Stephan Mace of the Army's 61st Cavalry Regiment knew the Taliban would be waiting for him when he returned to eastern Afghanistan in September.
During a two-week leave in early September, the 21-year-old specialist sat on his father's couch in Winchester, Virginia, and discussed his concerns over Forward Operating Base Keating in Kamdesh District, a region known as a Taliban stronghold.
"He talked about the village next to the base, that it had 300 Taliban, and they couldn't do anything about it because they were in mosques hiding or with other civilians," says his father, Larry Mace.
"They knew they were there and they couldn't do anything about it and they killed them." Is this because of the new ROE or a local decision? How would having more boots on the ground make a difference if the additional forces were under orders to passively watch a gathering threat, just the the forces already deployed?
IIRC mosques and private residences are off-limits to anyone but Afghan forces (of questionable loyalty).
Mace was one of eight American soldiers killed in a 12-hour standoff on Saturday. That was the most Americans killed by hostile action in Afghanistan in a single day since last July, when nine soldiers died in Wanat, just 20 miles away.
Some military analysts say the attacks underscore how outnumbered troops are in that region. The United States believes that about 200 insurgents had been planning Saturday's attack for days, hiding mortars, rockets and heavy machine guns in the mountains, sources have told CNN. More personal background on the other soldiers at the link.
#1
G*ddamnit I've been reading about our CIC's waffling on Afghanistan and it makes me wanna rip something apart. If the Zero won't commit then pull out and bear history's shame for political campaign loudmouthing and craven backstabbing. The "good war", remember? *spit* Don't leave our young men and women there as neutered symbols of voting "present" while you give the country back to the Taliban
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/08/2009 18:34 Comments ||
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#2
yeah, this sucks balls. I saw the video on Camp Keating...sad...a veritable Khe Sanh waiting to happen. In a surreal twist of fate our MSM showed it on prime morning t.v. and I bet it raised questions...Diane Sawyer asked what the hell our guys were doing there - didn't look good for Obama.
KABUL (AFP) -- US and Afghan forces seized 50 tonnes of opium and 1.8 tonnes of heroin, and killed 17 Taliban insurgents in a joint operation in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.
The drug haul, one of the biggest in recent memory, was worth five million dollars, Mohammad Zahir Azimi, ministry spokesman, told AFP.
That's about what, 0.001% of the total production this year?
In a five-hour operation that began at 11:00 am (0630 GMT), the soldiers dropped from helicopters into the Kajaki district of troubled Helmand province, source of most of the world's heroin, he said.
"According to our calculation, we have destroyed five million dollars' worth of drugs today," he said.
"We seized and destroyed 30 tonnes of fertiliser, 1,000 boxes of AK-47 and TK machinegun bullets and other weapons," he said, adding that a factory for making remote-controlled bombs was also destroyed. "Seventeen Taliban were killed, three were arrested alive," he said.
"The joint forces also destroyed a heroin-making factory," he said, adding that the joint forces suffered no casualties.
The factories are important. I'm sure it's considerably easier and cheaper to transport refined heroin than bulky opium, and the same for premade IEDs vs. the raw materials. Of course, IEDs are so much more likely to go off in one's lap on a bumpy road -- such as are all the roads in Afghanistan -- but still.
He said the fertiliser was of a type used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the main weapon in the Taliban arsenal and causing a large proportion of deaths among forces under US and NATO command.
A source close to the defence ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that 16 boxes of C4 explosive made in Iran had also been seized in the operation.
Helmand province is one of the main trouble spots in Afghanistan's intensifying insurgency and the heroin produced there helps fund the Taliban supply of weaponry. Destitute Afghanistan produces around 90 percent of the world's opium, used to make heroin sold on the streets of Europe and central Asia.
Opium production in Afghanistan has fallen for a second year with poppy cultivation down 22 percent, the UN said in a report last month, while warning that drug stockpiles were a ticking bomb in the war-torn country.
UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in the report, to which the Afghan government contributed: "For the second year in a row, cultivation, production, workforce, prices, revenues, exports and its GDP share are all down, while the number of poppy-free provinces and drug seizures continue to rise."
The UN puts the potential export value of Afghan narcotics at about 3.4 billion dollars a year and Afghan officials have said drug profits provide the Taliban with as much as 100 million dollars a year.
The men are frustrated by the lack of obvious purpose or progress. The soldiers biggest question is: what can we do to make this war stop. Catch one person? Assault one objective? Soldiers want definite answers, other than to stop the Taleban, because that almost seems impossible. Its hard to catch someone you cant see, said Specialist Mercer.
Its a very frustrating mission, said Lieutenant Hjelmstad. The average soldier sees a friend blown up and his instinct is to retaliate or believe its for something [worthwhile], but its not like other wars where your buddy died but they took the hill. Theres no tangible reward for the sacrifice. Its hard to say Wardak is better than when we got here.
Captain Masengale, a soldier for 12 years before he became a chaplain, said: We want to believe in a cause but we dont know what that cause is.
The soldiers are angry that colleagues are losing their lives while trying to help a population that will not help them. You give them all the humanitarian assistance that they want and theyre still going to lie to you. Theyll tell you theres no Taleban anywhere in the area and as soon as you roll away, ten feet from their house, you get shot at again, said Specialist Eric Petty, from Georgia.
Captain Rico told of the disgust of a medic who was asked to treat an insurgent shortly after pulling a colleagues charred corpse from a bombed vehicle.
The soldiers complain that rules of engagement designed to minimise civilian casualties mean that they fight with one arm tied behind their backs. Theyre a joke, said one. You get shot at but can do nothing about it. You have to see the person with the weapon. Its not enough to know which house the shootings coming from.
#2
TITLE 10 U.S.C. > Subtitle A > PART II > CHAPTER 47 > SUBCHAPTER X > § 899
Art. 99. Misbehavior before the enemy
Any member of the armed forces who before or in the presence of the enemyâ
...
(8) willfully fails to do his utmost to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy any enemy troops, combatants, vessels, aircraft, or any other thing, which it is his duty so to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy; or
(9) does not afford all practicable relief and assistance to any troops, combatants, vessels, or aircraft of the armed forces belonging to the United States or their allies when engaged in battle;
shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.
Are the present ROEs as interpreted and implemented on the field in direct violation of the UCMJ [and thus Federal Law]?
#3
seems from the quote above, the main frustration is that things havent improved. The new strategy, coupled with proper resourcing, is aimed to change that.
I think Gen McCrystal is entitled to some time to show that strategy can work. Its going to frustrate Dem politicians, and its going to frustrate troops in the field from time to time. But we can no more fight a war based on the views of junior officers and enlistees, than we can fight it based on the tactical views of politicians in Washington.
#4
My spidey sense tells me a lot of Regs in UCMJ are being broken daily! Obama is part of the chain of command...unfortunately he seems to ignore or downplay this as best he can.
Mr Obama appears to have been swayed in recent days by arguments from some advisers, led by Vice-President Joe Biden, that the Taleban do not pose a direct threat to the US and that there should be greater focus on tackling al-Qaeda inside Pakistan.
#9
The Taliban are shooting at and killing our guys. They are the friggin enemy. That's fairly clear. What the hell is wrong with Washington? Forget the last question; that's fairly clear too.
#10
JohnQC: What the hell is wrong with Washington?
Let's set that up as a take-home test, limiting pages to 5 at this time. Say, due back Monday morning.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/08/2009 20:50 Comments ||
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#11
the problem is that there is no real end state/commander's intent right now - Military strategy has to satisfy clearly defined political objectives - I have no fucking clue what the political objectives are - it's either nebulous at best or flat out doesn't support the reality on the ground. When a concrete end state is set in place the boys can plan off of it and then the confusion on ROEs will likely go away - that's if the JAGs writing them understand the diff between proportionality and proportionate response - two vastly different concepts. I hope Gen McC at least knows the difference...I have confidence that w/his background he does.
Small Wars/COIN/SASO/Phillipine Insurrection type of ops are complex, long and difficult. This is nothing new - 110 yrs ago right now we did the phillipines at a way bigger cost in manpower then iraq. I don't like it any better then you. The question is - is Afghanistan really a credible threat? If yes, then we have to do the Small Wars model - build civilian infrastructure, police force - maslow's hiearchy of needs for the tribal primitives etc. Hell, I'd love to carpet bomb half the M.E. & persia but that will never fly so no use in even carping about it. If douchebagistan is not a real threat to our security, then we need to get the fuck out - not one American life for those lousy c*cksuckers.
I have to believe that Gen McC rightly asked for more troops, understands the reality based on his guidance (if very thin) from Obambi...now I'm watching the disgusting spectacle of bambi wavering in the wind on trying to triangulate and politic for 2010 on the lives of our boys, disgustingly craven.
#12
Mr Obama appears to have been swayed in recent days by arguments from some advisers, led by Vice-President Joe Biden, that the Taleban do not pose a direct threat to the US and that there should be greater focus on tackling al-Qaeda inside Pakistan.
Make that "focus on tackling al-Qaeda" where ever they are and I'll go along with that. The Taliban (or anyone else who wants that feudal s*it hole) can have Afghanistan for all I care.
At least 17 people have been killed and more than 60 injured in a car bomb explosion in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The blast occurred near the interior ministry office and the Indian embassy. Officials said it was a suicide attack. Eyewitnesses reported glass and debris scattered in the street and a plume of smoke rising above the area.
India's foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said she believed the attack was aimed against the embassy as the bomber had driven his car up to its outer wall.
One report also quoted an online claim of responsibility from Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who said the attacker was an Afghan man who blew up his vehicle outside the embassy.
Kabul has witnessed a number of attacks in recent months. Last month six Italian soldiers were killed in a bomb attack on a military convoy. Most of the attacks have targeted international forces or government offices - but Afghan civilians are invariably killed as well.
The latest blast hit at 0827 local time (0353 GMT), as residents were arriving to work. Television pictures showed charred vehicles at the site and ambulances speeding to the location.
An eyewitness, Habib Jan, told the BBC the victims were civilians. "A [Toyota] Corolla car was parked in front of the Indian embassy. It was rush hour, about 10 minutes after I arrived at the office when we heard an explosion.
"There were lots of workers cleaning the street - most of them have been killed."
Nirupama Rao told reporters that she believed "the suicide bomb was directed against the Indian embassy".
"The suicide bomber came up to the outer perimeter wall of the embassy in a car loaded with explosives," she said.
In July last year, a suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the embassy, killing dozens of people and injuring more than 140.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said 17 people had died, and 63 had been wounded in the latest attack. Fifteen of the dead were Afghan civilians and one was an Afghan police officer.
The BBC's Martin Patience, in Kabul, says there appears to be a lot of damage at the scene - now sealed off - and that municipal workers have moved into the area with brooms to begin a clean-up.
This is thought to be the fourth bomb attack in Kabul since August.
Somali pirates in two skiffs fired on a French navy vessel early Wednesday after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat, the French military said. The French ship gave chase and captured five suspected pirates.
No one was wounded by the volleys from the Kalashnikov rifles directed at La Somme, a 3,800-ton refueling ship, French military spokesman Rear Adm. Christophe Prazuck said. La Somme "was probably taken for a commercial ship by the two small skiffs" about 250 nautical miles (290 statute miles) off Somalia's coast, Prazuck said. "They understood their mistake too late," he said.
Mighty stupid pirates ...
One skiff fled, and La Somme pursued the second one in an hour-long chase. "There were five suspected pirates on board. No arms, no water, no food," Prazuck said.
They could have continued the chase for another day or two before consummating the capture...
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Ever consider ship identification flash cards? Just remember, not every ship with a cool mast is the Yamato.
Posted by: ed ||
10/08/2009 1:03 Comments ||
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#2
the bigger error is five too many live captives
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/08/2009 9:18 Comments ||
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#3
"I fear we have awakened a sleeping Frog and filled him with a terrible annoyance"
-- Mohamed Yamamoto Siad
[Al Arabiya Latest] The Yemeni army said on Wednesday that it has killed 29 Zaidi Shiite rebels as it presses an all-out offensive against their strongholds in the northern mountains.
Troops killed 12 rebels in clashes on Tuesday in the Harf Sufyan district of Amran province, 70 kilometers (40 miles) north of the capital, the official Saba news agency quoted a commander as saying. The other rebels were killed in several different clashes in Saada province further north, the commander said. The army said it had also destroyed five lorries carrying explosives to the rebels in Saada.
Arab League chief Amr Musa discussed the rebellion with President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa on Tuesday. "Any initiative that tackles the situation in Yemen should be based on that principle to ensure the unity, security and stability of Yemen," Musa said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Three criminals were killed in separate incidents of 'shootouts' between their cohorts and law enforcers in the capital, Kushtia and Pabna yesterday.
The deceased were identified as Hedayet Ullah alias Julhas, 30, a listed criminal of Hazaribagh, Sunnot Ali, 36, a top cadre of outlawed Gono Bahini and Moktar Hossain, 30, a regional commander of Sarbahara Party.
Julhas was killed in a 'gunfight' between his associates and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-2 in Kalunagar Dam area at Hazaribagh around 1:30am, Abdur Razzak, officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh police station, said.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Talebur Rahman of Rab-2 told The Daily Star, acting on a tip-off, a Rab team raided an under-construction CNG refuelling station in the area where a gang had gathered.
Sensing the presence of Rab, the miscreants opened fire prompting them to retaliate. Twenty-two shots were fired.
Rab team found the bullet-hit body of Julhas left lying on the spot and also recovered a pistol and two bullets from there while his accomplices managed to escape.
As Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) doctors declared him dead after Hazaribagh police took him there, the body of Julhas was sent to DMCH morgue for autopsy.
Julhas was accused in eight cases including two for murder with Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Hazaribagh police stations, police said.
In Kushtia, Sunnot Ali, son of late Dabir Uddin of Nolkhola under Sadar upazila, was killed in an 'encounter' between his cohorts and police at Uzangram village in the upazila, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
Sunnot, accused in six cases, including four for murder, was a close companion of Obaidul alias Lal Bhai, a military commander of Gono Bahini, source said.
According to police, a team of Islamic University Police Station raided Uzangram where some Gono Bahini cadres were holding a meeting under a bridge around 3:30am.
Sensing presence of the police, the outlaws opened fire prompting them to retaliate that triggered a gunfight.
At one stage, the outlaws fled the scene leaving Sunnot's body lying on the ground.
Police recovered one LG gun and five bullets from there.
On information, a team of Rab-12 conducted a drive at Kachipara in Pabna Sadar upazila where a gang of Sarbahara cadres was holding a meeting, reports our Pabna correspondent.
As soon as the Rab members reached there, the outlaws opened fire forcing them to fire back.
Moktar, son of Moslem Pramanik of Dighi Goailbari under Sadar upazila, died on the spot but his accomplices fled the scene.
Rab members recovered one LG and three bullets from there.
Moktar was accused in a number of cases, including three murders, Rab sources said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
...a team of Rab-12 conducted a drive at Kachipara in Pabna Sadar upazila...
Hmmm... Would you translate that as "they took him for a ride"?
Troops have arrested 10 more suspected Taliban in Swat, security forces said on Tuesday, as eight others surrendered. The ISPR said troops conducted a search operation in Taghan and Maira, and apprehended 10 suspected Taliban. Meanwhile, eight Taliban voluntarily surrendered to security forces in Barshaur, Biha and Chuprial. The ISPR also said that troops recovered 21 "communication sets" during a search operation in Banjir Banda. The ISPR said that the Taliban fired three mortar rounds and four rockets at the Kabutar checkpost, injuring two soldiers.
Separately, a Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi commander -- identified as Badshah Zeb alias Gorkai Mullah -- surrendered to security forces in Ushari Darra area of Dir district.
This article starring:
BADSHAH ZEB ALIAS GORKAI MULLAH
TNSM
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Fighter jets bombed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan strongholds of Makeen and Nawazkot in South Waziristan on Tuesday -- killing six Taliban and injuring three others, said military sources. The strikes came a day after TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud vowed to launch attacks against the security forces in the country. "The airstrikes are part of a major offensive being planned against the terror network," the sources told Daily Times. According to sources in Wana, the TTP holds considerable sway in both Makeen and Nawazkot, and the group has established its command-and-control structure there. Locals said government forces were amassing around Mehsud areas in South Waziristan, and the imminent operation would involve large-scale bombings.
This article starring:
HAKIMULLAH MEHSUD
TTP
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Indian troops on Wednesday shot dead seven rebels, many of them allegedly members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, in fierce gun battles across Kashmir, police said.
The biggest battle took place in Kupwara near the Line of Control. 'Four LeT militants were killed in the encounter in Kupwara,' a police spokesman said, adding that three militants were killed in separate shootouts elsewhere.
After months of relative calm, there has been a rise recently in separatist violence across Kashmir, where officials say tens of thousands have been killed since a revolt against Indian rule broke out in 1989.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi army forces on Wednesday arrested a suspected "terrorist" and two gangs specialized in robbery and kidnap, according to an informed source.
"The terror suspect was captured in 5 Mil area (8 km north of Basra city)," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "The gangs were arrested in the areas of al-Zubair (30 km west of Basra) and al-Jumhouriya (downtown Basra)," the source added. "One hostage has been freed from his captors," the source pointed out, providing no further details.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Two officers on Wednesday were killed and three police personnel were injured when an explosive device went off near Diala's Baaquba city, according to a local police source.
"The device exploded on the road linking al-Saadiya district to Imam Wees area, Khanaqin district (155 km east of Baaquba) near an emergency police patrol vehicle," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The blast killed two officers and wounded three cops, according to the source.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Joint security forces in Kirkuk found two explosive devices in Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk, an informed source said on Wednesday.
"At 02:45 p.m. today, Huweija police personnel and the Multi-National Force (MNF) found an explosive charge near al-Ajyal School, Huweija district (65 km southwest of Kirkuk)," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "At 03:00 p.m., Sahwa forces found another explosive device near Waqood al-Sakhr gas station," the source noted. The first device was safely detonated, while the second was dismantled and handed over to army forces, the source added.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Aswat al-Iraq: Casualties from the hand grenade blast that took place in west of Baghdad on Wednesday rose to two dead civilians and nine wounded, a police source said. "The local-made bomb went off at a food market in Abu Gharieb area," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. "The explosion caused severe material damage to the store," he added. A police source had said earlier that three civilians were wounded when gunmen threw a hand grenade near a hospital in Abu Gharieb, west of Baghdad.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Iraqi authorities have released 36 Iranian dissidents who had been imprisoned for months, were on hunger strike for weeks and also lately refused water, a spokesman for the prisoners said on Wednesday.
The members of the People's Mujahedeen, an exiled opposition group, were seized during a raid on Camp Ashraf, a refugee base in Diyala province north of Baghdad in July that left 11 people dead, and are now mostly in ill-health.
Hunger strike
" On the 72nd day of their hunger strike and seventh day of a dry hunger strike, 36 ... hunger strikers who had been taken hostage in Iraq returned triumphantly to Camp Ashraf "
Spokesman Shahriar Kia
"On the 72nd day of their hunger strike and seventh day of a dry hunger strike, 36 ... hunger strikers who had been taken hostage in Iraq returned triumphantly to Camp Ashraf," said spokesman Shahriar Kia.
"Upon their arrival, they were immediately taken to Ashraf medical centre to rest and be looked after," he added.
The prisoners were arrested by Iraqi police at Camp Ashraf in a July 28-29 operation, held nearby for three days and transferred to a prison in a local town before finally being taken to a detention facility close to Baghdad.
Illegal entry
A judge ruled three times that they must be released but officials repeatedly refused to comply, justifying the prolonged detention on the grounds that the prisoners had entered Iraq illegally.
No one from the government was available to comment on the issue, which is considered politically sensitive given Baghdad's close ties with Iran.
In September, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill vowed to press the government, which the Mujahedeen say answers to Tehran, to honor assurances that Camp Ashraf residents would be treated humanely and not repatriated to Iran.
The group was founded in 1965 in opposition to the shah of Iran and subsequently fought the clerical regime that ousted him in the 1979 Islamic revolution.
About 3,500 Mujahedeen and their families have lived in Ashraf since former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein allowed the Iranian opposition to set up bases on his territory during his 1980-88 war with Tehran.
Following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, American forces disarmed the Mujahedeen in Ashraf but placed the residents under protection.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Ma'an -- The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said Wednesday morning that fighters launched mortars at Israeli military vehicles east of Gaza City.
In a statement the group said it fired on Israeli vehicles who were gathering east of the Eastern Cemetery. In response, the Israeli forces fired artillery rounds, the group said.
The Brigades added that the attack was a response to Israeli "attacks" on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, where police have been clashing with unarmed protesters over the past four days.
An Israeli military spokesperson said he was unaware of any violence at the time or in the area described in the PFLP statement.
On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli shelling wounded several people near a Palestinian security installation the Ash-Shujaiyyah east of Gaza City, witnesses and medics said.
During that incident, an Israeli military spokesperson said Israeli forces opened fire when alleged Palestinian gunmen shot at Israeli civilians performing maintenance work along the border. The Israeli military also said that its tanks had opened fire in the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Two Muslims were gunned down in Thailand's restive south while a powerful bomb attack that injured dozens claimed its first fatality, police said Wednesday.
Terrorists Suspected insurgents detonated the explosive on Tuesday by a hotel in Sungai Kolok, a border town in Narathiwat province, after launching bloody grenade and gun attacks on two restaurants which killed four and wounded 11 people. The car bomb wounded 27, according to police, and a 36-year-old Muslim woman later died. Five of the casualties remain in hospital. Eight cars and six nearby shops were also damaged by the explosive, which weighed 30 to 50 kilograms (66 pounds to 110 pounds) according to army spokesman Colonel Parinya Chaidilok.
Police also said Wednesday that a 38-year-old Muslim man was shot dead in Pattani as he drove his son to school on Tuesday, while a bomb later that day wounded seven security volunteer forces in the same province. In Pattani on Wednesday morning, gunmen shot dead a 47-year-old deputy village chief.
Following the deadly spike in violence in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, the deputy prime minister in charge of national security, Suthep Thaugsuban, said he would travel to the insurgency-plagued region next week. He expressed dismay at the explosive in Sungai Kolok, as it was hidden in a car that had passed a screening by a bomb detection machine.
Six soldiers of the No 15 special unit were seriously wounded by a roadside bomb explosion and ambush late this morning, Bannang Sata police said on Thursday. The bomb went off while the soldiers were patrolling the Guelong-Palor Bata road at Guelong village in Yalas Bannang Sata district. They also were ambushed by gunmen hiding in roadside forest, who fled the scene immediately afterward. Police blame terrorist jihadis separatist militants.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Stephan Mace of the Army's 61st Cavalry Regiment knew the Taliban would be waiting for him when he returned to eastern Afghanistan in September.
KABUL (AFP) -- US and Afghan forces seized 50 tonnes of opium and 1.8 tonnes of heroin, and killed 17 Taliban insurgents in a joint operation in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.
Somali pirates in two skiffs fired on a French navy vessel early Wednesday after apparently mistaking it for a commercial boat, the French military said. The French ship gave chase and captured five suspected pirates.
[Al Arabiya Latest] The Yemeni army said on Wednesday that it has killed 29 Zaidi Shiite rebels as it presses an all-out offensive against their strongholds in the northern mountains.
[Bangla Daily Star] Three criminals were killed in separate incidents of 'shootouts' between their cohorts and law enforcers in the capital, Kushtia and Pabna yesterday.
Troops have arrested 10 more suspected Taliban in Swat, security forces said on Tuesday, as eight others surrendered. The ISPR said troops conducted a search operation in Taghan and Maira, and apprehended 10 suspected Taliban. Meanwhile, eight Taliban voluntarily surrendered to security forces in Barshaur, Biha and Chuprial. The ISPR also said that troops recovered 21 "communication sets" during a search operation in Banjir Banda. The ISPR said that the Taliban fired three mortar rounds and four rockets at the Kabutar checkpost, injuring two soldiers.
Fighter jets bombed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan strongholds of Makeen and Nawazkot in South Waziristan on Tuesday -- killing six Taliban and injuring three others, said military sources. The strikes came a day after TTP chief 
[Dawn] Indian troops on Wednesday shot dead seven rebels, many of them allegedly members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, in fierce gun battles across Kashmir, police said.
Ma'an -- The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said Wednesday morning that fighters launched mortars at Israeli military vehicles east of Gaza City.
Two Muslims were gunned down in Thailand's restive south while a powerful bomb attack that injured dozens claimed its first fatality, police said Wednesday. 
