Tag Archives: Afghanistan
26 August 2013
According to Al Jazeera, the Afghan president Hamid Karzai made a plea for a joint anti-terrorism campaign with Pakistan during his one-day visit with the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
President Karzai told journalists that the two countries should launch a joint campaign against ‘the menace of terrorism’. The President has previously urged Pakistan to help Afghanistan defeat fighters who he says are destabilizing both countries. The Afghan government considers Taliban safe havens in Pakistan to be the main cause of increased violence. During Karzai’s visit, the Pakistani Prime Minister called for constructive dialogue to improve bilateral relations, but reportedly did not comment on the joint campaign initiative.
Source: Al Jazeera | Karzai seeks Pakistan's help during visit
4 June 2013
Mauritanian officials confirmed on Saturday 1 June that Younis al-Mauritani, a prisoner suspected of being a senior Al-Qaeda member, was transferred by the United States from the infamous Bagram military base in Afghanistan to his native Mauritania, an important Western ally against Al-Qaeda in the Sahel region.
Al-Mauritani was originally captured in Pakistan in 2011 in a joint US-Pakistani operation and was then suspected on planning attacks on US economic interests in Pakistan as well as European and Australian targets. Mauritania had issued an international arrest warrant against him pursuant to a deadly attack on an army base in 2005 and a police shootout in 2008.
Source: The New York Times | Mauritania Says U.S. Sent Prisoner From Afghan Base
14 April 2013
Officials and witnesses say eleven children have been killed in a NATO air strike in the Shigal district, in the Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The strikes were called in to support a major operation by US and Afghan government forces targeting senior Taliban commanders and a local weapons cache. The NATO-led International Security Assistant Force (ISAF) said: ‘The air support was called in by coalition forces – not Afghans’. A statement issued on behalf of President Karzai strongly condemned the NATO attack, and ‘military operations in residential areas that cause civilian deaths’.
Source: BBC | Afghan children 'killed by Nato air strike in Shigal'
28 March 2013
Afghan and NATO military officials have reported they have killed more than 20 armed fighters in a joint operation in the east of Afghanistan. The operation in the eastern province of Logar rescued two captured Afghan soldiers.
Source: Al Jazeera | Joint operation kills Afghan fighters
27 March 2013
The United States has transferred all but a ‘small number’ of the Afghan prisoners at the Bagram prison to the Afghan government. The New York Times writes that the Bagram commander, Gen. Ghulam Farouk Barakzai, said the Americans gave the Afghans control of 4,000 prisoners in the last year since the transfer began, but a small number still remains in American custody. He did not say how many or for how long they might be held by the Americans.
It also is reported that the transfer was made possible as the United States probably choose long-term influence in Afghanistan over holding firm on difficult issues. The Obama administration made a priority of reaching agreement on an American military presence in Afghanistan after 2014, allowing the US to keep an eye on Pakistan and Iran and control extremists in Pakistan’s ungoverned tribal areas.
Source: The New York Times | Karzai Has Nothing but Praise for U.S. Upon Bagram Prison Transfer