My guess is that vociferous international condemnation of the new Shia Sharia law, which, amongst other provisions, legalized marital rape, triggered a delay from the Afghan justice department
Category: Afghanistan
Bagram Detainees Allowed to Petition for Habeas
Basically, the judge drew a distinction between people caught “on the battlefield” in Afghanistan and those caught elsewhere and transferred to Bagram.
Simply calling it a POW camp, particularly when you are not treating the detainees as POWs didn’t cut it for the judge.
Needless to say, the Obama administration is expected to appeal this decision, in yet another case of going to the wall to support Bush era assaults on civil rights.
Our Man in Afghanistan
Hamid Karzai, whose incompetence and corruption is such that he is now appealing to the most backward of religious impulses, because there is no other reason to vote for him, has just signed into law a measure that legalizes marital rape:
In a massive blow for women’s rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman’s right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.
Hamid Karzai, yet another gift that keeps on giving from Bush and His Evil Minions™.
Common Sense on Pakistan
It looks like the White House will be linking future aid to Pakistan to their performance fighting the Taliban and limiting cross border incursions.
This is a very good idea.
There are elements in Pakistan who are still supporting the Taliban, because they see it as a way of offsetting Indian influence in Afghanistan, and much of the military establishment that isn’t doing this is completely focused on a future conflict with India, so they do not spend resources to assert a level of control in the “tribal regions.”
If they realize that spare parts for their F-16s is contingent on their performance in keeping the Taliban from using northern Pakistan as a staging area, maybe elements of the Pakistani security apparatus will get on the ball, as opposed to spending most of their time and energy on planning for an apocalyptic conflict with India.
Bush Appointee Incompetent and Corrupt: Afghan Edition
It looks like the US and its NATO allies are looking to appoint a Prime Minister to bypass and diminish Hamid Karzai’s role in the day to day operations in the Afghan government.
The US and its European allies are preparing to plant a high-profile figure in the heart of the Kabul government in a direct challenge to the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the Guardian has learned.
The creation of a new chief executive or prime ministerial role is aimed at bypassing Karzai. In a further dilution of his power, it is proposed that money be diverted from the Kabul government to the provinces. Many US and European officials have become disillusioned with the extent of the corruption and incompetence in the Karzai government, but most now believe there are no credible alternatives, and predict the Afghan president will win re-election in August.
Hooccoodanode that George “Heck of a job, Brownie” Bush would appoint people completely inept and corrupt to critical positions?
Meanwhile, in the Other War that We Are Losing
I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here!
It appears that opponents to the Mayor of a small part of Kabul President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai is attempting to move up the date for a presidential election from August to April, in order to prevent his rivals the time necessary to organize and campaign.
Seriously, this is a guy that the US put there, because he a close contact of the CIA in Poppy Bush’s time, and because of his ties to American energy companies, and we’re surprised that he wants to game the election process in his Favor?
Is there anything that Bush and His Evil Minions&trade touched that didn’t turn to crap?
Ahhhh….Sweet Sanity
It appears that U.S. and Iran will be working together to combat the Afghan drug trade.
This is basic common sense. Diplomacy can be based on common values or common interests, and there is a common interest here: The Shias in Iran, and the Sunni Taliban hate each other, the Taliban going so far as to murder Iranian diplomats, and Iran as a huge drug problem, with supplies from Afghanistan at its root.
There is a common interest here, and it can be the basis of joint action.
Kyrgyzstan To Close US Airbase
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan Kjust announced his intention to close the Manas air base at a press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
He is claiming that the US is not paying enough, and my guess is that the Russian aid also announced influenced him:
Russia, meanwhile, was ready to pay. The Kyrgyz president collected pledges of a $2-billion discounted loan and a $150-million grant. The Russian government also agreed to cancel Kyrgyzstan’s $180-million debt and to build a hydroelectric power plant.
I think that Russia does not want Afghanistan to fall back into the Taliban’s hands, but I also think that they see the bases in former Warsaw Pact and FSU nations as being a deliberate attempt to create a “ring of steel” in order to contain Russia.
I think that there are elements in the US military, and elements in the past administration (Cheney, Rice, etc.) who have been rather strong supporters of the “ring of steel” concept, so it’s not like they are paranoid for nothing.
From a tactical perspective, the loss of Manas is crushing, as it will, leave Pakistan as the only supply route available.
Obama Considering Ditching Karzai
Not a bad idea, since Karzai and his people are about the only people on the face of the earth worse at governance than Bush and His Evil Minions™:
The Bush administration’s close ties to the corrupt and ineffective Karzai government kept it in power long past its expiration date. During his tesimony, Gates wouldn’t say corruption reached into the “highest” levels of the Afghan government when prodded by one senator, settling for a more political “high levels” of government.
Since the Afghan people view the government in Kabul as corrupt, our propping it up does us no favors. Which is one of the reasons why Obama’s choice for Afghanistan/Pakistan special envoy, Amb. Richard Holbrooke, is such welcome news. Speaking last year at CSIS, Holbrooke made it clear he views Karzai as part of the problem, not the solution. He said the U.S. must stop trying to bolster the Karzai government in Kabul, which he called “weak and corrupt,” and focus more on governance in the provinces. “I don’t believe you can have a strong unitary government running the country from Kabul, its going to be a loosely governed country.” There is little risk of Afghanistan fragmenting, like so many feared might happen in Iraq, he said, as Afghans do not have “separatist tendencies.”
Gee, you think?
FWIW, I do not think that this was malice on the part of Bush, just an unwillingness to admit error.
I’m beginning to think that the willingness to admit error is among the rarest, and most beneficial, traits in a politician.
Gates and Murtha Back More Funds For FCS
We have a report that Rep. John Murtha and SecDef Robert Gates are supporting the acceleration of the Future Combat System in order to apply the technologies to Iraq and (particularly) Afghanistan.
What the story appears to be saying is that they want to get the improved communications and sensors capabilities into the hands of soldiers.
While I can see the advantage of this, fundamentally, the subtext here is that this is being suggested as an alternative to boots on the ground, which is a losing proposition.
One of the major problems in US counterinsurgency is that we do not commit enough ground troops, and so, we overuse air assets, which, because of collateral damage, strengthen local support for the insurgency.
Pulling the money out of whiz bang, and out of Air Force combat operations in theater, would be a much more effective use of resources.
Afghan Erection Update
Not a typo. They CIA is using Viagra to win friends and influence tribal leaders in Afthanistan:
The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.
Four blue pills. Viagra.
“Take one of these. You’ll love it,” the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.
The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes — followed by a request for more pills.
At least this cannot be turned into an IED.
No, this is not the Onion.
US Military Looking for Contractor to Oversee Mercenaries
Well this has epic FAIL written all over it:
According to a solicitation released earlier this week by the coalition headquarters at Bagram Airfield, the military is looking for a contractor to run something called the “Armed Contractor Oversight Directorate.” The work statement says the new office will be responsible for tracking private security companies (PSCs) — and keeping tabs on how often they resort to force.
If our army is so hollow that we need to hire mercenaries to supervise mercenaries…
Just so you know, that sound that you hear is Franz Kafka turning over in his grave.
Fail
So the increase in troops in Afghanistan will be concentrated in and around Kabul.
I guess that Karzai, the Mayor of Kabul President of Afghanistan needs our support.
On a less snarky note, the fact that they are deploying to protect what should be the safest place in Afghanistan is an indication of just how pear shaped this has gone.
Mo Mercs, Mo Mercs, Mo Mercs!!!
It appears that the US Army is looking to employing mercenaries private contractors as security guards at forward operating bases (FOBs), because, you know, the presence of heavily armed mercenaries operating largely with impunity in the countryside worked so well in winning the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq.
No, this is not The Onion, this is just the latest bunch of Pentagon whiz kids at work.
An Interesting Take on MRAP’s in Afghanistan
One of the things in big demand in Iraq were Mine Resistant Ambushed Protected vehicles (MRAP) to deal with road side bombs.
Well it appears that the experience with these vehicles in Afghanistan has been far less positive than in Iraq:
During my recent embed with Marines in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, the number one gear complaint was the MRAP: it was too wide for most roads, and the top-heavy vehicles were prone to rollover.
Iraq is, after all, a fairly flat country with an excellent road system, and Afghanistan is probably the opposite of this.
Given the high wheel loads and the top heavy nature of these vehicles this is to be expected.
MRAPs are not just a counterinsurgency specific system, they are a “counterinsurgency with good roads specific” system.
Our Friends in Afghanistan
Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Hamid Karzai, who the US installed as Afghan president, is hip deep in the heroin trade in Afghanistan.
Heck of a job, Bushie.
Why Am I Not Surprised?
Gitmo Prosecutor Quits Over Lack of Due Process
Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld has quit as prosecutor, claiming that, potential exculpatory evidence has not been provided to the defense in the case of a teenager accused of throwing a grenade at US soldiers in Afghanistan.
Good for him, though the fact that he has refused to testify without immunity indicates that this is worse than just ignoring a bit of evidence.
Pakistani Military Told to Shoot at Americans
It appears that the Pakistanis have gotten a bit hot under the collar about US incursions, as they have just authorized firing on US troops if they cross the border:
“The orders are clear,” Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said in an interview. “In case it happens again in this form, that there is a very significant detection, which is very definite, no ambiguity, across the border, on ground or in the air: open fire.”
Jeff Stein of CQ politics, makes a very good point here, that Pakistan increasingly seems to resemble Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge.
- The Cambodians tolerated the North Vietnamese, the Pakistanis the Taliban.
- The US engaged in cross border bombing to target their opponent.
- The US escalated to cross border troop actions.
- The effect of the escalation was to drive the local populace to our opponents.
- The leader of the country was ousted.
There is one difference though, which Mr. Stein notes: Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
Us Account of Afghanistan False: Cell Phone Pictures Tell The Tale
Well, it appears that the US claims of 5 to 7 civilians and 30+ militants have been pretty convincinbly disproven:
The Afghan government, human rights and intelligence officials, independent witnesses and a United Nations investigation back up their account, pointing to dozens of freshly dug graves, lists of the dead, and cellphone videos and other images showing bodies of women and children laid out in the village mosque.
Cellphone images seen by this reporter show at least 11 dead children, some apparently with blast and concussion injuries, among about 30 to 40 bodies laid out in the village mosque. Ten days after the airstrikes, villagers dug up the last victim from the rubble, a baby just a few months old. Their shock and grief is still palpable.
Not only is the lying stupid, but it’s an attempt to justify a policy that reinforces the support of the Taliban.