Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Afghanistan

Fighting Continues In Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Afghan police operating a checkpoint in Helmand Province earlier this month (epa)

March 23, 2007 -- Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says at least 69 Taliban fighters have been killed in a battle that started March 22 in the southern province of Helmand.

TEXT SIZE - +

March 23, 2007

Defense Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi says seven Afghan government soldiers also were killed by fighting in three districts of Helmand -- Nadali, Gerishk, and Lashkar Gah.

Azimi said the battle was part of a ground offensive conducted solely by Afghan government troops -- the first such operation since training of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police began in 2002.

Azimi said the government offensive, code-named Operation Norouz, will conclude later today. NATO-led forces are providing air support.

Thousands of NATO and Afghan troops have been engaged in combat for weeks against Taliban fighters in Helmand Province.

They are trying to eliminate Taliban strongholds and hideouts in an area about 150 kilometers around the Kajaki hydroelectric dam.

(AP, AFP, dpa)

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

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