02 July 2008

'Turning Afghan Heroin Into Kalashnikovs', ReliefWeb / IWPR, 31 May 2008

EXCERPT: "The bazaar sits on a small island in the river Panj, a narrow expanse of shallow but fast-flowing water that is all that separates the Badakhshan region of Tajikistan from the Afghan province of the same name. On either side loom the Pamir mountains, a range of high peaks that cuts the region off from the rest of the world. When the bazaar opened about...

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02 July 2008

'', The Canadian Press, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "Military efforts in Afghanistan are being stalled by the perceived weakness of Canada's diplomatic and aid agencies, says the former cultural adviser to Canada's top soldier in Kandahar. Despite having spent six years in the country, Canada still hasn't mastered the intricacies of dealing with Afghanistan's tribal culture and...

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02 July 2008

'"Jihad Against America Obligation Of All Muslims"', Daily Times Pakistan, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "It is incumbent on every Muslim across the world to fight alongside Afghan Muslims against America, Jaish-ul-Islami Pakistan (JIP) Bajaur Agency commander Wali-ur-Rehman said on Wednesday [2 July 2008]. Rehman said it was not un-Islamic to go to Afghanistan for jihad and to defend Afghan Muslims in the war against the United States-led...

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02 July 2008

'New UN office aims to boost development in southern Afghanistan', UN News Centre, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced plans to scale up its efforts to bring development and reconstruction to the country's southern region by opening a new office in Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province. 'The opening of our new office will be in direct support of the people of Uruzgan,...

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02 July 2008

'', International Herald Tribune, 1 July 2008

EXCERPT: "In the first case to review the U.S. government's secret evidence for holding a detainee at Guant?namo Bay, Cuba, a U.S. appeals court found that accusations against a Chinese man held for more than six years had been based on bare and unverifiable claims. The unclassified parts of the decision were released Monday [30...

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02 July 2008

'Pakistan Arrests Tribal Fighters', Al Jazeera, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "Pakistani security forces claim to have arrested 18 fighters and to have destroyed two major opposition sites in the country's Khyber tribal district. An official statement released on Wednesday said that the operation was successful, and that the main bazaar in the town of Bara was under curfew with troops patrolling the area. The operation is part of an intense campaign...

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02 July 2008

'', The Associated Press, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "More helicopters, surveillance aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles are needed in Afghanistan to support the armed forces there, a senior NATO official said Wednesday [2 July 2008]. U.S. Gen. John Craddock, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, also said he wants national authorities to reduce or drop restrictions on how and where troops from their...

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02 July 2008

'Renewed Warnings About Al Qaeda', CBS News, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "A senior U.S. official on Wednesday renewed warnings of the danger posed by al Qaeda to the security of the United States, the Western world, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in a message pointed at Pakistani leaders. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, ending a three day visit to Islamabad, told a news conference: 'Al Qaeda is very, very dangerous. It...

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02 July 2008

'Bush Acknowledges Tough Fight In Afghanistan', Voice of America, 2 July 2008

EXCERPT: "June was the deadliest month for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. It was also the second month in a row that coalition troop loses in Afghanistan were greater than in Iraq. President Bush says he is aware of the difficulties American and allied forces are facing. 'It has been a tough month in Afghanistan, but...

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02 July 2008

'', Yahoo! News, 1 July 2008

EXCERPT: "Italy has revised some restrictions on Italian soldiers in Afghanistan, allowing them more easily to be deployed temporarily in volatile areas, defense officials said Tuesday [1 July 2008]. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said during a visit to troops in Afghanistan that he had signed off on the revision. Gen. Vincenzo Camporini, the chief of staff, said...

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