by Sarah Meyer
Index Research
Kandahar Airfield 2002Civilian murders define this month’s obscenities in Afghanistan but – as in Iraq - the war-mongers insist that ‘progress’ is being made. The Americans do not care about civilians dying either in
Iraq or in Afghanistan. From the US perspective, perhaps every civilian killed is a future ‘terrorist.’
Canadian torture and losing prisoners in Afghanistan was under the spotlight this month. A further obscenity was the announcement of NATO racist policies in Kandahar Airbase
toilets . Not surprising that Afghans, like Iraqis,
don’t want occupation forces in their country?
1.
Oil and Gas (Pakistan/Iran /India & Iraq)
2.
Strategic Imperatives (Afghanistan, Pakistan, US, Media & Videos)
3.
Contracts4.
Contractors5.
Investment and Aid6.
US/NATO (General; missile shield)
7.
NATO Participating Countries (Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, UK
8.
Opium9.
Human Rights (‘rendition; torture; Canadian misdemeanors; racism; Rumsfeld in German court case.)
10.
Some Deaths (catalogue of civilian deaths; Pat Tillman)
11.
Future Deaths12.
Meanwhile, in Iran …
13.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans …
1. Oil / Gas
Iran, Pakistan and India plan to start laying a $7 billion gas pipeline by September 200910.03.07. Presstv.ir. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, each country will build sections of the gas pipeline along its own territory. Iran has reportedly begun laying its 1,100 kilometer section of the pipeline to serve its eastern areas.
Afghanistan toward a new age and a future Trans-afghan pipeline11.03.07. Turkish Weekly. ‘Afghanistan has been the first address of the global power struggle after 9/11. In the country, the security and stability problems are growing day by day as the Taliban increases its influence and the attacks ascend. The current trend foresights that the nation building targets are far away from the initial intentions.’
If the Iraqis Get Revenue Sharing, Exxon Gets Their Oil30.03.07. R. Behan, Counterpunch / uruknet. Buried deep in the legislation and intentionally obscured is a near-guarantee of success for the Bush Administration's true objective of the war-capturing Iraq's oil-and George Bush will not casually forego that.
2. Strategic Imperatives
AFGHANISTAN
An Afghan Woman Speaks Out for Democracy and Is Threatened With Death02.03.07. Truth Out.
Bush faces three major Afghanistan stumbling blocks03.03.07 Amin Saikal. The Age.
Taliban destroys NATO military vehicle in S. Afghanistan04.03.07. Pak Tribune.
Comment: civilian deaths are making Nato the enemy05.03.07. T. Alabone, Times on Line. “People hate Nato more than the Russians.”
Afghans Demand US, NATO Withdrawal06.03.07. Escambray.
Taliban website blocked as NATO offensive begins (Extra)06.03.07. Monsters and Critics. However, on checking out the web site, Voice of Jihad, I found it IS available in the UK. As per usual, the US is being denied news.
Dead or alive, on his 50th birthday ghost of the Hindu Kush haunts US10.03.07. D. Walsh, Guardian. CIA think they know where Osama bin Laden is. So do local tribesmen - hiding in the White House
Afghanistan lower house approves amnesty bill with Karzai revisions10.03.07. The Jurist.
Speaker of Afghan Parliament to visit NATO headquarters11.03.07. IRNA.
Kabul copes with lots of people, little water13.03.07. M. Sappenfield, CS MONITOR. Kabul is home to 3.4 million people but has no public sewage system. Piped city water reaches only 18 percent of people. Daily power cuts last from dawn until 4 p.m. in the winter – longer in the summer. .. More than a million migrants have flooded into the capital city since the 2001 fall of the Taliban, seeking a job and a better life in the big city.
Senators to go on strike unless NATO stop killing civilians14.03.07. Online news.The upper house of the parliament warned to stage a work-stoppage protest unless foreign forces stop killing civilians. Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, speaker of the upper house told the routine session of the House that they had several times demanded of the NATO to avoid repetition of targeting civilians in military operations, but they are still doing it, he termed NATO as failed in maintaining peace in the country.
Emerging Epicenter In the Afghan War15.03.07. Washington Post. Caught in between are Helmand residents who say they are fed up with both sides.
Afghanistan Watch by the Numbers16.03.07. Century Foundation. Comprehensive report.
Times: AIDS pandemic arrives in Afghanistan with refugees, drug users18.03.07. Raw Story.
Israeli drones fly over Iraq, Afghanistan20.03.07. presstv. Elbit Systems, one of Israel's leading defense electronics companies, said its little "Skylark" can cover an area within a range of 10 kilometers day or night.
NATO evacuates 600 in Afghanistan floods21.03.07. SMH.
Afghans now rejecting NATO troops - for Taliban23.03.07. Vive le Canada. Senlis Council’s Norine MacDonald QC. said: “The results from the survey are extremely alarming because they indicate that the international community is in serious trouble in Afghanistan. A return of the Taliban into power would have grave consequences for both the people of Afghanistan and for global security.”
Afghanistan: ‘Two feet and a lot of skin’29.03.07. Asia Times. Government officials in this town in Khost province refer to the cross-border operations simply as "Suicide, Inc", a sophisticated joint venture between al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan makes a deal with the Taliban01.03.07. Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times. The Pakistani establishment has made a deal with the Taliban through a leading Taliban commander that will extend Islamabad's influence into southwestern Afghanistan and significantly strengthen the resistance in its push to capture Kabul.
Iran to Build Fence Along Pakistan Border: Iran-Pakistan Border Dispute01.03.07. India-defence. Iran has started building a 700 kilometre-long concrete wall along its border with Pakistan. Pakistan's neighbour to the west has also increased patrols along the border with Pakistan and has stepped up checks on pilgrims crossing the international border.
Pakistan: U.S. Can't Target Militants Here03.03.07. U.S. Claimed Authority To Cross Border. "There is no authorization for hot pursuit of terrorists into our territory," Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, spokesman for the Pakistan Army, told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Pakistan tests nuke-capable missile02.03.07. CNN.
US pressurizing Pak to get its support for attack on Iran: Gul05.03.07. Pak Tribune.
Afghan, US forces target Pak post06.03.07. THE INT. News.
US ally Musharraf in a tangle over Iran07.03.07. M K Bhadrakumar, Asia Times. The intense pressure from Washington on President General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to be cooperative in the "war on terror" is yielding dramatic results, although perhaps not of the kind initially anticipated.
Pakistan Under American Pressure09.03.07. F. Chipaux, Le Monde. Rehabilitated by the September 11 attacks, will the Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, be a victim of the war against terrorism? Five years after having chosen the United States rather than the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Pakistani head of state appears ever more torn between American demands to do more against al-Qaeda and the Taliban on the one hand, and between the realities of the policy of ambiguity he has followed with respect to Islamist extremists on the other. Far from being weakened by Pakistan's turnaround after September 11, 2001, the latter have continued to prosper in an environment that is very largely favorable to them.
Pakistan threatens US alliance09.03.07. Al jazeera. Pakistani legislators have threatened to halt counterterrorism cooperation with Washington if American military aid is made conditional on Islamabad's commitment to fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Pakistani PM: Iran gas pipeline to further cement ties11.03.07. Iranian ws/iran
Pak not to provide military bases to US for Iran attack12.03.07. Economic Times.
Will the peace process survive Musharraf?12.03.07. A. Athale, rediff.
No chance of extremist government in Pakistan, says ex-CIA official14.03.07. Daily India.
PAKISTAN’S AFGHANISTAN DILEMMA14.03.07. Abubakar Siddique, Eurasianet. … such contradictions have always defined Pakistan, they have intensified since 9/11 when its military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraff, joined - or rather was forced to join – the Bush administration’s war on terror. The country’s geopolitical dilemma is highlighted in a well-timed and topical book, "Frontline Pakistan; the struggle with militant Islam," written by Zahid Hussain. The book is essentially a tale of the past five years, a period in which Pakistan became one of the international linchpins of global security. As the Pakistan correspondent for the Times of London, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal, Hussain has had firsthand knowledge of all the important events in Pakistan during this crucial time, including: Musharraf’s U-turn against the Taliban after 9-11; Pakistan’s nuclear stand-off with arch-rival India in the summer of 2002; arrests of 9-11 masterminds Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and Ramzi bin al-Shibh; the December 2003 twin assassination attempts against Musharraf; the war in Pakistan’s western tribal borderlands; the nuclear proliferation scandal, and the ongoing saga of Islamabad’s love-hate relationship with Washington. … about Musharaff, he writes: “"Musharraf’s authoritarian rule has blocked any hopes of democratic process taking root. It is very clear that the restoration of democracy in Pakistan is not a priority for Washington, because a leader in uniform can deliver far more than a democratically elected one. Any army general ruling Pakistan does not trouble the West, so long as he happens to be an effective ally in the war against terror."
US 'gives' $750m to Pakistan16.03.07. 7 days / legitgov.
Without a trace16.03.07. D. Walsh. Seven-year-old Saud Bugti's father was picked up by secret police on a street corner in Karachi last November. No one has heard from him since. He has joined the ranks of Pakistan's 'disappeared' - victims of the country's brutal attempts to wage war on both al-Qaida and those who fail to support the government. But how many innocent people are being caught up in this? And what is America's connection to the barbaric torture of suspects?
Mushahid urges NATO to stop behaving like an occupation army in Afghanistan16.03.07. Pak Tribune. He was referring to ‘indiscriminately killing civilians.”
NATO chief to visit Pakistan17.03.07. neurope. the head of the 26-member Alliance will be going to Pakistan to meet Musharraf to discuss not only military –to- military cooperation but the broader political cooperation between NATO and Pakistan.
Fingerprints Of History25.03.07. Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed gauge the state of the world's most troubled region -- the Middle East -- with eminent author Robert Fisk. “It is Pakistan, not Iran or Iraq, that serves as a true barometer for the future of the region, according to Robert Fisk.”
Pakistan signs new peace deal with Taliban26.03.07. AFP/dnaindia.
Musharraf warns of ‘ominous confrontation’ in Gulf29.03.07. Daily Times.
Musharraf is losing Pakistan29.03.07. Ahmed Rashid. Since March 9, when Musharraf suspended the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, public protests have escalated every day - as has a violent crackdown by the police and intelligence agencies on the media and the legal fraternity.
UNITED STATES
REPORT
LEGAL SUPPORT TO MILITARY OPERATIONS01.03.07. Joint Publication JP 1-04. The missions and functions of military lawyers and legal organizations are described. "Military lawyers were true combat multipliers in Iraq," said General David H. Petraeus, who is now U.S. commander in Iraq. "I tried to get all the lawyers we could get our hands on -- and then sought more." (what is a ‘combat multiplier’?)
ARTICLES
How Cheney bombed in Afghanistan01.03.07. Sidney Blumenthal, Salon.com.
Notes on our 'family and friends' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan01.03.07. Courier Journal
WHITE HOUSE "STRONGLY OPPOSES" INTEL BUDGET DISCLOSURE TROOPSO2.03.07. http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/Secrecy News.
"The Administration strongly opposes the requirement in the bill to publicly disclose sensitive information about the intelligence budget." … It is hard to find a serious intelligence professional who agrees with this White House view.
US Forces Pursue Taliban into Pakistan02.03.07. Ftimes. ‘American forces on Afghanistan's eastern border routinely fire upon and pursue Taliban enemies into Pakistan, defense officials told Congress on Thursday, offering the most detailed description to date of U.S. action in that region.’
Secret unit hunts terrorists overseas03.04.06. Examiner. The Pentagon has turned a secret terrorist-hunting unit into a nearly self-contained command of more than 1,000 men and women who collect intelligence and track and capture America’s most–wanted enemies. The unit, code–named Task Force Orange, specializes in infiltrating foreign countries, tailing people and intercepting communications. Operatives have dug up fiber-optic telephone lines overseas and attached a listening device for the National Security Agency.
FEATURE: US Navy: aircraft carrier for Afghanistan, not Iran03.03.07. Earthtimes.
Views on Military spending shift in U.S.03.03.07. Angus-Reid. 43%: spend too much on military purposes, up 9 points from last year.
US pressurizing Pak to get its support for attack on Iran05.03.07. Pak Tribune. Gul says US is ‘paving the way to use Pakistan’s territory for its expected attack on Iran … “
CIA rushing resources to Bin Laden hunt05.03.07. ABC. Where? Into Pakistan.
Cheney treated at hospital for blood clot05.03.07. MSNBC. Vice President experienced ‘discomfort’ following overseas trip.
US Senators Question Administration Strategy for Afghanistan09.03.07. J. Lobe, VOA. U.S.-led coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan say they have captured a bomb-making expert with links to al-Qaida. The capture of Mullah Mahmood in Jalalabad follows an increase in attacks last year on coalition forces and civilians. A U.S. Senate committee questioned what one senator called a failure of the Bush administration's polices in Afghanistan. The VOA's Jim Fry reports …
Bush to send 3,500 more troops to Afghanistan12.03.07. Radio nz.
Problematic alliance12.03.07. Prof. Dr. ALI˙ L. KARAOSMANOG˘LU, Zaman. Relations between Turkey and the US have, from the very start, been characterized by their up and down nature. But despite the various crises and difficulties neither side has ever considered completely breaking off relations.
US looks at plan to oust Musharraf14.03.07. Australian news. THE US has indicated for the first time that it might be willing to back plans by elite echelons of the military in Islamabad to oust Pervez Musharraf from power, as the Pakistani President was beset by major new difficulties over his attempts to sack the country's chief justice. .. US officials told The New York Times the plan would see the Vice-Chief of the Army, Ahsan Saleem Hyat, take over from General Musharraf as head of the military and former banker Mohammedmian Soomro installed as president, with General Hyat wielding most of the power. (
the ONLY regime change needed is that of the US government)
US Hails 'Strong Ally' Pakistan, 'Gives' New Aid15.03.07. Reuters. announcing a $750 million 'aid' package for Pakistan's Afghan border areas.
FIRST US TROOPS TO UNDERGO TRAINING IN BULGARIA’S BASES ARRIVE IN AUTUMN 200715.03.07. Sofia Echo.
U.S. tries to calm anger over Afghan casualties16.03.07. Pak Tribune.
AIR FORCE WINS 2007 ROSEMARY AWARD FOR WORST FOIA PERFORMANCE16.03.07. National Security Archive.
US embassy officials bombed in Kabul19.03.07. Times on line.
General says U.S. Army has lost 130 helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan23.03.07. AP / IHT. “Not replacing them fast enough.”
Democrats pass “anti-war” bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan24.03.07. Barry Grey, WSWS / uruknet.
Afghanistan Proves It26.03.07. David Michael Green, ICH. ‘What I often find most astonishing about the scorched earth tactics the regressive right uses to sell its policies is how utterly lame they are. ‘
US agency tests Massive Ordnance Penetrator26.03.07. N. Hodge, Jane’s Defense Weekly. The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) announced on 15 March the successful test of a 30,000 lb (13,600 kg) conventional bomb, which is designed to destroy hardened underground facilities.
Who won the 'war on terror'?27.03.07. Xymphora, uruknet. ‘The big pointers from September 11 directed attention to places like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, obviously not practical places for an American attack. Yet it seemed that the American government had to do something, and the main pointer to Afghanistan, Osama himself (a guy who denies having had anything to do with the attack), together with the illogic of the 'war on terror’, led directly to the attack which had been pre-planned by the Bush Administration before September 11 (along with the attack on Iraq which was intended to be prepared by the introduction to the American people of the 'war on terror’ concept in Afghanistan). … The Israeli extreme right won the 'war on terror’. Who lost? Besides the obvious victims in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine, the losers are the people who are now subjected to the regime of fear caused by the 'war on terror’, in the United States and its allies.
’
U.S. rejects Saudi view of Iraq as “illegally occupied”30.03.07. aljazeera.com. "It is not accurate to say that the United States is occupying Iraq," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Thursday. … "When it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the UN Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people," she claimed. (The Saudi king is correct: both Iraq and Afghanistan are “occupied,” with puppet governments)
Report Faults Pentagon for Weapons Buying Problems30.03.07. J. Wolf, Reuters / Truthout. The Defense Department has doubled its planned investment in new weapons from $750 billion in 2001 to $1.5 trillion this year, but it is not getting enough bang for its buck, congressional investigators said on Friday.
MEDIA & VIDEOS
We invariably have to be persuaded to 'support' our government's actions through the only outlet we have, one that exists in the 'Looking-glass' world of the media itself, whereby 'opinion polls' of various sorts, are used to reinforce an interpretation of the world that has already been created by the 'news' in the first place. But it's not only 'opinion' polls, it's the very nature of 'news' coverage itself. The way it works is so obvious it verges on the ludicrous, yet it works as the reams of analysis of state/corporate news coverage reveals.
William Bowles "America is a quarter of a billion people totally misinformed and disinformed by their government. This is tragic but our media is -- I wouldn't even say corrupt -- it's just beyond telling us anything that the government doesn't want us to know." Gore Vidal.
U.S. tests data sweep in bid to net 'terrorists'01.03.07. San Francisco Chronicle. Privacy law was probably violated, GAO is reporting.
VIDEO.
SOVIET AFGHAN WARAfghan journalists say U.S. soldiers deleted photos, video after bomb attack and shootings04.03.07. WHDH. See also
here. The USA
defends decision .
As Afghanistan Wobbles, No Pictures, Please…05.03.07. T. Zeller, NY Times.
Pentagon Denies Media Access to Guantanamo Tribunals for CIA Terror Prisoners06.03.07. Fox News/legitgov. Reporters will be barred from hearings that begin Friday in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 14 terror suspects transferred last year from secret CIA prisons, officials said Tuesday. Interest in the 14 is particularly high because of their alleged links to the Al Qaeda network.
Media dragged into Afghan conflict11.03.07. BBC. Propaganda has always played an important part in war, but in Afghanistan the battles between Nato forces and the Taleban are being fought not just in the deserts and valleys but in the media.
Afghanwire launches new site, podcasts23.03.07. Afghanistan Watch. See
afghanwire.com Tightening grip on press puts Afghanistan's fledgling democracy at risk27.03.07. IHT.
Military beefs up Internet arsenal28-9.03.07. usa today. The U.S. military is quietly expanding capabilities to attack ‘terrorist’ computer networks, including websites that glorify insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, military officials and experts say.
VideoThe Holocaust of the Americans in the Land of Khorasan (Afghanistan as Sahab, 24 min.
The
AP story says that this video 'Exposes ‘al Qaeda’ Misinformation Campaign. How much of the AP story is ‘misinformation’? Notice that in the video the people refer to themselves as 'Mujahaddeen' and the 'Students'; There is no reference to 'al Qu-eda'.
3. Contracts
Paralysis Beam From Peak Beam Systems21.02.07. A paralysis beam based on a 7.5 million candlepower strobe light from Peak Beam Systems is under development by the US Army.
New Hawk Support Contract For BAE Systems01.03.07. pcb007. A new £74 million support contract awarded to BAE Systems will boost maintenance and technical support for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy’s fleet of 131 Hawk TMK1 aircraft
Lockheed Martin lands Army chopper contract05.03.07. Baltimore biz journals. Contract valued at $311m.
EDO Awarded $11M Navy Contract05.03.07. AP / Chroncom. 2-year, $11m contract from US Navy.
Bearing Point awarded contract05.03.07. The . Northrop Grumman Corp received this contract from the U.S. Air Force for the next production lot of Global Hawk unmanned systems. Global, Business, Trade and Investment in Developing Countries (GBTI II) contract has a value of up to $3 billion over its planned 2007-2012 implementation period.
BAE receives $7 million contract modification05.03.07. Central Penn Business. BAE will remanufacture and upgrade four M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles for the Army. The recovery vehicles are used to tow combat vehicles. … brings the total value of the contract to $265 million.
Harris Adds to Military Contract06.03.07. AP/Forbes. International communications / information / technology company wins $33.5, from V||iaSat.Inc. for US military communications system.
White House trades new weapons to support troops12.03.07. Reuters / ICH. The White House plans to shift $3.2 billion in defense spending -- partly from new weapons like the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter -- to support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, a trade publication reported on Monday.
Northrup gets $287M unmanned aerial systems contract16.03.07. L.A. biz journals. . Northrop Grumman Corp received this contract from the U.S. Air Force for the next production lot of Global Hawk unmanned systems.
$376 Million PAC-3 Missile Contract20.03.07.Technology news. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), has awarded Lockheed Martin a $376 million contract, for hardware and services associated with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile program.
URS Receives Army Contract28.03.07. Chron.com.
GAO Backs L-3 Military Contract Protest29.03.07. Business Week. The New York-based company filed the complaint Dec. 22 after the five-year deal went to
Global Linguistics Solutions , a joint venture formed by
DynCorp International Inc. and
McNeil Technologies .
4. Contractors
Making a Killing: America's Private Army and the Business of War25.03.07. D. Zlutnick, Area Intermedia / uruknet. These private companies are part of a huge surge in the outsourcing of war, which is extremely evident in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, Colombia, Haiti, and numerous other countries. Private contractors are the second-largest con- tingent of the "Coalition of the Willing" with a ratio of about one armed con- tractor for every two American soldiers.
Soldiers, contractors clash over fuzzy rules27.03.07. examiner. The Afghanistan command had issued an alert for suicide car bombers that day last September. But the driver of the SUV heading for Brown was not a Taliban or an al-Qaida terrorist. He was an American private security contractor, one of over 50,000 who find well-paying jobs in dangerous Iraq and Afghanistan. … Blackwater USA spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the company has 2,300 security guards in nine countries. She declined to discuss Bergeron's status. He was not charged in the incident.
5. Investment and Aid
Jawad: Frustration that political participation has not led to results01.03.07. Century foundation / CFR interview. "From the entire financial assistance that's been given to Afghanistan, only 5 percent has been given to the Afghan government. Twelve percent of the funds have been given to the Afghan reconstruction trust fund established for Afghanistan. And we can withdraw money under certain conditions. The remaining 82 or 83 percent of the assistance has been spent outside the budget and control of the Afghan government.
BearingPoint wins $218m contract to aid Afghan rebuilding13.03.07. bizjournals
EC contributes 4.75 million to assist Afghans in Afghanistan, Pakistan23.03.07. Pak Tribune. Money to support the UN Refugee Agency’s work.
6. US/NATO – General
EU, NATO to reduce troops in Bosnia02.03.07. CCTV
NATO 1,000 Troops Short in Afghanistan04.03.07. Taipei Times. HELP WANTED: US General John Craddock said in addition to increasing its forces, NATO could not succeed without cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Nato allies 'must help pay costs' 04.04.07. BBC. The shadow defence secretary said that NATO allies must share financial cost of war in Afghanistan ‘even if they have not sent troops.’
NATO, Pakistan blamed for growing Taliban presence in Afghanistan05.03.07. Online News.
Hungary settles on location for disputed NATO radar station07.03.07. Pravda.
Nato chief warns of split over US missiles11.03.07. D. Dombey, FT.
NATO Battles Rising Hostility in Afghanistan13.03.07. Spiegel. As the number of civilian casualties rises, support for Western troops is dropping.
NATO delegation holds terror talks in Pakistan15.03.07. zee news.
US Missile Shield Plan
This plan was mentioned in the now infamous PNAC document, Rebuilding America’s Defenses . This plan is “complementary” to NATO in that both NATO and the Missile Shield programme are run and controlled by the US government. As such, all supporting countries are ‘poodles’ of the United States.
EU wants US anti-missile defence integrated in NATO
03.03.07. Neurope. German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung on March 2 said US plans for a European-based anti-missile defence system should become part of a wider NATO framework, a move which could ease current Russia’s security concerns over the initiative.
U.S. open to NATO solution for missile shield
16.03.07. China post. The United States is open to suggestions by some Europeans that a missile shield it plans to deploy in Poland and the Czech Republic be made available to NATO, the top U.S. missile defense official said on Thursday. "What this could do from a NATO context is it could provide the long-range ... protection (sic) of a more extensive NATO missile defense capability, and we would welcome that," U.S. Lieutenant General Henry Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, told reporters in Berlin. His comments appeared aimed at reassuring countries such as Germany that have expressed concern the plan could splinter NATO and urged more consultations with Moscow, which sees the shield as an encroachment on its former sphere of influence.
Germany suggests NATO use U.S. missile shield
02.03.07. Reuters / IHT.
Merkel: NATO should defuse missile tension
06.03.07. Gopusa. Merkel made the remarks to the Financial Times Monday after the head of Russia's strategic bomber force said Russian bombers could easily knock out the installations, which the Bush administration is so far planning to build in Poland and Czech Republic.
Russia to Take Military Steps on U.S. Missile Shield (Update1)
15.03.07. J. Brooke, Bloomberg. Russia will take ``military measures'' to counter the U.S. plan to install a missile- defense system in Central Europe and the Caucasus, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said.
US says missile shield complementary to NATO
16.03.07. English People. Seeking to allay European fears over the planned missile shield, Director Henry A. Obering of the US Missile Defense Agency is briefing the German government and parliament in Berlin. The system is needed to counter the threat from Iran's nuclear program, he told reporters, reaffirming that it is not aimed at Moscow.’
Merkel, in Poland, Stresses NATO Missile-Shield Role (Update1)
16.03.07. K. Andrusz, Bloomberg. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, beginning a two-day visit to Poland today, will stress that talks on erecting a U.S. missile-defense shield in Europe should be conducted through NATO (ie. US), a government spokesman said.
EU split on US missile shield sites in Europe
30.03.07. Peninsula Qatar.com.
A New Era Of Nuclear Fear May Loom In Shadown Of Missile Shield
30.03.07. spacewar.com. Media reports from the last few weeks increasingly resemble Hollywood horror movies. The United States is reportedly developing a new-generation hydrogen warhead for its Trident II, (D-5) strategic submarines. (Have there BEEN any UK mainstream media reports on this subject?)
Czech Republic plans to consult NATO, Russia on U.S. missile shield: PM
31.03.07. English people
|
Turkey's share to increase in NATO defense project19.03.07. New Anatolian.
NATO chief praises Israel(?)03.07. JTA Breaking News. And. Craddock said that Israel will receive 93% of EUCOM area military aid this year. Craddock called Israel a “critical military partner” in “this entangled seam of the Middle East.”
MEMBERSHIP TO US – NATO
It is very obvious from the following articles that the US controls NATO. So why do participating countries accept this ownership of a global force? "Aid"?
Croatia in NATO soon?
(no date – 03.07. Javno. The accepted “NATO Freedom Consolidation Act” also confirms that those five countries have the right to American aid for entering the North Atlantic Treaty ...
House endorses further NATO expansion
06.03.07. Reuters free market news. The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to endorse further enlargement of the NATO alliance, after a brief debate in which no one mentioned Moscow's nervousness about such an expansion. . On a voice vote, the House backed a resolution calling for the "timely admission" to the alliance of Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, and two former republics of the old Soviet Union, Georgia and Ukraine. Identical legislation was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.
U.S. Congress backs Macedonia's NATO bid
08.03.07. B/92.
Ukraine to join Lithuania-led international NATO group in Afghanistan
13.03.07. Itar-tass.
Georgia woos NATO, angers Russia
15.03.07. Monsters and Critics.
Partnership With NATO Does Not Suppose Obligatory Membership, Representative Of Armenia In NATO Considers
15.03.07. Armenia diaspsora.
US Senate Calls for Further NATO Expansion
16.03.07. VOA News. In a resolution approved Thursday, the senators called for timely admission of five new members - Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia and Ukraine - to the alliance.
U.S. Senate approves NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine
22.03.07. English Pravda. The bill also supports future NATO membership for the three Balkan states, namely Albania, Croatia and Macedonia. In 2008, the U.S. would allocate $10 million for Georgia; $3.6 million for Macedonia; $3.2 million for Albania; and $3million for Croatia to prepare the countries for NATO accession. Russia not happy.
Ukraine’s membership in NATO will ruin Russia’s economy
29.03.07. en.for-ua.
U.S. pledges to help Macedonia's NATO bid
30.03.07. English people.
|
NATO's potty rules shut out Afghans26.03.07. JOE FRIESEN, Globe and Mail. Under a bizarre policy that echoes the days of segregation in the United States, Afghans who work at the NATO base at Kandahar Airfield must use separate toilets marked "local nationals only."
NATO forces launch house to house operation in Kandahar, Helmand26.03,07. Pak Tribune. Just like in
Iraq ?
NATO troops earn resentment of frustrated Afghans28.03.07. Reuters / English sabah.com. Foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan are beginning to draw the resentment of Afghans fed up with growing civilian casualties and the lack of material progress in their lives (Just like in Iraq?). ‘Ahmed, who is based in Pakistan and travels frequently to Afghanistan, cited bombing raids based on faulty intelligence that have killed innocent villagers and shootings of innocent civilians by panicky troops as especially damaging to Afghan support for Western forces.’
U.S. sees west in Afghanistan for many years28.03.07. Pak Tribune. ‘The United States urged European countries .. to provide more troops and aid for Afghanistan, forecasting an international presence in the war-shattered country for “many, many years to come.”
NATO F-16 fighters to arrive at Lithuania29.03.07. f-16 net. On March 27th, a C-130 Hercules transporter delivered supporting personnel and essential facilities to Siauliai.
NATO radar facility in S. Hungary to be completed by next summer31.03.07. English people.
NATO WAR CRIMESTHEWE.
7. NATO – Participating Countries
AUSTRALIA
Australia: the new 51st state05.03.07. John Pilger. ‘John Howard's servility to the US is even greater than Tony Blair's and has earned him the nickname Bush's deputy sheriff. The conspiracy between Washington, the media and politicians is eroding the country's freedoms.’
Troops may go to Afghanistan16.03.07. D. Crowe, SMH. AUSTRALIA appears likely to send more troops to Afghanistan after John Howard yesterday made a surprise trip to Kabul for a crucial meeting with President Karzai ahead of an expected Taliban offensive in the next few months. … The Government is considering sending as many as 450 troops, including a Special Air Service group and possibly an air defence radar team
Troops decision on hold26.03.07.The Age. The decision to return Australian special forces to Afghanistan has been delayed because the ADF has insisted they operate under clear Australian command and have strong backup. A 450-strong Australian reconstruction force now in southern Afghanistan operates under Dutch control and under a NATO umbrella. BUT, a
Reuters report says “Australia to boost troops to Afghanistan”
BULGARIA
Bulgaria to increase peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan: DM06.03.07. English People.
CANADA
Canadian Soldier Killed By "Friendly Fire" In Afghanistan06.03.07. All headline news.
Canadian Troops May Be Deployed in Afghanistan Past 200907.03.07. YAHOO / my anti-war.org
Afghanistan`s "Hard Mission" slips away11.03.07.Pak Tribune. Canadian lawmakers have written an Afghanistan version of the Iraq Study report, reaching a conclusion that the conditions on that original battlefront in the “war on terror” are grave and deteriorating. See
Report .
Canada's Defense Leaders In Afghanistan12.03.07.Playfuls.
NATO must change role in Afghanistan03.07. Ring. A new report released March 1 by UVic’s Dr. Gordon Smith says NATO must change its course in Afghanistan in order to achieve sustainable peace and a representative government in the country. Smith, executive director of UVic’s Centre for Global Studies and former deputy minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to NATO, completed the report over six months with the help of a team of experts from across Canada. … The report, prepared for the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI), a think tank pursuing authoritative research to ensure Canada has an influential voice in the international arena, provides a pessimistic look at NATO’s role in Afghanistan. … “If you look at the resources given to the Balkans compared to the resources given to Afghanistan, 25 to 50 per cent more was devoted to the number of military and the amount of development assistance for the Balkans. That’s a major problem.”
Canada: Cancel the Afghan "Mission" - Get the troops out now21.03.07. Political Affairs. Canadian troops are just as heavy-handed as those of other NATO countries when it comes to intimidating Afghan civilians, and recently reports have come to light of abuse of captured insurgents by Canadian forces.
Afghan experts contradict Hillier’s optimistic claims29.03.07. A. Mayeda, Canada com. Two leading experts on Afghanistan painted a sobering picture of the conditions there Thursday, arguing support among Afghans for NATO forces is plummeting, the U.S.-driven policy of poppy eradication is wrongheaded, and the war might not be winnable in its present form. U.S. scholar Barnett Rubin and Gordon Smith, Canada's former ambassador to NATO, delivered their withering comments to a parliamentary committee only days after Canada's top military commander, Gen. Rick Hillier, touted the progress being made in Afghanistan.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Poll: Czech support for NATO waning 8 years after joining13.03.07. Radio cz. While 56% of Czechs trusted NATO in 2004, three years later it is only 45%.
ESTONIA
President Ilves sees Estonia in core of EU and NATO21.03.07. hs.fl.
GEORGIA
Georgia to double troops in Iraq09.03.07. BBC.
GERMANY
Iraqi kidnappers demand that Germany withdraw from Afghanistan11.03.07. LA Times.
German Officers protest Afghan Mission16.03.07, Washington Times.
Germans want troops back home from Afghanistan15.03.07. Press tv. According to a new poll published Saturday by the German Der Spiegel magazine, the majority of Germans want their troops out of Afghanistan.
German Court Rejects Bid to Stop Afghanistan Plane Deployment30.03.07. dw-world.de. The move removes the last hurdle for sending spy jets to Afghanistan.
ITALY
Italian Prime Minister Survives Key Confidence Vote in Senate02.03.07. Moscow Times.
Italian Parliament Votes to Keep Troops in Afghanistan08.03.07. VOA.
No easy way out for Prodi on Afghanistan16.03.07. Gulf Times. Italy is paying a higher political price than other Nato partners for keeping troops in Afghanistan, but analysts say the cost of withdrawal would be even greater for Rome and its closest allies.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi, already forced to resign briefly last month over foreign policy, including the Afghan mission, still faces major tests on the peacekeeping issue.
Italian government wins Senate vote to keep troops in Afghanistan27.03.07. Cnews. 180 – 2 vote with 132 abstentions.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand Troops in Afghanistan for Another Year12.03.07. AP / IHT.
POLAND
Poland Doubts NATO’s Military Capability12.03.07. KOMMERSANT. Poland needs extra security guarantees as NATO has lost its military capability, a Polish official said late last week. Warsaw seeks a bilateral agreement with the United States, saying that in case of a threat from Russia it can rely only on America. … Obering said it could be complementary to NATO's missile defense system. "This could be viewed as a U.S., a Polish and a Czech Republic contribution to a missile defense capability for NATO in general, and it certainly compplements what could be coming out of a NATO missile defense program on its own." … The US plans to deploy about 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar tracking system in the Czech Republic. The Polish and Czech leaders have indicated that they would allow the deployment. … However, Russia said that such a move would damage the relations between Washington and Moscow, believing it threatens its security.’
U.S. ally fears price for loyalty16.03.07. J. Fleishman, LA TIMES. A U.S. proposal to build an antimissile shield in Poland has forced a close ally to reassess Bush administration policies that many officials here say could make their country a target for Russian rockets and Islamic terrorists. Poland has been a steadfast friend to the United States, sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and emerging as one of the few pro-American voices in Europe. But interviews with Polish officials suggest that Warsaw is skeptical about the idea of playing host to a missile defense shield to protect the U.S. from possible strikes by Iran and North Korea. The plan would include 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland and a radar center in the Czech Republic. … The debate comes as Poles have grown disillusioned over the Iraq war and with Bush administration policies that many believe have isolated the U.S. and its allies. Poland is maturing as a nation and is less effusive these days about an America it had idealized for decades from the other side of the Berlin Wall, politicians and analysts say.
SOUTH AFRICA
Pulling the South Africans Out30.03.07. Channel 4 video report. South Africans soldiers in the British Army are facing a tough choice: Stay in their jobs and be labelled as 'mercenaries' or quit and go home?
SWEDEN
Sweden May Join NATO Anti-terror Group11.03.07. Playfuls
UK
Britain to Send 1,400 More Troops to Afghanistan01.03.07. BLACK ANTHEM
Rocket attack kills two British soldiers in Afghanistan05.03.07. R. Norton-Taylor, Guardian. · Casualties bring UK death toll to 50 since 2002· Street protests after US forces fire on civilians
Army prepares new 'smart bomb' as two soldiers die in Afghanistan05.03.07. M. Evans, Times on Line. The rocket can go through front door of targeted ‘Taliban’ leader.
British forces 'very stretched'06.03.07. BBC.
MoD's new £2.4bn radio is too heavy for most soldiers08.03.07. M. Evans, Times on Line. The soldiers also cannot talk to other communication systems deployed with allies.
Blair refuses to apologize for Iraq war16.03.07. English people. In an exclusive live interview at the Sky News television, five days before the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the Iraq war on March 20, Blair said, "We're not making it worse, they (terrorists) are making it worse... Until the Western world stops apologizing for its values, stops apologizing for the work its troops are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, we're never going to defeat this."
Ministers finally admit full scale of war casualties23.03.07. Independent. Casualty figures show that more British soldiers have been seriously hurt fighting insurgents than during the initial invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. … In Afghanistan, the figures reveal that the casualty rate rose last year to 30 seriously hurt, compared to two for the previous year. The rise was caused by a Taliban offensive last summer, and raised fears that it could rise sharply again when the next, expected, offensive gets underway. … The number killed in Afghanistan since 2001 rose to 52 after the death on 8 March of Warrant Officer Michael Smith in Helmand province.
Behind enemy lines with the Taliban of Helmand25.03.07. C. Sands, Independent. In this exclusive report for the 'IoS', three members of the Taliban waging war on British troops in Afghanistan tell Chris Sands why they feel they have no choice but to take up arms against the 'foreign invaders'
New tactic for British troops in Afghanistan29.03.07. Pak Tribune. The new tactic mimics the Americans new plan in Iraq, moving forces away from expensively-built permanent bases.
Gordon Brown Surprises Troops in Afghanistan30.03.07. Guardian. Mr Brown confirmed that six new Merlin helicopters are being bought from the Danish government and eight Chinook helicopters would be refitted at a total cost of around £230m. The Chinooks have been mothballed since 2001. … After arriving this morning in Kandahar, Afghanistan's second city, the chancellor travelled to Camp Bastion. He said the UK was in the area because it was "one of the frontlines against the Taliban and international terrorism." (
the ‘frontline’ of international terrorism is in The White House).
8.Opium
NATO stepping up aid to Afghan drug war02.03.07.T. Shanker, IHT.
Afghan opium 'hits record output'01.03.07. BBC
An ink blot strategy. . .for poppies?06.03.07. Afghanistan Watch.
NATO enters Afghan drug region11.03.07. USA today.
Afghan opium crop booms16.03.07.The Washington Times
27kg of opium in a kitchen - just another day in the Afghan war on drugs21.03.07. J. Borger, Guardian. · Poppy production increased by 25% last year · British switch focus from farmers to traffickers
Afghanistan: UN Issues Sharp Warning On Poppy Cultivation22.03.07. Radio Free Afghanistan.
Ninety per cent of British heroin is from Afghanistan, says U.K. attorney general25.03.07. Canada com.
NATO to Legalize Afghanistan's Opium?27.03.07.der Spiegel.
House GOP protests drug czar for Afghanistan27.03.07. UPI. ‘"The open and public dispute with our British allies on opium eradiation methods, along with the many different and often conflicting views of NATO, our Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and other U.S. agencies on how best to handle the narcotics challenge does not bode well for success," the letter said.’
9. Human Rights
“Until the United States changes its own policies of holding detainees indefinitely, in secret prisons and without basic rights, it cannot credibly be viewed as a world human rights leader.”- Amnesty International USA executive director Larry Cox, on the release of the State Department human rights report.
U.S. Blasted for Treatment of Detainees01.03.07. E. Lederer, AP / Guardian
U professor investigates U.S.-led torture01.03.07. The Minnesota Daily. ‘After researching declassified documents from U.S. Detainment centres, he discovered that medical professionals were roped in to the system of torture.
The Pentagon’s Power to Arrest, Torture, and Execute Americans02.03.07. J. Hornberger, ICH. The U.S. military’s power to arrest, torture, and execute Americans is now reality. It is impossible to reconcile such power with the principles of a free society. As long as it exists, even if only as a standby power in the event of a “crisis” or “emergency, ” Americans cannot be considered a free people.
Canada loses track of Afghan detainees02.03.07. Globe and Mail. Military investigators unable to locate three men allegedly abused by troops.
CIA torture victim denied his day in US court03.03.07. Khaled Al-Masri. Al-Masri, 43, says he was detained by the CIA for several months in 2004 on suspicion of links to terrorism. He filed suit in December 2005 saying he had been snatched while on a trip in Macedonia, taken to Afghanistan, jailed, beaten and harassed before being set free without charge after five months. P He demanded an explanation and an apology from the United States for his detention, as well as 75,000 dollars in damages. P American Civil Liberties Union director Anthony Romero said the court's decision meant impunity for CIA officials.
Independent Reporting Drew Army Coverup, Secrecy, Delays02.03.07. Nieman Foundation / Truthout. Officials in the US military, from the Pentagon on down, tried to thwart reporters for the LA Times who uncovered deaths and possible torture of detainees in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: US Should Investigate Civilian Deaths06.03.07. Human Rights Watch News. ‘Suicide bombers in Afghanistan regularly pose as civilians, but that doesn’t give coalition forces carte blanche to respond with indiscriminate fire.’
U.S. Criticizes U.N. Human Rights Body
07.03.07. AP/legitgov. For the second year in a row, the United States has decided not to seek a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, the State Department said Tuesday, accusing the panel of an anti-Israeli bias. Meanwhile, on cue, Human Rights Group Criticizes Israel (07.03.07, AP, Guardian / legitgov.)
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Report Claims U.S. And U.K. Asked Poland To Keep CIA Prison A Secret08.03.07. All Headline News / legitgov. A new report alleges that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated a detention facility for terror suspects in Poland, with the approval of the United Kingdom.
Prisons rife with torture, U.S. Rights report11.03.07, Z net. prisons where Canada consigns detainees captured by its troops are rife with torture, abuse and corruption, according to the latest ...
Afghanistan: No Gender Equality Under Occupation12.03.07. R. da Silva, Socialist Voice. Supporters of the occupation of Afghanistan often argue that the NATO force is liberating women from the oppression they suffered under the Taliban. The Harper government, no supporter of women’s rights in Canada, recently promoted that view by sending Governor General Michaëlle Jean on a well-publicized visit to Afghanistan on International Women’s Day. . In following report from Kabul. originally published in Green Left Weekly, Ramani Desilva argues that the liberation of Afghan women can only be accomplished by the women themselves. An important step towards that goal will be complete withdrawal of the occupying army.
Be More Than You Can BeN. Shachtman, Wired. Heat-resistant. Cold-proof. Tireless. Tomorrow’s soldiers are just like today’s — only better. Inside the Pentagon’s human enhancement project. Read about Darpa: the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Paul Workman in Afghanistan15.03,07,. CTV,. The story of Abdul Norzai, regional director of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and Canada’s Defense Minister, Gordon O’Conner at Canada’s detention centre. The minister wants the help of Noorzai because the ‘handling of prisoners in Afghanistan is in a troubling state. Besides accusations of abuse or mistreatment, some prisoners handed over to the Afghans have simply disappeared.
Defence wants to stop Afghan torture investigation15.03.07. The Star. The (Canadian) Defence Department says it may go to court to block a military watchdog from investigating a complaint about Canada's handling of prisoners in Afghanistan. If it goes to court, lawyers might still be arguing long after Canadian soldiers have left Afghanistan.
Canadians work for change inside Afghanistan's prisons24.03.07. Canada com. SARPOZA PRISON, Afghanistan - To step inside the Kandahar penitentiary that holds Taliban prisoners is to stumble backwards into the Middle Ages.
Rights group urges better legal framework for US military actions in Afghanistan19.03.07. The Jurist.
Guantanamo illegal despite guilty plea – critics28.03.07. NZ Herald. A guilty plea by Australian David Hicks to terrorism charges should not be seen as legitimising US military tribunals taking place at Guantanamo Bay, human rights groups said today.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Rumsfeld
27.03.07. Sfgate. U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan threw out a lawsuit brought on behalf of nine former prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said Rumsfeld cannot be held personally responsible for actions taken in connection with his government job. . The lawsuit contends the prisoners were beaten, suspended upside down from the ceiling by chains, urinated on, shocked, sexually humiliated, burned, locked inside boxes and subjected to mock executions.
Rumsfeld Lawsuit Embarrasses German Authorities
26.03.07. AFP . der Spiegel.
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Hicks to return from Guantanamo31.03.07. Channel 4 news.
TortureTHEWE.
10. Some Deaths
Military deaths in Afghanistan, region02.03.07. Mlive. As of Friday, March 2, 2007, at least 307 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The Defense Department last updated its figures Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007.
Gems, al-Qaida and murder. Mystery over killing of Osama Bin Laden's friend02.03.07. N. Fielding, Guardian. Saudi man's death was political, say his family. US secret service was monitoring his activities
PHOTO AP/Musadeq Sadeq05.03.07. Guardian. Two incidents involving US forces have left around 19 Afghan civilians dead since yesterday, prompting furious protests against the US and Nato. . In the first incident, up to 10 civilians were killed as a convoy of US marines fled after being attacked by a suicide bomber in a minivan in eastern Nangarhar province yesterday. … Then today Afghan officials said nine civilians had been killed after a Nato air strike hit a house during a firefight between US forces and militants, killing nine Afghans who lived there. … A count by the Associated Press, based on reports from Afghan, Nato and coalition officials, puts the overall civilian death toll in 2006 at 834, most from militant attacks. See also
NASDAQ. story .
Investigation Into Afghan Deaths05.03.07. BBC / Truthout. Afghan authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of a militant attack on a US Marine convoy in which eight civilians died. Thousands of local people took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the incident, accusing the Americans of deliberately firing on the civilians.
16 Civilians Killed as U.S. Troops Fire on Afghan Road05.03.07. C. Gall, NY Times. American troops opened fire on a highway filled with civilian cars and bystanders on Sunday, American and Afghan officials said, in an incident that the Americans said left 16 civilians dead and 24 wounded after a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan. One American was also wounded.
50th British soldier dies in Afghanistan06.03.07. Harding, Telegraph.
Afghan children die as US drops one-tonne bombs06.03.07. J. Huggler, Independent. Nine civilians, including four children, were killed in Afghanistan when US planes dropped two 2,000lb bombs on their mud home. Their deaths came after at least eight civilians were killed by US Marines a day earlier. It has been a disastrous two days for the Americans in Afghanistan.
Over 1,100 journalists killed in decade-report06.03.07. AlertNet. the annual toll has jumped since 2003, the year of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a report said on Tuesday. … Worldwide, last year was the worst for media workers with 167 killed worldwide, up from 149 in 2005 and 131 in 2004. That compares with 94 in 2003, 70 in 2002 and 103 in 2001.
NATO airstrike kills 5 Afghan civilians: tribal leader12.03.07.English People. NATO troops disputed the accusation, saying two insurgents were killed. A NATO airstrike killed five civilians in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan on Monday, a local tribal leader said, while NATO troops disputed the accusation, saying two insurgents were killed. (four civilians were wounded)
Three civilians killed in Afghanistan14.03.07.India enews. At least three civilians were killed and eight injured in a suicide attack in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan Tuesday.
U.S. pays kin in deaths of Afghan boys14.03.07. Yahoo. The American colonel bowed his head at the fresh dirt graves of three young boys marked by brightly colored martyrs' flags Wednesday. Then he sat down next to the boys' fathers, expressed his condolences and handed them an envelope full of cash.
'Self-immolation by oppressed Afghan women is rising15.03.07. Daily Mail.
NATO Kills More Civilians; Police Targets Of Taliban Attacks As Journalist Pleads15.03.07. Ahmad Al-Marid, jihadspun. Fresh reports of battle in war torn Afghanistan are in following the deaths of five more civilians who were martyred by NATO bombing raids as the Taliban targeted policeman in two attacks and Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo pleaded for his life. … a tribal elder Mehra Jan told the reporters that coalation forces bombed Heneri area of Garshak district resulting in martyrdom of four innocent civilians however NATO and US forces denied such reports.
Afghanistan implicates U.S.-led troops in police deaths16.03.07. FISNIK ABRASHI, AP / Chroncom. "Coalition forces mistakenly (sic) opened fire on police," Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary said. "Unfortunately five policemen were killed."A coalition spokesman said Americans were not involved in the incident.
1 child killed, 3 wounded in clash between U.S. troops, ‘militants’ in western Afghanistan21.03.07. IHT / ICH. The children were caught in the crossfire, and it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the death and injuries, Khan said.
Afghanistan: Britain accused in death of child23.03.07.ww4 report. Under investigation.
Marine Unit Ordered Out Of Afghanistan After Civilians Killed23.03.07.KWTX.
Report: Officers withheld Tillman death details
23.03.07. nfl. A Pentagon investigation will recommend that nine officers, including up to four generals, be held accountable for missteps in the aftermath of the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, senior defense officials said.
Statement on the Pentagon Briefing on Investigations of Pat Tillman's Death By Friendly Fire
27.03.07.Tillman family statement, Counterpunch.
Congressman Requests Hearing Into Tillman's Death
27.03.07.WCSH.
Tillman case could bring punishments
28.03.07. AP / local news watch. Two generals singled out for blame in the Pat Tillman case have retired since the Army Ranger was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan , but they remain within reach of the military justice system.
Top general tried to warn Bush on Tillman
31.03.07. AP / USA Today/legitgov. General Sought to Warn Bush Not to Say Tillman Died in an Enemy Ambush. Just seven days after Pat Tillman's death, a top general warned there were strong indications that it was friendly fire and President [sic] Bush might embarrass himself if he said the NFL star-turned-soldier died in an ambush, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. It was not until a month afterward that the Pentagon told the public and grieving family members the truth that Tillman was mistakenly killed in Afghanistan by his comrades. The memo reinforces suspicions that the Pentagon was more concerned with sparing officials from embarrassment than with leveling with Tillman's family.
Tillman Probe: No Criminal Negligence
01.04.07. CBS. Army and Defense Department investigators said that officers looking into the incident passed along misleading and inaccurate information and delayed reporting their belief that Tillman was killed by fellow Rangers. The investigators recommended the Army take action against the officers. Among those blamed were the three-star general in charge of Army special operations as well as Tillman's regimental commander.
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NATO forces shoot Afghan child, run over another23.03.07. Turkish press/ich. A distraught Afghan father buried his 12-year-old son Friday after the boy was shot in the head by NATO troops in the latest in a series of civilian deaths involving international forces.
Almost 100 people killed in Afghanistan24.03.07. Zaman. At least 89 people, including 69 Taliban rebels, were killed in two days of fighting in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday, as violence soared with the onset of spring.
9/11 and the Evidence27.03.07. P. C. Roberts, ICH. The 9/11 attack has been used to start wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to plan an attack...
Second annual report on the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 by Lord CarlileThe REAL Face of War: The images that the media won't show you30.03.07. Tom Paine's Corner.
11. Future Deaths
Tests To Reveal Levels Of Depleted Uranium In Army Personnel 06.03.07. Science Daily. A test recently used by the UK government's Independent Depleted Uranium Oversight Board to detect exposure to UK troops by depleted uranium (DU) during the 1991 Gulf Conflict was developed by a team led by a University of Leicester geologist.
Belgium Bans Uranium Weapons and Armour 23.03,.07. Willem Van den Panhuysen, Global Research.ca. Belgium has become the first country in the world to ban uranium weapons! ICBUW praises the hard work and commitment of the Belgian Coalition Stop Uranium Weapons.
Iraq ‘diggers’ contaminated with radiation 27.03.07. au/daily telegraph. TWO Australian soldiers who served in the first Iraq war have tested positive to depleted uranium (DU) contamination despite assurances from the Federal Government they had not been exposed, an anti-nuclear group said today.
Why George Bush is InsaneHarold Pinter, Assassination Press. "The US is at this moment developing advanced systems of "weapons of mass destruction" and it prepared to use them where it sees fit. It has more of them than the rest of the world put together. It has walked away from international agreements on biological and chemical weapons, refusing to allow inspection of its own factories. The hypocrisy behind its public declarations and its own actions is almost a joke."
A New Era Of Nuclear Fear May Loom In Shadown Of Missile Shield 30.03.07. spacewar.com. Media reports from the last few weeks increasingly resemble Hollywood horror movies. The United States is reportedly developing a new-generation hydrogen warhead for its Trident II, (D-5) strategic submarines.
12. Meanwhile, in Iran …
Media flavour of the week: films of captured sailors and marines eating, smoking and writing letters in Iran. The media distracted the public by discussing “UK Fury” while PM Blair cited a
fake map.
Oil prices 'surged'. Behind the scenes,
6 April was designated as the day the US will go to war in Iran. Heather Wokusch wrote about an
“Easter Surprise”.
See also:
Brinkmanship Unwise in Uncharted Waters20.03.07. MEMORANDUM FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). 'The frenzy in America’s corporate media over Iran’s detainment of 15 British Marines who may, or may not, have violated Iranian-claimed territorial waters is a flashback to the unrestrained support given the administration’s war-mongering against Iraq shortly before the attack.
Fate of Five Detained Iranians Unknown29.03.07. Khody Akhavi, ipsnews. 'As the Western media turns its attention to the fate of 15 Britons detained for allegedly trespassing into Iranian waters over the weekend, the status of five Iranian officials captured in a U.S. military raid on a liaison office in northern Iraq on Jan. 11 remains a mystery.'
Iran — How To Start A War30.03.07. G. Dyer, Jordan Times / ICH.
Where is the fury about prisoners held in Guantanamo, Afghanistan and Iraq, many of whom are CIA - hooded and kidnapped and
tortured ?
Call that humiliation?31.03.07. T. Jones, Guardian / ICH. Our new Jonathan Swift. " I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters. It is a disgrace. We would never dream of treating captives like this - allowing them to smoke cigarettes, for example, even though it has been proven that smoking kills."
13. Meanwhile, in New Orleans …
New Orleans Asks Whopping $77 Billion in Claim to Corps 02.03.07. Times Picayne / Truthout. Seymour Hersh reports that the Bush administration is funding anti-Shiite Sunnis linked to al Qaeda without Congressional approval and without appropriate appropriation. Hersh speculates that the money is coming from the pallet-loads of cash floating around Iraq and has already reached "three Sunni jihadist groups." He says, flatly, that the president is "supporting groups indirectly that are involved with the same people that did 9/11."
Tomgram: Rebecca Solnit on Not Forgetting New Orleans 15.04.07. Tom Dispatch. "During my trips to the still half-ruined city, some inhabitants have told me that they, in turn, were told by white vigilantes of widespread murders of black men in the chaos of the storm and flood. One local journalist assured me that he tried to investigate the story, but found it impossible to crack. Reporters, he said, were not allowed to inspect recovered bodies before they were disposed of. These accounts suggest that, someday, an intrepid investigative journalist may stand on its head the media hysteria of the time (later quietly recanted) about African-American violence and menace in flooded New Orleans. Certainly, the most brutal response to the catastrophe was on the part of institutional authority at almost every level down to the most local."
House panel: Why did Google 'airbrush history?'31.03.07. CNN. Google's replacement of post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery on its map portal with images of the region before the storm does a "great injustice" to the storm's victims, a congressional subcommittee said.
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Sarah Meyer is a researcher living in the UK.The url to this article is:
Index on Afghanistan: March 2007 Please also see other source material on Afghanistan:•
Index on Afganistan to end 08.06.•
Index on Afghanistan September 2006•
Index on Afghanistan October 2006•
Index on Afghanistan November 2006•
Index on Afghanistan December 2006•
http://Index-on-Afghanistan-January-2007.html•
Index on Afghanistan: February 2007 •
Nato: The Bathtub of Unreadiness•
Afghanistan: NATO is now US-ATO+
Sarah Meyer is a researcher living in the UKTags:
Index Research,
Afghanistan,
Pakistan,
Oil,
NATO,
Opium,
Iran,
New Orleans,
Tillman,
Rumsfeld,
Human Rights,
Civilian Deaths,
Labels: Index Research; Afhanistan; Pakistan; Oil, NATO; Opium; Iran; New Orleans; Tillman; Human Rights; Civilian Deaths, Rumsfeld
Naomi Klein 
