- Why is the Defence Minister issuing a statement for Fathers’ Day (full text at Scribd.com here if link doesn’t work)? Considering I missed seeing any such message for Mothers’ Day for May 8. And I’m hoping the Minister also wanted to thank the dads keeping family together and sorted out while mom’s deployed, too. I’m also hoping whoever writes these things keep that in mind next time. Meanwhile, a belated salute to all dads, deployed or waiting for someone deployed to come home.
- Afghanistan (1) Buh-bye Zangabad. “The road to Zangabad is lined with graves and for many years was littered with mines, but for Canadian troops it is now memory lane. The place they fought hard for over so many years, a place they occupied for the first time last fall, was quietly handed over to the Americans on Sunday as the withdrawal of the Canadian army from Kandahar hit full stride. Alpha Company 1st Battalion Royal 22e Regiment, which rolled into the notorious Taliban redoubt as part of NATO’s major offensive last year, pulled back to Kandahar Airfield as a first step on the long journey home. “Au revoir, Zangabad,” the radio crackled on Sunday morning as the last Canadian light armoured vehicles rolled out the gate of the region’s main forward operating base ….”
- Afghanistan (2) “As Canada leaves the killing fields of Panjwaii over the next few weeks, the last commander to be responsible for formerly Taliban-held territory to the west of Kandahar City says that what has been accomplished should be measured in the number of villages and clusters of compounds visited, the number of meetings held with village elders and the huge advances made by Afghan security forces. “There was a constant shift from what is contested or in the hands of the insurgents to less contested or in the hands of the ANSF,” said Lt.-Col. Michel-Henri St. Louis, during a long interview reflecting on what his 1 Royal 22e Regiment battle group had achieved during its tour. “This month is significantly less violent that the same month last year. There are fewer casualties. Locals feel more secure. This is true from the district governor down to the people in the bazaar.” ….”
- Taliban Propaganda Watch: 40+ claimed killed, wounded in alleged attacks in Kandahar, Zabul.
- Nathan Hornburg, 1983-2007, R.I.P.: Armoured recovery vehicle named in honour of fallen.
- “The Canadian military is trying to understand why female personnel in their early 40s were more than twice as likely to die from suicide as their civilian counterparts. Groundbreaking research by the Canadian Forces, Statistics Canada and Veterans Affairs has shown a statistically significant increase in the number of suicide deaths in female service members between the ages of 40 to 44. The Canadian Forces Cancer and Mortality Study also found a similar increase in women of the same age who have been released from the military. “We’re a little bit surprised,” Col. Colin MacKay, director of Force Health Protection and co-chair of the study’s advisory committee, said in Ottawa. “This was information we hadn’t had before and is very important information…because we can now start to look at it more carefully.” Researchers can’t explain the increase for that age group, but MacKay cautions it involves a small number of women over a 35-year period ….”
- What’s Canada Buying? (1) The “Who Builds the Big Honkin’ Ships” sweepstakes heat up. “Jobs and Innovation Minister Pat Bell is not revealing details of any B.C. backing for Seaspan’s shipbuilding bid for fear of tipping off competitors in other provinces. “We anticipate being involved in extensive training programs, as well as some creative opportunities to make sure we support Seaspan and that we provide them with a bid that is certainly competitive across Canada,” Bell said in a briefing on Friday. As for specifics, “We don’t want to reveal that information” to others vying for the work, he said. North Vancouver-based Seaspan is one of four shortlisted companies competing for one of two federal shipbuilding packages worth a total of $33 billion. Seaspan owns Vancouver Shipyards, Vancouver Drydock and Victoria Shipyards in Esquimalt ….” More from The Canadian Press here.
- What’s Canada Buying? (2) 150,000 tubes of cam paint – specs available here (via Army.ca)
Tag: Kandahar City
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 9 Apr 11
- Cpl. Yannick Scherrer, Royal 22e Régiment, R.I.P. “Family and friends packed a chapel at CFB Valcartier on Friday to bid farewell to Cpl. Yannick Scherrer, remembering Canada’s most recent combat casualty as a natural leader who embraced life to the fullest. Scherrer died on March 27 when he was killed by an improvised explosive device near the village of Nakhonay, southwest of Kandahar city. Capt. Monique Roumy, the chaplain who conducted the service, said Scherrer had taken on a career that is not always easy. “Our people in uniform are sometimes misunderstood, stereotyped and judged for what they are and what they represent,” she said. “Despite the looks and the unflattering remarks they get, a soldier marches straight and does what he or she must do because it is not just a job — it’s a vocation.” ….”
- Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, “A dreary makeshift military outpost at the extreme western edge of the Horn of Panjwaii is literally the end of the road for a mammoth, 18-kilometre long, $10-million Canadian-led construction project. When the last three kilometres are completed later this month, the road — which NATO forces call Route Hyena and Canadian Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner calls “a dagger through the heart of the Taliban” — should benefit generations of hardscrabble farmers in what is arguably the poorest corner of one of the poorest countries on earth. Until a few months ago the Taliban freely roamed the Horn, protected from ground attack by hundreds of improvised explosive devices. As elsewhere, they terrified the local population, threatening to kill them if they did not co-operate ….”
- Remember the possible deal for Canada to buy torpedo conversion kits from the U.S. (5th item)? Here’s the latest version from The Canadian Press: “Canada’s navy is waiting to hear back from the U.S. regarding the purchase of $125 million worth of torpedo refit kits so it can properly arm its four Victoria-class submarines. At the moment, none of the British-built diesel boats is capable of firing the navy’s current stock of MK 48 torpedoes. Any sale of American made military equipment to a foreign government must be approved by Congress. “The Canadian government submitted a letter of request for these things,” said Paul Ebner of the Defence Security Co-operation Agency, the office in Washington that oversees the clearance of such sales. “We’ve notified Congress and if there’s no objections over the 30-day review period we put together a letter of acceptance.” In a release issued March 23, the agency backs the sale on national security grounds, saying it will improve the security of a NATO ally that “continues to be a key democratic partner of the United States in ensuring peace and stability.” ….”
- CBC’s angle on the torpedo conversion (without an identified, or even described, source): they’ll need more converting to be used in Canada’s subs. “Canada’s navy plans to spend about $120 million to upgrade 36 torpedoes, but they still won’t work in its four submarines without further refits, CBC News has learned. The navy has MK-48 American torpedoes in stock, but the four British-built submarines aren’t capable of firing them. Even after the weapons are converted, Canada would still have to spend millions more to refit the submarines to fire them. Defence Minister Peter MacKay confirmed the plans on Friday but said no decision had been made about the procurement. “Of course I know about it,” MacKay said during a campaign stop with Conservative MP Gerald Keddy in Bridgewater, N.S. “There’s absolutely no decision taken at this point. The Department of National Defence is continuously looking at different procurements whether it be munitions, whether it be new equipment.” ….”
- Election 2011 (x) – “All the federal party leaders were criticized Friday by Ret. Gen. Rick Hillier, perhaps Canada’s best known soldier, for avoiding a serious debate during their election campaigns about Canada’s role in the Libyan conflict. In an interview on the CBC radio show The Current, Hillier, the outspoken former Chief of Defence Staff, routinely said he was “puzzled” over the relative silence from the campaign buses as Canadian involvement in Libya enters its third week. “What is puzzling to me, personally, is that we’ve had really no discussion in our country whatsoever about this,” Hillier said. “It hasn’t come up during the election campaign whatsoever. And again, here we are at war. We’ve been doing this in Afghanistan — we’ve had immense discussion — huge amounts of discussion, on the mission in Afghanistan, including parliamentary debates. “Here in Canada, right now, it’s actually silent on what is happening in Libya.” ….”
- Election 2011 (1) – Greens on defence: “…. the Canadian military should stay in Afghanistan, but only under a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Canada would assist Afghanistan’s domestic affairs, including poverty, economic development, amplifying the nation’s government and public institutions and help develop the military and police force ….”
- Election 2011 (2) – NDP promises ships over jets: “Jack Layton says the NDP would prioritize investment in naval ships over new fighter jets as part of a broader plan to refocus Canada’s defence policy. “Instead of focusing on F-35 fighter jets, I’ll get the job done when it comes to building joint support ships for our naval forces,” he said Friday from Esquimalt, B.C. The NDP would also commit to developing a white paper to chart the future course of defence needs within 12 months of taking office, Layton said, noting that Canada hasn’t issued a white paper on defence since 1994 ….” More from Postmedia News here.
- F-35 Tug o’ War (1) – “Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has it in writing that Canada will be exempted from the staggering development cost increases associated with the F-35 stealth fighter. He lamented Friday that the ultra-high-tech jets and their enormous price tag had become a political football in the race toward the May 2 election. “You have to understand that in terms of the F-35 costs, we’ve been very detailed with those to the Canadian public,” Harper said after releasing the Conservative platform in Mississauga, Ont. “A lot of the developmental costs you’re reading in the United States, the contract we’ve signed shelters us from any increase in those kinds of costs. We’re very confident of our cost estimates and we have built in some latitude, some contingency in any case. So we are very confident we are within those measures.” …. “
- F-35 Tug o’ War (2) – “…. (Critics) claim Canada should wait, that the F-35s are the last of a dying breed – warplanes with pilots – and that it makes sense to hold out a decade or two for the dawn of unmanned, remote-controlled bombers and fighters. But the risks of opting out include no longer being considered a first-rank ally and missing out on cutting edge technology. The inner circle of U.S.-led weapons systems is also an exclusive and perhaps too valuable a club to spurn – even if the F-35 is the last of its kind ….”
- Ah, those wacky funster Khadr kids…. “Ontario’s highest court on Friday reserved its decision on whether it should extradite Abdullah Khadr to the U.S. to face a terrorism-related charge. The three-justice panel at the Ontario Court of Appeal heard arguments from the federal government that a Superior court justice erred by cancelling the extradition and releasing Khadr last August. The main basis of their argument was that the judge had no jurisdiction and did not properly balance the benefits of Khadr’s release with the seriousness of the charge he faces. Khadr’s lawyers, Nathan Whitling and Dennis Edney, countered the judge didn’t need to be taken into consideration because of the “egregious abuse” Khadr was subjected to in Pakistan at the behest of U.S. Authorities ….”
- “Among the 492 Tamil migrants who arrived in Canada aboard the MV Sun Sea last August were 12 crew members who played an “integral” role in helping to execute the large and sophisticated smuggling operation, the Immigration and Refugee Board was told Thursday. The allegation was made at an admissibility hearing for one of the crew members, a man who cooked on the ship and manned the diesel engine room and received free passage from a key smuggling agent in return for that work, the board was told. The Canada Border Services Agency is seeking to have the man — whose brother, who was also on the ship, is alleged to be a key organizer of the operation — deported on the grounds that he engaged in a transnational crime, namely people-smuggling ….”
- Ooopsie (continued) …. “To his neighbours, Aaron Lacey is a bit of a loner, a quiet guy who likes to keep to himself. But to Niagara police, the self-taught artist from Beamsville is allegedly deceitful and aggressive in his pursuit of information from a senior Canadian Forces official. Lacey, 38, was arrested March 30 and charged with five counts of impersonating a military officer and criminally harassing the senior military official. He was also booked on 10 counts of breach of recognizance relating to charges from last August, including attempted fraud, forgery and an additional count of impersonation. Cumulatively, he faces 29 charges. His bail hearing got under way Monday and will continue Friday in a St. Catharines courtroom ….”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 26 Feb 11
- Operation GTFO Libya (1) Here’s one way of putting it. “The Canadian government has “facilitated” the safe evacuation of about 200 Canadians from Libya on a number of flights and vessels, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a televised statement Friday evening. Saying the situation at the airport in Tripoli was “becoming ever more difficult,” the prime minister said evacuation efforts will continue Saturday. “A Canadian armed forces C-17 is standing by in Malta, ready to be deployed to Libya at a moment’s notice,” he said. So far, however, Canada hasn’t directly airlifted any of its citizens out of Libya. Many have found their own way out of the strife-torn country by hitching rides on allied countries’ flights and ships ….”
- Operation GTFO Libya (2) Here’s, um, another way of putting it (albeit via unnamed “sources”). “A flight chartered by Canada to evacuate its citizens from Libya left Tripoli empty after panicked Canadians fled the country by other means before it arrived, a government source said Friday. Almost 200 Canadians, including 105 who were left waiting at the Tripoli airport for an earlier plane that was nixed by an insurer on Thursday, found passage aboard other flights and boats. They safely arrived in Britain, Malta, Madrid and Turkey overnight, the source said. When a second charter flight arrived in Tripoli from Amman, Jordan Thursday evening, there were no Canadians or citizens from countries cooperating with Canada on the evacuation at the airport, the source explained. The jetliner was granted only two hours to land, pick up passengers and depart, and so it had to leave with no passengers ….” If this is true as reported, someone’s got some ‘splainin’ to do. More on this here, here and here.
- Meanwhile, Canada’s Defence Minister manages expectations on what can be done for Libya right now. “Just how far will the world go to stop the bloodshed in Libya? Probably not as far as anti-government demonstrators in the country are calling for, said Defence Minister Peter MacKay. While the United Nations Security Council debates a long list of measures designed to punish and disarm Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the security forces that remain under his command, a number of nations say they are unlikely to order their military forces into the country to keep the peace. The decade-long military slog in Afghanistan and the lukewarm global response to civilians being killed in Sudan’s Darfur region have shown that the UN’s famous Responsibility to Protect doctrine, a policy conceived in Ottawa in response to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, has “lost it’s lustre,” MacKay said. The lesson, he told a defence conference in Ottawa, was that countries should not “overextend” themselves or “raise expectations that can’t be met.” “I perhaps tend to lean toward practical conservatism when it comes to assessing what Canada can provide to these international missions.” ….”
- Speaking of managing expectations, here’s what the PM had to say on the Libyan fracas: “…. I have instructed our officials to prepare a full range of sanctions against the Libyan regime, both in collaboration with our international partners, or unilaterally, if necessary. No options have been ruled out. Canada fully supports the United Nations Security Council on a resolution that could include a weapons embargo, individual sanctions against key Libyan officials and an asset freeze. The Libyan regime must and will be held accountable for its violation of human rights atrocities committed against the Libyan people. Canada also calls for Libya’s immediate suspension from the United Nations Human Rights Council. We are working with our allies and international partners to ensure that this suspension occurs, and will be acted on by the General Assembly. As well, Canada fully supports the Human Rights Council’s decision to dispatch a mission to investigate human rights violations in Libya. Finally, we call on the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court ….”
- More news on the latest in Libya here (Google News), here (EMM News Brief: Libya), here (NewsNow), here (BBC) and here (Al Jazeera English).
- Someone else runs with the “fewer casualties in Afghanistan” story: “Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan have reached an important milestone, one that speaks to their recent success in securing territory previously under insurgent control. Yet, it’s also an accomplishment few troops are eager to discuss publicly, as if the very act of acknowledging it might prompt their run of good fortune to end. As of this week, just one Canadian has been killed while on duty in the last six months. That soldier was Cpl. Steve Martin, 24, of St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, Que., who was killed by an improvised explosive device during a foot patrol on Dec. 18 ….” I’m looking forward to CBC.ca sharing this information – please e-mail me a link to any story they may have done along these lines since official stats were released here.
- “A young Taliban field commander who waged numerous battles against Canadian troops has surrendered to Afghan authorities, along with 30 of his men. Haji Toorjan, 28, hinted at growing fractures in the Taliban’s hierarchy, saying other mid-level insurgents are looking to lay down their arms and rejoin Afghan society. “I know many Taliban in the south, they want to renounce violence but they have no outreach program,” he said Tuesday after a ceremony in Kandahar City in which he turned over his weapons ….”
- “The head of Canada’s battle group in Afghanistan says his troops are having one of their best months to date in finding stashes of weapons hidden by insurgents. “February has been particularly positive in our ability to find weapons caches, IED component caches and all the materials the insurgents need to do us harm,” Lt.-Col. Michel-Henri St. Louis told reporters Friday from battle group headquarters at Kandahar Airfield. St. Louis said Canadian and Afghan forces have been using a “stepped-up tempo” in recent weeks to patrol villages and fields in the Panjwaii district, culminating in a major search operation last week that involved close to 3,000 troops ….”
- Some highlights from a recent town-hall meeting on Afghanistan near Edmonton. “…. One town hall attendee listed off the number of times Afghanistan has been conquered in its history, then asked Hawn why the “NATO Canadian invasion” would see a different outcome. Hawn said Canada was invited to come into Afghanistan to help, and that’s what he hopes to see happen. “I can’t look at an Afghan child … and say, ‘You don’t deserve a chance,’” he said. “We’re not there to conquer Afghanistan. We’re there to give the Afghan people a chance to build themselves up.” Another person asked why the Afghan government recently awarded a contract to develop mineral resources to Chinese companies when they could “show some gratitude” and award such contracts to Canada or other allied nations instead. Hawn said that he has “no love” for Afghan president Hamid Karzai and the corruption in the current government there, but it is something NATO is working on. “We’ve got to get a grip on Karzai and corruption. … Will we succeed in the end? I don’t know,” he said. “But I know we’re trying very hard to do this.” ….”
- Taliban Propaganda Watch: Taliban statement disses U.S. – again.
- “A Canadian who served with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan is to receive an American bravery medal. Grant Derrick, a duel Canadian-American citizen, will receive the Silver Star on Friday for his part in a 14-hour battle in Hendon village, an isolated community east of Kabul. The former Ottawa man, a member of the U.S. army special forces, was part of a raid in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan last spring. The action saw two commandos killed and three badly wounded. Derrick, a 31-year-old retired staff-sergeant, was a member of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, based in North Carolina. A medic who spent most of his life in Canada until joining the U.S. army in 2003, Derrick is credited with saving the life of an Afghan commando shot in the face as the force swept into a Taliban weapons depot May 4 ….”
- F-35 Tug o’ War “A battle of numbers has broken out over the Harper government’s deal to buy the F-35 joint strike fighter jet. Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the country stands to lose up to $1 billion if the purchase of the stealth jets is scrapped, largely because of lost economic benefits in research and development. The loss estimate includes up to $100 million in royalties earmarked for the federal treasury because of Canadian research on the aircraft. Ottawa invested in the development phase and is in line for a cut of export sales to other countries. MacKay underlined that the $9 billion price tag for the initial purchase of 65 F-35s is firm — a number critics say will only increase ….”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 21 Feb 11
- “The Afghan-Canadian governor of Kandahar has ordered a crackdown on the cultivation of opium after the United Nations urged him to stop the unabated growth of poppy production in his province. Tooryalai Wesa met Sunday with his district governors and chiefs of police, ordering them to do what they can to eradicate poppy farms amid mounting concerns that more farmers will turn to the illicit but lucrative crop this year. “Poppy cultivation is prohibited in Islam and illegal in the constitution. Therefore, we are supposed to ban this cultivation,” Wesa said during the meeting at his palace in Kandahar city, according to a statement from his office. “Although poppy cultivation has been reduced in a few districts of Kandahar, it is not enough. We are supposed to bring it to zero and pave the way to award logistical support for the farmers.” ….”
- “Afghanistan’s military has taken an important step forward by orchestrating a massive military operation through the towns and fields of the Panjwaii district, Canadian commanders say. Operation Hamaghe Shay, which means “same team” in Pashto, involved close to 3,000 troops including about 1,300 Canadians primarily serving in a support role. Largely planned by Afghan commanders, the goal was to scour huge swaths of territory across southwestern Afghanistan for hidden caches of weapons left behind by insurgents. Though the Canadian military declined to provide specific numbers, several stockpiles of guns, ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets and components for making improvised explosive devices were seized over the four-day campaign. But beyond those basic objectives, Hamaghe Shay was also viewed as a key test of the Afghans’ planning and logistics skills, an area that has been pinpointed as a significant weakness in the force ….”
- Taliban Propaganda Watch: Attacks alleged in Kandahar, Uruzgan
- Who keeps Canada’s Northern Warning System going? “As Mitzi Wall says goodbye to two of her staff at Cambridge Bay’s North Warning System radar site, tears well up in her eyes as she prepares for her bittersweet departure on Feb. 20. In three days she’ll leave for Goose Bay, Labrador, her home. When her break finishes in mid-March, she’ll head out to a new posting: the NWS radar site at Hall Beach. For the past three years, Wall, as site manager, has spent shifts lasting six weeks or longer on site. She spent Christmas of 2009 there, making personalized stockings for her co-workers and filling them with toys and treats. On the morning of St. Valentine’s Day this year, everyone arose to find chocolates outside their door. “It’s a life that’s hard to get out of,” Wall says of the eight years she’s spent rotating among radar sites, including three years at Cambridge Bay ….”
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 180020UTC Feb 11
NOTE: Do NOT click on a link to the Taliban’s or other terrorist web pages if you don’t want the webmasters to see your computer’s IP number. This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
2 puppet bodyguards gunned down in Kandahar city
Thursday, 17 February 2011 09:51 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
HELMAND, Feb. 17 – 2 body guards of Mulla Gul, the commander of puppet local police and a resident of Khakrez district were gunned down and killed by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate in Loe Wyala area of Kandahar city at around dusk time yesterday.
2 vehicles destroyed in attack on NATO logistical convoy
Wednesday, 16 February 2011 15:04 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 16 – Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate waylaid a NATO logistical supply convoy in Panjwaee’s Zangawat area this morning in which 2 logistical vehicles were destroyed and 4 puppets killed.
Border police vehicle obliterated in Shomolzo
Tuesday, 15 February 2011 17:37 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, Feb. 15 – All 4 puppet border police were killed onboard their vehicle when it was obliterated after hitting a roadside bomb at 11:00 am in Babarho village, Shomolzo.
Response of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Reaction to the UN Report on Civilian and Children
Thursday, 17 February 2011 16:45
Response of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Reaction to the UN Report on Civilian and Children’s Casualties in Afghanistan
Banki Moon, Secretary General, UNO, has said that 1,795 children have been killed or injured during attacks of Mujahideen and operations of Americans in the past two years. But as usual, he has blamed Mujahideen for the most part of the casualties.
The UNO report also mentions an unsubstantiated incident which was circulated by some colonialism- related media outlets in June last year, claiming that Taliban had executed a 7 year old boy on charges of spying in Sangin district of Helmand province.
While leveling these charges against the Mujahideen, Banki Moon, has claimed that a reduction has been witnessed in civilian and children casualties during Americans’ operations. Furthermore, he has applauded the signing of action plan with the Kabul stooge administration against recruitment of children in army and police.
We strongly condemn the two-faced policy of the UNO which is clear from its above-mentioned assertions. Meanwhile, we support any action aimed at protecting life of civilians, old men, women and children. We also remind Banki Moon, UN Secretary General that we are followers of an order and a law which was bestowed on humanity as a great gift of the mercy of God through the Holy and beloved Prophet of God Mohammad( peace be upon him) at the occasion of Haj-ul-Widaa 1400 years ago. Then darkness was prevalent all over the world and man hardly knew the word of human rights.
It is a pity that this world body is playing politics now in this 21st century under the name of protection of human rights and distorts facts in order to please Washington. Therefore, to elucidate the matter further, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to present the following points before the UNO and the international community:
1. Who attacked the wedding ceremony in Dehrawood, Uruzgan: a funeral in Azizabad, Herat; a wedding ceremony in Shinwar, Ningarhar; a shrine visitors in Paktika; passengers in Paktia and a congregation attendees in Zadran? Were they the Taliban or the invading Americans who did this?. Haven’t hundreds of children and civilians lost their lives in these gruesome events? Have you raised this issue?
2. Has the Islamic Emirate not announced its readiness to the world in clear terms that let’s constitute a joint commission to pinpoint the perpetrators and then punish them . Why you are still silent on this issue and are dodging to shoulder the task?
3. Did not the American National Intelligence Council dropped the existing ground realities in Afghanistan to include them in their revised estimate report which published in December on demand of General Petraeus, fearing it will contradict his claims of success against Taliban and that the Mujahideen were responsible for civilian casualties? Are your remarks not part and parcel of this policy and do not they support this trend?
4. Isn’t your assertion part of the general policy devised by James Clapper, director of the American National Intelligence, CIA and General Petreaus last year, which emphasizes that American troops casualties be reported much less than the actual number and their human rights violations be kept secret from the knowledge of the public. Contrarily, the casualties of Mujahideen should be exaggerated and various blames of human rights violations should be leveled against them. Following this, the criticisms by Human Rights Watch in New York, World Amnesty International and the so-called human rights commission of Afghanistan, leveling charges of civilian and children casualties against Mujahideen are a clear indicator that those entities are working for the American colonialism under the umbrella of protection of human rights.
5. Why your good self don’t bother to raise the issue of murder of 150 civilians in Kunduz 1.5 years ago who lost their lives as a result of bombardment of American jet fighters? Why you do not condemn the incident? All people are aware of the perpetrators.
6. The UN report also has pointed to a claim that Taliban executed a seven year old boy in Sangin district of Helmand province in June last year. At that time, the Islamic Emirate sent an investigation team to the area which reported after a complete investigation that no event of that kind had ever happened in the said locality i.e. Sarwan Kalla. Neither the enemy had carried out any operation or bombardment which would have necessitated arrestment of any one on suspicion of spying. Furthermore, we would like to point out that as per the prevailing laws of the Islamic Emirate, no commander or a judge is allowed execute any one by themselves. Complete investigation and approval of the leadership is must in such cases. Is this claim not similar to the claim of the Time Magazine which published a picture of a young Afghan girl whose nose had been cut off. The magazine claimed, Taliban had done this but later it was proved that Taliban had no role in the incident. Even the reporter who reported it first says it was a family criminal case. Similarly, the family of the girl says, Taliban are not involved but America politicized the issue for attainment of well-known goals.
7. During the reign of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the esteemed Amirul Momineen (may Allah protect him) instructed ministry of defense and home affairs to take action against recruitment of children in their units and contingements and do not use them at the front line of war. These instructions are still operative. But it is pity and irony that you signed an agreement with the Kabul Stooge Administration against recruitment of children in the army after the passage of one decade of war in Afghanistan. It raises the question that why you so-called protectors of human rights postponed this crucial issue of human rights for ten years to sign?.
8. The UNO report has also said that Mujahideen should respect principles of Geneva Convention about war. We have been urging from the beginning that all parties of the war should abide by the recognized laws of the war. But again which principle of the Geneva Convention allows America to keep thousands of innocent detainees in Bagram, Kandahar and Guantanamo? Which law of human rights says to deprive them of access to self-defense and keep them imprisoned without trial? Have the Special Forces not established brutal cells of detainment in every military base where they brutally torture them and many of them have succumbed to the torture and lost their lives. Did the famous Jihadi personality Moalim Awal Gul not die in Guantanamoi this month because of torture? Which human rights law was that to keep him in Guantanamo without trial for the past nine years.
9. The Afghans are awake now. They can tell the White from the Black. The people witnessed the essence of years slogans of democracy, women’s and children’s rights, freedom of speech with their own eyes. Repetitions of these slogans only damage you. Put and end to this drama. Leave the land of the Afghans to the Afghans.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
The Notion of Permanent Bases in Afghanistan is not Practicable
Thursday, 17 February 2011 16:40
Last week, the Head of the American- installed Regime, Karzai, admitted that Americans were planning to have permanent presence and bases in Afghanistan . According to him, the Americans perceive some incessant threats which could not be eliminated until 2014.
Undoubtedly, the Americans showed their muscles, resorted to brutalities, used cutting-edge technology, economy, diplomacy and ploys during the last decade to swallow and digest Afghanistan. But thanks to the help of the Almighty Allah and the bravery of the Afghan Mujahid people, American and the invading coalition forces faced defeat, their stratagems and strategies failed. The situation now has reached a phase that every household of the Afghans opposes the invasion and wants to beat them. Similarly, the people in West and in America, loudly say that America has lost the war of Afghanistan; they do not support this war and want their troops to return back home soon.
Since the Americans have lost the chance of advancement at the military field and disappointed from the success of their war strategies, so they want to justify their presence in Afghanistan for some time by resorting to the stint of establishment of permanent bases in thecountry. They want to show to the world that they have come here for an important mission which requires their prolonged presence . The Afghans know the idea of permanent bases is a mere conjectures of the Americans because Afghanistan is not a country where the aborigines will tolerate presence of foreign troops even for a single day, nor they will be ready to sell their soil to the Americans for a few million of dollars.
The Americans should know, neither the rulers of the stooge regime nor the hand-picked parliament is entitled to trade on the destiny of Afghanistan with any one– still less to be in a position to implement it. Had they enjoyed such mandate and representation of their people, Afghanistan would not have become a center of toils and threats for the foreign invaders. These stooge rulers sold Afghanistan to G. W. Bush ten years ago ostensibly for 5 centuries, but the past decade is witness to the fact that the Americans never have had a sleep of solace even for a single night but, contrarily, every inch of Afghanistan has become an oven for them. This exposes the fact that this country has some other vanguards who are able to force the 150,000 men strong foreign invaders to pull out and meanwhile besiege the surrogates in their official buildings to the extent that they can’t walk freely one meter out of their premises. Their scope of authority and activity is limited to the said buildings, being merely able to implement their say there.
Observers believe, the establishment of permanent bases in Afghanistan is an American pipedream and is not practicable. The regional countries unmistakably realize the goals and objectives of America behind their prolonged presence in Afghanistan. Naturally, the regional countries will not accept this notion but rather will oppose it. Even they will forge an alliance against it if they find the chance to do so and will make efforts to deal a dashing and crumbling blow at America.
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Interview With The Administrator Of The Islamic Emirate Website – Screen capture of full statement at Scribd.com
Thursday, 17 February 2011 16:50
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Interview With The Administrator
Of The Islamic Emirate Website, Esteemed
Brother Abdul Sattar Maiwandi
Dear Readers!
In the series of al-Somood interviews with officials of the Emirates, we present to you this time an exclusive interview about the Jihadist media activities of the Islamic Emirate with esteemed brother Abdul Sattar Maiwandi, who is responsible for the al-Emarah website on the global internet. We invite you to read it.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.
Al-Somood: To begin, we wish you to provide the readers of al-Somood with a summary of the media activities of the Islamic Emirate.
Maiwandi: Praise be to Allah. Blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, his companions and all those who followed him. Thereafter:
Among other committees, the Islamic Emirates established a special Media Committee to spread (news) about Jihadist activities in different fields and chase away the voice of the unjust enemy who, before the entire world, was distorting the image of the Jihad in Afghanistan and was claiming false victories here and there over the Mujahideen. Need called for the existence of a media agency to take responsibility for the Mujahideen in Afghanistan; speaking on behalf of the Islamic Emirate; delivering news of its victories on the battlefield to its friends and to the world; exposing the falsehood of its enemies and their media; responding to the claims and its daily changing deceptions; and delivering to the world the voice of truth and jihad and its point of view about current Jihadist events in the land of Afghanistan.
Wars today cannot be won without media. (Media) is directed to the heart rather than the body. The weapon is directed to the body. If the heart is defeated the battle is won and the body is defeated. In the beginning, with the fall of the Islamic Emirate, the enemy thought that the field was completely open before them, and they spread their lies and falsehoods that they had destroyed the Islamic Emirate and its Mujahideen and that their victory in the land of Afghanistan was complete. All of their resources, especially their media were directed towards changing the ideas of Afghans and injecting defeatist thought into them and instilling in them a petrifying fear of the new occupiers. First through the grace of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, then through the victories of the Mujahideen and their rightly guided leadership; and after defeats were inflicted on the enemy on the field of battle, a media committee was established to contest with the enemy in the (media) field.
Therefore, the media ranks of the Islamic Emirate were re-formed under a special committee that reflects the tangible reality on the ground in Afghanistan. Among its most important accomplishments in the beginning period was the inauguration of the Islamic Emirate website under the name “Voice of Jihad”.
The website specializes in conveying field reports from the combat zones and publishing the statements of the Ameer ul-Momineen and the statements of the Command Shura Council about different issues pertaining to Jihad, in addition to articles and official analysis. They have many sections: for example there’s an Islam page, a magazines page, and a page for films produced by official studios. We also print magazines and statements and distribute them in popular circles at home and abroad. Additionally, we produce different publications and regulations and distribute them among the Mujahideen. There is also a “Voice of Shari’ah” that broadcasts news and official statements day and night.
The Media Committee has also appointed official spokesmen to speak in the name of the Islamic Emirate to local and global media regarding the course of affairs.
Al-Somood: How do you gather news and field reports from Afghanistan and publish them on the website?
Maiwandi: Yes, through the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala the Committee employees correspondents in all the provinces of Afghanistan to cover news of events and prepare reports on them.
They make every effort to follow news of operations in detail and keep abreast of developing situations, and they send reliable and precise reports of ongoing operations immediately to the official spokesmen of the Emirate; Zabihullah Mujahid and Qari Yusuf, who review the news and then send it to the news department of the website after an in-depth scrutiny and examination.
Al-Somood: News, official statements and analysis are published simultaneously or in near time in five different languages. How is that so?
Maiwandi: Yes, as you were so kind (to mention), news and other things are published in five different languages almost simultaneously. These include local languages such as Pashtu and Farsi as well as Urdu, Arabic and English. The website first publishes new and other media in Pashtu and after that, translates it directly into these other languages and publishes in their special sections.
Al-Somood: Are there ways to publish the news other than through the al-Emarah website?
Maiwandi: Yes brother, we send the news to journalists and global news agencies immediately after it occurs and is posted on the website. We have many email lists to which we distribute news and official statements. These lists include journalists and others concerned with the issue of Afghanistan. We are also active on Facebook and Twitter where we publish the news every day and reach thousands of people. We also daily send news via cell phone text messages to many people.
Al-Somood: Could you please clarify that last sentence? How do you send news to many people via cell phone?
Maiwandi: The news that is posted on the website is converted to SMS messages and sent to a number of people, who send it to other people. Each of them sends it to his acquaintances inside and outside Afghanistan and so a chain of dissemination begins. Each ones tries to spread the news more and more. We have seen many people requesting their friends and relatives to forward the news they receive to at least 20 other people, etc…and so this news becomes widely circulated in popular circles. Through the grace of Allah, we have seen many among the general populace rejoice when news reaches them of the victories of the Mujahideen over their enemies.
Al-Somood: Could you please explain for us some of the other activities of the Media Committee beyond the Islamic Emirate website?
Maiwandi: The Media Committee has other media pulpits including: the Jihadi Studio which publishes Mujahideen operations in live video. Through the grace of Allah Almighty it has created some good products in this field.
In addition to publishing live images of Jihad and battles, the Jihadi Studio also produces films to preach (da’wa) and reform with the goal of illuminating the minds of the Mujahideen and making them ideologically aware. These films have so far had a good impact in Mujahideen circles.
There is also a Pashtu-language radio broadcast called “Voice of Shari’ah”, which is transmitted via the internet. It broadcasts daily news and reports, political commentary, Islamic and Jihadi nasheeds which have a direct impact in raising the morale of the Mujahideen. The Voice of Shari’ah programs are broadcast during morning and evening periods. In addition to audio and video information there is print information in Arabic, Pashtu and Farsi languages. The print media is represented by the monthly magazine al-Somood (Steadfastness) in Arabic; and the Shahamat (Gallantry), Sarrak (Gleam of Light) and Morgil (The Trench) magazines in Pashtu and Farsi languages, also published monthly. The al-Somood magazine, of which staff you are a member has for five years provided a true picture of the Islamic Jihad and hot events occurring on the Afghan battlefield to the Islamic and Arab world. It is concerned with publishing articles, political analysis and news reports, in addition to comprehensive statistics of monthly Mujahideen operations and their impact, in addition to the series “Our Heroic Martyrs” to introduce people to the Mujahideen military commanders who were killed fi sabeel Allah ta’ala.
As for the magazines, Shahamat and Sharrak, they have been published for seven years in the local languages Pashtu and Farsi. They have many readers in educated circles, especially among madrassa and university students. The Jihadist articles published in those magazines have had a tangible impact within these circles.
As for the Morgil magazine, it is dedicated to publishing news of the battles, reports of enemy crimes, statistics of enemy losses in lives and equipment and related issues. Its annual archive is considered the most reliable Jihadist source to determine enemy losses.
All of these media capabilities are presented via the Islamic Emirate website on the worldwide web and everyone can view them on the website.
Al-Somood: How do you find specialized staff to carry out these media activities?
Maiwandi: When the Mujahideen enjoy the presence of people among them whom, first through the grace of Allah Almighty then through their capability and military experience, have been able to defeat NATO generals of great experience and expertise, it also is easy for them to conduct these media activities with their proficiency in the media field.
Since the Media Jihad has today become one of its most important responsibilities, the Islamic Emirate has not neglected to prepare specialized media cadres. Rather it has, in the fields of Jihad, prepared Mujahideen media workers who resist the enemy in the media field just like their brother fighters resists them in the military field.
Yes, I say with full confidence that with our simple and limited means, we have, through the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, defeated the enemy in the media field. The enemy has been unable to redress this defeat despite the existence of their advanced means and specialist cadre and their vast expenditure of funds in this field.
It is possible for everyone throughout the world to view all of our publications on the internet. Indeed, all the workers in the Karzai government who have internet access in their offices, universities and government administrations and even those who work in the American military and political administration view our publications and are affected by them.
There are many residents of Kabul city who listen to the Voice of Shari’ah programs via the internet and inform us by email of how they were favorably impressed by those programs. They tell us that hearing the nasheed la Allah ila Allah recalls to their minds memories of the rule of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Even though the Americans, NATO troops and the security forces of the lackey government all exert great efforts to impede the activities of the Islamic Emirate, it frequently occurs that members of families from the upper class in the Karzai administration display their sympathy with the Mujahideen.
The Americans also admit that the Islamic Emirate has defeated them in the media field. This confession was made in an article published on the 22nd of May last year in the well-known American magazine Foreign Policy entitled “Losing the Media War to the Taliban”. The author of the article was the well-known American writer Robert Haddick who mentioned details of Taliban media activities and their media superiority over the Americans. The author advised his people, saying “In their media battle against the Taliban, the Americans must use more effective methods and tactics, because the Taliban have won the media war using existing methods”.
A report by the American Council of Foreign Relations corroborated Taliban media superiority over the Americans in the media field. The report mentioned one reason the Taliban have moved ahead of the Americans in the media field is that they do not wait for appointed dates to publish news of events, but publish them as soon as they occur.
The progress of the Islamic Emirate and its media superiority over the Americans has become today’s news to the Western press, which has begun to write articles and commentary about it everywhere.
Regarding Taliban excellence in this field, Michael Doran, the former American deputy secretary of defense, said that “The Taliban have great skill in directing their media activities and are very quick to publish news: if any attack is conducted against our forces news is being published 26 minutes later on the global satellite networks, taking its place in the breaking news tickers for most of the global satellite networks like al-Jazeera, B.B.C. and C.N.N.”.
He added, saying: “The Taliban are not only quick to publish news, rather they are also fortunate in the precision and organization in their media work. They translate news of all their military operations as soon as it comes in from Pashtu and Farsi to Arabic and English and it is immediately published on their websites and their online radio ‘Voice of Shari’ah’.”
Michael Doran continues by advising the Americans “It is necessary for the Americans to increase the capabilities of their soldiers in blocking Taliban media activities by granting them more authorities and limiting Taliban media activities by strengthening their (own) media channels. They must also close down all Taliban websites on the internet.” [The Council of Foreign Relations, May 2009]
General Azimi, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense in the Karzai administration, acknowledged in an interview with Radio Free Europe last year during the battle of Marjah that the Mujahideen media activities were stronger and more successful than those of the government.
Al-Somood: How do you explain the media superiority of the Mujahideen?
Maiwandi: The sole factor in the media superiority of the Mujahideen is that they perform this work as undertaking a Jihadist responsibility and not as a job performed in return for a salary like others do. According to the moral contract to which they have committed themselves, they make sacrifices to the point of death for the sake of the success of this Jihadist labor. They endure hardships and regard success in performing this responsibility as a wish of their worldly life. Because of the sincerity, sacrifice and zeal of the Mujahideen, Allah blesses their efforts and grants them success. This blessing and success granted by Allah is acknowledged by the enemy also, and this grace has been witnessed by the enemies.
Al-Somood: What are the problems you encounter in performing your media responsibilities?
Maiwandi: The path of Jihad is full of trials and difficulties, but the Mujahid accepts them with good will to please Allah Almighty and elevate His Word. These hardships are born fi sabeel Allah ta’ala are a source of pride and a sign of the righteousness of His path. We face many material problems and problems with media mean; and there are security problems; and there is a scarcity of material resources. They are, however, easy to bear for the sake of achieving a noble goal and we are proud of this.
The means we possess are very paltry when compared to the means of the enemy. Moreover, we also face in this field a shameless enemy who is not by bound by any humane or moral obligations. They speak excessively about slogans of freedom of expression and speech, but they do not recognize freedom of speech which runs contrary to their colonialist interests. In addition to that, they lie prolifically in their media. If 20 of their soldiers are killed, they announce the death of only one and only if they are unable to hide the news. If 20 of their people are wounded, they admit that only one was wounded and say the wounds are slight and that he returned to his job after his wounds were bandaged and treated. If one of their aircraft is shot down by the fire of Mujahideen or is set alight in the air, they hide the news if they can. If they can’t hide the news, they state that it was an emergency landing. When they arrest local citizens during night raids they claim that they have seized armed Mujahideen. This is their custom in all their media publications.
As for our media, despite our commitment to publishing the truth, the enemy attacks our websites on the internet, and closes or sabotages them. They threaten the companies which host our websites and send them warnings. “Their intention is to extinguish Allah’s light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete (the revelation of) His light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).” (Al-Saff: 8)
Even though they commit all of these crimes, we are, through the grace of Allah Almighty, able to continue our Jihadist publications. We present to the world the victories of the Mujahideen and the defeats of the enemy. We show the world documented evidence of the defeats of the Americans and their allies in Afghanistan. We have had good successes in this field despite the many problems we face. Praise be to Allah for that.
Al-Somood: We thank you for giving us this opportunity and for answering our questions. We beseech Allah Almighty to grant you more success in all your Jihadist activities. Ameen.
Maiwandi: A hundred thanks to you as well.
Translated From The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan: Al-Somood Monthly Magazine Issue 55
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 132250UTC Feb 11
NOTE: Do NOT click on a link to the Taliban’s or other terrorist web pages if you don’t want the webmasters to see your computer’s IP number. This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
Mujahideen kill 2 puppets in Kandahar city
Sunday, 13 February 2011 17:29 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 13 – Saleh and Khan, one was a puppet security for NATO logistical supply convoys and the other worked for NDS were gunned down and killed by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate this afternoon while walking along in Dar-ul-Alimeen area of Kandahar city.
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 122330UTC Feb 11
NOTE: Do NOT click on a link to the Taliban’s or other terrorist web pages if you don’t want the webmasters to see your computer’s IP number. This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
Breaking News: Gun battle and explosions rock Kandahar city
Saturday, 12 February 2011 13:01 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – Officials reporting from Kandahar city say that 5 heroes of Islamic Emirate, who were also wearing explosives vests attacked the provincial puppet police headquarters at 12:00 pm today. Reports add that firstly a car bomb was detonated in the police HQ’s car parking and a few moments later, another blast killed and wounded tens of puppets in Kabul Shah area located near the HQ as the police were arriving for help. Mujahideen have also occupied a wedding hall (Zaringar Saloon) which is located near the HQ and are firing at the cowardly puppets and the police building. It is said the enemy helicopters have arrived at the scene and have bombed the building of Information and Culture and the wedding hall but the firing from Mujahideen resistance is still ongoing. The corpses of the puppet police are still lying near the headquarters and the wedding hall. A doctor from Mirwaise Hospital in the city, who did not want his name to be disclosed, said that so far 26 wounded police have been brought in for treatment and they have been told to clear the hospital of ordinary people in order to take in more casualties arriving from the fighting scene.
More attacks on cowardly puppet police in Kandahar city
Saturday, 12 February 2011 13:01 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – Report from Kandahar city says that Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate ambushed police patrols in Shkarpur bazaar, Simano Pla and 3rd Naiha Chowk areas, causing the puppets further deadly casualties but its exact numbers are not known. Witnesses said that the cowardly police cannot move around in the area and the invaders helicopters are patrolling the skies and firing on the wedding hall which is still occupied by Mujahideen who are still putting up resistance.
Kandahar city: 3 police killed in attack on check post
Saturday, 12 February 2011 13:03 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – Some 3 puppet police were killed this afternoon and another wounded in a 20-minute armed Mujahideen attack on their check post which is located near the graveyard of arab’s , Loe Wyala area. his attack took place while Mujahideen attack on the provincial police headquarters is still raging on
Kandahar city: Fighting still continuing after 6 hours
Saturday, 12 February 2011 13:56 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – The fighting which erupted this afternoon at 12:00 pm after 5 Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate took up positions in a wedding hall (Zaringar Saloon) opposite of the provincial police headquarters and started firing on the police and the HQ is still continuing after 6 hours of fierce fighting. Report will be updated as more information arrives.
More than 100 enemy personnel killed and wounded in Kandahar city attack
Saturday, 12 February 2011 17:14 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – Today at around 12:00 pm, 5 heroes of Islamic Emirate (Mullah Abdullah, Mullah Abbdul Qudoose, Sher Agha, Mullah Malang along with their leader Mullah Sayed) wearing police uniforms and armed with heavy and light weapons entered Zaringar Khali Saloon (wedding hall) and started attacking the provincial police headquarters, located a few meters away. Mujahideen detonated 2 bombs, which shook the whole city as the attack started. The first one was a vehicle packed with explosives in the HQ’s car parking and the second blast was detonated on puppet police in Kabul Shah area as they arrived for help. Officials say that a third car bomb was detonated an hour later on US-NATO invaders and their puppets that had gathered outside the wedding hall and were planning an operation against the Mujahideen inside the hall. Reports add that hundreds of invaders and their puppets were killed and wounded in the 7-hour long gun battle and deadly blasts, with 12 enemy military and logistical vehicles destroyed and the police headquarters badly damaged. It is said that the police commander of the HQ and all his friends were also killed in the assault. Mujahideen officials say that 3 of the Mujahideen involved in the assault were martyred (may Allah grant them the highest ranks in Jannah) and 2 came back out alive from the successful operation. It is worth mentioning that the stooge regime has also admitted that 18 puppet police have died and 23 others have been injured in the assault. The recent intensified Mujahideen operations, from which the deputy governor of Kandahar was also killed, clearly refutes the claims of the invaders and their stooge regime about achieving any success in Kandahar through their recent operation.
Missiles rock Kandahar airfield
Friday, 11 February 2011 12:32 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 11 – 2 missiles fired at 08:00 pm last night by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate landed on the invaders military barracks in Kandahar airfield causing them fatal casualties and damages but the extent of it is not known. Officials add that the invaders suffered more losses after a mine exploded on them as the invaders came out of their base to search for Mujahideen.
ANA vehicle obliterated in Maiwand
Saturday, 12 February 2011 13:57 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Feb. 12 – An ANA vehicle was obliterated by a roadside bomb near Maiwand district (Kashkinkhod) bazaar at 03:00 pm, killing a puppet and severely wounding 4 others onboard.
Mujahideen in Terenkot kill puppet
Friday, 11 February 2011 17:39 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Feb. 11 – Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate shot dead a puppet police in Terenkot city’s Nisheen area as the puppet was walking to a nearby check post at 07:00 pm last night.
Shomolzo explosion kills 4 border police
Friday, 11 February 2011 12:34 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, Feb. 11 – 4 puppet border police were killed in an IED attack on their vehicle at 08:00 am this morning in Spino Khono area of Shomolzo district. It is said that a puppet commander was also killed in the explosion.
Border police vehicle blown apart in Shomolzo
Saturday, 12 February 2011 07:55 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, 12 – A border police vehicle, which was patrolling in Shomolzo district’s Haji Ajab’s Bowrhi area when it hit and was blown apart by an IED at around 12:00 am, killing all puppets onboard.
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 120100UTC Nov 10
NOTE: This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
4 boarder (sic) police killed in blast
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:03 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 11 – A boarder police vehicle was destroyed, killing 4 puppets onboard and wounding a further 3 when it hit a roadside bomb in Abdurahman Naika Ziyarat area of Shurawak district.
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:06 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 11 – At least 2 US terrorists were killed and 2 wounded when an IED exploded on their foot patrol in Panjawee’s Mushan area at 03:00 pm yesterday afternoon.
Ambush kills puppet police commander
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:07 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 11 – A puppet police commander Nanai was killed when Mujahideen ambushed him at 07:00 am in Gali village of Harawod district.
Mujahideen kill puppet commander in Arghandab
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:06 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 11 – Khudai Raheem, a puppet police commanders was killed yesterday at around 10:00 am as he was walking to his house in Pir Paimal area of Arghandab district. In another report, Mujahideen in Zhiri district killed Ismatullah, who was a helper of American invaders and a local of Mullah Ilm Akhond village in Kandahar city.
Puppet contractor killed in Kandahar city
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:04 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 11 – Amir Muhammad, a puppet contractor of US invaders was shot dead at 09:00 am in Ieno Maena area of Kandahar city.
Invaders base in Uruzgan struck by missiles
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:07 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Nov. 11 – 2 missiles struck the base of invaders at 11:00 am in Dahjoz area of Terenkot city but the extent of damage and casualties caused is not known.
Puppet police commander killed in Zabul
Thursday, 11 November 2010 11:04 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, Nov. 11 – A puppet boarder police commander Jalat Khan Sarwan was killed along with 6 of his gunmen at around 05:00 pm yesterday when Mujahideen detonated a remote-controlled mine on their vehicle in Jumma Khan village of Shumalzo district.
An indepth interview with Haji Ahmad Saeed, head of operations in Kandahar city – Screen capture of full statement at Scribd.com
Thursday, 11 November 2010 15:01
The recent operations in the province of Kandahar, by the enemy I.S.A.F forces are viewed by the western-orientated media, as the last military push against the Mujahideen. The majority of them are of the opinion that should these operations fail as well; the Americans would have no other option but to leave Afghanistan.
The enemy admits, that the essential objective of this operation is to prevent the collapse of Kandahar city (which is Afghanistan’s second largest city) to the Mujahideen forces. To achieve this, the enemy, besides conducting operations in the districts surrounding Kandahar city, has now also started military operations in the city centre as well. To find out exactly what impact these operations have had on the Mujahideen forces, we talked to Haji Ahmad Saeed, who is in charge of Mujahideen military operations in Kandahar city. This detailed interview is presented below.
Alemarah: First of all, please give us some general information of the recent operations of the invading forces: what are some of the activities the invaders have undertaken?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: All Praise is to Allah, Kandahar city, which has in the past many years, bore witness to some of the Mujahideen’s greatest operations and bravery, has seen sustained attacks by Mujahideen warriors. These attacks have caused our internal and external enemies’ to panic, to the point of admitting that could very well fall to the banner of Islamic Emirate’s soldiers. Since then, the enemy has completely revised its strategy, focussing almost exclusively on Kandahar city and its surrounding regions. In line with this strategy, the enemy has increased its presence in the region considerably. This increase has been witnessed in the city centre as well, where the enemy has increased its infantry and motorised battalions. They have also carried out large scale raids against civilian population by surrounding entire districts, then carrying out house to house searches for weapons and Mujahideen. They have also started operations in regions that are under Mujahideen control. They have infested the city centre with numerous foreign and army outposts, besides the normal police stations. They have set up more and more check points on the roads and increased their intelligence gathering spy-rings. All this has given Kandahar city the appearance of a city under siege.
The enemy has caused all this commotion and carried out these measures to stop our activities in the region but Alhamdulillah and again Alhamdulillah, as our recent operations in the heart of the city have shown, the enemy has utterly failed in this objective. Even the westerners’ own governmental and non-governmental agencies confirm our success by stating that Mujahideen activities in Kandahar, instead of decreasing, have increased by over twenty-four percent.
Alemarah: The enemy invaders claim that they have set up a belt our Kandahar city to choke the movements of Mujahideen into and out of the city. What information do you have regarding this?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: It is true that the enemy has set up various check points on the roads leading into the city and on the main highways and constructed some ten large army stations. One of these army posts is on the Panjwaee road near Kobai; another is one the way from Khanjakak towards Soop; another is on the Heart road near Seelo; another is on the Arghandab road near Mir Ahmad Khan’s Kalachi; one near Kotal, one on Shah Wali Kote road, on Kabul road near Ainoominy; on the Boldak road from Shurandam towards the city. They have also set up two new army posts on the roads leading from Mahlajat. All these outposts have some of the most high-tech detection and identification tools available to the west. Yet despite this they have never captured any of our Mujahideen, nor detected any explosive-laden vehicle. Everyday our explosive filled vehicles pass over these army checkpoints and army posts without being detected or captured. This is all by the Grace of Allah who has favoured us in all opportunities. The enemy’s so called ‘belt’ has achieved no other purpose besides harassing the local populace. As you can see, our attacks on the city have increased rather than decrease. Therefore this belt is no impediment to the Mujahideen operations and its purpose has been inflated far beyond its capabilities.
Alemarah: How are Mujahideen’s operations inside Kandahar city?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: In the city, as of old, as soon as darkness spreads the stooge governments rule comes to an end, our battalions start their patrols and our operations begin. At night, we set up our ambushes on all the major roads, sealing the enemy inside their outposts. Due to our ambushes, now the enemy has accepted that they cannot provide support to their other outposts if and when they get attacked. Similarly, the Mujahideen always watch their activities during day time. Everyday enemy spies and soldiers are shot dead by our snipers. Several days ago, on the Kandahar bypass road, Mujahideen conducted searches of cargo trucks finding and subsequently burning those trucks carrying supplies to enemy soldiers. All this proves that the Mujahideen have the capabilities and willingness, to conduct operations in the city according to their own initiative, while the enemy has lost all morale and determination to fight.
Alemarah: It is said that since this new operation was launched, many innocent residents have gone missing, some of whom have subsequently been found and have reported to have been kidnapped by American and puppet government officers. What information do you have regarding this?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: It is true that the enemy has arrested many innocent people, the majority of whom are still suffering in prisons. These people have been arrested by government intelligence services as well as by various local militias. Many of them have been arrested due to personal or tribal rivalries. These incidents require a thorough investigation because many of these innocent arrestee’s have often been tortured to death without any legal process. These are all innocent Afghan civilians whose death should be investigated by all Afghan and global societies.
Alemarah: Enemy has been announcing recently that they have captured a large cache of weapons, explosives and mines from the Mujahideen. What is your information regarding this?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: This is yet another of the enemy’s baseless claims. We have not yet faced a situation where the Mujahideen’s weapons or mines have been captured due to the enemy’s intelligence gathering. However, it has sometimes happened that some of our mines have failed to explode due to some technical or electronic failure. These have subsequently fallen into enemy hands further inflating their egos.
Alemarah: The issue of civilian casualties is hotly debated in Kandahar. The enemy propaganda claims that civilians are often killed in Mujahideen operations. What do you have to say about this?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: I, as the head of Kandahar operations, feel very sensitive to this issue, first in front of Allah and then in front of our Afghan people. If we did not fear for causing harm to our own people then our operations in Kandahar would be ten times more than they are today. We have always tried our best to completely end any civilians casualties on our part. We often have had to cancel our operations when we fear the possibility of civilian casualties. On the other hand, the enemy always seeks to stay and move in our population centres so that if Mujahideen attack them, any resulting civilian damage would be blamed on the Mujahideen. As much as we want to attack the enemy, we know that they want to use our people as human shields for their protection and therefore we abstain from confronting them in these areas.
Alemarah: Partly as a result of the recent operations and partly due to the targeted killings of government workers, some people in Kandahar are beginning to think that these shootings and bombings are random and indiscriminate. For this reason these people are very fearful of the present situation. What is your message to these people?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: I want to tell these people that if they are not government workers then they should be completely calm and relaxed. The operation in Kandahar are not random and spirit of the moment operations, instead each step is thoroughly planed and meticulously executed. The Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate first conduct thorough background research into their targets and when their relationship with the puppet government and their foreign paymasters is fully confirmed, do they proceed to punish these collaborators. Only once during my term has one of our Mujahids mistaken an innocent person (who fully resembled the intended target and was present in the same neighbourhood) for an intended target and killed him. On that occasion we contacted the family of the deceased and resolved the matter under the law of Shariah. Other than that no innocent person has been killed in these targeted assassinations. I want to console my fellow countrymen that the valiant Mujahideen would never steep to randomly killing ttheir own countrymen. It is quite possible that the puppet government and the foreign invaders have put some moles in the city that terrify the populace by defaming the name of the pious Mujahideen. We have provided a contact number to the people of Kandahar to seek our help if ever confronted by these stooge government bandits.
Alemarah: How would you describe the Kandahar government?
Haji Ahmad Saeed: The government in Kandahar is barely capable of defending itself. We can see that the Kandahar government has no staff or functioning bureaucracy. Its only functioning organs are the police stations, which are run by the American invaders. On the other hand, the Mujahideen have set up various different committees which are always busy resolving the daily disputes of the local people in Kandahar.
Alemarah: To end, if you would like to say something or send a message, feel free.
Haji Ahmad Saeed: I, as a Mujahid and Muslim Afghan, would like to outline three issues which, if acted upon, will Inshallah bring success in this world and the one to follow.
* My first message is to the puppet government workers. I say to them as a Muslim Afghan to leave this government. The government they work for is neither lawful nor Shar’ee (which applies the rule of Allah) but is a slave institution set up by the Americans to further their imperial goals. It does not befit a Muslim to work for the infidels in such an institution. They should hasten to leave this institution, and the Mujahideen will uphold all their rights.
* My second message is to the various different contractors responsible for working for the Americans in exchange for money. I tell them that even if your collaboration with the foreigners brings you wealth; it also increases the misery of Afghanistan under foreign occupation. For this reason you must give up on earning such unlawful wealth and give up your collaboration with the American invaders.
* My third message is to the various militias around Kandahar that are set up and run by the American invaders. Most of the commanders and soldiers in these militias are those same bandits that infested Kandahar before the inception of the Islamic Emirate. These bandits were once disarmed after the invasion but have once more been re-armed to serve as the shovels of Americans. I ask these men to consult their consciousness. How the Americans used them at the start of the invasion and then denounced them as bandits and miscreants. Now that they are again knee-deep in the mud, they invoke you to do their dirty deeds. Is it not enough for you to learn from your previous mistakes. You should not involve yourself once again in this dangerous war.
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 110225UTC Nov 10
NOTE: This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
Report on Kandahar city operations
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:41 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – Mujahideen from Kandahar city say that they carried out deadly operations throughout the last night. Reports say that Jandarma building, which has puppet police inside and is located in Mirwaise Maina of the city, came under a fierce attack but the damage and casualties caused is not known. Similarly 2 American fuel tankers were destroyed in an attack on the enemy logistical supply convoy in Shahrpor Darwaza area. 2 puppet drivers were also killed in the attack. A local intelligence agency officer (Mirwaise) was shot dead in Piro Kala area while 2 puppet police officers were also shot dead while on a foot patrol close to Zhiri-Gerishk Ada area located in the heart of the city. Another 2 puppet police were also killed while they were standing around in Shidano Chowk area. 1 Mujahid was Martyred (may Allah grant him jannah) in this assault. It is worth mentioning that the attacks in Kandahar city have intensified while the invades and their puppets have been conducting barbaric operations in Zhiri, Panjwaee and Arghandab districts.
Deadly Zhiri blasts kill and wound 13 American terrorists
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:44 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – IED’s exploded on American terrorists who landed by helicopters for a raid in Sang-e-Sar’s Lwinano village last night as a result 7 invaders were killed and 5 severely wounded. Locals say that the invaders boots, helmets, uniforms and limbs area still lying at the explosion scenes.
IED kills and wounds 5 puppets
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:43 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – 2 puppet border police were killed and 3 seriously wounded when an IED exploded on their foot patrol at 11:00 am yesterday in Khogyano village of Ma’ruf district.
Invaders base in Arghandab comes under attack
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 13:28 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – A US invaders base came under Mujahideen heavy and light weapons attack at 12:0 pm in Charghalba area of Arghandab district but extent of damage and casualties caused is not known.
Mujahideen clash with invaders in Panjwaee
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:26 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – A 2-hour firefight broke out in Zangabad area of Panjwaee district after Mujahideen attacked the foot patrol of US invaders at 03:00 pm yesterday afternoon but the number of killed and wounded is not known.
9 puppets killed in Uruzgan as check post is overrun
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:42 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Nov. 10 – 9 puppet police were killed, their weapons, 3 motorbikes and other equipment seized after 2 police inside contacted Mujahideen and arranged an assault on the check post at 12:00 pm last night. The 2 police have returned with Mujahideen to their bases.
US invaders suffer fatal casualties in Terenkot city
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:44 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Nov. 10 – An IED exploded on the foot patrol of US invaders in Pie Nawa area near Terenkot city at around 05:00 pm yesterday as a result 2 invaders were killed and 1 wounded while another 2 American terrorists were killed and 3 wounded when Mujahideen attacked their foot patrol in the city’s Darwaishano Nawa area at 10:00 am this morning.
Roadside bomb rips through US tank
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:28 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Nov. 10 – Reports from Dahrawud district say that a US invaders convoy was passing through Lebnon area at 08:00 am when a roadside bomb ripped through one of the tanks, instantly killing all 4 terrorists onboard.
4 cowardly invaders killed in Zhiri, tank destroyed
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 13:28 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Nov. 10 – Some 4 American terrorists were killed at 07:00 am when an IED exploded on their foot patrol and then it came under immediate Mujahideen attack in Sang-e-Sar area of Zhiri district. In another report, a US invaders tank was destroyed in the mentioned area yesterday. All invaders onboard were killed and wounded.
Puppet check post comes under Mujahideen assault
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:26 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, Nov. 10 – Mujahideen attacked a police check post in Nadir Khan village of Shinki district yesterday afternoon as a result 4 puppet police were killed.
TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH (RC South) – 230115UTC Oct 10
NOTE: This material is from web pages and forums carrying statements attributed to the Taliban, Taliban spokespersons or supporters of the Taliban, or analysis thereof. Posting of this material neither confirms nor endorses any of its content – it is shared for information only. When material translated into English is not available, Google Translate is used to translate the original – this is only a machine translation, NOT an official one.
Fresh report on Kandahar city operations
Friday, 22 October 2010 11:48 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Oct. 22 – New reports coming in from Kandahar city say that the city was rocked once again by very successful Mujahideen operations last night.Mujahideen carried out deadly attacks and blasts in the city’s Yarana Market, Yakhoji, Beru Kalacha, Captain Madad Chowk, Brishna Kot, Shorandam, the houses of Ahmad Wali Karzai and Haji Abdullah and in other areas as well.
Mujahideen detonated an explosive-laden motorcycle on enemy soldiers in Yarana Market in which 11 puppets were killed. At the same time another 5 puppets were killed in an ambush in Sima bridge. Similarly another 4 puppet police were killed in a firefight in Beru Kalacha and 2 NATO logistical vehicles were torched in Yakhoji area.
In Captain Madad Chowk Mujahideen detonated 2 remote-controlled IED’s on an enemy Surf 4WD, killing and wounding all onboard and another 3 police of 7th Brigade were also killed by a surprise attack of small arms fire.
Once again, just like last time, Mujahideen attacked the house of Ahmad Wali Karzai and Haji Abdullah using heavy and light weapons as a result 14 of their gunmen were killed. Similarly another 3 puppet police were also killed when a blast detonated in front of their check post in Brishna Kot area.
Mujahideen say that due to their attacks and blasts in the area between Shorandam and city center some 5 puppets were killed and their patrol vehicle was also destroyed. Mujahideen add that the operations throughout the night were very successful because no Mujahideen were Martyred or wounded. They say that they had also taken positions on rooftops of the whole city but none of the enemy dared come out. Patrols did come out but only in Lalak Mama Tamir and Kuchni areas but fled after coming under fierce attacks.
These attacks of Mujahideen clearly show that the lies of Ahmad Wali and his masters, of ridding the city from Mujahideen are false and shows that Mujahideen can strike at any time in any part of the city they choose.
Friday, 22 October 2010 11:49 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Oct. 22 – At least 4 joint US-Afghan enemy were killed and 5 severely wounded when their foot patrol hit an IED at 12:00 pm in Zhari district.
Puppet ANA shot dead by sniper
Friday, 22 October 2010 07:04 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
KANDAHAR, Oct. 22 – A sniper in Arghandab’s Tabeen area shot dead a puppet ANA who was standing in front of his check post.
ANA vehicle eliminated in Terenkot city
Friday, 22 October 2010 17:05 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
URUZGAN, Oct. 22 – An ANA puppets vehicle was annihilated by an IED in Terenkot city at 04:00 pm. All puppets onboard were killed and wounded.
Attack on NATO logistical convoy, 6 puppets killed
Friday, 22 October 2010 11:48 Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
ZABUL, Oct. 22 – At least 6 security puppets were killed and 15 vehicle of NATO logistical convoy were destroyed by a Mujahideen attack in Shar-e-Safa district at 08:00 pm.
MILNEWS.ca Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.