Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Afghanistan

NATO Won't 'Rush To Action' In Afghan Town

A British soldier at a guard station in Helmand's provincial capital, Lashkar Gah (file photo) (AFP)

February 7, 2007 -- A spokesman for NATO's mission in Afghanistan says the alliance expects the central government soon to retake a southern town where insurgents ousted local elders and hoisted the Taliban flag on February 1.

TEXT SIZE - +

February 07, 2007

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman Colonel Tom Collins said today that NATO troops are prepared to help the government effort, but he added that there "is no need to rush to action here."

Residents and officials suggest that hundreds of villagers have fled Musa Qala, in Helmand Province, to avoid being caught in potential fighting. Helmand Provincial Council member Abdul Zahir told the Institute for War and Peace Reporting that authorities, anticipating a flood of refugees from Musa Qala, have prepared shelter for approximately 1,500 families.

Musa Qala was the stage for a deal, reached in October, between local elders and regional officials that was intended to keep NATO and Afghan troops, along with Taliban fighters, well outside the district center.

But Taliban fighters stormed the local offices on February 1 after accusing international forces of reneging on a pledge not to conduct air raids, and insurgents have reportedly flown the Taliban flag in downtown Musa Qala ever since.

NATO and Afghan officials were reportedly following the Musa Qala deal closely in hopes that it might provide a model for curbing violence in other Afghan districts.

(IWPR.net, AP, Reuters)

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