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SSgt Workman is featured in the Hall of Heroes and a book review on this from Marine Till Death that read it as it was written: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/shadow-of-the-sword-by-jeremiah-workman-w-john-bruning.html
http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/ssgt-jeremiah-workman-navy-cross-usmc-iraq-marion-oh.html and links to prior articles.
See information on Author and Book by Blake Hurdis here: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2009/07/by-blake-hurdis-editor.html
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 18:04 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Sgt. Aaron X. Wittman, 28, of Chester, Va., died Jan. 10, in Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by small arms fire while on mounted patrol. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 05:52 in Afghanistan News, Moment of Silence | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 15:59 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Four separate bombings killed more than 110 people and wounded nearly 250 across Pakistan Thursday, including 92 deaths in Quetta.
Police in the capital of Baluchistan province say a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded billiard hall, followed by a second bomber there minutes later. The twin blasts killed 81 people, including police and rescue workers. Police say most of the deaths came after the second blast caused the roof of the building to collapse.
At least two journalists were among those killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists says double bombings like the twin blasts are particularly hazardous for journalists as they are often the first on the scene and a target for bombers. The CPJ calls Pakistan one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist.
The billiard hall attacks came just hours after a bomb blast at the Quetta market killed 11 people. Authorities say paramilitary soldiers may have been the target.
The outlawed Sunni terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi contacted local media to claim responsibility.
Elsewhere in Pakistan Thursday, at least 21 people were killed and more than 70 wounded in a bombing in the city of Mingora, where a crowd had gathered to hear a speech by a religious leader. Mingora is the largest city in northwestern Pakistan's Swat province. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 09:23 in Pakistan | Permalink
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Cpl Joshua Boston, former Marine, stepped into the spotlight following his open letter challenging Senator Feinstein's gun grab legislation, and calling Britain's Piers Morgan to return to the island of Banned Guns. Boston is representing sanity fairly well though Obama has decided not to deport the gun hating Morgan who is on a crusade to scrap the Bill of Rights.
Piers Morgan was fired in May of 2004 from his Editor position at Britain's Daily Mirror for publication of falsified pictures of Troops mistreating Iraqi prisoners. At least 4 British Soldiers were arrested over the false pictures.
Meanwhile, someone claiming to have also been a Marine, decides to throw his two cents into the pool:
"Boston’s attitude towards authority is frankly disgusting and his open letter is wrong in both its assumptions about why the gun-control debate has become heated, and the reasons why we should care about his opinions at all. It implies that because he served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine, that he can choose which laws to obey while at home." "Anonymous Marine," as reported at This Ain't Hell
Let's put this in another context: Politicians and journalists attitude towards the Supreme Law of the Land is frankly disgusting and their open contempt for the Constitution they swore to uphold and protect is wrong in both the arrogance that they are above the law, and the reasons why we should allow them to sit in their chairs at all. It implies that because they won a popularity contest in the career pathes of the least trusted people in our Nation that they can choose which instances they will obey the Supreme Law of the Land.
"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding." Article VI, US Constitution
In other words, the hierarchy of law is: The US Constitution (including Amendments), US Law made in accordance with the Constitution, Treaties, and State Laws. Any law that violates the provisions of the US Constitution is hence not a law, including treaties, including treaties with the UN.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Amendment II, US Constitution.
Activist judges included, any law that infringes on the Right of the People to keep and bear arms is hence illegal and NOT a law to begin with. "Common Law" does not supercede the US Constitution, as the Judicial Branch is not given legislative authority, and are specifically bound by the US Constitution above and beyond their bounds of State and US Law, and common law legal proceedings which are also bound by the Law.
Hence, the only Constitutional or legal means by which that Right can be infringed is to amend the Constitution, changing the 2nd Amendment itself. No Vice-President, President, Journalist, Judge, UN body, or even the unanimous votes of the entire Congress can legally infringe the Right of the People, unless the Constitution itself is amended.
The anonymous Marine, along with General McChrystal, need to review their oath, to the US Constitution, and the Constitution which they swore to protect. It supercedes the whims of Congress, Presidents, Governors, Mayors, Politicians, and Pundits of the MSM, particularly those non-Citizens.
Piers Morgan, who is a journalist, a profession that is supposed to report the facts, not to advocate policy, is not an American, and has a passport for a place that has already banned firearms. If he wants to live in a place with the soaring violent crimes of a gun-free country, he can move home. If he wants to advocate for something, it should be for the arrest of his fellow journalist David Gregory to be arrested for breaking current gun laws in that gun-free mecca of violence and hot air, Washington DC.
Piers states (on CBS) that his brother is an officer in the British Army and has served in Afghanistan. That does not mean he "understands," as he claims, what a Warrior sacrifices. That means his brother does, not him. Piers states that he doesn't want his child growing up in a country with assault weapons, which are almost "M4 machine guns," further demonstrating his ignorance of weapons. (M4 carbines are NOT machine guns and the only way that AR-15's are "assault rifles" is by declaration of politicians and parroting of journalists.) The automatic firing M4 is an assault rifle, as is an automatic version of the AK-47. Civilian semi-automatic weapons are NOT.
However, given the information above, Piers is probably not very welcome in the Island Nation. I doubt visits to his brother's house are welcomed either. Given his lack of integrity, even by journalist standards, he fits right in at CNN, who must have known of the pictures published by Piers. The Piers Morgan resume ain't so shiny either. And he was an anti-war "journalist" from the word 9/11.
Piers has a place to go, home. It already meets his criteria. As a subject of the British Empire, he doesn't have a dog in this debate. We broke our chains of the monarchy 237 years ago, and restated Our Independence, and the Independent Rights of Our Citizens in 1812, when they attempted to enslave Our Sailors. In both wars, we were outgunned and outmanned, by a Empirical force that was better trained and equipped, but let not the memory of Andrew Jackson and Tennesseans at New Orleans fade too quickly. That battle was fought with the best firearms a civilian could buy, and more Volunteers than Jackson could pay, but a far smaller force than the Empire sent.
No where in the 2nd Amendment does it mention what a Citizen "needs" or "hunting purposes." What it explicitly states is "shall not be infringed."
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 09:04 in Current Affairs, MSM, Politicians | Permalink
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Bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and north of the city have killed at least six people and wounded 14 others.
Four of the victims Thursday died in a blast near a bus stop in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite Hurriyah neighborhood. The explosion destroyed several vehicles and damaged nearby buildings.
Amateur video captured shortly after the blast showed multiple cars engulfed in flames.
A second attack hit a convoy carrying the head of Diyala University, killing two bodyguards.
The violence comes amid anti-government protests led by Sunnis complaining about treatment under Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 07:27 in Iraq | Permalink
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Active Component.
Recruiting. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2013, through November.
Retention. The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps exhibited strong retention numbers for the second month of fiscal 2013. While the Navy exhibited strong retention numbers in the mid-career and career categories, the Navy's achievement of 88 percent in the initial category is a result of the transition from a downsizing to a stabilizing posture.
Reserve Component.
Recruiting. Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their fiscal-year-to-date 2013 recruiting goals. The Army Reserve finished November 654 short of their goal.
Attrition – All reserve components have met their fiscal-year-to-date attrition goals. Current trends are expected to continue. (This indicator lags by a month due to data availability).
Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 22:38 in Military News | Permalink
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In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:
South
A Taliban leader was arrested and one suspected insurgent detained by an Afghan and coalition security force in Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today. The leader was directly responsible for coordinating improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the district, as well as the procurement and distribution of IED-making materials.
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, today. The leader operated as a key player in an assassination and attack network in central Helmand province. He was responsible for coordinating and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
East
BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained three insurgents and cleared one improvised explosive device during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 9.
Khowst Province
Afghan Border Police and coalition forces detained two insurgents during an engagement in Terezaye District. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Gurbuz District.
Logar Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Baraki Barak District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.
Operations in RC-East are ongoing.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 21:09 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Despite the facts, some are arguing that long metal tubes embedded in plastic, ie. rifles, are evil. Senator Feinstein is arguing that we should ban and confiscate the tools of self-defense, though she owns and carries firearms herself, and works behind the protection of armed security.
Several politicians have stepped up to the podium to bemoan the electoral muscle of the NRA, but the NRA cannot pull a lever or push a button for any candidate. What it does do, is monitor the politicians and tell the voters how a particular candidate has voted on gun legislation. The influence of the NRA is that the majority of voters are against unConstitutional gun restrictions, in most of America.
Paul Howe, a 20 year Special Operations veteran and weapons instructor, explored the possibilities of how gun confiscation programs would be executed. In essence, he concluded that a forcible attempt to take firearms from the People would result in violent resistance, and that those officials that attempted it would be run out of town. In places like Texas, where Mr. Howe works, and in places like Tennessee, he is possibly correct. In places like Chicago, California, and New York, things could very well be different. In fact, much of the Northeast and the Left Coast have already voluntarily given up huge parts of their 2nd Amendment Right, voluntarily, without a fight. These days, I don't underestimate the people's willingness to tolerate "small" abuses of tyranny, by the government they "know."
“Confiscation could be an option. Mandatory sale to the state could be an option. Permitting could be an option — keep your gun but permit it.”– Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y.
Others have opined that the gun control debate is just a distraction technique, to get people's attention off the fact that Obama just raised taxes on 100% of America's workers, and other negatives out of Washington. At a minimum, FICA taxes went up by 2% on the first dollar (and most of the rest)you made this year, and 2% on your employer for paying you to work, as well as the ObamaCare taxes. These tax increases won't pay for the new subsidies to DNC special interests, like "green energy." In their arguments, the politicians know that the House will prevent gun grabs, and are happy that the economy and fiscal cliff are finally seeing reduced air time in the media.
Even General McChrystal decided now was the time to break his silence. He opined that M4's belong on the battlefield, not in schools. Who could argue with that? I'll argue that airplanes belong in the air and airports, not on the roads and rivers, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be allowed to land one on your own cornfield, or keep one in your barn. When I was on the battlefield, I preferred that I had better weapons than the enemy, and that the bystanders be unarmed, but that doesn't mean I shot someone just because they had an AK-47, or even took it away from them. It just would have been easier to identify the actual enemy if non-combatants didn't have weapons, and that I could have shot all those that did, from a distance beyond the AK's effective range.
Then again, General McChrystal was fired by the politician he voted for, and ordered that Our Troops unload their weapons inside our bases in Afghanistan. Perhaps, he should have weighed in on why that politician ignored him and his recommendations on Afghanistan, instead of whether or not American Citizens should be stripped of their Rights. Perhaps, he should protect the Constitution he swore to protect, rather than the party he voted to put in power.
The gun industry and sports stores got an economic boost from the "debate," as law abiding citizens stocked up on what they feared would be taxed out of the supply system, or banned outright. Or as others have opined, Americans aren't stocking up before a ban, but preparing for a Civil War.
While the state legislature in Tennessee along with county and municipal officials discuss meaningful means to safeguard Our Children, politicians in other States are passing new laws that infringe the 2nd Amendment Rights of their subjects. Some of the new measures do include armed officials at the schools, as well as controlled entry points into those schools, with locked doors and key cards to get inside. Tennessee is considering the authorization of armed teachers, which has worked in Utah and Texas. The discussion of School Security did not start after Newton, but it was given greater prominence as a result.
On the other hand, Govenor Cuomo is pushing for banning even more rifles in the State of New York. The mayor of Burlington, VT has enacted new laws against rifles, though there appears to be no history of rifles being used in Burlington crimes.
And while the MSM returns to using the Aurora, CO massacre as an emotionally charged call for banning the means of self-defense, it ignores the more recent San Antonio theater shooting, in which a massacre was prevented by a woman with a gun. They ignore the Aurora church shooting which preceded the theater shooting, where an Armed Citizen prevented another massacre. They ignore thousands of such stories every year, because it doesn't fit their argument.
Some are claiming that the NRA and gun-owners are out of touch, and short on facts, or unskilled in debate. I contend that those that defend the Constitution, and Individual Liberty, are instead poor at executing their "marketing campaign." History and facts are clearly behind Liberty and small government leading to prosperity, and national prominence.
I would argue that the MSM's monopoly on information dissemination has hamstrung those that oppose their view. While the internet provides the tools for information to be disseminated outside of the MSM monopoly, even those that report information on websites rely on the MSM for their sources of information. This has created a circuitous cycle where the MSM still controls the debate, while individuals can falsely conclude that they are immune from its influence. The MSM talks about Aurora, or Newton, or Karzai, and the bloggers and Facebookers cite them. If you don't believe me, just look at the topics you discuss on Twitter and Facebook versus what the MSM is talking about.
While there are occasions that the internet buzz forces the MSM to address that which they attempt to ignore, like the Green Movement in Iran, or the Islamist takeover in Egypt, or Benghazi terrorist attack, it is both rare, and again slanted to their views. While CNN has no qualms publishing classified information from the US, it bowed to the demands to keep its reporters out of the streets of Tehran. And as they ignore the persistance of Islamist terrorists taking over the revolution in Syria, their female reporters are indicators as they cover their hair in the presence of Islamists. The more their hair is covered, the more extreme the Islamist faction.
Some facts: 33,808 Americans were killed in automobile accidents in 2009. 4,872 of those killed were not even in a vehicle. 4,092 of those killed were simply walking along. In contrast, 351 people were murdered with a rifle in 2009 (323 in 2011). Personal objects (817 murders) such as hand and feet, blunt objects such as hammers (623), knives (1,836), and shotguns (423) were used in more murders than were rifles of ANY kind in 2009.
Hopefully, there will never be a call to ban hands and feet, though more people are killed with them. It is impractical to attempt to ban hammers, though there are probably fewer of them. And despite the fact that cars kill more people than firearms, by more than 100 times the rate, I haven't heard anyone call for a ban on automobiles, other than the environmental whackos, and that's for an entirely different reason. Ten times as many pedestrians were killed by cars than were all Americans killed by rifles, and yet, there's no call to ban Sports Cars, or Limos, or even Pintos.
And let's look at England, as "gun murders" there are often used as proof that dis-arming the People leads to lower crime rates. The reality is that it does change the weapons used, but that England has a far greater violent crime rate, per capita, than does America. We could look at Mexico, but there are far more similiarities between the English and Americans than there are between Mexicans and Americans. Still, the gun murder rate in Mexico is far greater than in either, and they've banned guns for far longer. More than 12,000 were murdered over drugs alone in our less populous Southern Neighbor in 2011.
In England and Wales, 615 murders occurred in the 2009-10 timeframe, along with 588 attempted murders. Of the 54,509 sexual crimes, 13,991 women and 1,174 men were raped, making Detroit's 427 rapes look like a safe haven. There were 1,868 kidnappings. England and Wales had 55,240,000 people at the end of that period, or roughly 1/6th the US population. There were 871,712 violent crimes in that period, which includes part of 2009 and part of 2010. There were 32,491 charges of illegal weapon possession, along with 9,962 conspiracies to commit murder, in 2007/08. 19% of violent crimes involved a weapon, including 7,995 involving firearms and 33,771 involving a knife.
Only 45% of violent crimes were reported to the Police in England. Of those not reporting, 52% said they believed the Police could not or would not do anything about it (or it was "too trivial"), while 36% said they dealt with it themselves. Another 3% said they didn't report it because it was "a common occurrence." There were an estimated 2.2 Million violent crimes committed in England & Wales in 2010/2011.
England and Wales have a violent crime rate of 1,574 per 100,000 in 2009/10 and far worse than even America's most violent cities, such as Chicago's 1,050 per 100,000 or Washington DC's 1,326/100,000. And far worse than the US National rate of 405 per 100,000. What do Chicago, DC, and England have in common? Anti-gun laws. In contrast, Chicago is far more urban than England, and England is less urban than America as a whole.
Many argue that we "must do something." The "something" so many argue for ignores the facts, and plays on emotion. The "something" almost always calls for greater government interference in the lives of individual Citizens. It may feel like we have "done something" by holding a protest or signing a petition, and sometimes those are the best ways for Individual Citizens to "do something," but the most important "something" we can do is educate ourselves, and point Our Friends and Family to the base information, so that they can as well. It may be emotionally satisfying to "do something" but before we do, we should look at the facts, and make the decision based on logic and reason, not just jerk our knee in reaction.
In this particular case, the fact is that about 1 in One Million Americans are killed by a rifle, so banning rifles, much less a particular type of rifle would have negligible or no effect on anything. The problem is not the means by which a life is taken, but the person who takes the life. As the trend in China demonstrates, evil, or psychotic individuals if you prefer, will use the weapons on hand to commit violence. In their case, is mass stabbings at schools, since that is the weapon to which they have access, and all guns are banned.
And if the government banned cars, more people would be killed in horse accidents.
DATA sources:
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1106.xls
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http://uk.sitestat.com/homeoffice/rds/s?rds.hosb1210pdf&ns_type=pdf&ns_url=[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210.pdf
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/user-guide-crime-statistics/userguide-crimestats-tabs?view=Binary
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/14071-the-san-antonio-theater-shooting-the-media-ignored
Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 07:57 in Current Affairs, MSM, Politicians, Stateside, Videos | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 09, 2013 at 17:50 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Twelve Kurdish militants and a Turkish soldier were killed in fighting along the country's southeast border.
Military officials say the rebels opened fire from northern Iraq and attacked a military post near the border late Monday night.
Turkish soldiers returned fire on the militants killing 12.
The attack comes as government officials hold talks with jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan in an effort to end the nearly three-decade long insurgency.
Few details on the talks have been released, but Yalcin Akdogan, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said the goal is disarmament.
The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984. The conflict has claimed nearly 40,000 lives.
The rebels are fighting for autonomy and greater cultural rights. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 09, 2013 at 17:27 in Iraq, Turkey | Permalink
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 8, 2013) – During a security operation in Washer district, Helmand province, yesterday, an Afghan and coalition force killed the Taliban leader, Mohammad Sayed, and one other insurgent. Mohammad Sayed distributed weapons and ammunition to Taliban fighters. Prior to his death, Sayed was attempting to acquire rockets for attacks targeting Afghan government officials in the province.
In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:
North
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator in Pul-e Khumri district, Baghlan province, today. The facilitator belonged to a group of insurgents who carried out improvised explosive device and suicide attacks in the province. He was personally responsible for assisting in the transfer of IEDs and conducting IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
EAST: BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces located one weapons cache and cleared one improvised explosive device during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 7.
Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces discovered one weapons cache in Ghazni Province. The cache contained homemade explosives, mortars and mines.
Logar Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Baraki Barak District.
Operations in RC-East are ongoing.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 08, 2013 at 17:05 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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By SSG Christopher Harper and Melissa Charbonneau, HQ ISAF
KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 6, 2013) – Embracing their newfound independence and inserting themselves in an increasingly more secure and modern Afghanistan, some local women have organized to hold a new type of traditional bazaar.
Each month, weather and security permitting, International Security Assistance Force invites more than 30 female vendors to sell their mostly handmade wares at its headquarters in Kabul. The monthly bazaar nets the women more than just much needed additional income and the ability to help support their families.
An Air Force servicemember negotiates lightheartedly with an Afghan girl over the price for her handmade bracelets at a women’s bazaar at International Security Assistance Force headquarters, Kabul, Jan 5. The monthly bazaar is designed to empower the underprivileged female entrepreneurs. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Christopher Harper)
“The money I earn here supports me attending university,” said Jamila, a vendor who sells original artwork at the bazaar. Jamila studies public health, “my dream is to become a doctor.”
The women have been holding the monthly bazaar at ISAF headquarters for nearly two years.
Jamila has been participating in the bazaar for eight months.
“Many of the women can earn in a day what would normally take weeks,” Jamila said. “This is a great opportunity for us.”
Vendors can make hundreds at a single bazaar, and depending on the number of bazaars worked, could average up to $1000 per month. The earnings help these women start up their own businesses, pay for medical care and drug rehab services for family members, and fund education for their children. Bazaar organizers also assist women opening their own bank accounts and taskera identity cards, and discounts on medical services.
Storai Jalal, an ISAF Afghan-American civilian contractor, is the bazaar organizer who pioneered a business model to empower the underprivileged women of Afghanistan. The model focuses around the core concept of building self-sufficiency through sustainable livelihoods to Afghan women.
"Ninety-five percent of these women were illiterate, yet in a very short time they have learned how to convert Afghanis to dollars to Euros," Jalal says. "They have learned business development, marketing, advertising, and limited English. These women are highly talented. They have just never been given the opportunity nor have they had the courage to stand up on their own feet."
The project launched in June 2010 with 97 participants and has expanded to regular bazaars at multiple coalition bases including HQ ISAF, KAIA, New Kabul Compound, Camp Eggers, and Bagram. Today the program supports almost 800 Afghan women directly and more than 5,000 indirectly through women who produce goods for sale.
Coalition servicemembers and civilians working at ISAF headquarters appreciate the chance to interact with the women and find treasures at the bazaar.
In addition to shopping for traditional Afghan souvenirs and unique handmade crafts for their loved ones back home, many of the coalition servicemembers volunteer to assist the women to ensure they can setup and breakdown the bazaar each month.
Air Force TSgt. Shawna Williams, an administration noncommissioned officer at ISAF headquarters, enjoys shopping at the women’s bazaar, “because the women are not as aggressive,” as their male counterparts. Williams, like many other coalition servicemembers, appreciates the lighter atmosphere often filled with playing children.
Even the ISAF commander, Gen. John Allen, along with other senior coalition headquarters staff, has been seen taking time from their busy schedules to shop and interact with the women.
This month, Pulitzer Prize winning Afghan photographer Massoud Hossaini visited the bazaar. “What are really great are these women’s stories,” said Hossaini.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 08, 2013 at 06:16 in Afghanistan News, Afghanistan Progress Reports, Videos | Permalink
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A Pakistani man pled not guilty Monday in an alleged al-Qaida plot to set off terrorist bombs in New York and Manchester, England.
Abid Naseer entered his plea in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York — where he was extradited from Britain last week. The judge ordered him to remain in jail at least until his next scheduled court appearance in March.
The European Court of Human Rights rejected Naseer's appeal against extradition to the United States. Naseer argued that he could wind up back in Pakistan, where he says he would be tortured.
Naseer is charged in separate plots to set off bombs in Manchester and in the New York City subway at the height of rush hour to maximize casualties.
A co-defendant, Adis Medunjanin, is already spending life in prison for his role. Naseer faces the same sentence if he is also convicted. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 08, 2013 at 05:23 in Pakistan, Stateside | Permalink
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 7, 2013) – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader, and detained one suspected insurgent, in Andar district, Ghazni province, today.
The leader commanded a group who organized and executed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, along with overseeing the placement of improvised explosive devices.
In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:
South
A Taliban senior leader was arrested by an Afghan and coalition security force in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, today. The senior leader played a major role in narcotics trafficking to fund Taliban operations within the district. He commanded insurgent fighters who were directly responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. During the operation, the security force also detained one suspected insurgent.
East: BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained one insurgent, located one weapons cache and cleared four improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 6.
Ghazni Province
Afghan Local Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Muqer District. The cache contained several mines and IED making materials.
Khowst Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Khowst District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.
Nangarhar Province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Mohmand Darah District.
Paktika Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared three IEDs in Jani Khel District.
Operations in RC-East are ongoing.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Monday, January 07, 2013 at 23:59 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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French actor Gerard Depardieu traveled to the Black Sea resort of Sochi, in Russia, Saturday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and obtain Russian citizenship to escape excessive taxes in France.
Mr. Putin publicly granted Depardieu citizenship on Thursday after the actor expressed dismay over a new French millionaires' tax rate of 75 percent.
In Russia, taxpayers pay a flat 13 percent.
Depardieu recently bought a property in Belgium in hopes of escaping the French tax.
The French actor, star of movies such as “Green Card” and “Cyrano de Bergerac,” is popular in Russia, where he appears in some television commercials.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has called Depardieu's departure from the country “pathetic.” Depardieu, in turn, has professed his love of Russia and Russian culture.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Monday, January 07, 2013 at 21:56 in Europe | Permalink
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Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi has expanded the number of Muslim Brotherhood ministers in his Cabinet as part of a reshuffle.
Ten Egyptian ministers were sworn in on Sunday, three of them members of Mr. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement. A Brotherhood spokesman said the reshuffle increases the number of Brotherhood Cabinet ministers from five to eight.
Mr. Morsi also appointed a Brotherhood-allied expert in Islamic finance as the new finance minister. El-Morsi Hegazy replaces former finance minister Mumtaz el-Said, whom the Brotherhood had accused of being too close to the Egyptian military, which ruled the country for more than a year before handing power to Mr. Morsi in June.
In another key appointment, Mr. Morsi named a new interior minister, Mohammed Ibrahim, to replace Ahmed Gamal Eddin, who was criticized for his handling of last month's violent street protests for and against Egypt's new Islamist-backed constitution.
Mr. Morsi promised a Cabinet reshuffle last month as part of a plan to restore confidence in the economy, which has seen a slump in foreign tourism and investment due to political instability since the 2011 ouster of longtime president Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising.
Egypt also has been suffering a currency crisis that has seen the Egyptian pound weaken to eight-year lows against the dollar. Egypt's central bank has spent billions of dollars to support the value of the pound since 2011, leaving its foreign reserves at what it calls a “critical” level. In a report Sunday, the central bank said Egypt's foreign reserves were just above $15 billion in December, a slight decline from the previous month. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Monday, January 07, 2013 at 07:59 in Africa, Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood | Permalink
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Officials in southern Afghanistan say a twin suicide attack has killed five people and wounded at least 15 others.
Authorities say the two bombers attacked a meeting of tribal elders at a government compound Sunday in the town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. There were no reports of Coalition troops at the site.
Since the U.S.-led toppling of the Taliban government in 2001, Kandahar has remained one of the country's most violent areas. The province is the spiritual home of the Taliban and shares a porous border with Pakistan.
Islamist terrorists are able to cross the border there from Pakistan, and it is a smuggling route for weapons and narcotics. VoA.
KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 6, 2013) – The International Security Assistance Force strongly condemns today's insurgent attack in Spin Boldak, Kandahar which killed and injured several innocent civilians."Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those killed or injured in today's attack," Allen said.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Monday, January 07, 2013 at 07:48 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 6, 2013) – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested the senior Taliban leader in Nad ‘Ali district during a security operation in Now Zad district, Helmand province, today.
The leader provided operational guidance to Taliban insurgents in Nad ‘Ali district and acquired and distributed homemade explosives, weapons and ammunition to suicide bombers.
The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized multiple firearms as a result of the operation.
In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:
South
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Friday. The leader planned and executed small-arms fire and improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and oversaw the acquisition and distribution of weapons, ammunition and IEDs to insurgent fighters throughout Nad ‘Ali and Nahr-e Saraj districts. During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.
EAST: BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained one insurgent and cleared two improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 5.
Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Dehyak District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.
Khowst Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IED's in Khowst Province.
Operations in RC-East are ongoing.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Sunday, January 06, 2013 at 19:37 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 19:35 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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By Amaani Lyle, American Forces Press Service, WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2013 - The Defense Department sponsors Duke University researchers to conduct projects in mathematics, engineering and biology that advance military capabilities and strengthen national security, a university official said in a recent phone interview.
Duke University researchers actively participate in DOD programs and awards, and projects are designed to help the warfighter enhance intelligence gathering, avoid battlefield hazards and maintain medical readiness, said Dr. Jim Siedow, the university's vice provost for research.
"There's always been an interest in Duke scientists for projects that might be defense related," Siedow said. "It's an important element of research for us, given that a lot of what the military does today involves gathering intelligence -- so the better you're able to do that, the safer the world is likely to be."
Although the research projects typically do not bear fruit for decades, Siedow described relatively short-term success stories from past and current projects.
"[An electrical engineer professor] developed algorithms applied to the function of cochlear implants that allow people to hear, so there's a computer technology associated with [it]," he said.
The U.S. Army, Siedow said, now uses the same algorithms, or step-by-step calculations, transforming them into handheld and ground standoff mine detection systems able to detect explosive objects.
"That came out of military-funded work on cochlear implants, which then evolved into helping to detect explosives and landmines in Afghanistan," he explained.
Another project, pre-symptomatic detection and diagnostics, improves the detection of illnesses caused by pathogens before they become severe, Siedow said.
"In the military, you've got a lot of people, often crammed into close quarters, who may be headed out to battle," Siedow said. "If one of them is coming down with something contagious, whether naturally or from enemy actions, you want to know that before you send 99 [troops] and one infected person into the field. This could ultimately lead to more than 50 of them becoming infected."
Siedow said the challenge is to detect when someone has been exposed to or is carrying a disease.
"You can understand the importance of that, but you can also understand the complexity of that," Siedow said of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-funded venture.
Perhaps one of the more futuristic and science fiction-inspired projects is research in an engineering area known as metamaterials, dubbed the "invisibility cloak," Siedow said.
And Duke University is one of the world's leaders in metamaterials research, he said.
Siedow explained that researchers can modify an object's electromagnetic properties to actually change the nature of the material and its capability of being perceived.
"Think about the old television series 'Star Trek,'" he said. "The Klingons could 'cloak' their spacecraft so they couldn't be seen ... and with metamaterials we can do the same thing."
Siedow knows of a variety of military uses for such technology.
"It's one thing to have a stealth fighter that's hard to see," he said. "It's another thing to have an aircraft that literally can't be seen -- by radar or the naked eye, depending on how you align it -- even though it's there."
The magic behind the science is simple in theory.
"You and I envision something not because we see it, but because light gets refracted off of it," he said. "You can set up these mechanisms where nothing gets reflected so there isn't any way of seeing it."
Siedow believes the metamaterials project is on the verge of bringing about widespread change in how the military operates.
"Within the decade, metamaterials will become an inherent part of our standard military operations," he said. "We're very well positioned to take advantage of that and we'll continue to see DOD funding any number of things."
The university gets research funding from a variety of DOD agencies, and many projects have heavily integrated the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation.
But as funding for NIH and NSF has stabilized or at times even declined, researchers and engineers have also been able to rely on DOD, where science, health and technology projects abound, Siedow said.
DOD partnerships with Duke University as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University have, in many instances, led to grants and contracts from the Army Research Office, Siedow said.
DOD-sponsored research expenditures at Duke University increased from $17.7 million in fiscal year 2008 to more than $30 million by 2011, according to the university's financial reports.
"Many of these projects funded by DOD are interdisciplinary, so they're being done not only in conjunction with Duke scientists but scientists elsewhere," Siedow said.
He said even basic research makes the funding and partnerships worthy ventures.
"In the early stages, you've got a lot of primary physics and engineering principles that need to be well understood to turn that into a working product," Siedow said. "Universities have historically been positioned at the early, not latter, stages of that research continuum."
With hundreds of collaborative research projects in the works over the last several decades, Siedow asserts that scholarly and military research endeavors can coexist and complement each other.
"Most nuclear engineers in this country who work in nuclear power plants got their start on a submarine -- that's the big training ground," Siedow said. "Service to your country and practicing as a scientist are not incompatible."
Posted by WOTN Editor on Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 07:27 in Education, Military News | Permalink
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Opposition activists say Syrian warplanes bombed targets near Damascus on Friday, a day after an explosion in the capital left at least nine people dead.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government shelling is underway in areas including Douma, a rebel stronghold.
The state-run SANA news news agency says “terrorists” detonated explosives at a gas station in a Damascus neighborhood, on Thursday.
Civil war between rebels and the Assad government has gripped Syria since evolving from peaceful anti-government protests in March 2011.
The United Nations estimates 60,000 people have died in Syrian fighting, a figure that surpasses opposition estimates by about one-third. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 04, 2013 at 22:29 in Syria | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 04, 2013 at 21:29 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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By Donna Miles, AFPS
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Jan. 3, 2013 - With a simple idea and their fallen Marine son's Servicemembers Group Life Insurance check, a retired soldier and his wife are honoring his memory through a program that's bringing new hope and self-confidence to wounded warriors.
Pictured: William "Mike" White, founder of Camp Hope for wounded warriors, left, chats with Army Capt. Joe Bogart, a wounded warrior who said the camp restored his sense of independence. U.S. Army photo by Michael William Petersen
William "Mike" White, an equipment operator at the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command here, remembers as if it were yesterday the dreaded knock on the door as he and his wife, Galia, learned that their son, Marine Pfc. Christopher Neal White, had been killed. The young White, an avid outdoorsman who grew up in rural Kentucky, died in Iraq's Anbar province two days after Father's Day, 2006.
Heartbroken and guilt-ridden that he had convinced his wife to allow their son to join the military, White struggled to find meaning in their personal tragedy. "I had to take a negative and make it a positive. It had to be done," he said.
Alone on a hunting trip -- an endeavor he and his son had often shared -- White came up with the inspiration for Camp Hope.
"I wanted to start a place for our wounded guys, to teach them that even if they have one arm or one leg or no arms or no legs or they're blind, that they could still get out and enjoy the outdoors," he said. "Little did I know it was going to lead to where we are today."
The Whites used Christopher's SGLI payment to buy Chris Neal Farm, a 170-acre retreat in southeast Missouri, and home of Camp Hope.
Five years later, Camp Hope is exceeding everything the senior White could have imagined. Hundreds of combat-wounded warriors from across the United States have flocked there to participate in everything Christopher White loved: skeet shooting, hunting, fishing, hiking, exploring the great outdoors and relaxing around an ever-burning fire pit.
The idea, White explained, is to allow wounded warriors to experience the healing powers of nature as they focus on what they can do, instead of what they cannot.
Operated through private and corporate donations and a legion of volunteers, Camp Hope provides a supportive, loving environment and a renewed sense of community to wounded warriors, White explained.
"We are really not doing anything special other than offering them a place and an opportunity to be able to get back and talk with other folks whose boots have been in the same dirt," he said.
White is the first to admit that he had no grand plan when he and his wife founded Camp Hope. "Everything that has happened has pretty much been an accident," he said. "You can't plan some of the things that have happened. There is no way. It just happens."
But the healing effect, he said, is undeniable.
"There is a magic thing about Camp Hope. I can't explain it. I really can't," White said. "All I know is that it does things for the good for people. It gives a lot of hope to a lot of people. It changes their attitude when they are there."
Army Sgt. Bobby Lee Lisek, a severely wounded warrior who attended the very first gathering at Camp Hope, said he was amazed at the transformation within himself.
"Camp Hope is the greatest place ever. They don't hold you or hold you back. They don't say, 'No you can't.' There is no limit to what you can do here," he said.
Admitting to White that he'd been struggling with suicidal thoughts before arriving at Camp Hope, Lisek said, "I don't know where I'd be today if I didn't have somewhere to go like Camp hope. I'm just at peace here."
So much at peace, in fact, that Lisek volunteers his time regularly as a hunting guide, helping other visitors to Camp Hope experience the same kind of transformation he did.
Army Capt. Joe Bogart, another Camp Hope veteran, said the experience gave him a renewed sense of independence. "I got part of my old self back," he said. "I healed in ways I didn't know I needed to."
For Army Spc. Adam Berkemeier, the healing came through taking on new challenges. "They push me to do more because they know I am capable of more," he said.
For Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Kinnamore, who called his visit to Camp Hope "one of the best experiences I've had in years," healing came through camaraderie with fellow wounded warriors.
"I had forgotten how to socialize," he said. "It was good to be able to sit around the fire pit and talk with people who had been in the same place I had been in and who knew what was going on, what I'm going through. It helped me relax for the first time in a long time."
The Whites' work at Camp Hope has received national recognition. In 2010, the Army honored White with its prestigious Spirit of Hope Award, and the National AMVETS Ladies' Auxiliary presented him its Humanitarian of the Year award.
Veterans groups and individual and corporate sponsors have stepped up their support as volunteers or donors, covering all costs for veterans to participate and even sponsoring special trips to Alaska and other destinations.
The camp has become such a success that White hopes to open a second Camp Hope, near Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest to reach more wounded warriors. Once it's operational, White said he plans to rely on wounded warriors who have attended the camp themselves to run its day-to-day operations.
He even envisioned it creating a ripple effect, with Camp Hopes scattered around the country to help wounded warriors heal.
White said the calls he regularly receives from parents and spouses, thanking him for the difference Camp Hope has made in their loved ones' lives, is the driving force that keeps him motivated to drive on.
"That's our payday," he said. "That's what makes us continue to do what we do."
Six years after his son's death, White still gets choked up when he talks about the enthusiastic young boy who loved the outdoors and dreamed of becoming a Marine. Making things right after losing him would be impossible, he admitted.
"But now that we know we've been able to help some of these young folks coming back, even saving some of them from committing suicide or hurting themselves, it makes it a little bit easier to accept," he said. "Camp Hope is all about Helping Other People Excel. And as it honors Christopher's memory, that's exactly what it does for these wounded warriors."
Camp Hope website: http://www.chrisnealfarm.com/public/
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 04, 2013 at 02:46 in Families of The Fallen, Sports, Support Our Troops - Actively, Veteran/Soldier Health | Permalink
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By Ignacio Rubalcava, U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder
BAUMHOLDER, Germany, Jan. 3, 2013 - An early morning drive here turned into a nightmare for Heather Majorwitz and her two children, Kaitie and Bret.
They were on their way to school recently when their car hit a patch of ice and started to skid across the road toward an oncoming bus. Majorwitz, a librarian at a local elementary school, swerved to avoid the bus and slid off the road, rolling her car."One minute we were on the road and the next we were hanging from our seatbelts," Majorwitz recalled during a recent recognition ceremony held at U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder here.
Pictured: Heather Majorwitz thanks the Soldiers who rescued her and her children from an automobile accident at U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder, Germany. Courtesy photo
The car's wheels were still turning when a group of soldiers from the 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion came upon the scene. Without hesitation, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Vladimir Sequera and three other Soldiers stopped their Humvee and dashed out to help. The children were already making their way out of the car's shattered back window when the Soldiers approached.
Sequera and the other Soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Winston Smith, Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Lehman and Sgt. Cheryl Henneberry quickly brought the children to safety and wrapped them with their jackets to stay warm. By then, Majorwitz was trying to get out of the car and Sequera and the other Soldiers turned their attention to helping her.
"When we saw the vehicle we immediately pulled to the side. We all had the same thought. There's somebody in the vehicle," Sequera said. "We didn't know if they were American or German. We just wanted to help."
"I just remember the car rolling and lots of glass. I felt blessed to walk away from the wreck but I also felt really blessed that we had soldiers there that would go above and beyond and help us. You guys are my heroes," Majorwitz said.
"I'm glad that we were there to help out. I don't think it's a hero thing. I think it's a human behavior that we help each other out. It is part of what we do in the military," Sequera said.
Madeleine Dwoiakowski, public affairs officer for the Baumholder garrison, drives the same route on her way to work.
"I saw soldiers and hoped that none of our guys were injured, not knowing that the soldiers were actually assisting on the scene," Dwoiakowski said. "I then saw the car and it looked like it had gone through a press. They were extremely fortunate to walk away with no injuries and they were also equally fortunate that the Soldiers were there almost immediately to help."
For Majorwitz, it was the scariest moment she's experienced as a mother.
"I wasn't sure if the children were OK. Everybody said they were OK but even at the hospital I wasn't sure," she said. "My little boy gets anxious about things and I was worried that he'd have this anxiety and wouldn't want to ride in a car again." Majorwitz explained that they had a flat tire once and for the next year her son checked the tires before getting in the car.
But her son "was fine, he was a trooper," Majorwitz said. Turning to Sequera, she added, "I think he was fine because you guys were there immediately. There wasn't that second to even worry about it because we were taken care of right away."
Later, Majorwitz, called her 15-year-old daughter in the states and told her why she enjoys working with Soldiers and their families.
"This is why I do what I do to serve these guys, because they're there and they step in -- no matter what," Majorwitz said. "It's automatic, because that's who they are. This makes me even more proud to be able to teach the kids of our Soldiers because I know that they're out there taking care of everybody else."
Majorwitz expressed her gratitude to the Soldiers who rescued her and her children.
"I think that's why you are Soldiers," Majorwitz said, as she fought back tears. "We could have died but we didn't. We were very fortunate all around so I just want to thank you."
Majorwitz then embraced Sequera and repeated her appreciation for their help.
"You guys are my heroes," she said.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 04, 2013 at 01:25 in Europe, Hardened Warrior Series | Permalink
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Iraqi authorities say a car bomb has killed at least 20 Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims on their way home from a religious procession in the country's south.
Police said Thursday's attack at a busy bus station in the town of Musayyib hit the pilgrims as they were returning from Iraq's shrine city of Karbala, where they performed mourning rituals for a revered figure in Shi'ite Islam. Dozens were wounded in the bombing.
The attack has renewed fears of an increase in sectarian violence that could further destabilize the country.
The blast comes just days after a wave of bombings across the country killed 23 people. Insurgents blew up several houses in Musayyib on Monday, killing seven people. Bombings also killed people in Baghdad, Hillah and Kirkuk.
Islamist Sunni terrorists have targeted Shi'ite pilgrims frequently. Those terrorists also appear to be exploiting sectarian tensions in the ruling coalition of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is under political fire.
Sunni protesters have held more than a week of anti-government protests in the western province of Anbar, demanding an end to Mr. Maliki's marginalization of their community and its representatives in his Shi'ite-led coalition.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Friday, January 04, 2013 at 00:20 in Iraq | Permalink
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The United Nations says new and exhaustive analysis shows that more than 60,000 people have died in Syria's civil war, a figure that surpasses Syrian opposition estimates by about one-third.
U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, in a study released Wednesday in Geneva, said death reports from seven separate sources were cross-referenced by experts to arrive at the new toll. She said the number of casualties is much higher than expected, and is truly shocking.
Estimates from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had placed the death toll in the nearly two-year conflict at about 45,000.
The U.N. report said researchers who studied data for months could not distinguish between civilian and combat deaths. But Pillay said she fears thousands more will die or “suffer terrible injuries” unless there is a quick resolution to the conflict.
Near Damascus, opposition activists said Wednesday that government warplanes bombed a gasoline station, killing dozens of people as they waited for fuel.
Activists say the strike occurred in the eastern suburb of Mleiha — an area partly under rebel control. The blast ignited a huge fire that sent black smoke billowing into the air. Amateur video posted online showed dismembered bodies at the scene.
Separately, the French news agency reported that armed men in northern Syria kidnapped one of its freelance contributors six weeks ago.
The family of U.S. journalist James Foley — who previously had asked media groups not to report the abduction — asked Wednesday for his release.
AFP says Foley last supplied the agency with video material on November 21, the day before he disappeared in the town of Taftanaz. No one has claimed responsibility.
A brutal civil war between rebel groups and the Assad government has shaken Syria since evolving from peaceful anti-government protests in March 2011. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 03, 2013 at 18:35 in MSM, Syria | Permalink
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Pakistani security officials say U.S. drone strikes in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan have killed at least eight people, including Maulvi Nazir, a top Taliban commander in South Warziristan.
Officials said Thursday that Nazir, who was also known as Mullah Nazir, was one of several suspected terrorists killed during a strike in the village of Angoor Adda, late Wednesday.
They say at least one one drone attack occurred in North Waziristan. Dawn News says three people were killed.
Nazir was the primary Taliban commander in South Waziristan. His terrorists reportedly have been more interested in attacking U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan than Pakistan's security forces. His faction is allied with other al-Qaida-linked terrorist groups.
Nazir had signed a peace accord with the Pakistani government in 2007. He was reported to have had a contentious relationship with the Pakistani Taliban, which has carried out attacks on Pakistani forces.
In November, Nazir was wounded in a suicide bombing that killed at least six people.
In November 2011, suspected U.S. drone strikes killed Nazir's deputy leader, Khan Mohammed, as well as a younger brother.
The U.S. drone strikes are unpopular in Pakistan.
Last year, President Barack Obama publicly acknowledged for the first time that the U.S. has conducted the strikes against terrorists in the country.
Mr. Obama defended the operations, saying they are used for “very precise, precision strikes” against al-Qaida but detractors note that they lack on the ground confirmation of the targets, and often strike homes where the terrorists wives and children reside. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 03, 2013 at 17:23 in Afghanistan News, Pakistan | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Thursday, January 03, 2013 at 17:12 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Opposition activists say Syrian government forces and rebels are waging a fierce battle near an airport in the northern Idlib province, on Wednesday, a day after similar clashes prompted officials to close the airport in Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says rebels have launched an attack on a military airport near Taftanaz. The group says Islamist terrorist groups are involved in the fighting.
There was no immediate confirmation from the government, which has been battling opposition activists for almost two years.
On Tuesday, government aircraft pounded rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the country's commercial hub.
Authorities announced the closure of the city's airport because of rebel attacks.
Anti-government activists also reported heavy fighting in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, with bombings by Syrian warplanes.
Opposition groups say at least 75 people were killed in unrest across Syria on Tuesday.
Syrian rebels are trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Activists say 45,000 people have been killed in the conflict that began with peaceful anti-government protests in March 2011. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 02, 2013 at 16:12 in Syria | Permalink
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KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 2, 2013) – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, Wednesday.
The leader provided weapons and ammunition to insurgent fighters in central Arghandab and southwest Shah Wali Kot districts, and planned and coordinated improvised explosive device attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces.
During the operation, the security force also seized IED-making materials.
In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:
South
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Panjwa’i district, Kandahar province, Tuesday. The leader directed improvised explosive device operations in Zharay and Panjwa’i districts. He also provided supplies, weapons and ammunition to insurgents for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Kandahar province.
In Arghandab district, Kandahar province, Monday, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a local Taliban leader who coordinated improvised explosive device attacks and distributed IEDs and IED components to insurgents in the district. During the operation, the security force also detained three suspected insurgents.
East
In Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a member of the Haqqani network who planned and executed attacks against Afghan government officials as well as Afghan and coalition forces. He was also responsible for the movement of weapons and provided funds to Haqqani fighters operating in Pul-e ‘Alam district.
North – During a security operation in Imam Sahib district, Kunduz province, Monday, an Afghan and coalition force killed the Taliban leader, Nurullah Khan, and one other insurgent.
Nurullah Khan, also known as Shaker, transported and distributed weapons for insurgents in Kunduz province. At the time of his death, Nurullah Khan was coordinating the movement of explosives for use in a future improvised explosive device attack.
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Khanabad district, Kunduz province, today. The leader organized insurgent fighters and procured improvised explosive devices for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the district. He also provided IEDs and other weapons for insurgents in other areas of the province.
East: BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Jan. 02, 2013) - Afghan and coalition forces located one weapons cache during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 1.
Parwan Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Bagram District. The cache contained multiple mortars and mines.
Operations in RC-East are ongoing.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 02, 2013 at 16:02 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 02, 2013 at 04:35 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Posted by WOTN Editor on Wednesday, January 02, 2013 at 04:32 in Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Iraqi authorities say a wave of bombings across the country has killed at least 23 people in the latest effort by terrorists to undermine confidence in the security forces.
In Monday's deadliest attack, Islamists blew up several houses in the town of Musayyib, south of Baghdad, killing seven people.
In Baghdad's Karrada district, a car bomb exploded near a group of Shi'ite pilgrims en route to the southern city of Karbala for a Shi'ite religious observance. Fiver were killed in the explosion.
Bombs also killed four policemen in the northern city of Kirkuk, one officer in the neighboring town of Tuz Khormato, and two people in the central town of Hillah.
A mortar attack south of Baghdad killed one Shi'ite pilgrim, while at least three other people were killed elsewhere in attacks.
But minority Sunni terrorists have targeted majority Shi'ite pilgrims frequently. Those terrorists also appear to be exploiting sectarian tensions in the ruling coalition of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is under political fire.
Sunni protesters have held more than a week of anti-government protests in the western province of Anbar, demanding an end to Mr. Maliki's marginalization of their community and its representatives in his Shi'ite-led coalition. VoA
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 19:19 in Iraq | Permalink
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Police in New York City have arrested a couple after finding a substance used to make explosives as well as bomb-making manuals in their apartment.
U.S. authorities say the 31-year-old man, Aaron Greene, and his 27-year-old girlfriend, Morgan Gliedman, are being charged with possessing weapons.
They say detectives discovered seven grams of HMTD, an explosive commonly used in homemade bombs. Police also found numerous written items containing instructions on manufacturing explosives, including a cover page entitled The Terrorist Encyclopedia.
Greene appeared in court Sunday and is being held without bail, while Gliedman is still awaiting an initial court appearance. She is the daughter of a prominent Manhattan doctor. VoA.
This Ain't Hell reports both are associated with the "Occupy Wall Street" crowd.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 19:14 in Current Affairs, Stateside | Permalink
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Police in northwestern Pakistan say gunmen have ambushed a vehicle carrying aid workers, killing seven people.
Authorities said the victims in the attack Tuesday were Pakistani citizens and included at least five female teachers.
The shooting happened in Swabi, about 75 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. The driver of the vehicle was also wounded in the attack. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 19:07 in Pakistan | Permalink
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Pakistan has released eight Afghan Taliban prisoners, including the "minister of justice" during the Taliban's rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday the prisoners were released “in order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process.”
Pakistan said that among those released were former Taliban Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi and former Helmand province Governor Abdul Bari, as well as two other former Taliban governors and another former Taliban government minister.
Turabi is said to be in poor health. The United Nations says he was appointed as a Taliban military commander in Afghanistan in mid-2009 and was a deputy to Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar.
The spokesman for the Afghan Taliban also confirmed Turabi's release.
Meanwhile, a top Afghan peace negotiator says the government hopes to transform the Afghan Taliban into a political movement, and that all sides "realize a military solution to the conflict is not possible." Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai told Reuters he is cautiously optimistic about a possible reconciliation with the Taliban.
Last month, Pakistan released nine Afghan Taliban prisoners, but not the insurgent group's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. He was captured in Pakistan in 2010.
Support from Pakistan, which backed the Taliban regime is seen as crucial to Afghan reconciliation efforts as international forces complete their withdrawal from the war-torn country by the end of 2014.
Separately, Pakistani security officials say the bodies of nine terrorists were found dumped in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region Monday.
The bodies were found off a road in the Pir Kili village of North Waziristan tribal agency. Officials said the terrorists were members of the Pakistani Taliban.
The discovery comes a day after 21 kidnapped tribal police officers were found dead. The police personnel were taken hostage by Islamists during attacks on checkpoints near the city of Peshawar last week. VoA.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 17:37 in Afghanistan News, Pakistan | Permalink
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FARAH CITY, Afghanistan (Dec. 22, 2012) – Farah provincial Director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL), Abdul Manan Matin, is driving an initiative to build a demonstration greenhouse at his office compound in Farah City, in an effort to connect Farahi farmers with new and innovative techniques to improve crop yields and profit margins. The demonstration greenhouse will help to drive agriculture and agribusiness development within Farah, by introducing new methods of farming and irrigation to Farahi farmers. The greenhouse project is a joint venture between Manan and Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah, and USDA field program officer Chris Koym, who spearheaded the coalition’s effort to start the project. The first greenhouse in Farah City is scheduled to open in early 2013.
Pictured: Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah members and a representative from USDA meet with Afghan farmers at a greenhouse in Farah City to discuss the farmer's success in growing cucumbers, Nov. 3. PRT Farah's mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province, Afghanistan. Their civil military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (Photo by U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup/released)
Manan, who has a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Herat University, is working to make a difference in the way that Farah does agriculture, in large part due to his education, work experience with NGO’s and capacity building initiatives. He has worked in development with USAID for the past few years, and was most recently the local director of the RAMP UP program in Farah. In his new role as the DAIL, Manan values the opportunity to improve the lives of the people of Farah, not only through working with coalition partners, but also through working closely with the Farah Farmer’s Cooperative Union and other NGO’s to pool and direct resources where they are needed.
“Farah is blessed with fertile land, a long growing season and the best crops in the region,” said Manan. “Some of our best crops are watermelon, pomegranates, jujubes, cucumbers and onions. The biggest challenge for me is connecting my office and extension agents to the farmers of Farah, and also developing business opportunities for them both in and out of Farah. ”
Despite having such fertile land, much of the challenges that are found in Farah’s agribusiness sector center on the cost of electricity, the hardiness of the fruits and vegetables during travel and the overhead cost and security associated with transit. Currently, the cost of electricity in Farah is currently twenty times higher than that of Herat, a challenge that forces many business owners to take their business northward. Additionally, crops like watermelon and onions don’t travel nearly as well as a hardy fruit like jujubes, which travel quite well, which limits local farmer’s options when choosing what to grow. Farmer’s are also forced to choose whether or not to grow poppy, which offers a much greater profit margin than other crops like wheat.
“The most significant challenge to business development in Farah right now,” says Ray Sudweeks, lead Dept. of State representative in Farah who works with the PRT, “is the lack of inexpensive electricity for the people of Farah. Profit margins vanish rapidly and business owners apply their energies elsewhere when profits can’t be realized.”
One of the best ways that Farah is attempting to combat these challenges is the development of greenhouses and research plots that will lead to Farahi farmers yielding higher crop ratios per dollar spent and larger profit margins. Additionally, the demonstration greenhouses will exhibit techniques to farmers that use significantly less water and electricity to grow crops, mitigating cost restraints for farmers. Another new technology, solar-powered water pumps, may be exhibited at the greenhouses in the future. Equally important as technology and innovative techniques is the leadership of provincial line directors, like Manan, who work with leaders and business owners from other provinces who can facilitate the export of Farahi crops to other provinces in Farah and outside of Afghanistan.
“These greenhouses are a simple and relatively easy program to implement,” said U.S. Army Capt. Garrett McAdams, a civil affairs officer with the PRT who is assisting in implementing the project. “Once we finish the first greenhouse, Manan and his team will be able to show local farmers new techniques and share tangible results with them, which really is the key. If the DAIL can show results, the farmers in Farah will likely adopt new, more productive techniques in their day-to-day farming practices.”
The idea for the demonstration greenhouse came from a local Farahi farmer who uses greenhouses to develop his business. The farmer, who asked that his name not be used for this story, currently operates over 30 greenhouses that are approximately 8.5 feet by 40 feet. He uses 85 percent of his current capacity to grow cucumbers, which he exports to Herat and Kandahar, and yields him nearly as much profit as poppy would. The other 15 percent of his capacity is used for cultivating tomatoes, which are primarily for personal use, though some are sold in local markets. He also has approximately 30 more greenhouses that he could use for growing crops, though he doesn’t have the land to support the effort.
The farmer honed his skills and developed a simple drip irrigation technique that he learned over the course of 15-20 years, and before deciding to bring his experience and skills back to Farah. The biggest advantage he gains from the greenhouses is a jump on production and an extension of an already long growing season in Farah, directly increasing his ability to make a good profit on his crops.
The hope for the future is that the demonstration greenhouse in Farah will be an example for the DAIL extension agents in Farah’s 10 other districts to use as a way to share knowledge and experience with local farmers - knowledge that farmers can use to build their own greenhouses and implement the skills and techniques learned at the district centers and DAIL’s office to support their businesses and families.
While challenges still exist for the people and farmers of Farah, it is clear that line directors like Manan are doing everything in their power to work for the people. Only time will tell if the greenhouses take off and business owners are able to implement the practices into their daily use, but it is another example of a smart, ambitious leader in Farah, willing to make the effort to help the people he serves.
PRT Farah’s mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah province, Afghanistan. Their civil-military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). For more information about the PRT follow their DVIDS page at www.dvidshub.net/unit/PRTF or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PRTFRH.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 08:11 in ADT, Afghanistan News | Permalink
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Pfc. Markie T. Sims, 20, of Citra, Fla., died Dec. 29 in Panjwal, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.” (W.Shakespeare) Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.
Posted by WOTN Editor on Tuesday, January 01, 2013 at 07:11 in Afghanistan News, Moment of Silence | Permalink
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