AF/pak sweep m 2010 pakistan

1. 
   Two people were killed and political leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was injured on Monday when unknown gunmen opened fire at his election office of the political party, Awami Muslim League, in Rawalpindi. DAWN
   
2. 
   Pakistan's army says its forces have recaptured a key Taliban stronghold in a region near the Afghan border. A year ago, Pakistani forces had declared the group of villages called Damadola free of militants following a 2008 offensive.  But officials say Taliban and al-Qaida militants recently returned to defend the strategically-located stronghold north of Khar, the main town in the Bajaur tribal agency. Pakistan's military says its troops and a tribal militia, backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships, killed some 60 militants in the new offensive. VOA
   
3. 
   Police arrested six Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan members including a would-be suicide bomber from Shahdara area in Lahore on Monday. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, SSP Investigation Zulfikar Hameed said that the arrested TTP members were planning to target US nationals who used to stay in a five star hotel in Lahore. DAWN
   
4. 
   Some 95 people were arrested and a cache of arms recovered from their possession after rangers launched a crackdown in different parts of the city on Monday. GEO TV
   
   
5. 
   Unknown miscreants have blown up a gas pipeline with explosives located on western bypass in Quetta on Sunday. According to police sources, the gas pipeline was under construction when unidentified men blew it up with explosives, but however, the explosion did not result in suspension of gas supply to area. GEO TV
   
6. 
   An explosion occurred in a CDs’ market located in tehsil Jhand of Attock district, killing one person. According to details as released by police, unknown lawbreakers blew up with explosives two shops in a CD market. GEO TV
   
   

7. 
   US and Nato forces are set to launch in southern Afghanistan this week a major offensive being described as the biggest assault of its kind since Vietnam four decades ago. “Our basic strategy is, is to reverse the momentum of the Taliban; to deny them control of population centres and production centres,” said US Defence Secretary Robert Gates. A strike force of 15,000 US, British and Afghan troops will participate in this offensive in the Helmand province, aided by the biggest air assault since the first Gulf War of 1991. In Britain, military officials have warned the public to “steel itself” for large numbers of casualties in this offensive named ‘Operation Moshtarak’. Meanwhile, media reports from Afghanistan say that hundreds of civilians have begun fleeing the area before the anticipated Nato offensive. Nato helicopters have dropped leaflets in and around Marja, warning people of the impending assault. DAWN
   
8. 
   Taliban militants are digging in ahead of a major Nato operation in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Abdullah Nasrat, a Taliban commander in Nad Ali district where Marjah is located, told Reuters by telephone there were some 2,000 militants ready to fight to the death. BBC
   
9. 
   Hundreds of villagers living in a Taliban-controlled area of southern Afghanistan are leaving before a major Nato-led offensive gets under way. The operation to clear insurgents from the southern town of Marjah, in Helmand province, is expected to begin soon. Nato says the town of Marjah is home to the biggest community under insurgent control in southern Afghanistan. Operation Moshtarak - which means "together" in the Dari language - is expected to be launched within the next few days. Provincial officials said about 35,000 residents of Marjah were taking the advice and heading to other parts of Helmand. But the International Committee of the Red Cross said there was no way to count how many people had left Marjah. Many are thought to have gone to stay with relatives or found other accomodation in nearby towns, rather than applying for emergency aid . BBC
   
10. 
    A police constable opened fire Sunday night killing one of his colleagues and wounding four others in Afghanistan's western Herat province . In another incident, an explosion rocked a bazaar in Shindand district on Sunday and wounding two brothers. XINHUA
    
11. 
    Washington is not in “direct contact” with the Taliban as part of efforts after January’s London conference on Afghanistan to re-integrate insurgents, US envoy Richard Holbrooke said on Sunday. “The press, since London, has been kind of obsessed with the idea that there are all sorts of secret talks going on with the Taliban. So I want to state very clearly that our nation is not involved in any direct contacts with the Taliban,” Holbrooke said at an international security conference in Germany. Washington and its allies agreed in London to support Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s efforts to persuade insurgents not ideologically committed to the Taliban or Al Qaeda to abandon fighting in favour of the prospect of jobs. DAWN
    
    
12. 
    A senior Afghan policeman has been arrested in connection with planting and storing roadside bombs, Nato officials said. The policeman was held by Afghan and coalition forces in northern Parwan province on Friday. BBC
    
13. 
    Afghan authorities said Monday they had arrested a district administrator who was allegedly feeding information to the Taliban on movements of Afghan and coalition forces in a northern part of the country where insurgent attacks have increased over the past year. The administrator, who goes by the single name Aminullah, was detained Thursday by Afghanistan's intelligence service. He is the second official arrested in the past week. WSJ
    
14. 
    Children are being forced to plant roadside bombs near British army bases in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters are forcing children to lay improvised explosive devices (IEDs) because they know British troops will not shoot them. Boys as young as 12 are running the risk of carrying the basic, highly volatile devices, which sometimes explode before they can be put in place. Army commanders say the children’s parents and families are likely to have been threatened by the Taliban into letting their children carry out the work. SOS Children
    
15. 
    Two British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the UK death toll in the conflict to that of the 1982 Falklands war, with the government warning of further casualties. The soldiers from the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed by an explosion in Sangin, southern Helmand province, last night, the Ministry of Defence said. A total of 255 British servicemen and women have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. The total matches the death toll of British armed forces in the 700-day Falklands war in 1982 – a conflict that also cost the lives of 655 Argentinians. Guardian
    
    
16. 
    Two Swedish soldiers, a 28-year-old captain, and a 31-year-old lieutenant, as well as an Afghan interpreter were killed by fire from a handgun in Afghanistan on Sunday. A third Swede, a 21-year-old soldier, was injured, and he was taken to a German field hospital in Marmal, just outside Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the Swedish Defence Forces. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported on Monday that the gunman wore an Afghan police uniform. It was not immediately known if the uniform was a disguise, or if the assailant was a police officer. Helsingin Sanomat
    
17. 
    British forces are relying increasingly on unmanned drones to attack targets in Afghanistan, mirroring controversial tactics used by the US. New Ministry of Defence figures show the RAF has fired 84 missiles from Reaper drones since they were first deployed there in June 2008, with more than 20 being fired over the past two months. The RAF has not disclosed the number of US-made Reapers deployed in Afghanistan, but say they will double the total over the next two years. Defence chiefs say they have been slow to recognise their potential, both in a surveillance role and as a weapons carrier. They are launched from a base in Kandahar, but are controlled remotely thousands of miles away by a squadron of some 90 RAF personnel based at Creech US air force base in Nevada. Guardian
    
18. 
    Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that he was mulling a return to a conscript army, as he seeks to build his insurgency-hit nation's security forces over the next five years. Conscription was compulsory in Afghanistan between the ages of 18 and 45 up until 1992. "By the year 2012, we in Afghanistan we should have at least 300,000 of our army and police force that is trained and equipped, that is able to take leading responsibility in a greater part of the country," he said. ILNA
    

RAWALPINDI: Two people were killed and political leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was injured on Monday when unknown gunmen opened fire at his election office in Rawalpindi.

According to a DawnNews report, unknown gunmen opened fire at the election office of Rasheed’s political party, Awami Muslim League.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/07-sheikh-rasheed-injured-two-killed-in-gun-attack-ha-01
2.)

Pakistan Army Recaptures NW Militant Stronghold
07 February 2010

Pakistan's army says its forces have recaptured a key Taliban stronghold in a region near the Afghan border.

A year ago, Pakistani forces had declared the group of villages called Damadola free of militants following a 2008 offensive.  But officials say Taliban and al-Qaida militants recently returned to defend the strategically-located stronghold north of Khar, the main town in the Bajaur tribal agency.

Pakistan's military says its troops and a tribal militia, backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships, killed some 60 militants in the new offensive.  The military's account has not been independently verified because aid workers and journalists are largely barred from the region.

Damadola has been the site of several U.S. drone missile strikes in recent years targeting al-Qaida leaders.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Pakistan-Army-Recaptures-NW-Militant-Stronghold-83758132.html

LAHORE: Police arrested six Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan members including a would-be suicide bomber from Shahdara area in Lahore on Monday.

The SSP Investigation revealed that one suicide jacket, 26 hand grenades, four kilograms of drugs and explosives were recovered from the arrested TTP members.

Those arrested include Abdul Baseer alias Qari Waqas resident of Khyber Agency, alleged would-be suicide bomber Mohiuddin alias Saifullah resident of Chitral, Abdur Rehman Ghani resident of District Dir, Skhai Shah and Tehsil Khan both residents of Mohmand Agency and Dilawar Saeed of District Mardan.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/03-six-ttp-suspects-arrested-in-lahore-ss-07

4.)

95 held, arms seized in Karachi crackdown
Updated at: 1901 PST,  Monday, February 08, 2010

KARACHI: Some 95 people were arrested and a cache of arms recovered from their possession after rangers launched a crackdown in different parts of the city on Monday.

According to rangers’ spokesman, 95 people were held from different parts of the city in a crackdown against the terrorists and anti-social elements.

They were arrested from Federal B Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Sohrab Goth, North Nazimabad, Baldia Town, Orangi Town and other areas, he said.

The spokesman said that the arrested people were shifted to undisclosed locations for interrorgatin.

He said that 2 Kalashnikovs, 42 pistols, 7 repeaters, 8 rifles and 1396 bullets were also seized during the crackdown.

QUETTA: Unknown miscreants have blown up a gas pipeline with explosives located on western bypass here in Quetta on Sunday, Geo news reported.

According to police sources, the gas pipeline was under construction when unidentified men blew it up with explosives, but however, the explosion did not result in suspension of gas supply to area.

Police officials said they have commenced investigation into incident.

ATTOCK: An explosion occurred in a CDs’ market located in tehsil Jhand of Attock district, killing one person on the spot, Geo news reported.

According to details as released by police, unknown lawbreakers blew up with explosives two shops in a CD market which resulted in death of a person who remained unidentified.

The explosion left two shops completely shattered while police have commenced investigation, sources said.

http://www.geo.tv/2-8-2010/58768.htm

AFGHANISTAN

7.)

US, Nato plan big offensive in Helmand
Monday, 08 Feb, 2010 | 05:05 AM PST | 

WASHINGTON: US and Nato forces are set to launch in southern Afghanistan this week a major offensive being described as the biggest assault of its kind since Vietnam four decades ago.

“Our basic strategy is, is to reverse the momentum of the Taliban; to deny them control of population centres and production centres,” said US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

A strike force of 15,000 US, British and Afghan troops will participate in this offensive in the Helmand province, aided by the biggest air assault since the first Gulf War of 1991.

US officials, while reluctant to endorse the media’s ‘exaggeration’, did acknowledge that it would be the largest offensive in the eight-year Afghan war.

The offensive, which includes a series of raids into the most dangerous areas of central Helmand, may begin within a week, although US and Nato officials are refusing to give a date.

“That’s as specific as I’d want to be. But it’s going to be relatively soon,” says Gen Stanley McChrystal, who commands US and Nato forces in Afghanistan.

A transcript released by the Pentagon this weekend, also quoted Secretary Gates as saying that they want to degrade the militants’ “capabilities to the point where a larger and better-trained Afghan national security force can manage the Taliban threat on a domestic basis and so that the security presence (of the international forces) can begin to diminish”.

In Britain, military officials have warned the public to “steel itself” for large numbers of casualties in this offensive named ‘Operation Moshtarak’.

Meanwhile, media reports from Afghanistan say that hundreds of civilians have begun fleeing the area before the anticipated Nato offensive.

Nato helicopters have dropped leaflets in and around Marja, warning people of the impending assault.

“We’re trying to signal to the Afghan people that we are expanding security where they live. We are trying also to signal to the insurgents, the Taliban primarily in this area and the narco-traffickers, that it’s about to change,” said Gen McChrystal.

“If they want to fight, then obviously that will have to be an outcome. But if they don’t want to fight, that’s fine too. If they want to reintegrate into the government … we’re not interested in how many Taliban we kill.”
 
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/us%2C-nato-plan-big-offensive-in-helmand-820

8.)

Taliban getting ready for major fight
Monday, 08 Feb, 2010 | 02:35 AM PST | 

LASHKAR GAH: Taliban militants are digging in ahead of a major Nato operation in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

“The Taliban are not going to leave Marjah. We have seen them preparing themselves. They are bringing in people and weapons. We know there is going to be a big fight,” said Abdul Manan, a man from Marjah.

“The Taliban are very active in Marjah. They are planting mines there and in the surrounding areas,” said villager Abdul Khaleq after arriving in Lashkar Gah.

Abdullah Nasrat, a Taliban commander in Nad Ali district where Marjah is located, told Reuters by telephone there were some 2,000 militants ready to fight to the death.

“We are well prepared and will fight until the end. We don’t have sophisticated weapons like the Americans with tanks and aeroplanes, but we have Islamic zeal. That is the power we have to fight against the infidels,” he said. — Reuters

Hundreds of villagers living in a Taliban-controlled area of southern Afghanistan are leaving before a major Nato-led offensive gets under way.

It is expected to be one of the largest counter-insurgency operations since the Afghan conflict began in 2001.

The operation to clear insurgents from the southern town of Marjah, in Helmand province, is expected to begin soon.

Meanwhile two British solders have been killed by a bomb in Helmand. They were not involved in the Marjah operation.

The two soldiers were on foot patrol in Sangin when they were killed by a roadside bomb on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence said.

'Scared'

Nato says the town of Marjah is home to the biggest community under insurgent control in southern Afghanistan.

Operation Moshtarak - which means "together" in the Dari language - is expected to be launched within the next few days.

ANALYSIS

Within the next few days thousands of British, US and Afghan assault support troops are due to move into an area of central Helmand province, dominated until now by insurgents and drug lords.

The British general in overall command, Maj Gen Nick Carter, insists this will be different from previous operations where coalition forces have driven out the Taliban, then had too few troops to maintain security.

Afghan forces will be followed up by the introduction of large numbers of newly trained police supported by the coalition, he says.

Nato aircraft dropped more leaflets over Marjah at the weekend warning of the planned offensive.

Villagers said the leaflets gave the names of several alleged militant commanders and told fighters to leave the area or be killed, the Associated Press reports.

One resident, Gul Muhammed, told AFP news agency why he had left town.

"There are Taliban all over the place and foreign troops around Marjah," he said. "So I was scared that we might get hurt."

Another man, Mohammad Hakim, was heading to Lashkar Gah with his wife, nine sons, four daughters and grandchildren.

"Everybody is worried that they'll get caught in the middle when this operation starts," he told the Associated Press.

"I can stay for one or two weeks," he said. "But if I have to leave my agriculture land for months and months, then how will I feed my family?"

Provincial officials said about 35,000 residents of Marjah were taking the advice and heading to other parts of Helmand.

But the International Committee of the Red Cross said there was no way to count how many people had left Marjah.

Many are thought to have gone to stay with relatives or found other accomodation in nearby towns, rather than applying for emergency aid.

'Big test'

The forthcoming offensive will be the first major military action since US President Barack Obama announced the deployment of 30,000 extra US troops.

MARJAH: 'TALIBAN STRONGHOLD'

Town and district about 40km (25 miles) south-west of Lashkar Gah
Lies in Helmand's 'Green Zone' - an irrigated area of lush vegetation and farmland
Last remaining major Taliban stronghold in southern Helmand
Area considered a centre for assembling roadside bombs
Key supply centre for opium poppies - lucrative revenue source for Taliban
Estimates of Taliban numbers range up to 1,000
Population of Marjah town put at 80,000 while the whole of Marjah district is thought to have 125,000

Planning has been under way for weeks.

The British general in overall command of the operation, Maj Gen Nick Carter, has told the BBC this will be the first big test for President Obama's new strategy in Afghanistan.

For the first time, Gen Carter said, Afghan forces would be at the forefront of planning the operation. Afghan police would provide support after initial military operations.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, at the regional headquarters in Kandahar, says that commanders are aware of the Afghan police's sometimes dubious reputation and are preparing to monitor their performance during the operation.

The overall Nato commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, said the operation would "send a strong signal that the Afghan government is expanding its security control".

Late on Sunday, UK Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth warned of likely casualties among coalition troops during the offensive.

Story from BBC NEWS:

February 08, 2010  

A police constable opened fire killing one of his colleagues and wounding four others in Afghanistan's western Herat province while explosion claimed the lives of two civilians there, officials said Monday.

In the first incident, according to police spokesman in west Afghanistan Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, a police constable opened fire on his colleagues Sunday night killing one police constable and injuring four others.

Ahmadi also added that the culprit after opening fire and killing a police constable run away but on the way his car rammed into a tree and badly injured.

In another incident, an explosion rocked a bazaar in Shindand district on Sunday and wounding two brothers, governor of Shindand district Lal Mohammad Omarzai told Xinhua.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6890941.html

MUNICH: Washington is not in “direct contact” with the Taliban as part of efforts after January’s London conference on Afghanistan to re-integrate insurgents, US envoy Richard Holbrooke said on Sunday.

“The press, since London, has been kind of obsessed with the idea that there are all sorts of secret talks going on with the Taliban. So I want to state very clearly that our nation is not involved in any direct contacts with the Taliban,” Holbrooke said at an international security conference in Germany.

Washington and its allies agreed in London to support Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s efforts to persuade insurgents not ideologically committed to the Taliban or Al Qaeda to abandon fighting in favour of the prospect of jobs.

Holbrooke said that this would run “in parallel” to military efforts, stepped up with the sending of almost 40,000 more international troops to join the 110,000 already there, and the training of Afghan security forces.

“Every Pashtun family in the south either has relatives or friends who are fighting with, or associate with, the Taliban. That’s just a matter of fact, that’s just the situation,” Holbrooke said at the conference in Munich.

“The majority of people fighting with the Taliban are not ideologically committed either to Al Qaeda or (Taliban chief) Mullah Omar, and that is what the integration programme is all about.” He added: “The number one issue is that anyone who wants to reconcile, reintegrate or anything has to sever any ties, any involvement with Al Qaeda. For the majority of the people fighting with the Taliban that is an easy decision. But for the leadership it may be difficult.”

Reports after the London talks said that the outgoing UN special representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, had met with Taliban figures on January 8 at their request -- claims vehemently denied by the Taliban.

“Of course you saw that the UN senior representative said he had contacts.

That’s up to him, there have been other contacts, there is lots of track-two diplomacy,” said Holbrooke, who is US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Karzai, also in Munich, said Afghans “with no ideological opposition” to the Afghan government had been driven into the arms of the Taliban because of their lack of prospects and would “return to normalcy” if given “incentives.”—AFP

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/18-us-not-in-direct-contact-with-taliban-am-01

A senior Afghan policeman has been arrested in connection with planting and storing roadside bombs, Nato officials said.

The policeman was held by Afghan and coalition forces in northern Parwan province on Friday.

A Nato statement said that the policeman was "linked to criminal activities, including a murder."

Roadside bombs are frequently used to attack foreign and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, correspondents say.

Taliban fighters make roadside bombs, known as IEDs (improvised explosive devices), from mines and explosives.

They are activated by pressure plates, trip wires or mobile phones.

As foreign troops have become better at detecting IEDs, the militants have become more sophisticated in modifying their designs, our correspondent adds.

In November 2009 five British soldiers were killed by an Afghan policeman they were mentoring.

Correspondents say policemen in Afghanistan are badly equipped and poorly paid.

Many in the force complain that they are neglected and morale in many police units is low.

Story from BBC NEWS:

KABUL—Afghan authorities said Monday they had arrested a district administrator who was allegedly feeding information to the Taliban on movements of Afghan and coalition forces in a northern part of the country where insurgent attacks have increased over the past year.

The administrator, who goes by the single name Aminullah, was detained Thursday by Afghanistan's intelligence service, the National Security Directorate, said Abdul Ghani Sabery, deputy governor of northern Badghis province, where the arrest took place.

He is the second official arrested in the past week; a senior police officer was arrested on Sunday in central Afghanistan by North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces for allegedly aiding the Taliban.

Mr. Aminullah, chief of the Bala Murghab district in Badghis, was arrested because "both the provincial government and (NATO) forces had some information about Mr. Aminullah leaking information and intelligence to the insurgents and being involved in corruption," Mr. Sabery said.

U.S. and allied commanders have long suspected that many mid-level officials in Afghanistan aid the Taliban, although arrests have been infrequent until now.

Both Afghan and international forces appear to be getting more aggressive as they push to reverse the Taliban's battlefield momentum.

Meanwhile, four soldiers from NATO's Afghanistan task force were killed in two separate attacks, officials said Monday.

A pair of British soldiers died when a roadside bomb hit their foot patrol in the southern province of Helmand, Britain's Defense Ministry said in a statement. The deaths brought the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 255, matching the total casualties sustained in Britain's 1982 war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

Also on Sunday, two Swedish solders were killed in a gun battle that began when insurgents ambushed their patrol convoy near the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, NATO forces said in a statement.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703630404575053113632155510.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
14.)

Taliban make children plant Afghanistan bombs
Feb 08, 2010 02:22 PM

Children are being forced to plant roadside bombs near British army bases in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters are forcing children to lay improvised explosive devices (IEDs) because they know British troops will not shoot them.

Boys as young as 12 are running the risk of carrying the basic, highly volatile devices, which sometimes explode before they can be put in place. Army commanders say the children’s parents and families are likely to have been threatened by the Taliban into letting their children carry out the work.

“In the past few days alone we have had five cases of children who have been exposed to blasts which have caused severe damage to or loss of hands and fingers,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jedge Lewin. The surgeon, 41, posted with 3 Rifles Battle Group told The Mail on Sunday: “Children can pick up small explosive  devices when they are playing or handle detonators when forced to plant IEDs. This is a cowardly Taliban tactic and when children are suffering the consequences, it’s particularly sickening.” The 3 Rifles Battle Group have been fighting the Taliban in Sangin, Helmand Province, for the past four months.

Soldiers say they have seen insurgents sending out boys to lay IEDs, sometimes only 150 yards from British  positions. One said: “The Taliban know that if they get caught in the sights of our snipers, they don’t last long,  so they have resorted to hiding behind compound walls and directing children to plant bombs for them “Lots of home-made IEDs detonate before they have even been laid, but the Taliban don’t seem to care whether a child gets killed or maimed. Some boys are as young as 12.” It comes as thousands of British, US and Afghan troops mount the biggest push in the campaign to wipe out the last  Taliban strongholds in Helmand Province. More than 9,500 British troops have been joined by 30,000 US marines and a  large force of Afghan National Army soldiers in the biggest offensive since the conflict began in 2001. Operation

Moshtarak, which means ‘work together’, aims to force insurgents out of all populated areas by the end of the year. Colonel Richard Kemp, former head of British forces in Afghanistan, said: “the Taliban have long used civilians, men  and women, to draw enemy fire from their positions and the recent use of young children is a sad extension of this.  It shows that they’re increasingly desperate. Tactics like this cannot be used indefinitely.”

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children

http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/taliban-make-children-plant-afghanistan-bombs

15.)

Afghanistan death toll matches Falklands as two British soldiers die
Monday 8 February 2010 14.40 GMT

Two British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the UK death toll in the conflict to that of the 1982 Falklands war, with the government warning of further casualties.

The soldiers from the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed by an explosion in Sangin, southern Helmand province, last night, the Ministry of Defence said. Their families have been informed.

The soldiers, who were serving with 3 Rifles Battle Group in Sangin, were killed by an improvised bomb.

"They were on a foot patrol bringing security to local people near patrol base Wishtan when the explosion caught them," said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for British forces in Helmand. "Two of our comrades have been cruelly taken from us, but their bravery and fortitude will not be forgotten".

The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, said that it was "imperative" for Britain to hold its resolve in the wake of the latest casualties. "We should not forget that each and every death of a member of our armed forces is a tragedy of equal proportion," he said.

"We have seen an intense, hard and bloody period in Afghanistan but, as we prepare to consolidate our progress with the launch of operation Moshtarak, it is imperative that we hold our resolve. The national security of the UK and the safety of its citizens depends on that." Operation Moshtarak, a major offensive against the Taliban, is due to begin in the coming days

Ainsworth said: "Our presence in Afghanistan is vital in preventing it from once again becoming a haven for terrorists who would seek to threaten the UK. In taking the fight to the insurgents, providing security and hope for the Afghan people and building up their own security forces, we will – and must – succeed."

A total of 255 British servicemen and women have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. The total matches the death toll of British armed forces in the 700-day Falklands war in 1982 – a conflict that also cost the lives of 655 Argentinians.

Simon Weston, a Welsh Guardsman who suffered serious burns when his troopship, the Sir Galahad, was bombed in the Falklands, said: "For the Afghanistan death toll to reach that of the Falklands strikes me as very sad.

"It has taken a long time to get to this figure … and has been very dramatic for our boys and girls and the allies over there. But you now have to ask yourself how many more are going to die – is it going to exceed the figure of Northern Ireland even?"

But Weston insisted troops should not be pulled out of Afghanistan. "We can't let the Taliban back in to conduct themselves the way they did before," he said.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defence staff, said the milestone would "attract attention" but the work of the troops would continue regardless. "In theatre our people continue resolutely and courageously with the task of assisting Afghans to build their own future."

US and British military commanders have been briefing openly about operation Moshtarak, clearly in the hope that Taliban fighters will either lay down their arms or flee.

Taliban fighters have said they intend to defend the town of Marja, the first target for US and Afghan forces, with the help of foreign fighters.

Ainsworth has warned that British casualties are a "very real risk" during Moshtarak. "This is not a safe environment and it doesn't matter how much kit and equipment we provide for them, we cannot entirely make these operations risk-free," he said.

He said British commanders and Afghan forces had been talking to disaffected Afghans in an attempt to draw them away from the insurgency. "This is not about slaughtering people. This war will not be won by killing Taliban, it will be won in the hearts and the minds of the Afghan people."

General Abdul Rahim Wardak, the Afghan defence minister, said in a statement: ''I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of the 255th UK serviceman who paid the ultimate price on operations in Afghanistan. On behalf of the Afghan government, the ANSF [security forces] and the Afghan people I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of all those who have died."

Their sacrifice was not in vain, he said. "The scourge of extremism and terrorism affects us all and we will continue to confront it together. I look forward to the day when the Afghan security forces are able to take full responsibility for Afghanistan's security. We are trying very hard to make this day happen as soon as possible."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/08/uk-soldiers-killed-afghanistan/print

16.)

Two Swedish soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Monday 8.2.2010

Two Swedish soldiers, a 28-year-old captain, and a 31-year-old lieutenant, as well as an Afghan interpreter were killed by fire from a handgun in Afghanistan on Sunday. A third Swede, a 21-year-old soldier, was injured, and he was taken to a German field hospital in Marmal, just outside Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the Swedish Defence Forces. The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported on Monday that the gunman wore an Afghan police uniform. It was not immediately known if the uniform was a disguise, or if the assailant was a police officer.

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Two+Swedish+soldiers+killed+in+Afghanistan/1135252718528

Sunday 7 February 2010

British forces are relying increasingly on unmanned drones to attack targets in Afghanistan, mirroring controversial tactics used by the US.

New Ministry of Defence figures show the RAF has fired 84 missiles from Reaper drones since they were first deployed there in June 2008, with more than 20 being fired over the past two months.

The RAF has not disclosed the number of US-made Reapers deployed in Afghanistan, but say they will double the total over the next two years. Defence chiefs say they have been slow to recognise their potential, both in a surveillance role and as a weapons carrier.

They are launched from a base in Kandahar, but are controlled remotely thousands of miles away by a squadron of some 90 RAF personnel based at Creech US air force base in Nevada.

The drones can carry out surveillance – what the RAF describe as a "staring eye" – of the battlefield around the clock, far longer than conventional manned aircraft. They are highly suitable in Afghanistan where they are not generally vulnerable to enemy fire, defence officials say.

Once a target has been identified, the RAF remote controllers can instruct the drones to fire their two 500lb laser-guided bombs and four Hellfire missiles.

The MoD does not specify how the missiles have been used, arguing the details would hinder operational effectiveness. However, defence sources say the drones are used against a wide variety of targets, especially "high-value targets" – a reference to Taliban commanders. They are often called in by British special forces and army commanders on the ground.

Missiles from a US drone flying over South Waziristan in Pakistan's tribal region are believed to have killed Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban chief last year. Highly publicised CIA attacks on Taliban and al-Qaida suspects on both sides of the Pakistan-Aghanistan border have been criticised for killing civilian bystanders and violating Pakistan's sovereignty.

The MoD says there have been no reports of RAF drones killing civilians.

The rules governing the firing of the Reapers' missiles "are no different to those used for manned combat aircraft, the weapons are all precision guided and every effort is made to ensure the risk of collateral damage and civilian casualties is minimised", a defence official said.

There has been a long debate within defence circles about the legality of firing weapons from such a distance and about the authority given to drone controllers.

Chris Cole, director of the interfaith peace campaign Fellowship of Reconciliation, who used freedom of information legislation to shed light on the Reapers, said: "Drones are the latest in a long line of new weapons used in the mistaken belief that they will provide a clean and tidy solution to a conflict – time and again history has proved that this is a myth."

He added: "We have a number of serious concerns not least because there is a picture beginning to emerge of high civilian casualties. In addition, the use of armed drones to target specific individuals could amount to summary or arbitrary execution."

Philip Alston, a UN human rights special rapporteur, warned in October that the US use of drones to kill militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan may violate international law. He called on the US to explain the legal basis for killing individuals with its drones. Many US intelligence officials view the Predator drones as their most important weapon against al-Qaida.CIA director Leon Panetta called them the "only game in town" last year.

The RAF is also flying small manned twin turboprop Beechcraft King Air planes to complement surveillance missions undertaken by the unmanned Reapers. They are equipped with sophisticated infrared radar and antennae for electronic and communications eavesdropping.

The MoD bought an initial batch of six Reaper drones from the US firm General Atomics, at a reported cost of £6m. One of the drones crashed in Afghanistan in 2008 in what defence secretary Bob Ainsworth called "a forced landing".

The drawbacks
Army commanders want more and more unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs, or drones as they are commonly known – because they give round-the-clock surveillance and can attack targets without needing to use troops.

However, their use, as they are set to be deployed more and more, raises questions.

Their "pilots" sit in front of computer screens thousands of miles away. Despite technology, drones cannot be subjected to the same decision-making as can an aircraft. A real pilot can make a split-second decision to divert a bomb or missile after it is fired. It is more difficult for UAV pilots to do this.

UAVs also suffer failures. Their use as weapons raises questions about rules of engagement, in turn raising legal and even ethical issues. And though unmanned, it takes about 100 personnel to ensure they function properly, including flying the routes they have been programmed to do.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/07/raf-drones-afghanistan
 

18.)

Afghan President seeks conscript army

ILNA: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that he was mulling a return to a conscript army, as he seeks to build his insurgency-hit nation's security forces over the next five years.

"This will be philosophically one of our pursuits as we move ahead, into the future, in consultation with the Afghan people," Karzai told senior officials and security experts at a conference in Munich, southern Germany.

"Right now we have a volunteer system, which means an army entirely paid for, and professionals," he said, but noted: "As in other countries, Afghanistan had a strong tradition of conscript army."

Conscription was compulsory in Afghanistan between the ages of 18 and 45 up until 1992.

Karzai's remarks come as NATO and its partners strive to build the Afghan army and police up so they can take responsibility for national security, allowing international forces to gradually withdraw.

"By the year 2012, we in Afghanistan we should have at least 300,000 of our army and police force that is trained and equipped, that is able to take leading responsibility in a greater part of the country," he said.

"This also means that in five years, Afghanistan should be able to provide responsibility for its people, so we are no longer a burden on the shoulders of the international community," he added.

Nations in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have amassed around 40,000 extra troops and have begun deploying them in Afghanistan as part of a new counter-insurgency strategy.

http://www.ilna.ir/fullStory.aspx?ID=107064