New Afghan war Chief David Petraeus in vow to win

By Chris Hughes 5/07/2010

The new commander of the 130,000-strong international force in Afghanistan declared "we are in this to win" as he took charge yesterday.
Top US general David Petraeus made his vow as he received two flags - one for the US and the other for Nato - marking his assumption of command.

He said it was important to show that al- Qaeda and its allies will not be allowed to again establish havens in Afghanistan from which they could launch terror attacks.
He succeeds General Stanley McChrystal, who was fired last month for criticising White House officials in an article.
Gen Petraeus said he would continue McChrystal's emphasis on avoiding civilian deaths but curbs on the use of airpower and heavy weapons might be reviewed if troops were at risk.

Source:: mirror.co.uk

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Tages:Taleban  Tora Bora 911 Nato Battle of Saigon 

(1955)  2001 in Afghanistan Commission911

Rocket attacks fact of Afghan life

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- A voice over the public address system echoes through the cold air: "Rocket attack, rocket attack."

The announcement sends soldiers, civilian workers and journalists scurrying into the concrete bunkers, where they wile away the time chatting, or just shivering in the dark, listening for the dull thud of more detonations outside.

Rocket attacks onto Kandahar Air Field rarely cause significant damage, although NATO said eight service members, four Romanians and four Bulgarians, were wounded here last Sunday.

Nonetheless, the rockets are an annoyance, serving as a reminder that nine years into the war, NATO cannot prevent attacks on its main military base in southern Afghanistan.

For those caught in the open, the procedure is standard duck and dive. Hit the floor, face down. Cover the eyes. Hope the rocket doesn't land too close for injury or worse.

To protect against such attacks, there are blast walls everywhere. Kandahar Air Field is a maze of the things, each creating its own little section. It's inconvenient. Walking from one place to another isn't just a matter of getting quickly from point A to point B. You must learn to go around obstacles.

It's easy to get lost in the sameness of it all: drab, dusty, gray.

But no one bears any grudges against the walls.

Rocket impacts send shrapnel flying everywhere. The deadly chunks of white-hot metal are more likely to slam into the walls, not rip through the head or body.

When the first rocket detonates, the drill is to get down, then scramble to the nearest bunker. Take a seat. Be ready to stay there awhile.

In the dining facilities, in the office spaces in headquarters, in tents and compounds all across the airfield, people hit the deck. Then they hustle to the bunkers.

The base is a big target. There are 22,000 troops and civilians here, from about 20 countries, and it is getting bigger all the time. Most of the attacks are meant more to harass than anything else. The base defenses are state-of-the art; the rockets aren't.


Source:washingtonpost.com/

US officers could be punished over Afghan battle: officials

Washington-
— A military investigation into a deadly battle in eastern Afghanistan could lead to punishment of up to three US Army officers amid allegations of "negligence," officials said on Friday.

US defence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP a Central Command investigation faults three officers, including a battalion commander, for their role and suggests possible disciplinary action.

Nine soldiers were killed and 27 wounded in the July 2008 battle when about 200 Taliban-
fighters broke through American lines and nearly overwhelmed a remote outpost in Wanat.

The battle in rugged terrain near the Pakistani-
border prompted allegations that commanding officers made careless decisions and raised wider questions about Washington's strategy in the Afghan war.

Commanders of the NATO-led force have since shifted their focus to deploying troops in more populated areas, concluding that missions in remote villages such as Wanat make little lasting impact in the fight against the Taliban.

The investigators did not find that major mistakes were made during the battle but focused on decisions and actions prior to the Taliban attack, US officials said.

The results of the probe have been handed over to Army Secretary John McHugh, his office said in a statement on Friday.

McHugh ordered the head of the largest Army command, General Charles Campbell, to "review the recommendations and take action as he deems appropriate with regard to Army personnel identified in the report."

A U.S.-
Army spokesman declined to comment on the details of the probe, which followed a previous army investigation.

"We remain in close contact with the families of our fallen from this battle, and they will be invited to a comprehensive briefing on the investigation following General Campbell's actions," McHugh said in the statement.

Family members of the US soldiers killed in Wanat had previously urged a thorough investigation into the circumstances around the battle.

US Senator Jim Webb of Virginia had also appealed for further examination of the battle after he learned of "allegations of negligence at senior levels in the chain of command."

One of the dead soldier's parents, retired army colonel David Brostrom, has reportedly voiced concerns that the outpost was poorly managed and senior officers had intelligence on an impending attack.

The Washington Post and other media have reported soldiers at Wanat were short of water and sandbags to fortify their positions on a rocky mountainside. Commanders had also withdrawn a drone aircraft tracking insurgents in the area for tasks elsewhere.

The battle at Wanat remains one of the deadliest for the Americans in the eight-year-old Afghan war.

Source:AFP

Kept out of Afghan meet, India lodges protest with Turkey

New Delhi has lodged a protest with Ankara for keeping it out of the Afghanistan security conference in Istanbul, apparently at the behest of Islamabad. This may cast a shadow over Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to India next fortnight. Gul, the organiser of the conference, is on a two-day visit to India from February 9 after which he will leave for Dhaka.



India, France and Japan, all of whom have a substantial stake in stabilising Kabul, had protested to Ankara for not being invited to the conference to mull over the military and political future of Afghanistan. Paris and Tokyo were squeezed in at the last moment with New Delhi being left out in the cold.



The highest levels of the UPA government are upset at the Ankara snub as Turkey tilted towards Pakistani plan of keeping the conference at first confined to the immediate neighbours of Afghanistan and then shutting the door on India. This is despite the fact that Russia had invited Indian MEA officials for a separate Afghanistan conference in Moscow on January 25 and the United Kingdom has invited Foreign Minister S M Krishna to attend the London conference on January 28.

Source:indianexpress.com/

Afghan leader to outline peace plan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says a London conference on Afghanistan this week offers a major opportunity for his government to present its plans for reconciliation.
Karzai spoke in Turkey on Tuesday after a meeting of nations that seek to help Afghanistan emerge from instability with aid, trade, training and political support. Delegates included Foreign Secretary David Miliband of Britain, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

The London meeting on Thursday is expected to focus on Afghanistan's efforts to persuade Taliban militants who are not part of al-Qaida or other terrorist groups to give up their fight.

Miliband says the international community must mobilize more resources to help Afghanistan.

Source:etaiwannews.com/