Mision FAS: Afganistán

[Loopster]

Yo diría que de AECID fíjate en el chaleco, aunque es bastante probable que se utilize como tapadera de vez en cuando, al fin y al cabo se mueven por los PRTs.

[gato]

Quizás ahora podamos entender mejor esas brechas en la seguridad de la información que han llevado a que los insurgentes atentasen contra diferentes convoys con buena información. Detenidos decenas de polis afganos en la provincia de Herat acusados de colaborar con los talibanes.

Afghan policemen arrested for helping Taliban
Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:02am GMT

HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The Afghan government disarmed and arrested about 50 Afghan policemen, suspected of corruption and helping the Taliban, while a dozen others defected to the Taliban, a provincial official said on Tuesday.

The police were in charge of security posts in the western province of Farah where a resurgent Taliban insurgency has flared in recent years.

"We arrested some 48 policemen for their unlawful actions on Monday, but 12 others handed themselves over to the Taliban," provincial deputy governor Mohammad Younis Rasooli told Reuters.

"We are investigating the arrested policemen to find out what other crimes they have committed," Rasooli said.

The police, often the only arm of the Afghan state active in isolated outposts across the mountainous country, suffer more casualties than any other force.

Non-existent before 2001, as Afghanistan had no concept of a national police, the force has been criticized for endemic corruption, and become renowned for fleeing in the face of Taliban attacks and milking the populace for bribes.

On Monday a Taliban spokesman told Reuters that about 35 Afghan police had defected to the Islamist group.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Kabul was not immediately available for comment.

More than seven years since U.S.-led and Afghan troops toppled the Taliban after the September 11 attacks in the United States, violence against civilians and foreign troops has increased in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, who have vowed to drive out about 65,000 foreign troops deployed by NATO and the U.S. military, are gaining ground, particularly in the south.

(Reporting by Sharafuddin Sharafiyar; Writing by Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Gillian Murdoch)

© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.

http://uk.reuters.com/articlePrint?arti ... FY20081230

[KS]

Loopster, tienes razón con que los chalecos son de AECID. He mirado en su web y he sacado su email: aeci.afganistan@yahoo.es
Bastante cutre que sea un email de Yahoo, cuando el resto de misiones de AECID en la zona tienen un correo terminado en "@aecid.es" o webs locales de AECID.

¿Y quiénes son los dos hombres con gorra de baseball, perilla, uno de ellos gafas de sol, y ropa civil color arena? Me refiero a los que están debajo del arbol de la izquierda, entre las tres boinas azules.

_______________________________

Respecto a la noticia que aporta Gato, ¿sabeis qué tal están resultando las POMLT (Police OMLT)? Los canadienses participan en un sarao de esos. ¿Tiene España algo así?. Creo que el trabajo conjunto y continuado con personal afgano es la única forma de ganar su lealtad y compromiso.

Un saludo,
KS

[gato]

Pues parece que la via rusa que España negoció hace unas semanas es la alternativa viendo el pollo que se ha montado en el paso de Khyber.

NATO and Russia discuss equipment move to Afghanistan
Updated at: 2000 PST, Wednesday, December 31, 2008
BRUSSELS: NATO and Russia are discussing whether to allow the military alliance to move its equipment through Russian airspace to Afghanistan, the pact's spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Talks are underway for NATO-wide air transit for military equipment," said James Appathurai.

So far, Russia has allowed only some individual NATO member states to ship weapons and equipment through its land to Afghanistan, where the alliance is fighting resurgent Taliban.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=63679

KS, aunque se especuló hace tiempo, España no está formando polis afganos de momento.

Otra cosa, los tipos malos dicen que han capturado más polis en Badghis:

8 puppet police terrorists surrender to Mujahideen in Badghis Wednesday morning 31-12-2008, eight puppet police terrorists with their weapons surrendered to Mujahideen in Maqer district of Badghis province. Reported by Qari Muhammad Yousuf

[Mueca]

Ataque suicida en Herat (Reuters):

HERAT - A suicide bomber targeted a vehicle of Afghan security forces in western Herat province, killing one and wounding four others on Thursday, the interior ministry said.

Gato, según AP los pakistaníes ya nos han abierto el paso de Khyber:

Pakistan reopened the main supply route for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Friday after blocking it for three days during an operation against militants blamed for repeated attacks on convoys in the Khyber Pass

Otra cosa, mirad esta noticia:

Canadian forces thwart 'spectacular' suicide attack: military

January 2, 2009

OTTAWA (AFP) – Canadian forces in Afghanistan killed a presumed suicide bomber who was about to unleash a "spectacular" attack with half a ton (600 kg) of explosives, a military official said Friday.

The suspected suicide attacker tried to ram his sports utility vehicle into a patrol at a checkpoint in Kandahar city, and was shot and killed after several warnings from Canadian troops, said Major David Warnke, who heads Canada's counter-improvised-explosive-devices unit.

Upon inspecting the vehicle, troops uncovered the explosives, which included three Soviet-era aircraft bombs weighing up to 550 pounds (250 kilograms).

The resulting explosion "would've been a spectacular attack and it would've been effective," said Warnke at a press briefing in Kandahar, broadcast by Canadian television.

The explosion would "likely have killed everyone within 260 metres of the vehicle and could have injured people up to 1.5 kilometres (one mile) away," Warnke said, according to CBC News.

Canada has about 2,750 soldiers serving among the nearly 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan under NATO and US command.

Since 2006, 106 Canadians have been killed in the country.

[gato]

Los australianos, literalmente, con la m*** al cuello.

THE Australian Defence Force has breached its environmental and safety guidelines in Afghanistan, allowing raw sewage to overflow at its Tarin Kowt base and using accommodation that could pose a fire hazard to troops.

The accusations come from John Roberts, a former Australian army officer and until recently a contractor at Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan province where Australian troops are stationed.

Mr Roberts said he saw the ADF flout its environmental guidelines between 2005 and last August by allowing the dumping of raw sewage from its troops into nearby open holding ponds that then overflowed, threatening to pollute local water supplies.

"Pumping raw sewage into a truck and then transporting it and dumping it into an open holding pond without treatment is not allowed in Australia," Mr Roberts told The Australian. "It is arrogance that they allowed the practice to be continued for three years in Afghanistan."

A Defence spokesman admitted the ADF had problems with sewage disposal at Camp Russell, where its troops are based and which it manages, but said "operational imperatives take precedence over environmental protection" in Afghanistan.

"Factors such as mission success, force protection, security and lack of logistics support may limit the ability to comply with environmental protection requirements, however, all practical steps will be taken to mitigate environmental risk," the spokesman said.

He admitted the ADF failed to manage its sewage properly and that this might have led to short-term contamination of streams.

"Due to capacity issues, on some occasions the holding ponds were not able to manage the volume of sewage," the spokesman said. "This was identified and additional capacity built to manage the sewage, however, spillage did occur.

"Local residents also draw their water from bores and not surface water courses so (they) should not have been affected by any short-term contamination of streams."

The spokesman said an Australian-made Enviroflow sewerage system was recently installed at Camp Russell.

But Mr Roberts said: "The Dutch (troops based at Kamp Holland at Tarin Kowt) had their sewerage system commissioned and operating within six months of their deployment," he said. "The ADF at Camp Russell took five times longer. What operational constraints did the ADF suffer that the Dutch did not?"

Mr Roberts accused the ADF of building plywood accommodation, known as B-Huts, for some of its troops at Kamp Holland and Camp Russell, which were considered a fire hazard by Dutch officers.

He said the Dutch base engineer LNT Jan Wolterink formally raised his concerns to the ADF about the Australian-built B-Huts being a fire hazard last September.

A Defence spokesman admitted some ADF troops were still housed in B-Huts because of "capacity issues" and that new accommodation would be delivered early this year.

"The risk of fire is mitigated within operational constraints," the spokesman said. "Any risks related to fire are managed through fire drills and the provision of smoke detectors.

"The standard of accommodation is to a level that protects soldiers from the harsh environmental conditions and within acceptable risk parameters.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 77,00.html

Los que si que están dando caña son los británicos:

UK forces take key Taleban bases
British troops in Afghanistan captured four key Taleban strongholds after an 18-day offensive in Helmand Province, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.

Afghan and coalition forces joined 1,500 UK troops for the pre-Christmas operation around Nad-e-Ali, which cost the lives of five UK servicemen.

They fought knee-deep in mud during First World War-style trench battles.

It was one of the largest operations mounted by Royal Marines since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the MoD said.

Operation Sond Chara - Pashto for Red Dagger - was named after 3 Commando Brigade's shoulder badge.

It aimed to provide better security in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah following Taleban attacks in October and to pave the way for a forthcoming voter registration programme.

Troops have been revealing details of the gruelling offensive, which involved some marines trudging more than 60km through mud while fighting insurgents at close quarters.

Capt Dave Glendenning, commander of the marines' artillery support team, said: "Almost every day we were involved in intense fire-fights ranging from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms 'shoot-and-scoots' to four-hour battles with the enemy forces as close as 30 metres."

Another soldier - a Lance Corporal, signaller with the 77th Armoured Engineer Squadron - described sleeping in mud during more than two weeks at Nad-e-Ali.

He said: "Some of the places we stayed in were a nightmare.

"(At times) we were exposed and moving ahead of our infantry protection. It felt like we were being watched and it was difficult to tell who the enemy was - it was pretty scary."

Around 100 Taleban fighters, including a senior commander, were killed during the operation, which culminated in a battle on Christmas Day.

'Sacrifice'

The commander of Task Force Helmand, Brig Gordon Messenger of the Royal Marines, said the offensive described the offensive as "very successful".

He added: "It has not been without sacrifice, and we will forever remember the contribution of those who died."

Those killed during the offensive were Australian national Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21; Cpl Robert Deering, 33, from Solihull in the West Midlands; L/Cpl Ben Whatley, 20, of Tittleshall, Norfolk; and Marines Tony Evans, 20, from Sunderland, and Georgie Sparks, 19, from Epping.

The attack, which also involved Danish, Estonian and Afghan troops, began under cover of darkness on 7 December with an assault on insurgent positions in a village south of Nad-e-Ali.

The insurgents responded with 107mm rockets, but were forced to flee after being pounded with mortars, missiles and tank fire.

In a raid to the south of Lashkar Gah, troops also discovered a cache of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and drugs, including 400kg of opium with a street value of £2 million.

The offensive was put on hold from 8-10 December out of respect for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

But on December 11, Royal Marines from 42 Commando launched a ground and air assault on Nad-e-Ali, securing an area which had previously been a key insurgent base.

Over the following days, K Company - known as the Black Knights - waged battles in ditches and trenches to push back insurgents as Royal Engineers struggled to build patrol bases in terrain which had been turned into a sea of mud by heavy rain.

Meanwhile on 11 December, commandos backed by the 2nd Battalion The Princesses of Wales's Royal Regiment and soldiers from the Afghan National Army captured the town of Shin Kalay, west of Lashkar Gah.

The most ferocious fighting took place during the battle for Zarghun Kalay, north of Lashkar Gah, from 17-19 December.

Troops had "yomped" 60km through mud to get to the town before fighting a "canny and determined enemy" in 360-degree hand-to-hand combat, the Ministry of Defence said.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/u ... 810323.stm

Published: 2009/01/04 12:50:42 GMT

© BBC MMIX

[LIVIO2000]

Segun comunicado de la Coalicion, 32 rebeldes han muerto en la provincia de Laghman


http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/ar ... _3216.html

.- saludos

[Loopster]

El 42 Commando en la operación Sond Chara a la que hacía mención gato:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/isafmedia/ ... 040254067/

[Ucomartini]

EEUU y sus maneras de felicitar el año

http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/12/2009010 ... 02f3e.html


El jefe de operaciones de Al Qaida en Pakistán y su lugarteniente murieron la semana pasada, alcanzados por un misil estadounidense en las zonas tribales del noroeste, fronterizas con Afganistán, aseguraron responsables estadounidenses y paquistaníes.Se trata del keniano Usama al-Kini, considerado el jefe de operaciones de Al Qaida en Pakistán, y de su brazo derecho Sheij Ahmed Salim Swedan, indicó el jueves a la AFP un responsable estadounidense de la lucha antiterrorista, que quiso mantener el anonimato.

Las dos muertes fueron confirmadas este viernes a la AFP por unos altos responsables de los servicios de seguridad paquistaníes, que también pidieron el anonimato. Según ellos, murieron el 1 de enero alcanzados por un misil estadounidense disparado desde Afganistán, junto a tres otros combatientes de Al Qaida en el sector de Karikot del distrito tribal de Waziristán del Norte.

Los dos hombres figuraban en la lista de personas más peligrosas buscadas por el FBI, por su implicación en los atentados casi simultáneos contra las embajadas estadounidenses en Kenia y Tanzania en 1998.

Funcionarios estadounidenses señalan también a Usama al-Kini como responsable del atentado contra el hotel Marriott de Islamabad del pasado 20 de septiembre que mató a 60 personas.

También es considerado responsable de una tentativa de asesinato en Karachi de la ex primer ministra paquistaní Benazir Bhutto el 18 de octubre de 2007, en un atentado suicida devastador que mató a 139 personas.

Bhutto fue asesinada en un segundo atentado, el 27 de diciembre siguiente, en el que murieron otras 23 personas.

El responsable estadounidense se negó a dar más detalles sobre la muerte de los dos hombres.

Según el Washington Post, que fue el primero en revelar la noticia en su página web, murieron durante un ataque con misil el 1 de enero.

El diario cita a responsables de la lucha antiterrorista que afirman que al-Kini es el octavo alto responsable de Al Qaida muerto en ataques clandestinos de la CIA, la agencia central de inteligencia estadounidense, en las zonas tribales paquistaníes desde julio.

Los dos hombres estaban posiblemente planificando nuevos ataques, indicó un responsable al diario.

[kilo009]

El juez que lleva el caso del helicóptero Cougar que se estrelló en Afganistán y en el que fallecieron 17 militares españoles ha decidido tomar declaración, tres años y medio después, a los agentes del CNI que participaron en la investigación y ha reclamado al centro de inteligencia toda la documentación sobre el caso.

http://e-pesimo.blogspot.com/2009/01/ej ... -pide.html