3 Afghan police die in attack by 5 suicide bombers

Five suicide bombers attacked a local government office in eastern Afghanistan Thursday, starting a gunbattle that left three Afghan police dead and two others wounded, officials said.

By AMIR SHAH

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — Five suicide bombers attacked a local government office in eastern Afghanistan Thursday, starting a gunbattle that left three Afghan police dead and two others wounded, officials said.

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up at the entrance to a compound in Zumat district, a hotbed of the insurgency along the Pakistan border, said Paktia provincial spokesman Ruhollah Samoon. The area is controlled by the Haqqani militant network, which has ties to the Taliban and al-Qaida.
Samoon said two other attackers, who also were wearing vests packed with explosives, were killed by police when they tried to storm the compound.
Provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Safi said Afghan elders from the area were meeting there with local government officials when the attackers struck.
In the south, Afghan police say a remote controlled car bomb exploded near a NATO convoy, killing two Afghan men and wounding a young girl, said Abdul Haq Chopan, a police investigator in Helmand province.
The explosion occurred Thursday afternoon in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2016733245_apasafghanistan.html

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11/11/11 - Veterans Day

...at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month of 2011, we will pause to honor America's Veterans and celebrate their contributions to our way of life. Few have given more to our Nation than the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces in peace and in war.


Remarks by Secretary Eric K. Shinseki

Message from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Veterans Day 2011
Read More: http://www.va.gov/opa/speeches/2011/11_10_2011.asp

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Manhunt Launched for Afghan Who Shot 3 Aussie Troops in Afghanistan

By Windsor Genova - IBTIMES //


Australian troops in Afghanistan are hunting an Afghan soldier who shot and seriously wounded three of their colleagues at the Patrol Base Basir in Uruzgan province on Tuesday.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) identified the shooter as Mohammed Rozi from the northern province of Takhar. He escaped using an ANA jeep after firing an automatic weapon and grenade launcher from a tower on troops preparing for their evening meal. The jeep was found abandoned later.
Defence Force chief General David Hurley said an unmanned aerial vehicles is being used to hunt down the soldier, according to the Daily Liberal.
Australian troops want Rozi alive to know his motive for the shooting.
Afghan ambassador Nasir Andisha suspects that the attack was part of the Taliban and al Qaeda's tactic to "shake the resolve" of the ANA, which will take over the task of securing the country from foreign troops. 

Meanwhile, the wounded Australian soldiers are being treated at a military hospital at the Kandahar Air Base.
Just 10 days ago, an Afghan soldier also shot and killed three Australian troops and wounded seven others. The shooter was killed by Australian and Afghan soldiers who returned fire.
In May, one Australian soldier was also killed by an Afghan soldier. American special forces then killed the Afghan soldier.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the incidents will not deter the Australian troops in Afghanistan from finishing their mission, which is to train ANA members so they can independently secure their nation. The mission's deadline is 2014.
A total 32 Australian troops have died while 209 were wounded in Afghanistan. Australians wanted the troops to return home.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/246491/20111109/afghan-soldier-shoots-australian-troops-afghanistan-mohammed.htm

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R.I.P. - Pfc. Cody R. Norris

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
            Pfc. Cody R. Norris, 20, of Houston, Texas, died Nov. 9 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
            For more information the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at 785-307-0641 or 785-375-1308.

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The History of Veterans Day

Did you know Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day? President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as a day to honor those who served during the Great War. It wasn't until after World War II that it became known as Veterans Day and honored all who serve or have served in the United States military.

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Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry Veterans Day Message

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry sends a message for Veterans Day.

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Corporate America supports Veterans

from thisainthell blog



Virginia Supportive Housing, Richmond, Va. – has developed eight permanent supportive housing units exclusively for homeless veterans with disabilities. VSH manages these units and provides support services to the residents.

· National Military Family Association, Alexandria, Va. – recognizes the unique challenges today’s military spouses face in pursuing additional training or education. The funds will support educational scholarships for tuition, vocational training, professional certification and graduate school.

· Wounded Wear, Chesapeake, Va. – provides modified clothing for wounded warriors that can be worn around prosthetics or medical devices necessary for healing.

· Virginia Veterans Services Foundation, Petersburg, Charlottesville and Staunton, Va. – supports the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program, which helps veterans, National Guard and Reserves and their families connect to health and

Read the full story: http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=27423

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Coalition forces mark Remembrance Day at New Kabul Compound

Canadian Master Cpl. Richard Ross, foreground, a dental technician with the Canadian Health Services Advisory Team at the New Kabul Compound, participates in a Remembrance Day ceremony at the facility Nov. 11. In the background, at left, is Canadian Capt. R.J. Kretschmann, a doctor with the team, and at right is Canadian Lt. Col. Paul Burke, also a doctor with the team.

U.S. Forces Afghanistan
Story by Erika Stetson


KABUL, Afghanistan – Dozens of U.S., Canadian and Greek troops gathered for a Canadian-led Remembrance Day ceremony at the New Kabul Compound Nov. 11.

The ceremony is an international observance that honors and remembers fallen military members, similar to Veterans Day in the U.S., which falls on the same date.

“This is a solemn day,” said Canadian navy Capt. Rebecca Patterson, of Ottawa, Ontario, the compound’s senior Canadian health services adviser. “It’s a true act of remembrance.”

About 15 Canadians, 20 Americans and a dozen Greek troops participated. They included, along with Patterson; Army Maj. Gen. William Rapp, Deputy Commander-Support for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan; and the organization’s top enlisted official, Command Sgt. Maj. Ronnie Curry.

The ceremony included a minute of silence, a reading from the poem “In Flanders Field,” a wreath laying, and the playing of the Canadian national anthem and the Royal Anthem.

“I lost a soldier in Afghanistan in 2007,” said Warrant Officer Terry Auld, of Courtenny, British Columbia, acting sergeant major for the Canadian Health Services Advisory Team, after the ceremony. “So it’s very personal, as it is for all of us. We’ve all lost someone we know.”

He noted that the ceremony is marked in communities and on installations throughout Canada and on all bases where Canadian troops are located overseas.

Patterson called the event a way to link the sacrifices of the past with present missions and future goals. 

“We’re willing to sacrifice for freedom because it’s that important,” she said.

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Private Matthew Thornton killed in Afghanistan

Private Matthew Thornton killed in Afghanistan:
It is with regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Private Matthew Thornton, from 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (4 YORKS), was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday 9 November 2011.

Private Matthew Thornton. Picture: via MOD

Private Thornton was a Territorial Army soldier of 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment who deployed to Afghanistan with Support Company, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS), as an element of Combined Force Lashkar Gah (The Queen’s Royal Hussars Battle Group) in October 2011. He operated out of Checkpoint Khoorashan in the Babaji area at the northern tip of the Lashkar Gah district.

On 9 November 2011, his and another multiple were patrolling to the north of Checkpoint Loy Mandeh in order to engage with the Afghan people and to develop a better understanding of their area. During the patrol his multiple was engaged by small arms fire and grenades. While he was manoeuvring and returning fire he was caught in the blast from an improvised explosive device and tragically was killed.

Continues at: mod.uk – Private Matthew Thornton killed in Afghanistan

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Taliban Attack U.S.-Afghan Meeting in Border District

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents attacked a district government center in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday while American troops were meeting with local officials inside, wounding three American soldiers and killing three Afghan police officers, according to Afghan and American officials.

The attack was carried out by a group of 5 to 10 insurgents, some wearing suicide vests, who also took two Afghan officials hostage at the Chamkani district government building in Paktia Province, said Master Sgt. Nicholas Conner, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force troops in eastern Afghanistan.

The hostages included the local chief of the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence service, as well as the deputy governor of the district, he said.

It was unclear whether fighting had completely ended by nightfall, with varying accounts from officials. It was also unclear what had happened to the hostages who had been taken, but Afghan officials said no one was still being held after the fighting died down Thursday night.

A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, reached by telephone at an undisclosed location, said that “we have taken over the district center.”

Sergeant Conner said: “Technically, I guess you could say they have control of the building at this time, just like a bank robber has control of the bank when he takes hostages.”

The attack came as the Taliban leadership released a statement on the group’s Web site on Thursday mocking claims by the secretary general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, that Taliban attacks had been declining, and citing contrary information from “other enemy officials” that they had been increasing. The Taliban claims were reported by SITE, an organization that monitors jihadi and extremist Web sites.

By ROD NORDLAND on NYTIMES.com

Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/world/asia/taliban-attack-united-states-army-and-afghan-meeting-in-chamkani-district.html

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