Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Afghanistan

Kabul Says 200 Taliban Surrounded in Oruzgan Province

(RFE/RL)

April 24, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Afghan police and U.S.-led coalition forces clashed with Taliban fighters early today in Oruzgan Province, leaving two suspected militants dead and four people wounded, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.

TEXT SIZE - +

April 24, 2007

The fighting was near the mountain village of Keshay in the southern part of the province.

That area is close to the part of northeastern Helmand Province where NATO-led forces have been conducting "Operation Achilles," a spring offensive against Taliban fighters positioned near the strategic Kajaki hydroelectric dam.

Afghan officials claim their forces have trapped up to 200 Taliban fighters in the village.

Meanwhile, coalition forces overnight launched an operation in the Bakwa district of Farah Province, killing two suspected militants and capturing eight.

Taliban fighters had seized that remote district from Afghan government forces in March.

(with materials from Reuters, AP, 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