Abraham in thy kingdom: We pray for thy prodigal children in Muslim lands who are still afar off, that they may be brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Look upon them in pity, because they are ignorant of thy truth.

Take away pride of intellect and blindness of heart, and reveal to them the surpassing beauty and power of thy Son Jesus Christ. Convince them of their sin in rejecting the atonement of the only Savior. Give moral courage to those who love thee, that they may boldy confess thy name.

Hasten the day of religious freedom in Turkey, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Africa.

Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son in the Muslim world, and fulfill through him the prayer of Abraham thy friend, “O, that Ishmael might live before thee.” For Jesus’ sake. Amen.²

Tags: islam, missions

Time to Surrender in Afganistan

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:58:10 GMT

clipped by: ColoradoRight
clipper's remarks: There's no sense putting our troops in harm's way in the field if we won't protect them in Texas.

Clip Source: www.americanthinker.com

It's time to surrender in Afghanistan. Yep, that's right. Surrender.

Let's sign a document of surrender, apologize for our "aggression," withdraw the troops, and let Osama and the Taliban have a ticker-tape parade in the streets of Kabul before they force women back into their burkas, outlaw education for girls, and start executing homosexuals and Christians again.

The assassination of thirteen American troops at Ft. Hood by a Muslim officer in the U.S. Army is the last straw. Despite the overwhelming evidence, our political and military leaders refuse to acknowledge that Maj. Hasan was motivated by militant Islamist ideology.

And Gen. George Casey -- unbelievably -- actually said that if "diversity" in the military were to suffer, it would be an even greater tragedy than the Ft. Hood murders.

The enemy has not defeated us in battle. They can't. But the Ft. Hood assassinations show that we've already surrendered.

Tags: islam, political correctness, military, afganistan, surrender

Well....so what if Bush had done that?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:20:52 GMT

clipped by: dl211
clipper's remarks: Of course it's hard to draw any kind of comparisons when speaking about the war in Afghanistan, because George W. Bush knew how to act as Commander In Chief when it came to making decisions about what his hand-picked generals were requesting. Barack Obama on the other hand doesn't know how to act as Commander In Chief when it comes to commanding the military.

There is no way to forget the daily shellacking that George W. Bush took during his entire presidency. On some days and on some issues it could get pretty horrific. The far-left fringe were relentless in their attacks and the media just fell right in line with them....and anyone was just plain dumb if they didn't believe what they were saying. George W. Bush couldn't smile without there being an ulterior motive behind it. Bush was so many things, from dumb and lazy, to a liar and conniver and even believed to be a criminal at times. No one would dream of calling Obama any kind of name....except maybe socialist. Which in some ci

Clip Source: www.examiner.com

Well....so what if Bush had done that?

Imagine the outrage coming from the left if Bush had fallen so short of the targeted number of H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine dosages....like by 85 million dosages short. Imagine the outrage if Bush had condoned then House Speaker Dennis Hastert conducting closed door meetings with Republican leaders on nationalized health care, or anything for that matter, and didn't include Democrats or the American public in on the proceedings in those meetings.

Tags: bush, obama, no, comparison

Happy Dog and Returning Soldier

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:32 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: I thought this was so precious.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

Seeing my dog the day I got back from Afghanistan

[Video]

Taliban fighters display 'US weapons

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:02:09 GMT

clipped by: nosebleedlouie

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

Taliban fighters display 'US weapons

Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive footage showing the Taliban in Afghanistan displaying what appears to be US weapons.

The fighters say they seized the arms cache from two US outposts in eastern Nuristan province.

Days after the alleged assault, the US military pulled out its troops from the area.

[Video]