Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

Mullah Omar Promises More Attacks In Afghanistan

An ISAF soldier visiting a destroyed school in Kabul on October 19 (epa)

October 22, 2006 -- Afghanistan's fugitive Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, says his men will increase their attacks against foreign forces and oust them from the country.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 22, 2006

Mullah Omar's message, on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan, was reportedly sent via electronic mail to Pakistan's NNI news agency. Mullah Omar's message also said he was confident the U.S.-led coaltion would be defeated just like the Soviets.

Meanwhile, NATO reported today its troops killed at least 15 insurgents in southern Afghanistan after the rebels attacked their convoy.

The NATO-led international Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the attack came in the southern province of Zabul on October 21. No ISAF personnel were injured.

The ISAF soldiers in Afghanistan are trying to help the government establish stability against a resurgent Taliban militia.

In Kabul, the Afghan government and the United Nations appealed today for $43 million in international aid to respond to a severe drought and help families displaced by fighting in the country's south.

A UN statement said 1.9 million people will need food assistance, because of a shortfall in the wheat harvest. The appeal includes help for some 20,000 families displaced by fighting in Oruzgan, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces.

(dpa, AFP, AP)

The Afghan Insurgency

A U.S. military vehicle damaged by insurgents near Kandahar (epa)

HOMEGROWN OR IMPORTED? As attacks against Afghan and international forces continue relentlessly, RFE/RL hosted a briefing to discuss the nature of the Afghan insurgency. The discussion featured Marvin Weinbaum, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and RFE/RL Afghanistan analyst Amin Tarzi.

LISTEN

Listen to the entire briefing (about 83 minutes):
Real Audio Windows Media

ARCHIVE

RFE/RL's coverage of Afghanistan.

For weekly news and analysis on Afghanistan by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report."

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in Pakistan in recent years

In Pakistan, Cleaner Fuel Powers Supply, Safety Issues

Rising fuel prices have pushed Pakistan to become a global leader in using compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles. More

Family members of missing Baluchs, mostly political activists, rally in protest on the eve of international Human Rights Day in Quetta, Balochistan, on December 10, 2011.

U.S. Hearing On Balochistan Raises Hackles, Awareness In Pakistan

The U.S. Congressional hearing last week on Balochistan, the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, though it was firmly rejected by Islamabad, is being seen in Pakistan as any eye-opener for the state and its security agencies. More