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#1 Taleban 'storm' government office

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:28 am
by frigidmagi
BBC
Taleban fighters have seized local government offices in Afghanistan's south-eastern province of Zabul.
A local spokesman said police in Khan Afghan district had withdrawn because they did not have enough ammunition.

Meanwhile, in Helmand province the Taleban are reported to have been forced out of the town of Sangin by Nato and Afghan troops.

President Hamid Karzai says his government has been having meetings with the Taleban for "a long time".

In fresh violence on Friday, a suicide bomber has killed six people near parliament in the capital, Kabul.

Serious damage

The Taleban have been forced out of the town of Sangin in Helmand province, the governor of Helmand told the BBC.



Nato said it airlifted hundred of troops into the area earlier this week as part of Operation Achilles, aimed at "our long-term goal of providing the security conditions necessary to allow the government of Afghanistan to begin reconstruction and development in the area".

It says it has inflicted serious damage to the Taleban's infrastructure in the area.

Meanwhile, in the capital Kabul, President Karzai told journalists that the number of people killed in a suicide attack on Friday near parliament had risen.

"Six of our countrymen were martyred in this incident," he said. They include at least one policeman.

The bomber blew himself up in his car when approached by police, officers at the scene were quoted as saying.

The Associated Press news agency quoted a witness, Samiullah Ahmad Rahim, as saying that he heard a big explosion and saw a large fireball shortly after the blast.

Reports said the debris from the blast littered the road. Window panes from a nearby building shattered.


The aftermath of Friday's Kabul suicide attack


There has been no claim of responsibility for Friday's attack. But the Taleban says it has hundreds of fighters prepared to carry out suicide attacks.

Last week four people died in a blast near Kabul's main market during the morning rush hour, in one of a series of attacks in recent weeks.

In his comments to the press, Mr Karzai also said official contacts with the Taleban were well established.

"We have had representatives from the Taleban meeting with different bodies of Afghan government for a long time.

"I have had some Taleban coming to speak to me as well."

Last year saw the worst fighting in Afghanistan since coalition troops ousted the Islamist Taleban from power in 2001.
While I am not ungrateful to allies who have sent noncombat troops to aide in humantarian and polcing efforts away from the combat zones (there by freeing up US, UK, Candain, Australian and Dutch troops to go kill the enemy)...

To be honest it would help if some of the Continental Euro powers (besides Holland whose troops have performed miracles in combat) would you know... ACTUALLY DO SOME OF THE BLOODY FIGHTING!

There is another option, stop calling yourself armies becuase us dumbass Americans we tend to think that the prime purpose of an army is to you know... Fight and kill enemy combatents.

#2

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:12 pm
by Cpl Kendall
I've been told that the Germans are forbidden to engage in combat operations not because they are incapable but because the political situation back home is untenable for them. Basically the mission is unpopular and any bodies coming home may topple the government. In which case I have to ask why they are there in the first place. Same deal for the Italians I hear.

#3

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:09 pm
by frigidmagi
The Italian government almost was toppled over having troops there. My problem is that frankly it seems that a good chunk of the political system is against any combat, anywhere.

If that's how it is, fine. It's their choice to make, their country, their rules for what they want to do on the international stage. I'm not thrilled but I can accept that. A bit of honesty however would be nice though, if you do not wish to engage in any front line operations as a nation then instead of army/navy/airforce go with Self Defense Force or Peacekeeping or even Field Police.