| BIO | RADIO | EMAIL ME | |
 |
|||
|
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA |
|||
|
|
v AFGHANIS-CAN? --What the WS Journal is reporting on the good war U.S. and Afghan Troops Expand Control in Marjah The two-day-old offensive, the core of a wider U.S.-British-Afghan campaign to secure the Nad-e-Ali district that contains Marjah, is designed to assert the Kabul government's authority in restive Helmand province. --What the Star is reporting via AP In the mud and from the air, assault on Taliban takes toll A Canadian berated an Afghan soldier whose gunfire was too close to soldiers scattered elsewhere in the field. "You've got friendlies there!" he screamed. --What CP is reporting Military says success for Canada is no shots fired, no blood shed, in big offensive Military report shows how many Canadian soldiers suffered mild brain injuries --What the Globe is reporting NATO's novel battle tactic spawns opposite effects coalition forces are making slow progress into Marjah. Given the advance notice, Taliban insurgents have turned the community of 80,000 into a veritable minefield. “We planted many mines,” one Taliban spokesman told The Globe and Mail. “Now we are preparing for [a] new attack against these forces in Marjah.” --What the Independent is reporting Joya condemns 'ridiculous' military strategy --What else the WS Journal is reporting U.S. and Afghan Troops Expand Control in Marjah On Sunday, Marines shot and killed an unarmed man who approached a coalition position and ignored repeated warnings, including warning shots, according to the Marines. Even a minor incident underscored the potential fragility of the political side of the offensive. On Sunday, one of the troops shot a farmer's dog that was acting aggressively towards a military bomb-sniffing Labrador. Lt. Col. Worth apologized, although the farmer, Jawad Wardak, seemed nonplussed. "It would have been better if you hadn't shot my dog," Mr. Wardak said. "But it's OK that you did." One of the Afghan soldiers then asked Mr. Wardak for food. The colonel interjected that the troops brought their own meals and did not want to take things from the locals. "That's not why we're here," he said. Mr. Wardak, however, gave the Afghan soldiers some flatbread. He asked permission to send his nephews to harvest some alfalfa from his fields; Lt. Col. Worth gave his assent. --What the W Post is reporting Afghanistan's government seeks more control over elections The Afghan government has drafted proposed changes to election law that would remove all three foreign members from the body that investigates fraud, limit the number of women in parliament and establish a host of new qualifications for candidates to run for office. The proposed amendments are spelled out in a translated version of a draft law that was presented at a cabinet meeting earlier this month and obtained by The Washington Post. A spokesman for Karzai, Wahid Omar, said that amendments to the law were approved by the cabinet and sent to the Ministry of Justice but that he could not discuss the content of the changes until they were made public. Karzai could sign the decree as early as this week, while the parliament is on recess. --What else the Yanks are reporting Errant U.S. Rocket Strike Kills Civilians in Afghanistan The Marines move on Marja: A perilous slog against Afghanistan's Taliban Afghanistan offensive is key test of Obama's strategy SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010 Attack Gives Marines a Taste of War Marja Assault - A Test for the New Meaning of Victory in Afghanistan Marines meet with Afghans to explain offensive, seek support Allied Troops Seize Taliban Posts; Fighting Is Sporadic American, Afghan and British troops seized crucial positions across the Taliban stronghold of Marja on Saturday, encountering intense but sporadic fighting as they began the treacherous ordeal of house-to-house searches. Troops face gunfights and minefields in offensive against Taliban in Afghanistan Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who U.S. officials said had authorized the operation, issued a statement Saturday calling on "all Afghan and international troops to exercise absolute caution to avoid harming civilians." He also urged the Taliban "to renounce violence and reintegrate into civilian life." SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2010 --What the W Post is reporting U.S. launches major surge against Taliban in Afghanistan It is the first major military operation of the war that Karzai has endorsed, the officials said. According to the officials, Karzai had been ambivalent about a military push into Marja, hoping instead to persuade some of the insurgents to participate in a reintegration program. But Eikenberry and McChrystal, as well as some senior members of Karzai's cabinet, urged him to approve the operation, noting that fighters in the area have had months to switch their allegiance. They also emphasized that more than 400 tribal elders from Marja and surrounding areas had voiced support for an incursion at meetings organized by Helmand's governor Thursday and Friday. --What the WS Journal is reporting its capture in an offensive that has been telegraphed for weeks could help sway Afghan and Western public opinion and is considered an important step in a broader push to reverse the Taliban's battlefield momentum. --What else the WS Journal is reporting The biggest break came in early February, when Afghan intelligence agents, tipped off by a source, arrested the Taliban's so-called "shadow governor" of Marjah, who doubled as the insurgents' military chief, said coalition and Afghan officials. He was grabbed in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan's biggest city, and was on his way to Pakistan, where the Taliban's top leadership had ordered him to take refuge, officials said. "They were worried. Taliban has lost so many mid- and senior commanders, they are hurting right now; that's clear from a lot of intel," said a senior coalition commander in Kabul. The captured shadow governor, whom officials refused to identify, gave allied officers what they believed was a fairly accurate accounting of the Taliban's defenses and plans for fighting off coalition forces. He's been a "chatty Cathy," said the other senior coalition officer in Kabul. --What the LA Times is reporting Marines launch offensive in southern Afghanistan town To counter the tangle of bombs, the Marines have five 70-ton Assault Breacher Vehicles they intend to use to roll through roads ahead of the ground troops, which will follow the initial airborne assault. Each vehicle can fire line charges, laden with thousands of pounds of explosives, to detonate buried bombs. Marja is considered the last urban stronghold of the Taliban in the south-central province of Helmand, where the insurgency has been largely unchecked in recent years despite the efforts of British forces. --What the NY Times is reporting News Analysis - Afghan Offensive Is New War Model --What the WS Journal is reporting The Long Game in Marjah, Afghanistan: Painstaking Patrols FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 Afghans Try to Reassure Tribal Elders on Offensive Pakistan Says Feb. 25 India Talks Likely British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 --What the NY Times is reporting Pakistan Is Said to Pursue Role in Afghan Talks With U.S. Pakistani officials familiar with General Kayani’s thinking said that even as the United States adds troops to Afghanistan, he has determined that the Americans are looking for a fast exit. The impression, they said, was reinforced by President Obama’s scant mention of the war in his State of the Union address. U.S. unveils offer to help Iran purchase medical isotopes War casualties put UK hospitals under strain – ahead of fresh Afghan offensive | Pakistani Taliban confirms leader's death - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 --What the LA Times is reporting Gates quietly draws more allied troops for Afghanistan effort Gates said that earlier he had pressed allies publicly, only to be accused of "megaphone diplomacy." "So I decided to be quiet," Gates said. "And the results speak for themselves. " --What the Guardian is reporting Afghanistan death toll exceeds Falklands as three UK soldiers die A total of 256 British servicemen and women have now died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. Blair attacks his critics' tendency to 'conspiracy theories' In southern Afghanistan, even the small gains get noticed Marines focus on civilian safety in Afghanistan - latimes.com Nato's show of force is also about winning hearts and minds Cabinet did not need to hear legal doubts over Iraq invasion, says Straw MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010 --What the Guardian is reporting on the good war RAF 'relying' on drones in Afghanistan 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. --What the WS Journal is reporting Karzai Proposes Military Draft to Boost Troop Levels Afghan and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces arrested the deputy police chief of a central Afghan province over allegations that he was helping insurgents place roadside bombs aimed at coalition troops. --What else the Guardian is reporting on the good war Don't wait for victory to start talking to the Taliban, Ainsworth tells Nato The defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, said today that Nato should not seek the Taliban's unconditional surrender and warned against "setting the bar too high" for peace talks. In a debate in Munich about the conduct of the war and potential overtures to the Taliban, he argued it was unrealistic to require insurgents to support western-style democracy before entering dialogue. Senator John McCain added: "You can't put reconciliation ahead of success, because if the enemy is going to believe he's going to succeed, he's not going to reconcile." --What the Independent is reporting on the bad war Campbell at loggerheads with BBC for grilling over Iraq Inquiry Alastair Campbell was embroiled in another row with the BBC last night after breaking down on television as he answered questions about the Iraq war. Tony Blair's former Downing Street communications director accused the BBC presenter Andrew Marr of pursuing an "agenda" when he pressed him over whether the former Prime Minister misled Parliament over Iraq's weapons before the 2003 invasion. --What the NY Times is reporting if you have the time SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2010 Calgarian fights for Brits in Afghanistan Special forces assassins infiltrate Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan Afghan Police Kill 7 Mistaken for Insurgents UK forces prepare for biggest Afghan offensive since 2001 Amnesty International is ‘damaged’ by Taliban link SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010 --What Canwest is reporting on Obama’s war Canadian families find closure in Afghan pilgrimage Canadians pave way for Afghan offensive --What the WSJ is reporting Probe: U.S. Outpost Had 'Inadequate' Defenses --Say what? U.S. Military Faults Leaders in Attack on Base Because the version of the report that the military released was heavily redacted, it was unclear why relief was slow to get to Keating, although bad weather was cited in part. --What the W Post is reporting NATO ministers, commanders advertise planned offensive in s. Afghanistan --What the NY Times is reporting that will be of interest to Canadians Gates Offers Equipment to Allies The new generation of American mine-resistant, ambush-protected troop carriers, called MRAPs, will be sold, lent or donated to allied units in the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, according to NATO officials. Mr. Gates, speaking at the conclusion of the first NATO defense ministers’ meeting held since President Obama ordered 30,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan, said he had made a particular push to get other nations to supply 4,000 more troops to train and then operate with Afghan Army and police units. The push has shown only halting progress ahead of a Feb. 23 NATO force-generation conference in Belgium. Officials acknowledge that much of the reluctance is rooted in fear of casualties and the political pain that can ensue. --What the NY Times is reporting on Af-Pak Bombs Hit Shiite Travelers and Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010 --What CP is reporting Making a difference for girls in Kandahar --What the Beeb is reporting on Obama’s war BBC News - Afghanistan dog fight hit by deadly bomb blast --What the W Post is reporting Gen. McChrystal says conditions in Afghanistan war are no longer deteriorating "I am not prepared to say that we have turned the corner," Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal told a group of U.S. reporters during a NATO conference here. "I'm not prepared to say we are winning. I am prepared to say we are very much engaged, and I'm confident we're going to see serious progress this year." McChrystal said Thursday that the U.S. military still plans to withdraw at least some forces in July 2011, but he did not say how many or how quickly. "I don't know the rate that that will occur," he said. "But I think that Afghan capacity will have grown to the point where that will be an option without a reduction in the ability to provide security." --What the Times is reporting Joint Afghan and Nato force seeks to clear Helmand rebels --What else the Yanks are reporting on the good war Even Where Pakistani Law Exists, Taliban Find a Porous Border India Offers to Resume Talks With Pakistan U.S. commanders in Afghanistan face tougher discipline for battlefield failures THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 --What the Star is reporting on Obama’s war Forces' 'credibility' at stake In orders issued to Canadian Forces commanders, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk outlined four "strategic ends" the military must meet while withdrawing from the country in December 2011. They include keeping troops secure while operations wind down, ensuring full Canadian control of the withdrawal, and protecting the country's priority projects such as building up the Afghan security forces and reconstructing a dam. But top of mind is the "maintenance of Canada's reputation" and honouring the sacrifices of the country's soldiers, sailors and air crews, Natynczyk says in the Aug. 7, 2009 directive, obtained under the Access to Information Act. "Our credibility as an institution is reliant upon the public and international perceptions of how we carry out this demanding and difficult task," he wrote to his senior commanders. "Of particular concern is setting the conditions for the handover of our (area of operations) to a NATO-designated relieving force in a manner that reinforces success." --What the NY Times is reporting Troops Prepare and Publicize Offensive Against Taliban NATO and the Afghan military are about to launch their biggest joint offensive of the war, and they appear to be making sure the Taliban know they are coming. --What the W Post is reporting Karzai's Taliban reconciliation strategy raises ethnic, rights concerns at home Political resistance is building in Afghanistan to President Hamid Karzai's two-track plan to end the war by negotiating with Taliban leaders while enticing their foot soldiers with the promise of jobs and development projects. Sima Samar, chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said that finding a peaceful resolution to Afghanistan's conflict is necessary but that any effort to negotiate with the leaders of the Taliban -- whose regime was notoriously repressive toward women -- must take into account their crimes. --What else the W Post is reporting Blast kills 3 U.S. troops in northwest Pakistan The American military deaths were the first in Pakistan in recent years and shined a light on a joint training program that U.S. and Pakistani military officials have strived to keep quiet. --What the NY Times is reporting Aafia Siddiqui Guilty of Shooting at Americans in Afghanistan --What the Independent is reporting on the bad war Blair 'used Iraq evidence for smears' TONY BLAIR and his closest advisers have used their evidence to the Iraq Inquiry to smear those critical of their decision to take Britain to war, according to one of the former Prime Minister’s most senior diplomats. Sir Christopher Meyer, the British ambassador in Washington at the time of the conflict, said in an interview with The Independent that he regarded it as a “badge of honour” that he had faced criticism during the inquiry from Mr Blair, from his former chief of staff Jonathan Powell, and his director of communications Alastair Campbell. He said that turning viciously on opposition was the modus operandi of the Blair administration. Sir Christopher, whose BBC series on diplomacy, Getting Our Way, begins on Monday, said that the tactic was a hallmark of how No 10 operated under Mr Blair. “You turn on dissent, you distort the argument, you claim the other person has said something they never said, and then you seek to discredit it. It’s not only me that has had some of this. It is their modus operandi. Smear and smokescreen.” --What the Times is reporting Gordon Brown ‘demanded immediate defence cuts’ when Chancellor Gordon Brown demanded immediate and deep cuts to military spending only six months after the invasion of Iraq, a letter seen by The Times reveals. Then the Chancellor, Mr Brown wrote to Tony Blair on September 26, 2003, forbidding the Ministry of Defence from switching resources to the front line. His guillotine forced defence chiefs to slash £800 million from their budgets, including future spending on helicopters, which they claim is hampering operations in Afghanistan. A bitter dispute over Mr Brown’s record on defence funding overshadowed yesterday’s launch of government proposals on the future of the military. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 --What the NY Times is reporting on Obama’s war With Rawest of Recruits, Buildup of Afghan Police Falters The international nature of the NATO-led training program has resulted in a welter of 20 different programs run by half a dozen countries and agencies with widely varying methodologies and standards. Officials are now trying to write a nationwide instruction program that will be more standardized. --What the Guardian and is reporting on the bad war Clare Short: Blair misled us and took UK into an illegal war | UK news --What else is being reported on the good war Karzai Pursues Saudi Role in Taliban Talks U.S. military officers could face punishment over ambush in Afghanistan Battle begins to win over Taliban to Karzai's court - Asia --What the Independent is reporting on the next war? US is stirring up Iran-phobia in Middle East, says Tehran TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 --What the WS Journal is reporting on Canada Surge in Kandahar Seeks to Change Course of Afghan War --What else the Brits and Yanks are reporting Lessons for U.S. in report on Pakistan-Afghanistan border efforts Pakistan's army chief seeks stable Afghanistan Pakistani Taliban leader's death would be 'fatal blow' for group, analyst says Pakistan Offers to Train Afghan Soldiers As Marines Move In, the Taliban Fight a Shadowy War Afghan Official Dismisses Taliban Denial of Talks MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 --What CP is reporting Canadian envoy warns wooing Taliban could exclude others --What the Yanks are reporting Pakistani Taliban Leader Is Reported Dead U.S. makes small strides in getting Afghan army fighting fit, but hurdles remain - SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2010 --What CP is reporting Canadian envoy warns wooing Taliban could exclude others --What the Yanks are reporting Pakistani Taliban Leader Is Reported Dead U.S. makes small strides in getting Afghan army fighting fit, but hurdles remain - --What AP via the Star front page is reporting Bolstered by the U.S. troop surge, the commander of Canadian forces in Afghanistan said Saturday he believes the allied coalition can cripple the Taliban in the country's volatile south by summer but not before hard fighting. Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, who also commands NATO's Task Force Kandahar, which includes U.S. forces, told The Associated Press in an interview that the next four months will be crucial in the battle against the Taliban, which was born in Kandahar in the 1990s. Kandahar remains the Taliban's spiritual home and a centre of Afghanistan's insurgency…. With the surge, the number of troops under Menard's command are likely to increase significantly. He already commands more U.S. soldiers than Canadian. --What the W Post is reporting on Obama’s war Taliban denies reports that leaders met with U.N. envoy The United Nations has not confirmed that such a meeting took place, although Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in Paris on Friday that Eide wanted to draw "his own conclusion about the mind-set of some of the Taliban members." In an e-mailed statement, the Taliban leadership council described such a meeting as "mere futile and baseless rumors." Arsallah Rahmani, a former minister in the Taliban government, said Eide did meet with Taliban officials, but he described the dialogue as in its infancy. "It's a very sensitive issue right now," he said. --What the Guardian says editorially about the bad war Tony Blair sold the Iraq war on his judgment. His judgment was wrong --What the Telegraph is reporting on the good war BRITAIN’S SPENDING on the war in Afghanistan is to be boosted by £1.5billion to £5billion over the next 12 months. Government sources said that the cash would fund more helicopters and unmanned drone aircraft for British troops fighting in Helmand Province as well as equipment designed to offer better protection from roadside bombs. In a further boost, ministers will shortly announce that the overall annual budget for the Ministry of Defence, which is £35billion for 2009-10, will be “ring fenced” for 2010-11. They will say that this will protect the department from the cuts that are certain to affect the rest of Whitehall. --What the Times is reporting Hamid Karzai fails Taliban who gave up arms --What the Times is reporting Liam Fox: UK taking ‘unfair hit’ in Afghan war LIAM FOX, the shadow defence secretary, suggested German money should subsidise British forces in Afghanistan, as he called for reform of the 60-year-old Nato military alliance. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Fox claimed it was unfair that the countries doing most of the fighting were also footing the largest bills. --What else is being reported by the Brits and Yanks A Look at America’s New Hope: The Afghan Tribes 4 Afghan troops killed in friendly fire incident Spending on Afghan war to rise to £5 billion a year SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2010 --What the NY Times is reporting on the bad war Citing 9/11, Blair Defends Legacy at Iraq Inquiry --What the NY Times is reporting on the good war Marines in Helmand Try Soft Touch to Win Over Afghans Taliban Bombers Attack Afghan Provincial Capital --What the WS Journal is reporting on the good and the bad Pentagon Review Shows Strategy Shift - WSJ.com The Pentagon will lay out a long-term vision for U.S. national security on Monday that jettisons the military's decades-old belief that it needs to be prepared to fight two large-scale wars simultaneously, according to defense officials familiar with the matter. The shift in strategy sets up potential conflicts with defense contractors and powerful lawmakers uneasy with the Pentagon's growing focus on smaller-scale, guerilla warfare. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has come to think that the Pentagon's traditional belief that it needed to be able to fight two major wars at the same time was outdated and overly focused on conventional warfare. The new QDR moves away from that model, a mainstay of U.S. military thinking for more than two decades, in favor of an expanded focus on low-intensity conflict. --What the Star says editorially speaking Beginning of end in Afghanistan – the star Latterly we have fought, successfully, to thwart its return to power. Omar has been on the run for almost a decade. And he won't return on our watch. That's a caution to other regimes that harbour terrorists. --What the Guardian is reporting on the very same Omar Afghan Taliban leader ready to end al-Qaida ties, says former trainer The Taliban leader in Afghanistan, Mullah Muhammad Omar, is ready to break with his al-Qaida allies in order to make peace in the country, according to the former Pakistani intelligence officer who trained him. FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 --What else the Brits are reporting that confirms the Star’s reporter’s report Has the West got the will to carry on shedding blood for Afghanistan? (Coughlin) One of the more noticeable features of yesterday's conference on Afghanistan in London was the disconnect between the time-frame envisaged by the Afghans for stabilising their country, and the more Panglossian approach of Mr Brown and other Western leaders. At the opening of the summit, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, reiterated his view that it will be at least 15 years before there is a government and security infrastructure capable of running the country. Mr Brown – thinking no doubt of the forthcoming election – gave a far more upbeat assessment, claiming that Afghans will be able to start taking charge of their own security by the end of the year. What he glossed over was the fact that the government will take control only of those regions that are not being targeted on a regular basis by the Taliban – a pitifully small area. As the recent suicide bombs in central Kabul demonstrated, the Taliban has the capability to attack at a time and place of its choosing. Five-year plan to 'buy Afghanistan exit' David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has defended a plan to pay off the Taleban while British soldiers continue to die in Helmand province. A process of reintegration for the Taleban was the centrepiece yesterday of the London conference on Afghanistan, which also set a tentative timeline for a transition of authority to the Afghan Government and a withdrawal of Western troops. A communiqué issued at the end of the conference set a period of five years for Afghan troops to take control of security in the country, but President Karzai said that such a process might take 15 years. --The Star and the Globe compete for today’s dishonesty award --What the WS Journal is reporting on the Afstan conference Talks Plot Handover to Afghan Forces Afghanistan agreed at an international conference here to timetables for taking control of certain military and police functions in the war-torn country, and rolled out details of a new program to lure Taliban insurgents back to mainstream life with financial incentives. The one-day London conference, attended by about 65 nations, was meant to kick-start the transition of the country's security to Afghan troops from foreign ones and bolster Afghanistan's ability to develop its economy and stamp out corruption. --What the W Post is reporting Afghan president plans meeting on reintegrating, reconciling with insurgents Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that he will convene a nationwide meeting of tribal, religious and political leaders in the next few weeks to discuss reintegrating and reconciling with insurgents. Afghan government officials said Taliban members would also be welcome to attend. U.S. officials, who strongly support reintegration of low-level Taliban fighters but have drawn a bright red line against dealings with insurgents who have not forsworn violence or who have ties to al-Qaeda, appeared unsure of what Karzai had in mind. "We didn't know they were going to do it," a senior Obama administration official said of the apparent breadth of Karzai's invitation. "We're very enthusiastic about reintegration," the official said. "We're not here to discuss reconciliation." That term generally refers to a negotiated settlement between opposing forces. The official said reconciliation did not come up in closed-door meetings Thursday, and it was not mentioned in a final communique that welcomed Karzai's outreach to "those willing to renounce violence" and "cut ties with al-Qaeda."… The Afghans themselves seemed unsure Thursday about whether any Afghan would be ruled out of attendance at the proposed meeting, or jirga, and whether participants had to first forswear violence and pledge to abide by Afghan law. U.S. officials said they did; Afghans appeared to leave the matter open. --What the NY Times is reporting on the conference War Plan for Karzai - Reach Out to Taliban Afghanistan’s president declared Thursday that reaching out to the Taliban’s leadership would be a centerpiece of his plan to end the eight-year-old war in his country, setting in motion a risky diplomatic gambit that could aggravate frictions with the United States. A 65-nation conference here intended to muster money and support for an Afghan war strategy instead exposed divisions between the Afghan government and its allies over the timetable for drawing down foreign forces and whether and how to reconcile with the leaders of the Taliban insurgency…. American officials pointedly did not talk about “reconciliation” on Thursday, and they were caught off guard by Mr. Karzai’s plans for a tribal peace conference. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton did not endorse Mr. Karzai’s strategy, though she voiced sympathy for his ultimate goal. “You don’t make peace with your friends,” Mrs. Clinton said after the meeting, which reflected a growing urgency to wind down the West’s military involvement. “You have to be willing to engage with your enemies if you expect to create a situation that ends an insurgency.”… --Rosie’s less that rosy view DiManno: Misjudging Taliban a deadly folly Just a couple of years ago, visitors waiting to see Canadian diplomat Christopher Alexander at his United Nations office in Kabul were almost guaranteed to spot a Taliban or two likewise sipping tea and fingering prayer beads, patiently biding "exit" interview appointments. --What both the Globe and the Star are reporting on the chinwag International allies have said they will pledge at least $500 million (U.S.) for the reconciliation fund. Canada will contribute an extra $25 million for the war against drugs in Afghanistan, but isn't ready to contribute cash to pay for negotiations with the Taliban, Cannon said. --What the NY Times is reporting that neither of the above is Mrs. Clinton praised Japan for giving $50 million to the fund, but she said the United States had no immediate plans to follow. The Treasury Department would have to approve such financing, because it classifies the Taliban as a terrorist organization. The Pentagon is authorized to use its funds for that purpose: American military commanders, for example, agreed to steer $1 million in development projects to a large Pashtun tribe in eastern Afghanistan in return for its pledge to back the government and battle the Taliban. --What the Globe is keeping secret on a secret meeting It appears that peace talks with the Taliban have already begun. It was reported that senior figures from the Islamist movement's leadership council held talks in Dubai on Jan. 8 with UN special representative Kai Eide to pave the way for the scenario laid out in London. --What neither the columnist nor the reporter is reporting UN in secret peace talks with Taliban | World news | guardian.co.uk An official statement from the Taliban leadership in response to today's conference warned that "attempts by the enemy to bribe the mujahideen, offering them money and employment to abandon jihad, are futile". However, it added what appeared to be a conciliatory note, saying that it was waging a jihad only to "liberate" Afghan territory and posed "no threat to neighbouring countries or anyone else". Although an important development, it was unclear how significant a faction Eide had met in Dubai or how serious they were. A western official confirmed that there were indications of splits in the Taliban over the prospect of a settlement…. The western official said: "This 'new Taliban' is not that much more extreme than some of the people in government. They could be willing to compromise on some issues, like women's rights, girls education, even watching telly perhaps." --What the Times is reporting Afghan Shinwari elders vow to support Hamid Karzai in exchange for US cash --What else the W Post is reporting Killing of cleric prompts outrage in Kabul and apology from coalition forces PREVIOUS EDITIONS --What the W Post is reporting on Obama-stan Gates proposes $2 billion in funds to aid unstable countries Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has proposed a major overhaul of the way the Pentagon and State Department do nation-building, seeking to end friction between the bureaucracies by putting them jointly in charge of three huge new funds aimed at stabilizing strife-ridden countries. --What the NY Times is reporting Report Criticizes U.S. Anti-Drug Effort in Afghanistan The United States-led counternarcotics effort in Afghanistan, viewed as critical to halting the flow of funds to the Taliban and curtailing corruption, lacks a long-term strategy, clear objectives and a plan for handing over responsibility to Afghans, the State Department inspector general said in a report released Wednesday. --What the NY Times is reporting Afghan Senator Killed Mistakenly at Police Checkpoint --What the other Times is reporting Army halts soldiers’ training to cut costs Remote areas at risk as Nato acts to protect Afghan cities --What the Telegraph is reporting Pakistani Taliban sends reinforcements to Afghanistan --What the Independent is reporting Independent Appeal: A child is reborn --What the Guardian is reporting on the bad war Jack Straw faces Iraq inquiry grilling over Tony Blair letter --What the Independent is reporting Brown called before Iraq inquiry – but after the election --What the W Post is reporting on Iran Iran warns that it will deal 'fiercely' with protesters --What the LA Times is reporting Iran protests spread in heartland -- latimes.com --What the WS Journal is reporting Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 --What CP is reporting General predicts summer breakthrough against Taliban in Afghanistan Military police dismiss allegations of abuse by Canadian troops in Afghanistan --What Canwest is reporting General says Taliban will be marginalized --What the Times is reporting on Obama-stan Karzai forced to investigate family blood feud after cousin is murdered --What else the Times is reporting Two soldiers killed in two days by ‘friendly fire’ in Afghanistan --What the W Post is reporting on AfPak Suicide attack kills 3 outside Pakistani press club --What the LA Times is reporting on Gitmó Officials seek to reassure Illinois residents on Guantanamo prison transfer --What the NY Times is reporting Plan to Move Guantánamo Detainees Faces a New Delay officials now believe that they are unlikely to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer its population of terrorism suspects until 2011 at the earliest Several weeks ago, the White House approached the House Appropriations Committee and floated the idea of adding about $200 million for the project to the military spending bill for the 2010 fiscal year, according to administration and Congressional officials. But Democratic leaders refused to include the politically charged measure in the legislation. When lawmakers approved the bill on Dec. 19, it contained no financing for Thomson. --What else the NY Times is reporting Sami al-Hajj Went From Guantánamo Cell to Al Jazeera Desk --What the Times is reporting on Iran Osama bin Laden’s missing family found in secret compound in IranTUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2009 --What the Calgary Herald is reporting Bomb dog is a soldier's best friend in Afghanistan --What the Telegraph is reporting Taliban have the initiative, British general admits --What the NY Times is reporting Police Headquarters Attacked in Gardez, Afghanistan --What the Guardian is reporting Military police officer killed by British 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan --What the Guardian is reporting on AfPak US forces mounted secret Pakistan raids in hunt for al-Qaida --What the LA Times is reporting on Iran Iranian dissident cleric's funeral draws huge crowds --What the Times is reporting West should allow Iran to solve its own problems, says opposition leader --What else the Times is reporting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says secret nuclear document is a US forgery MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009 --What the Star is reporting National police Canada's problem in Afghanistan --What the Financial Times is reporting Afghans sceptical of Karzai’s new cabinet “Every one of these ministers will leave the country if things get worse. Even now most of their family members are abroad,” said Mohammed Mehdi Saie, a businessman. --What the Financial Times is reporting Although Ismail Khan, a former warlord from Herat province, retained his energy portfolio, Mr Karzai kept US and UK favourites in the defence, interior, finance and agriculture portfolios in a line-up submitted to parliament for approval on Saturday. In another nod to the western powers, he dismissed two ministers who have been embroiled in corruption allegations. --What the WS Journal is reporting Some Afghan Lawmakers Criticize Karzai's Cabinet Picks --What the NY Times is reporting Civilians Train in ‘Afghan City’ in the Midwest --What the NY Times is reporting Amid Scrutiny, Karzai Defends Cabinet Picks At a news conference with the Belgian prime minister, Yves Leterme, Mr. Karzai also announced that he hoped to create a ministry to fight illiteracy and that he planned to nominate a woman to head it. --What the Telegraph is reporting Despatches from the Heart of Darkness: on the ground in Afghanistan --What the LA Times is reporting California National Guard troops help Afghan farmers SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2009 --What the NY Times is reporting on the cabinet Afghan Cabinet Nominations Show Little Change the administration’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard C. Holbrooke, sounded a cautiously positive note, saying: “This is a government we can work with.” --What the LA Times is reporting Karzai's Cabinet list balances conflicting demands Western diplomats spoke guardedly about Karzai's Cabinet choices, not wanting to preempt the parliamentary confirmation still to come. But the embassies of the United States, Britain and Canada issued statements taking a cautious but generally positive tone. "We look forward to [lawmakers] carrying out their duty to vet and approve candidates who will contribute to Afghanistan's progress toward institutional reform, security and prosperity," said Caitlin Hayden, a U.S. spokeswoman. --What the Observer is reporting Former UN envoy blasts new Karzai cabinet as 'corrupt' --What the W Post is reporting Afghan President Hamid Karzai unveils cabinet choices if Karzai's choices mollified international unease, they provoked dismay among many Afghan observers, who said the retention of about half the previous ministers would bring five more years of inefficient and fractured governance. --What the W Post is reporting from Washington Senate passes defense spending bill In a rare early Saturday morning vote, the Senate passed a massive Pentagon spending bill that includes nearly $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a measure Republicans had tried to block as a means of delaying action on President Obama's health-care overhaul. The legislation includes normal funding for the wars but does not include what likely will be $30 billion to $40 billion in additional money for the 30,000 more troops Obama plans to send into Afghanistan next year, funds that Congress will not consider until next spring. --What else the NY Times is reporting Afghan Killing Bares a Karzai Family Feud The murder in Karz, the identity of the man accused of being the killer and the fact that the episode involves Afghanistan’s most prominent family make for a dramatic — and divisive — tale, one that has not been previously reported. The killing has set off a bitter split within the family in Afghanistan and the United States, with charges, countercharges and claims of a cover-up by Afghan officials. --What the Observer is reporting Two-thirds of Afghan war veterans are suffering from hearing damage --What the Times is reporting Helmand blast kills British soldier --What the NY/LA Times are reporting on Iran Iran Charges 12 at Prison Over Death of Protesters Iran Claims an Oil Field It Seized Montazeri, a senior cleric and defender of Iranian opposition, dies at 87 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009 --What Canwest is reporting Fledgling Afghan national army takes Panjwaii area --What the Ed Journal is reporting Insurgency doesn't stand a chance --What the W Post is reporting Insurgents forced out of Pak's tribal havens form smaller cells in heart of nation --A great moment in US journalism In nod to U.S., Karzai to keep current ministers in top cabinet jobs Afghan President Tries to Please Both Warlords and West --What the NY Times is reporting on AfPak Pakistan Ministers Are Called Before the Courts --What the LA Times is reporting Suicide bomber hits Pakistani mosque, killing 11 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009 --What Canwest is reporting Elite U.S. force to join Canadians in Kandahar --What the NY Times is reporting One Battalion’s Trials in Afghanistan No battalion in the United States Army in Afghanistan has suffered more fatalities since 9/11, and the soldiers here at this base about 20 miles north of Kandahar are not even halfway through their yearlong tour. --What CP is reporting Will Ottawa help man who saved Canadian's life? --What the NY Times is reporting Diplomat to Challenge Dismissal by U.N. After Afghan Vote Peter W. Galbraith, the American diplomat who was dismissed by the United Nations after exposing voter fraud this fall after the Afghan presidential election, has decided to challenge his dismissal, the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday. --What the W Post is reporting McCaskill calls for increased oversight of contract work in Afghanistan U.S. drone strikes kill 16 in Pakistani region thought to be al-Qaeda home base --What the WS Journal is reporting Training for the Civilian Surge --What AP is reporting Pakistan Bans Minister From Travel THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009 --What the Globe is reporting on Obama-stan Who will replace Canada in Kandahar? General Stanley McChrystal, who was in Ottawa Wednesday at the request of the Conference of Defence Associations to address about 500 military experts and diplomats, would not speculate on which country might take over the tough work in the volatile Kandahar province when the Canadians pull out. But, he told reporters, by the summer of 2011 – which is also the date that Canada has set for bringing its soldiers home – it will make sense for foreign troops to be stepping back. “In the near term, we are surging a tremendous number of forces. We believe we can turn the Taliban's momentum in the near term. So I believe that, by the summer of 2011, that particular date is not going to be hugely significant,” he said. “I think we will have reversed Taliban momentum by that point. --What CP is reporting Top general says it will take a year to know if NATO winning Afghan war --What the W Post is reporting Congress investigating charges of ‘protection racket' by Afghanistan contractors A House oversight subcommittee said Wednesday that it has begun a wide-ranging investigation into allegations that private security companies hired to protect Defense Department convoys in Afghanistan are paying off warlords and the Taliban to ensure safe passage. --What the WS Journal is reporting Democrats' Blues Grow Deeper in New Poll in one arena, Afghanistan, Mr. Obama appeared to have some success in winning support for his planned troop surge. Liberals remain largely opposed to the strategy, but in fewer numbers compared with before Mr. Obama made his case in a speech at West Point. Overall, by 44% to 41%, a plurality believe his strategy is the right approach. --What else the W Post is reporting Pelosi says rallying votes for troop surge in Afghanistan will be Obama's job --What the NY Times is reporting U.N. Officials Say American Aide Plotted to Replace Karzai “He told me he would first meet with Vice President Biden,” Mr. Eide wrote. “If the vice president agreed with Galbraith’s proposal they would approach President Obama with the following plan: President Karzai should be forced to resign as president.” Then a new government would be installed led by a former finance minister, Ashraf Ghani, or a former interior minister, Ali A. Jalali, both favorites of American officials. In response to questions from The New York Times, Mr. Galbraith said that he never put forth any fully fledged proposal and said that he only considered an effort to persuade Mr. Karzai to leave so that an interim government, allowed under the Constitution, could be installed in case a runoff election did not occur until May 2010. Mr. Galbraith said the United Nations never informed him that these discussions played a role in his firing. “There were internal discussions,” Mr. Galbraith said. “I’m sure I discussed the crisis and I’m sure I discussed a way out. But that is an entirely different matter from acting on it.” --What the LA Times is reporting Obama describes emotional toll of being wartime president --What else the NY Times is reporting NATO Chief Asks Russia for Help in Afghanistan The secretary general of NATO held talks at the Kremlin on Wednesday for the first time since relations soured last year, though Russia would not immediately agree to his request that it provide more military assistance in Afghanistan. --What the W Post is reporting on AfPak Pakistan's top court nullifies amnesty for Zardari, other officials The ruling could open the door to additional legal challenges against Zardari. Although he still has immunity from prosecution under the constitution, opponents plan to contest that by arguing that Zardari is technically ineligible for the presidency. --What the NY Times is reporting Pakistan Showing Its Upset by Harassing U.S. Diplomats --What the WS Journal is reporting Pakistani President Loses Amnesty Shield --What the Financial Times is reporting Afghans fleeing Taliban are flooding Tajikistan --What the Guardian is reporting on Iran US condemns Iran's 'provocative actions' - test-fires missile that could hit Europe WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009 --What the W Post is reporting on Obama-stan Poll: Public cool to health reforms while Obama gains support on Afstan war One bright spot for the president in the poll is Afghanistan. His announcement on Dec. 1 that he was ordering an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to that country has majority support. More than half of all Americans, 52 percent, approve of how he is handling the situation there, up from 45 percent before the speech. A narrow majority, 52 percent, sees the war in Afghanistan as worth its costs, a six-point increase from last month. Fifty-six percent now view success there as critical to making progress in the broader war on terrorism, the most to say so since July 2008. For the first time, Democrats tilt toward seeing victory in Afghanistan as essential to the overall campaign against terrorism (48 percent vs. 41 percent who say it is not). Most, 55 percent, oppose Obama's setting a July 2011 timeline for the start of a troop withdrawal, with Republicans and independents broadly opposed and Democrats largely supportive. More than seven in 10 expect large numbers of U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan for many years to come, with a near-even split among them as to whether that is the right thing to do. --What the WS Journal is reporting The troop surge in Afghanistan will focus on expanding and connecting safe areas of the country, and on revamping the troubled Afghan police, the U.S.-led coalition's day-to-day commander said in an interview. In the second wave of the surge, in March to May, another U.S. Army brigade combat team, from the 101st Airborne Division, will deploy to the districts around Kandahar City, Afghanistan's second-largest and the birthplace of the Taliban movement. Canadian forces stationed in and around Kandahar in recent years have lacked the strength to check the Taliban rise in the area, and the insurgents exert heavy influence over the city. --What the LA Times is reporting U.S. steps up special operations mission in Afghanistan The U.S. military command has quietly shifted and intensified the mission of clandestine special operations forces in Afghanistan, senior officials said, targeting key figures within the Taliban, rather than almost exclusively hunting Al Qaeda leaders. The number of raids carried out by such units as the Army's Delta Force and Navy's SEAL Team Six in Afghanistan has more than quadrupled in recent months. The teams carried out 90 raids in November, U.S. officials said, compared with 20 in May. U.S. special operations forces primarily conduct missions in eastern and southern Afghanistan. --What the NY Times is reporting Bomber Strikes Near Hotel in Kabul --What else the W Post is reporting Up to 56,000 more contractors likely for Afghanistan, congressional agency says The surge of 30,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan could be accompanied by a surge of up to 56,000 contractors, vastly expanding the presence of personnel from the U.S. private sector in a war zone, according to a study by the Congressional Research Service. CRS, which provides background information to members of Congress on a bipartisan basis, said it expects an additional 26,000 to 56,000 contractors to be sent to Afghanistan. That would bring the number of contractors in the country to anywhere from 130,000 to 160,000. --What the Times is reporting British Afghanistan casualties top 1,000 --What the Guardian is reporting Two British soldiers killed in suicide bombing in Helmand province --What the Independent is reporting Navy and RAF pay the price to fund Afghan war --What the Independent is reporting on the bad war Exclusive: Scarlett accused of misleading inquiry --Why all Canadians love our mother country Diplomats' children to lose free boarding school education --Why we love our other mother Frustrated French MEP Rachida Dati caught out by TV microphone --What the NY Times is reporting on AfPak Pakistani Army’s Victories Fail to Halt Taliban’s Blows The Pakistani military has seized nearly all of the former Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, but militant leaders who fled are still able to carry out deadly attacks deep inside Pakistan’s heartland from new hide-outs, a United States Embassy official here said Tuesday. --What the W Post is reporting Pakistan's Zardari resists U.S. timeline for fighting insurgents In a written response to a letter from Obama late last month, Zardari said his government was determined to take action against al-Qaeda, the Taliban and allied insurgent groups attacking U.S. forces in Afghanistan from the border area inside Pakistan. But, he said, Pakistan's efforts would be based on its own timeline and operational needs. --What else the NY Times is reporting Pakistan Court Focuses on President Zardari’s Offshore Riches Indignant Supreme Court judges on Tuesday demanded to know why $60 million in the suspect gains of President Asif Ali Zardari had been given back to offshore companies in his name rather than returned to the national treasury, where they said it rightfully belonged. --What else the W Post is reporting Car bombings kill 22 in central Pakistan and 8 in Afghanistan's capital --What the NY Times is reporting on Iran 2 Pages in Persian on Iran Nuclear Work Puzzle Spy Agencies TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2009 --What Canwest is reporting Canada rushes safer vehicles to war --What the Times is reporting Five killed in Kabul suicide bomb blast in diplomatic quarter --What the W Post is reporting Major challenge for Pentagon is getting fuel to U.S. troops in Afghanistan Although Obama has said that U.S. forces would begin returning home in 18 months, the fuel storage facility at Bagram would take almost 15 months to build, once the contract is awarded early next year. --What the NY Times is reporting Military Faces Challenges in Deploying More Troops to Afghanistan Admiral Mullen also met on Monday with Mr. Karzai, as well as the government’s defense and interior ministers, to discuss the training of Afghan security forces. He said he underscored to the Afghan leaders the importance of quality, not just quantity, in producing competent soldiers and police. --What the Times is reporting Misfits and runaways join French Foreign Legion for Afghanistan tour --What the WS Journal is reporting Afghan Police Killings Highlight Holes in Security A rogue policeman was responsible for one of the attacks, the fourth such case since October, and new evidence of Taliban infiltration of the Afghan National Police. --What the NY Times is reporting Rebuffing U.S., Pakistan Balks at Crackdown Demands by the United States for Pakistan to crack down on the strongest Taliban warrior in Afghanistan, Siraj Haqqani, whose fighters pose the biggest threat to American forces, have been rebuffed by the Pakistani military, according to Pakistani military officials and diplomats. --What the W Post is reporting on Iran Iran intends to try 3 Americans accused of spying MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009 --What Canwest is reporting Pullout from Afghanistan to cost hundreds of millions of dollars --What the Globe is reporting Afghans violating detainee-transfer agreement An unknown number of Taliban insurgents captured by Canadians and turned over to Afghanistan's secret police are unaccounted for – a serious violation of the Harper government's “improved” detainee-transfer agreement and one that may endanger Canadian soldiers. --What the Independent is reporting on Afghan prisoners Lock them up then let them go: strategy for the Afghan surge The men looked frightened. Taken in handcuffs after US Marines found caches of Kalashnikovs, bomb-making material and opium during searches of their homes in a major offensive against the Taliban, their future looked bleak. But just 48 hours later the prisoners were brought back to their village and freed into the care of local elders. The extraordinary scene was one of the first examples of the new US policy of "reconciling" the Taliban being implemented. It is modelled on how Sunni nationalist groups in Iraq (the so-called "Sunni Awakening") were persuaded or induced to turn their backs on al-Qa'ida, an initiative now seen as a major turning-point in that war. --What the Hill Times is reporting Hillier, O'Connor should have been aware of beaten Afghan detainee A transcript of Federal Court testimony shows former chief of defence staff Rick Hillier and former defence minister Gordon O'Connor should have been aware two years ago of what the current chief of defence staff first denied and then confirmed only last week—that a detainee Canadian troops handed over to Afghan National Police in 2006 was subsequently beaten. The transcript from a cross-examination in a year-long court battle launched over the detainees by Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association shows the Justice Department lawyer representing Mr. Hillier and Mr. O'Connor in the case was present when the lawyer for Amnesty International questioned a Canadian Forces colonel about the incident. --What CP is reporting Canada kept Afghan governor in power despite rep as 'human-rights abuser' Colvin's disgust that Canada would support a "known human-rights abuser" was palpable and formed the most incendiary paragraphs of the report. References to Khalid were entirely blacked out in the version of the report publicly released to the Military Police Complaints Commission. "As far as I know, Canada has never suggested to (President Hamid) Karzai that Asadullah be replaced," says the memo, dated Oct. 24, 2007. "In the one meeting where the subject was discussed, in July 2006, it was the president who raised the issue; Canada defended the governor, thereby ensuring his continued tenure." The uncensored report sheds further light on Colvin's Nov. 18, 2009 testimony before a special House of Commons committee, where he stated the governor was considered a "bad actor" on human rights. It also makes clear the division between the Canadian military, which supported Khalid, and skeptical diplomats, who became increasingly vocal about allegations of corruption, drug-running and prisoner abuse. Canada ended up withdrawing its support for Khalid in 2008 when former foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier, in what was widely viewed as a massive diplomatic blunder, publicly declared the governor had to go and that he'd urged Karzai to replace him. Provincial governors in Afghanistan are appointed by the president. But Colvin's 2007 memo, which he did not submit to his superiors, lays out in stark terms how the long-standing association had a corrosive effect on Canada's image in Kandahar. Khalid, Colvin warned, discredited Canada through association. --What the Grits and Dippers said back when Bernier's gaffe in Afghanistan In Ottawa, Bernier's comments -- and the department's subsequent effort at damage control -- had opposition MPs saying it was time the foreign affairs minister be dumped from the high-profile post. "I think he should not have been appointed at the very beginning. He had no experience. The Prime Minister made a poor choice," Liberal leader Stephane Dion told reporters. "Maybe the Prime Minister though, if I may say something for him, maybe he has not a lot of choices in his caucus and it's why he chose Mr. Bernier," Dion said. "This was clearly the straw that broke the camels back on a series of incompetencies," NDP leader Jack Layton said. "We have the bungle in Burma, we have all kinds of confusion around the governor of Kandahar, we've had the leak on trade deal that affected the U. S. presidency. It's been one thing after another." --What else CP is reporting Departing head of MPCC says gov secrecy means watchdog can't do its job Critics say the Conservatives are more worried about political embarrassment than national security. And as evidence, they point to some of the blacked-out elements that have recently come to light. Last week, Gen. Walt Natynczyk - Canada's top military commander - conceded that a Canadian-detained prisoner had been beaten by the Afghan National Police, prompting the Canadian troops to take the man back under their protection. Quoting directly from the original field report, Natynczyk said "we then photographed the individual prior to handing him over, to ensure that if the ANP did assault him, as has happened in the past, we would have a visual record of his condition." The MPCC inquiry, according to a report in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, got only a redacted version of that same field report, reading: "We then photographed the individual prior to handing him over (redacted)." --What else the Hill Times is reporting The Parliamentary battle over Mr. Colvin's allegations and the government's refusal to disclose uncensored documents that could either refute or confirm them led to a dramatic showdown in the Commons, when the three opposition parties passed a rare motion ordering the government to table all undisclosed documents about Mr. Colvin's claims, detainee transfers, including documents related to the Federal Court case and a separate inquiry by the Military Police Complaints Commission. Liberal MP Marlene Jennings (Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Que.) warned the opposition will "call ministers to the bar of the Commons" if the government refuses to comply. --What the Guardian is reporting on a similar matter Binyam Mohamed case: David Miliband steps up bid to hide proof of torture | --What else the WS Journal is reporting For U.S. Troops in Afghanistan, Supplies Are Another Battle President Barack Obama said he will know if his Afghan strategy is working by the end of next year. In an interview for CBS's "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday, he pledged to change direction if the U.S. military isn't on course "in terms of securing population centers" from Taliban militants. --What the Telegraph is reporting Taliban can be admired for their faith and loyalty, says bishop - Telegraph THE Taliban could be admired for their religious conviction and their sense of loyalty to each other, the new bishop for the Armed Forces said yesterday. The Rt Rev Stephen Venner called for a more sympathetic approach to the Islamic fundamentalists that recognises their humanity. The Church of England’s Bishop to the Forces warned that it will be harder to reach a peaceful solution to the war if the Afghan insurgents are portrayed too negatively. --What the W Post is reporting Afghan government not keeping promises to insurgents changing sides Lured to quit the insurgency by the government's promise of a job, land for his family and an end to the misery of fighting, Mohammed illustrated the hope of the top U.S. commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, for ultimately bringing about an end to the eight-year-old war. Programs to reintegrate former fighters into Afghan society, and perhaps even turn them against their brothers in the insurgency, are at the core of the Obama administration's new strategy. Yet Mohammed's experience offers a cautionary tale: Four months after he gave himself up, the Afghan government has reneged on all its commitments, leaving him unemployed and his family of 10 with nowhere to live. Hunted by the Taliban and fearful of the U.S. military, he spends much of his time in hiding. --What the Guardian is reporting Taliban stalls key hydroelectric turbine project in Afghanistan An enormous hydroelectric turbine dragged at huge cost by British troops through Taliban heartlands last year may never be installed because Nato has been unable to secure a 30-mile stretch of road leading to an isolated dam in northern Helmand. --What else the Guardian is reporting on the good war MoD cuts spending in favour of frontline soldiers in Afghanistan --What the Independent is reporting PM's £160m pledge to protect forces from roadside bombs --What the Times is reporting on the bad war British involvement in Iraq war blamed on Blair’s ‘sycophancy’ --What the Guardian is reporting Chilcot inquiry says Blair evidence will be 'very much in public' --What the NY Times is reporting on the good and the bad News Analysis - Iraq War Inquiry Depicts Britain as Sidekick to U.S. --What the NY Times says editorially speaking about the good war Editorial - Europe and Afghanistan NATO’s announcement that an additional 7,000 troops will be going falls short of what is needed, and has too many casualty-limiting caveats attached. That isn’t good for Afghanistan or NATO, which has never fully shouldered the burden of this mission. And it is unfair to the American people, who are being asked to make disproportionate sacrifices for what is, emphatically, a common fight. When more closely parsed, the NATO numbers look even less impressive. Almost 2,000 will come from countries outside the alliance (including Australia, South Korea, Sweden and aspiring NATO members, Georgia, Ukraine, Macedonia and Montenegro). And more than half of the new NATO troops will come from just three member states: Britain, whose force will go up to 10,000; Italy, which will go to roughly 4,000; and Poland, which will total 2,800. So far, neither France, which has 3,750 troops there, nor Germany, with roughly 4,300, has agreed to send any additional troops. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, with roughly 2,200, will withdraw its forces in the course of 2010; Canada, with 2,800, will be leaving by 2011. That means as American troop levels rise from 68,000 to 98,000 by next summer, allied troop levels are not likely to go much higher than the present 38,000. --What the W Post is reporting on Iran Western, U.N. officials assess secret Iranian nuclear paper Western and U.N. nuclear officials are evaluating a secret Iranian technical document that appears to show the country's nuclear scientists testing a key component used in the detonation of a nuclear warhead, according to intelligence officials and weapons experts familiar with the document. --The Times report on which the above is based Secret document exposes Iran’s nuclear trigger --What the NY Times is reporting Defiling of Pictures of Khomeini Divides Iran AFSTAN COLUMNS/EDITORIALS HERE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2009 --What CP is reporting on prisoner transfers Afghan detainee lessons learned; Cdn experts keep eye on inmates-Menard The presence of correctional services experts from Canada should go a long way to ensuring detainees handed over to Afghan authorities are treated humanely, says Canada's top commander in Kandahar. In an interview, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard also said that halts to detainee transfers this year were for "procedural" reasons, not because of issues of abuse. "We have learned an awful lot from the past," he said. "What I can guarantee you is that right now we have put in place everything in our power to ensure (humane treatment)." --What the Ed Journal is reporting from Afstan --What the AP is reporting this morning British PM in southern Afghanistan --What the Telegraph is reporting on Afstan Special forces troops open up new front against the Taliban in Helmand A task force composed of members of British, US and Afghan special forces will be ordered to hunt down and kill or capture senior Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders as part of American-lead Nato surge into southern Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan. --What the NY Times is reporting Defense Secretary’s Trip Encounters Snags in Two Theaters “One of the myths in the international community is that the United States likes war,” he said. “And the reality is, other than the first two or three years of World War II, there has never been a popular war in America.” “I think it’s a mistake to look at Afghanistan as sort of one eight-year war,” Mr. Gates responded in the same even tone he had used all week. “We had a war in 2001, 2002, which we essentially won. And the Taliban was kicked out of Afghanistan. Al Qaeda was kicked out of Afghanistan, many of them killed. And then things were very quiet in Afghanistan.” Without blaming President George W. Bush’s administration, which he once served, for sidelining the conflict in favor of Iraq, Mr. Gates said the second war in Afghanistan started in late 2005 and early 2006. “But the United States really has gotten its head into this conflict in Afghanistan, as far as I’m concerned, really only in the last year,” he said. --What the NY Times is reporting on Obama-stan Representative Obey See Echoes of Vietnam in Afghan Troop Surge Mr. Obey is proposing a “war surtax.” The idea is unlikely to pass, but it is already reminding the nation of the high cost of an increasingly unpopular war. At the White House, officials are bracing for the president’s first real battle with fellow Democrats. --What the Independent is reporting on the bad war Untouchable: Blair to give Iraq War evidence in secret Key parts of Tony Blair's evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War will be held in secret, sources close to the hearings revealed last night. His conversations with President George Bush when he was prime minister, and crucial details of the decision-making process that led Britain into war, will fall under the scope of national security and the protection of Britain's relations with the US. --What the W Post is reporting U.S. firms lag in bids to develop Iraqi oil fields --What the LA Times is reporting on home-grown terrorism Terror probe leads FBI to India, Pakistan The investigators say that Headley, who is now cooperating with the FBI, spent much of the last few years scouting targets not only for last year's Mumbai siege in which 166 people died, including six Americans, but also for future attacks in India and one in Denmark. Authorities allege that he did so at the direction of two senior operatives of Pakistani militant groups who had also been members of Pakistan's military. The FBI affidavits filed in support of the Headley and Rana prosecutions mark the first time U.S. authorities have accused former Pakistani military officials by name of being involved in terrorism. --What the W Post is reporting Paki authorities hunt for mastermind in plot to send to Afstan to fight U.S. troops --What the NY Times is reporting on Iran Iran Avows Willingness to Swap Some Uranium COLUMNS/EDITORIALS George McGovern -- With Obama's strategy, Afstan looks like another Vietnam Afghanistan stumps Obama, Harper, Ignatieff (Siddiqui) Harper must air the Afghan files – the star Jim Hoagland - In the 'arc of crisis' the U.S. can't be allowed to fail Robert Kagan - Obama shows he has learned from the early world resistance David S. Broder - What Obama's words tell us A Game That’s Not So Great (DOWD) Macleans.ca » Up the Docs: Call for proposals (Potter) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2009 --What Canwest is reporting on the torture allegations Tories won't release uncensored documents despite vote the Ipsos-Reid poll suggests that said 49 per cent of Canadians believe Canadian troops transferred detainees knowing they could face torture, while 51 per cent do not believe it. The poll is accurate within a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20, making it a statistical dead heat. The Poll For Canwest News Service and Global National also suggested that more than six in 10 Canadians personally care about the issue. The pollster also said that 92 per cent support Canada's Armed Forces, a 10-point rise since July. The poll of 1,038 adults was conducted Nov. 9 to 10, in the days after Natynczyk admitted that a Taliban suspect assaulted by Afghan police had been in Canadian custody in June 2006, reversing his earlier denial. --What the Globe is reporting Afghan detainee watchdog warns of Tory 'chilling effect' Friday, the number of former diplomatic heads of mission putting their names to the letter climbed to 111, a list that now includes Allan Gotlieb, who represented Canada in Washington in the 1980s. --Say it ain’t so! Colvin's tale not full Afghanistan story | Peter Worthington those 95 ambassadors should look at how, in their respective tenures, they did the government's bidding and doctored their own reports to ensure political acceptability. There are few heroes in ambassadorial ranks. --What the General's --What the Star is reporting that includes today’s dishonesty --What CP is reporting that includes today’s idiocy --A great DFAIT moment Diplomat allegedly spits on officer abroad (Cit) --What the W Post is reporting on Obama-stan Top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan to step down in March The U.N. envoy said that he supports the surge but expressed concern that the U.S. timetable for a military drawdown beginning in 18 months would prompt other NATO governments to withdraw their forces. --What the NY Times is reporting Kai Eide, Leader of U.N. Afghan Mission, Plans to Step Down Separately on Friday, the German defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, made a surprise visit to Afghanistan amid a growing controversy over the killing of more than 142 people, many of them civilians, in a NATO airstrike in September. --The world needs more Canada? Soldier charged with sexual assault in Australia (Cit) --What the W Post is reporting on AfPak Top al-Qaeda planner apparently killed in Pakistan --What the LA Times is reporting Pakistani leader Zardari is on shaky ground --What the Guardian is reporting on the bad war Tony Blair admits: I would have invaded Iraq anyway --What the NY Times is reporting Under Tight Security, Iraq Sells Rights to Develop 2 Oil Fields --What the Financial Times is reporting Iraq set to be second in oil league table Iraq is on course to overtake Iran as the holder of the world’s second-largest proven oil reserves, solidifying its position as the energy industry’s new frontier in the scramble to secure fresh resources. if Iraq’s reserves rise, Opec’s gentleman’s agreement that sees Iraq’s quota not exceeding that of Iran will come under pressure to be changed. “The Iraqis are making it clear that they no longer see themselves in parity with Iran. They are eyeing themselves being potentially on par with Saudi Arabia,” Mr Alkadiri said. --Meanwhile, in Sudan Violence Grips South Sudan as Vote Nears on Independence --What the NY Times is reporting on home-grown terrorism New Cases Test Optimism on Extremism by U.S. Muslims Robert A. Pape, a University of Chicago political scientist, contends that suicide attacks are almost always prompted by resentment of foreign troops, and that escalation in Afghanistan will fuel more plots. “This new deployment increases the risk of the next 9/11,” he said. “It will not make this country safer.” Yet amid the concern about the five Virginia men and the impact of the wars on Muslim opinion, Audrey Kurth Cronin of the National War College in Washington said she found something to take comfort in. “To me, the most interesting thing about the five guys is that it was their parents that went immediately to the F.B.I.,” she said. “It was members of the American Muslim community that put a stop to whatever those men may have been planning.” --What the W Post is reporting 5 U.S. men had months of contact with Taliban, officials say --What our papers are reporting Gone, feared enlisted (Post) Did five Torontonians join jihad in Somalia? (Star) --What else the N Post is reporting Documents implicating Harkat to stay secret COLUMNS/EDITORIALS The soldiers' just war - Globe and Mail Our soldiers could teach MPs about duty and honour (BLATCHFORD) Detainee issue screams coverup (MAHER) Why I won’t sign the diplomats’ letter (Dymond) Think this ‘surge' will make a difference? (Simpson) Losing our confidence (Cit) Colvin's tale not full Afghanistan story | Peter Worthington Going Naked in Kabul (COLLINS) We are far too sentimental about ‘our boys’ | Matthew Parris FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009 --What the Star is reporting on the torture allegations MPs order release of Afghan detainee torture documents Failure to hand over the material, however, could result in the Conservative government being found in contempt of Parliament and could see the Commons asking the police to step in and obtain the information that has now been formally ordered released. --What the Globe is reporting MPs join forces to order release of Afghan records Ned Franks, a constitutional expert and professor emeritus at Queen's University, warned that Parliament might lose out if the dispute ever reaches the courts because judges could rule that MPs have to respect secrecy laws. He said he'd like to see “one side or the other back down” instead of the Tories being forced into a corner. “My guess is the government will say no and then you get into something that the House of Commons has really tried to avoid for many, many years – that somebody might want to refer this to the courts,” Prof. Franks said. “And then courts would be ruling on parliamentary privilege.” --What CP is reporting Tories use 3-D strategy to deal with Afghan abuse controversy Peter Tinsley, the outgoing chairman of the commission, said it was necessary to set a date for the resumption of the inquiry, but Conservative government has yet to appoint his successor - something that could further delay or even kill the proceedings. His term expired Friday. The commission wanted to conduct a wide investigation into the allegations, but the Federal Court sided with the Harper government last summer and restricted the mandate to what military police knew, or should have known, about possible torture. That decision was upheld last Friday by the Federal Court of Appeal. The hearings, which were suspended in October because of a court challenge, are slated to resume on March 22, pending government delivery of roughly 200 pages of censored documents. --What else the Globe is reporting On Thursday, the number of former ambassadors putting their names to the letter climbed to 95. The list, now approaching 30 per cent of all retired Canadian ambassadors, in the last day signed up ex-heads of mission such as former Liberal cabinet minister Allan Rock and James Bartleman, who once served as Ontario's lieutenant-governor. --What the Globe is reporting on Afstan --What the Citizen is reporting Launch peace mission, churches urge government We're No. 63: Canada slides in UN mission contributions --What the W Post is reporting Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize, defends 'just war' In remarks to reporters before his address, Obama reiterated his commitment to begin withdrawing U.S. troops in July 2011, a time frame endorsed by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, but criticized by some as unrealistic. "The pace at which that takes place, the slope of a drawdown, how it occurs tactically, those are all going to be conditions-based," Obama said. "We're not going to see some sharp cliff, some precipitous drawdown." Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who appeared alongside Obama, announced that his country would increase its financial contribution to the Afghan police and military to $110 million over the next four years -- a response to Obama's call for international coalition partners to provide more troops and money to the effort. --What the W Post is reporting Blackwater tied to clandestine CIA raids Highly trained personnel employed with the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide sometimes operated side by side with CIA field officers in Iraq and Afghanistan as the agency undertook missions to kill or capture members of insurgent groups in those countries, according to a former government official and a source familiar with the operations. --What the WS Journal is reporting West Urges Afghanistan to Delay Election The minimum delay, if it occurs, is likely to be until August 2010. Many Western diplomats, however, favor pushing the parliamentary vote to mid-2011, when a military surge recently ordered by President Barack Obama is expected to produce a more secure environment in areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban managed to disrupt the voting in August. This would present a constitutional problem as the country will remain without a valid legislature for more than a year. Countries such as Russia, India and Turkey have privately indicated they oppose such a delay, a Western diplomat involved in the negotiations said. The election is likely to become a key issue at the international conference on Afghanistan scheduled for January in London. --What the WS Journal is reporting on home-grown terrorism Five Americans from the Washington, D.C., suburbs developed Internet contacts with al Qaeda operatives and were preparing to go to Pakistan's lawless tribal areas to join a militant-training camp when they were arrested this week, Pakistani officials said Thursday. --What the W Post is reporting Arrest of Americans shows growing internationalism of Pakistani militant groups --What the Times is reporting (a great moment) Terror police to monitor nurseries for Islamic radicalisation - Times Online --What the Yanks are reporting on Iran In Iran, Protests Gaining a Radical Tinge Thousands Flee Iran as Noose Tightens
COLUMNS/EDITORIALS
The persistent curiosity deficit - Globe and Mail Prisonniers afghans - Honte au gouvernement | Devoir Torture has no place, even in times of war (Gaz) The government should have hugged Colvin, not demonized him (Simpson) MacKay's tangled web (Riley) Vincent Marissal : Insultes, cynisme et satisfaction A key contradiction on torture destroys the government's position (Mendes) Our top soldier must watch his words (Post) Torture testimony and consequences (Akhavan) Stunning reversal on prisoner abuse (Edmonton Journal) Bring the soldiers home | Michael Dentandt Eugene Robinson on Obama's Nobel Peace Prize speech Stephen J. Hadley on how Obama's surge in Afghanistan can stabilize the region Editorial - President Obama in Oslo (NYT) President Obama said that troop withdrawals from Afghanistan will begin in 18 months. Some of his advisers have hinted that the deadline is flexible. So, should we stick to the timeline or not? Here are three opinions from experts on the subject. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009 --We begin with the latest polling poop Most Canadians believe Afghan detainees tortured: poll Despite recent testimony from Rick Hillier, the former chief of defence staff, and other top generals before a parliamentary committee, the majority of Canadians believe Richard Colvin's claim that some prisoners who were handed to Afghan authorities by the military were tortured, according to a new EKOS poll. Among this group, 83 per cent believe the government was aware there was a strong possibility that prisoners would be tortured. This opinion is consistent across all gender, age groups and regions. The belief that torture occurred is highest among NDP (71 per cent), Green Party (71 per cent), and Bloc (77 per cent) supporters as well as people in B.C. and Quebec. Only Conservative supporters are slightly less likely to believe that the government was aware that prisoners might be tortured. Even so, nearly 68 per cent of Conservative supporters think the government was aware of that possibility. --What else Ekos is reporting Despite President Barack Obama's recent announcement on sending additional American troops to Afghanistan, the majority of Canadians (52 per cent) oppose extending Canada's mission in that country. --What the Star is reporting on the torture allegations Mounties investigate federal role in torture The RCMP has already launched an unprecedented probe of allegations that Canadian government officials turned a blind eye to torture in the past, raising the possibility it could act again on the question of the transfer of detainees in Afghanistan. The Star has learned the RCMP began an investigation in 2006 into whether charges against Canadian officials were warranted in the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian who was rendered to a Syrian prison, where he was tortured. One of the officials probed, retired diplomat Gar Pardy, says there is a real issue of potential legal liability for civil servants who fail to report or act on suspicions of abuse. --What the Globe is reporting on the Minister Natynczyk in the dark on Afghan prisoner's history Facing a grilling by a parliamentary committee Wednesday, Mr. MacKay shifted the emphasis in defending the government's record, telling MPs that Ottawa did not “willfully” turn prisoners over to torture. --What the NY Times is reporting (and notes) Canadian General Acknowledges Risk to Afghan Detainees Michael Ignatieff, the leader of the opposition Liberal Party, was careful on Wednesday not to criticize General Natynczyk or the military, but he said that the reversal underscored the need for an inquiry. --What the Globe is reporting on the General He also released a copy of a report on the captive that contained equally galvanizing information: notes suggesting it was common knowledge in 2006 among Canadian soldiers that Afghan authorities abused captives. --What CP is reporting Top soldier's detainee about-face increases pressure on government The general skirted questions about any potential political fallout and said he's ordered a board of inquiry investigation into why neither he, nor his predecessor, Rick Hillier, saw a platoon commander's report which detailed the prisoner's capture. --What Sun Media is reporting on the Minister and the Generals Detainee abuse won’t be linked to military brass: ex-officer Retired major general Lewis Mackenzie denied Wednesday’s revelation an Afghan detained by Canadians was later beaten is a “bombshell.” He said it’s quite possible the incident was not identified as significant at the time. “I hate to disappoint you, but being politically correct in the field is not high on the priority list,” he said. Mackenzie said officers in theatre collect and synthesize dozens — if not hundreds — of reports every day. It’s possible the incident in question was buried in a summary report and never brought directly to the chief of defence staff or the defence minister. “War is not an exercise in paperwork. I’m amazed that people would think the Chief of Defence Staff — or the minister for that matter — is reading everyday reports on a detainee amongst all the other things that are coming back,” he said. But retired colonel Michel Drapeau said heads must roll for “gross incompetence” — or a deliberate decision not to pass vital information up the chain of command. “That would be a big concern — bigger than we have at the moment — because it goes right to the core of the institution and the confidence we have in it,” he said. --What the Star asks in an editorial Why was Harper so blind to abuse? Politically, Harper, MacKay and others still have plausible deniability. Natynczyk only found out this week (after reviewing documents) that it was Canadians who captured the injured man; prior to that he thought the Afghans had. But that doesn't explain why Harper wasn't made aware of the facts three years ago, when he insisted there was no cause for concern. Why did the military, then led by Gen. Rick Hillier, not whistle down that untruth? --What a law prof says in the Canwest report Amir Attaran, the University of Ottawa law professor who first warned about such abuse, said in an interview with the Citizen that MacKay would or should have known about the 2008 testimony of a Canadian general and the affidavit, filed in 2007, of a colonel who had earlier confirmed the incident that Natynczyk raised Wednesday. The details about the abuse of the detainee were made public in Federal Court in the presence of a Justice Department lawyer, with the information forwarded to the Defence Department, Attaran said. "These records are available to any first-year law student so the claim that Mac-Kay didn't know this was going on is total BS," he said. --What another law prof says in the CP report Errol Mendes says the problem was compounded by the fact that Canadians were not monitoring the fate of prisoners between 2006 and 2007. That lapse cannot be laid at the feet of the Canadian military and the government must shoulder the blame, he said. "If these guys had no clear instructions, and it's clear they didn't, they were almost making it up on the fly which shows you the civilian command was putting them into an untenable position," Mendes said. --What CP is reporting on Mr. Colvin Diplomat readies new response to government on torture Richard Colvin's lawyer, Owen Rees, says a letter is being prepared for the special House of Commons committee that is investigating how Ottawa has managed the treatment of Afghan prisoners. Rees says Colvin wants to correct what he deems to be inaccurate statements made in the aftermath of his testimony before the special committee on Afghanistan on Nov. 18. He wouldn't say what statements need correcting. Colvin has refused interview requests since alleging before the committee that the federal government was indifferent to warnings that torture took place in Afghan jails after Canadian-captured prisoners were turned over to local authorities. Colvin has also been targeted in some media columns, but Rees says the focus of the letter will be on public statements by officials. --What the Globe is reporting the number of former ambassadors protesting against the Harper government's attacks on diplomat Richard Colvin doubled. By Wednesday night, 71 had signed an open letter castigating Ottawa for dismissing Mr. Colvin's warnings as irrelevant and suspect – a move they warn could cast a chill over the foreign service's ability to report frankly from postings abroad. --What the NY Times is reporting on Obama-stan Slim Majority Back Afghan Troop Increase, Poll Shows The poll suggested a divide between Democrats who approve of Mr. Obama’s job performance over all, even as they are upset with Afghanistan, and Republicans who disapprove of Mr. Obama’s job performance over all, even if they are happy with what he is doing in Afghanistan. --What the W Post is reporting Petraeus says U.S. will expand counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan war The use of air attacks in Afghanistan has been curtailed in recent months as Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the U.S. and NATO commander there, sought to avoid civilian casualties. But as described by Petraeus, the new concentration on pushing the Taliban out of population centers will allow more robust action against fighters in the countryside. --What the WS Journal is reporting U.S. Expects Surge to Exacerbate Afghan Violence "The progress we expect won't be the kind of rapid reduction of violence that we started to see in Iraq eight months or so after the beginning of the surge," Gen. Petraeus said. "This will be a longer and harder fight." --What else the NY Times is reporting Petraeus Warns of a Long and Expensive Mission in Afghanistan America’s involvement in Afghanistan could stretch on for years and cost upward of $10 billion annually just to finance an adequate Afghan security force, the overall commander in the region told Congress on Wednesday. --What else the W Post is reporting on Afstan Pay increase for Afghan troops boosts interest --What the Telegraph is reporting BRITAIN and America are seeking to cancel next year’s parliamentary election in Afghanistan amid fears that it will distract from US President Barack Obama’s new strategy to bring security to the country. --What the NY Times is reporting on AfPak Pakistan Detains Five Americans in Raid Tied to Militants One of the men had left behind an 11-minute video calling for the defense of Muslims in conflicts with the West and suggesting that “young Muslims have to do something,” said one person who had seen the video, describing it as a farewell of sorts. Another person who viewed it called the video “disturbing,” though he said it was not a martyrdom video of the kind sometimes made by extremists planning suicide attacks. --What the W Post is reporting Cleric linked to Fort Hood attack grew more radicalized in Yemen Anwar al-Aulaqi, 38, blamed the United States for 18 months he spent in a Yemeni jail, a little-known chapter in the cleric's life that some described as a key path in his radicalization. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 --What the Citizen is reporting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan: Two messages on departure date The only Canadian soldier left in Afghanistan after 2011 may be the military attaché at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, according to Gen. Walter Natynczyk. Yet Canada is sending two surveillance aircraft to Afghanistan in a move some defence analysts see as laying the groundwork for a military mission in Kandahar beyond the 2011 pullout date. Stephen Priestley, a researcher with the Canadian-American Strategic Review, says what Canada is doing with the King Air planes is similar to programs undertaken by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq. He noted that, if Canada used private contractors to fly the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, it could say it was contributing to Afghan security in a non-military way. "It might be argued that ISR flights are not directly related to combat," Priestley added. "Seen in that light, performing ISR over Kandahar would not be regarded as an extension of the CF's combat mission." --What Canwest is reporting Interpreter likely killed by Taliban --What the WS Journal is reporting McChrystal Expects Effects of Surge Within a Year The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he expected the Obama administration's retooled war strategy to show clear results by the end of next year, paving the way for some of the 30,000 planned reinforcements to begin returning home in the summer of 2011. Both warned that Western casualties, already at record levels, would increase in months ahead as waves of U.S. reinforcements fight their way into the Taliban strongholds. --What else CP is reporting Canadian soldiers file fewer sick days despite stress of Afghan war --What the Times is reporting Gates warns US may have to bankroll Afghanistan for 20 years Pull out of Afghanistan now and we’ll have to go back, says Defence Secretary --What the W Post is reporting on Afstan General offers assurances on Afghan war --What the NY Times is reporting McChrystal Says He Is Confident Added Troops Will Be Enough --What else the NY Times is reporting Karzai Says Afghan Army Will Need Help Until 2024 President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that Afghanistan would not be able to pay for its own security until at least 2024, underscoring his government’s long-term financial dependence on the United States and NATO even as President Obama has pledged to begin withdrawing American troops in 2011. The news conference came just hours after as many as a dozen people were killed during an allied raid in Laghman Province, Afghan officials said, prompting hundreds of villagers to march in protest. Obama to release U.S. strategy for handling biological weapon threats The Obama administration has decided not to support a global monitoring system for biological weapons, a move that affirms an earlier determination by the Bush administration but that will disappoint some nonproliferation experts. --What the Guardian is reporting on the bad war Blair claim on Iraq WMDs was overtly political, Scarlett tells inquiry --What the Times is reporting on Pakistan Pakistan President has assets ‘beyond his means’ of $1.5 billion --What the WS Journal is reporting The anticorruption body's report said Mr. Zardari had bought properties in the U.S., Britain, Spain, France and other countries through offshore companies he owned and through frontmen, according to Retired Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz, a former chief of the National Accountability Bureau who resigned in July 2007 to protest the termination of investigations into Mr. Zardari's activities. In the largest single payment, investigators said they had discovered a company dealing in gold in the Middle East deposited at least $10 million into an account controlled by Mr. Zardari after the Bhutto government gave the dealer a monopoly on gold imports. The money was then deposited into several bank accounts of companies owned by Mr. Zardari, investigators said. Charges in the case were dropped with the amnesty in 2007, and the gold dealer denied wrongdoing. --What the W Post is reporting on Iran Iran steps up crackdown, assaults protesters at University of Tehran |
Copyright © 2007 Norman Spector Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Materials may be used with proper attribution.
