In Afghanistan, Some Former Taliban Become The Police

NATO officials say they have reversed a disturbing trend in northern Afghanistan.In 2009 and 2010, Taliban insurgents made inroads across the north of the country, which had been secure for years. NATO says that last year it brought the north back under control, but Afghan officials say it's thanks to one of the most controversial American tactics here: the use of ad hoc local...

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R.I.P. - Pfc. Neil I. Turner

DOD Identifies Army Casualty             The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.             Pfc. Neil I. Turner, 21, of Tacoma, Wash., died Jan. 11, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.       ...

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Danish ship frees nine Pakistanis from Somali pirates

Image via Wikipedia ISLAMABAD: Nine Pakistani sailors together with five Iranians have been rescued by the Danish Navy vessel Absalon, off the coast of Somalia. The vessel, which is participating in NATO’s anti-piracy operation ‘Ocean Shield’ took control of the hijacked Iranian fishing vessel Tahari after following the ship overnight and conducting helicopter surveillance.The...

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US warns of terror threat in Thailand

Image via Wikipedia By Bill Roggio - January 13, 2012 - Threat Matrix The US Embassy in Bangkok issued an "Emergency Message to US Citizens" that warned of "Possible Terrorist Threat." The statement was released on the embassy's website:    This message alerts U.S. citizens in Thailand that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against...

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Shabaab names new leader of Kenyan branch

Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, has named a radical Kenyan preacher who has advocated jihad across the globe to lead to lead their branch in Kenya. The Muslim Youth Center, a radical Islamist group in Kenya, said that Shabaab named Sheikh Ahmad Iman Ali its "Supreme Amiir", or leader, on Jan. 10. The Muslim Youth Center released a statement on their blog, which...

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US to withdraw about 7,000 troops from Europe: Panetta

Image via Wikipedia WASHINGTON: The United States plans to withdraw about 7,000 US troops of the 81,000 troops based in Europe, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday. In an interview with the Armed Forces Press Service, Panetta said two brigade combat teams, or roughly 7,000 US troops, would be withdrawn from Europe, but rotational units would still maintain...

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Gunmen kill three policemen in Peshawar

Image via Wikipedia PESHAWAR: Police say about 100 militants have ambushed a police station in the northwestern city of Peshawar, shooting dead three officers. Saeed Khan, a senior police official in the city, says the early Friday attack wounded another nine officers in the Sarband neighbourhood on the edge of the city. He says Sarband borders the Khyber tribal region,...

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Jan.13., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 13) – A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Almar district, Faryab province, Wednesday.  The targeted leader is an explosives expert with ties to suicide-attack networks known to target Afghan government officials. He is suspected of planning a suicide-bomb attack that killed...

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Police Undermine Fight Against Taliban

JANI KHEL, Afghanistan—In the American war against the Taliban, on whose side are the Afghan police? For many U.S. soldiers serving in the insurgent heartland, the answer is: both. "They smile to our face when we're here, giving them money and building them buildings," says U.S. Army Capt. Cory Brown, a provost marshal officer helping to oversee Afghan security forces here in volatile Paktika province. "But they've given insurgents money, food and even rides in Afghan police cars." Worse, he says, some policemen are also suspected of selling...

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AQIM threatens to execute western hostages if their countries use force to liberate them

NOUAKCHOTT, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The North African wing of Al-Qaeda AQIM threatened on Thursday to execute Western hostages if their countries try to use force to liberate them. In a statement published by the Nouakchott Information Agency (ANI), Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) indicated that it had received credible information that French troops, aided by Algerian forces, had an "imminent" plan to forcefully liberate the hostages. Related articles Al Qaeda Terrorist Threat Real, French Official Says (huffingtonpost.com) France...

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US Predators kill 6, including 'foreigners,' in North Waziristan strike

The US killed six "militants," including foreigners, in the second drone strike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal area of North Waziristan in two days, after a two-month lull in strikes. By Bill Roggio - January 12, 2012 - LWJ Today's strike took place in the village of Dogga near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. The unmanned Predators or Reapers...

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Dozens killed in fresh tribal conflict in South Sudan

Image via Wikipedia KHARRTOUM, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 50 people were killed in the latest tribal conflict in the hotspot of Jonglei state in South Sudan, a South Sudan official said on Thursday. The anonymous official in the government of the world's newest country said that the fresh cycle of violence in Jonglei state had continued Wednesday, with youths...

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