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High Court judge found that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) had wrongfully used privileged emails to bring its case against Keydata. A further "relief hearing" will now determine the impact of the ruling, which could de-rail the case altogether. It is the latest in a line of setbacks for the regulator, which has been investigating regulatory breaches at Keydata and millions of pounds of missing retail funds for two years. Keydata invested in "life settlement funds", which buy and sell US life insurance and generate high returns. In June 2009 the FSA applied for Keydata's closure "to protect investors", saying it was concerned about "potentially missing assets". The business was fast-tracked into administration and referred to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). It emerged that £103m...
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
US to pressure Iran over 'plot to kill Saudi envoy'
US Attorney General Eric Holder says the alleged conspiracy was "conceived, sponsored and directed from Iran" Continue reading the main story Related Stories Clinton hails break-up of 'plot' Middle East rivalries play out in US The US secretary of state has called for a "very strong message" to be sent to Iran, after allegations of a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US. Hillary Clinton said Washington was preparing new penalties against Iran, which is already subject to a variety of international sanctions. Two Iranians were charged over the plot which US officials said implicated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Meanwhile the US issued a worldwide alert about possible anti-US actions. "The US government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador...
US issues travel alert linked to Iran plot
The US State Department late on Tuesday issued a worldwide travel alert for US citizens, warning of the potential for anti-US action after the United States accused Iran of backing a plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington. Murder Plot Iranians charged over assassination plot / Reuters American authorities uncover plot to bomb Israeli, Saudi embassies in Washington, assassinate Saudi ambassador Full story "The US government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity against diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United States," it said in a statement on its website. The alert expires January 11, 2012, it sa...
Monday, 26 September 2011
Gunman Kills American at Kabul CIA Office
An Afghan employee killed one American and wounded another at Central Intelligence Agency offices in Kabul, Western security officials said Monday, an attack that called attention to U.S. security concerns about reliance on local partners. The two Americans came under fire late Sunday by a lone Afghan employee in an annex of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, said embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall. U.S. officials in Washington said the shooting occurred at an annex housing the CIA's offices. A Western security official in Kabul said the Afghan attacker had the trust of CIA employees in the compound, and may have been working for them as an informant, which is why he was allowed into the annex and had access to a gun. The official added that the gunman may have accessed the roof of the CIA building...
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Pakistan bus attack kills dozens
25 Shia Muslim pilgrims have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a bus in western Pakistan, officials said. The pilgrims were going through Mastung district in Baluchistan province, en route to the Iranian border, when the attack occurred, said a senior district official, Saeed Umrani. Two motorcycles blocked the path of the bus and three gunmen stormed the vehicle, opening fire on the roughly 40 pilgrims inside, said a local tribal police officer, Dadullah Baluch, after interviewing survivors and eyewitnesses. At least 25 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the attack on Tuesday, he added. The dead and wounded were being taken to a hospital in Quetta, about 35 miles to the north, he said. Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state. Although most Sunnis and Shias...
Taliban turban bomber kills Afghan ex-president
A Taliban suicide bomber with concealed explosives in a turban on Tuesday assassinated former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was leading government peace efforts, police said. The bomber struck during a meeting at the Kabul home of Rabbani, who was last year appointed chief of the Afghan High Peace Council that President Hamid Karzai tasked with negotiating with the Taliban. His death is the most high-profile political assassination since the 2001 US-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power and comes just two months after Karzai's brother Ahmed Wali Karzai was also killed. The attackers arrived at Rabbani's house with Mohammad Massom Stanikzai, Rabbani's deputy, for a meeting before the turban bomber detonated his explosives, according to one source amid conflicting reports...
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Cheryl Cole | Cheryl Cole Flies To Afghanistan To Boost Troops' Morale
British singer Cheryl Cole has flown to Afghanistan to visit U.K. troops serving in the war-torn country. The Girls Aloud star made her way to the country's Helmand Province on Tuesday night (13Sep11) to surprise servicemen and women. Cole underwent special training to prepare for the hostile environment she will tour during her visit, which marks 10 years of British operations in the country. Her morale-boosting trip is being filmed as part of the annual Pride of Britain Awards, which will air on U.K. TV next month (Oct11). A source tells Britain's Daily Mirror, "Cheryl's amazed by the courage of all those serving our country. When she was invited to go out to see them in Afghanistan, she immediately said 'yes'. "She thinks it's such a great cause and they deserve all the recognition...
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Insurgents Attack U.S. Embassy In Afghanistan
Insurgents are firing rockets towards the U.S. Embassy, NATO headquarters and other official buildings in Kabul, Afghanistan Fox News confirms. Taliban militants are claiming responsibility for the attacks. Police said the gunmen were firing from a tall office building that is under construction at Kabul's Abdul Haq square, which is about 300 yards from the U.S. Embassy. Embassy officials confirmed an attack by insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades and small arms but says no personnel have been reported injured. Embassy spokeswoman Kerri Hannan says staff had been ordered to take cover in hardened structures as gunfire and explosions rocked the area in the heart of the Afghan capital on Tuesday. She says "there are no casualties at this time among embassy personnel."...
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
US deplores 'cowardly' India bombing
The United States on Wednesday condemned the "cowardly" bombing outside a courthouse in New Delhi, and praised the courage of the Indian people "in the face of horrific violence." "The United States condemns in the strongest terms this morning's deadly bombing outside the New Delhi High Court, and extends its deepest condolences to those affected by these cowardly attacks," US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. "The people of India have once again demonstrated remarkable resiliency and courage in the face of horrific violence," Nuland said. Nuland said the United States "stands ready to offer any and all assistance to Indian authorities," and that Washington was monitoring the situation to ensure "the safety and security" of US citizens in India. "Terrorism...
Monday, 5 September 2011
talkSPORt to be broadcast to British troops stationed overseas
talkSPORT commentary on the Rugby World Cup 2011 is to be broadcast to British soldiers serving overseas, the British Forces Broadcasting Service has announced. Coverage commences on September 9 and will enable troops stationed in more than 20 countries; including Afghanistan, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, to keep up to date with all the games as they are played. England legend Brian Moore, aka The Pit Bull, will be heading up talkSPORT's coverage for the tournament alongside David Campese. He said: “The Rugby World Cup is a massive event and is sure to be a fantastic spectacle – I’m really pleased to be supporting our brave troops abroad.” BFBS Controller Nicky Ness said: “I am delighted that the BFBS and talkSPORT partnership now extends to Rugby World Cup coverage. ...
Monday, 15 August 2011
young British officer has been killed by a Taliban bomb just yards outside the gate of his base in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant Daniel Clack, 24, of 1st Battalion The Rifles, was leading a 10-man patrol to meet locals in a nearby village in Helmand Province when he was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED).Five of his comrades were also injured in the blast, which took place 150 metres from the front gate of their checkpoint.Lt Clack, from north London, leaves behind his mother Sue, father Martin, brother James and fiancee Amy Tinley.His family said in a statement: "Dan was a brave rifleman and he died doing the only profession he ever considered. He loved leading his riflemen and was so proud to be an officer in the British Army."There are no words to describe our loss. He will be forever missed by his mother, father, brother, fiancee and all those who knew him. He will always be in our hearts."Lt...
Sunday, 17 July 2011
British soldier shot dead in Afghanistan
The serviceman from 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) was killed while conducting a routine patrol with members of the Afghanistan National Army on Saturday, officials said.Next of kin have been informed.The MoD said an investigation was under way into reports that the soldier was shot by a member of the Afghan National Army.The serviceman, who is yet to be named, was part of The Brigade Advisory Group carrying out a routine patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj District, officials added.He was providing fire support for a unit of comrades from his Jackal vehicle when he was shot, according to the MoD&nb...
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Taliban claims assassination of Karzai brother
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination of President Hamid Karzai's younger brother on Tuesday, calling it "one of our biggest achievements" in nearly a decade of war.Taliban spokesman Usuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone that the group had recently assigned a gunman to kill Ahmed Wali Karzai, a hugely powerful and controversial figure in the Afghan south&nb...
Monday, 4 July 2011
British soldier 'captured by Taliban in Afghanistan
The Ministry of Defence said the soldier was reported missing in the early hours of this morning after he disappeared from his base in central Helmand Province.The soldier's next of kin have been informed and a major search is under way to find him.A spokesman for the Taliban claimed that the militant group had captured the soldier on Sunday, and even claimed that they had executed him, in the Babaji area of southern Helmand."The soldier was captured yesterday evening during a firefight. When the fighting got more intense we couldn't keep him so we had to kill him," Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters.The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the MoD declined to comment on the Taliban claims.Afghan police officials in southern Helmand said a British soldier had been kidnapped...
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Pinned down in a series of "Alamos" across the north of Helmand, British soldiers became magnets for attacks from Taliban, drug gangs and locals
Back in 2005, the Blair government committed itself to rebuilding Afghanistan's Helmand province, with a vision that went far beyond what proved possible as revealed in the original planning document released to the BBC.Helmand has proved by a long way to be the Afghan war's bloodiest ground.It is the poorest province in one of the world's poorest countries. But some in Whitehall thought they could transform it into something closer to Belgium when Britain deployed there in the spring of 2006.The hope was that not even a shot would be fired with troops home in 2009.Instead, 323 British servicemen and women have so far been killed in Helmand, 9,500 British troops are still there and the vision has been revised to the development level of Bangladesh, at best, in another 20 years.According to...
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Third British soldier fatally wounded in three days
British soldier has died after being shot in Helmand province.The serviceman, from the 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Staffords) was on patrol in the southern Nahr-e Saraj district when he came under fire from insurgents yesterday.The soldier had been sent on a patrol with the Afghan National Army to meet with people who had recently reoccupied the Haji Tor Aga Kalaycorrect area of the district.He was part of a protective cordon guarding the meeting when he was shot by insurgents and fatally wounded.His death came as two other British fatalities were named by the MoD. Craftsman Andrew Found, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and Corporal Lloyd Newell, from the Parachute Regiment, died in separate incidents on Thursday.&nb...
Nine people were killed Saturday when three attackers armed with suicide vests and machine-guns stormed a police station in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul,
Nine people were killed Saturday when three attackers armed with suicide vests and machine-guns stormed a police station in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul, officials said.The militants, at least one of whom was in army uniform, got into a compound housing the police station in the crowded main central market area, near the Afghan presidential palace, defence ministry and other official buildings.Five civilians were among the dead along with three policemen and one officer from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, interior ministry spokesman Najib Nikzad said. Ten civilians and two police were wounded.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest embarrassing breach at a supposedly secure location in Kabul, which comes weeks before limited foreign troop withdrawals are...
Monday, 13 June 2011
Police Recruits Impose Islamic Tax on Afghans
Ghulam Hazrat should be a poster boy for the peaceful reintegration of insurgents who want to switch sides. Six months ago he was a Taliban commander in the troubled Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz Province. Now he and 10 of his followers are in the process of becoming police officers, at which point the government will start paying them salaries.Enlarge This ImageIn the meantime, however, Mr. Hazrat is raising money the same way he did as a Taliban commander, by imposing an “Islamic tax” on people in his district.“The government is telling me to fight the Taliban and protect your area so we must ask people for help in order to take care of myself and my friends,” he said in an interview. He and other militiamen who have declared for the government and hope to join the local police,...
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
15 people have been killed in a US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan
15 people have been killed in a US drone strike in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan, officials say.They told the Associated Press news agency that the attack took place in Shawal region near the Afghan border.The US says North Waziristan is home to several militant groups involved in attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan.Officials say the drone fired five missiles, destroying a fortress-like militant compound in Zoi village.A vehicle in the area was also reported to have been hit. Officials say the death toll may rise. They said all those killed were militants, but their group affiliations are still unclear.The media are denied access to the area and independent confirmation of the claims is not possible.The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says the area is controlled by militants...
Sunday, 5 June 2011
UK soldier killed while on a security patrol in Afghanistan has been named.
Father-of-two Corporal Michael John Pike, 26, of 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, died on Friday.His commanding officer described him as "the perfect example of a Highland soldier- loyal and fiercely courageous".The death of Cpl Pike, who was from Huntly, Aberdeenshire, brings the number of UK MoD deaths in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 369.He had been sent with his unit to Pupalzay, along the Highway 601 in the Lashkar Gah area of Helmand province.Cpl Pike was taking part in an operation to prevent the insurgents from "intimidating the local population" and attacking an Afghan police checkpoint.His patrol came under fire from rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.'Loyal and courageous'Cpl Pike, who had two children, Joshua and Evelynn, had been deployed to Afghanistan...
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Suicide bomber kills 13 in attack on Afghan police cadets
A suicide bomber killed 13 people and wounded at least 20 in an attack on a minibus carrying police cadets in the main city in Afghanistan's east on Wednesday, a government spokesman said.Ahmadzia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan's turbulent east, said the bomber had rammed an explosives-packed car into the bus carrying cadets in Jalalabad city. He said the dead and wounded included police and civilians.&nb...
Monday, 16 May 2011
Four Canadian soldiers were injured when a helicopter "rolled" Monday during a "hard landing" on a riverbed in Afghanistan.
The Canadian CH-47 Chinook transport chopper accident occurred during night operations by the Quebec-based Royal 22nd Regiment in the Horn of Panjwaii. Insurgents were not blamed in the incident.None of the injuries were considered serious or life threatening at this time, said Maj. David Devenney, the Task Force Kandahar spokesman. Among several dozen passengers was a Canadian journalist who was uninjured.Three of the wounded were flown by another helicopter to the U.S. Navy-run Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar Airfield. Canadian and other coalition forces secured the crash site."I am extremely happy everybody is in good shape," said Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner, the Canadian commander. "The casualties were very minor. They'll be looked at over the next few days.""It was a standard operation," Milner...
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Royal Marine from 42 Commando has been killed in Afghanistan
Royal Marine from 42 Commando has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.The marine was killed by a bomb while involved in an operation to search a compound in the Loy Mandeh Wadi area of the Nad Ali district of Helmand province on Sunday.The marine's next of kin have been informed.It means the number of British military deaths in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 365.Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said the marine, who was from Plymouth-based 42 Commando, had been involved in an operation which was "investigating suspected insurgent activity" in a number of compounds in the Loy Mandeh Wadi area of the Nad Ali district in Helmand Province when he was fatally injured.He added: "Our thoughts and prayers are with his...
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Afghan Taliban Launches Coordinated Attacks in Kandahar
Taliban insurgents are attacking several locations in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar and have wounded at least 11 people.Provincial spokesman Zalmay Ayoubi said by phone from inside the governor's building that the compound was under attack. There also were reports of gunfire and explosions in other parts of the city.The violence began shortly after midday Saturday with reports of militants using small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks, a week after the group announced the start of its annual spring offensive.The attacks in Kandahar city also come a day after the Taliban issued a statement saying that Osama bin Laden's killing in Pakistan by U.S. forces would give a boost to the insurgency. However, a militant...
Monday, 2 May 2011
Osama bin Laden was killed by a bullet fired by a United States Navy SEAL during a 40-minute helicopter assault on a fortified compound believed to have been purpose-built to hide the al-Qaeda leader.
Osama bin Laden was killed by a bullet fired by a United States Navy SEAL during a 40-minute helicopter assault on a fortified compound believed to have been purpose-built to hide the al-Qaeda lead...
Osama bin Laden evaded capture for almost a decade thanks to a secretive and ruthless protection system.
Despite being the world's most wanted man, pursued by the most advanced military in history, Osama bin Laden evaded capture for almost a decade thanks to a secretive and ruthless protection system.In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, bin Laden is thought to have moved between Kandahar and Kabul, in Afghanistan, arranging the exit and financial backing of allies.Three months after the attacks, he survived the aerial bombardment by the US air force of the cave complex in the mountains of Tora Bora, in which he was widely assumed to be hiding.For almost ten years, it had been generally thought that he and a cabal of close aides slipped across the nearest point of the Pakistani border, probably assisted by rogue Pakistani law enforcement officers.But a report...
Sunday, 1 May 2011
The Taliban on Saturday declared the start of a spring offensive in Afghanistan
The Taliban on Saturday declared the start of a spring offensive in Afghanistan, warning that insurgents plan to attack foreign troops, Afghan security forces and government officials in coming days.In a statement, the Taliban warned civilians to avoid public gatherings, military bases and convoys, as well as government buildings."All Afghan people should bear in mind to keep away from gatherings, convoys and centers of the enemy so that they will not become harmed during attacks of mujahedin against the enemy," the statement said.The statement said that in addition to troops, the targets of their operation would be high-ranking officials within President Hamid Karzai's government, members of the Cabinet and lawmakers, as well as businessmen working with NATO forces.United Nations officials,...
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday it had killed the second-most-wanted insurgent in Afghanistan, a senior al Qaeda leader from Saudi Arabia
U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday it had killed the second-most-wanted insurgent in Afghanistan, a senior al Qaeda leader from Saudi Arabia who was responsible for setting up terrorist training camps and launching attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces.The Saudi, identified by the coalition as Abu Hafs Al Najdi, also known as Abdul Ghani, operated mostly from the mountainous Kunar province in northeast Afghanistan. A list of the 85 most wanted terrorists released by the Saudi government in 2009 placed him 21st; that list gave his real name as Salef Nayef Eid al Mahlafi, and put his current age at 27.In addition to Mr. Najdi, the April 13 airstrike in Kunar's Dangam district bordering Pakistan killed another al Qaeda leader, known as Waqas, the coalition said. It said a total of 25 al Qaeda militants...
Brazen Afghan jailbreak may have dire consequences
An audacious jailbreak organised by the Taliban that freed hundreds of prisoners could have a devastating effect on efforts to quell a growing insurgency and underscores the weakness of the Afghan government and its security forces.The Taliban wasted little time in crowing about how they were able to orchestrate the mass escape from the main jail in Kandahar in Afghanistan's south, freeing about 500 inmates on Monday under the noses of Afghan and foreign security forces.Analysts now fear the jailbreak will help an emboldened Taliban spread their insurgency despite strenuous efforts by Afghan, U.S. and other foreign troops over more than a year to hit back at militants in their strongholds in the south.It comes as a blow to both the Afghan government and NATO-led foreign troops who have boasted...
veteran Afghan air force pilot opened fire inside a military compound at Kabul International Airport early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of Afghan and NATO forces
veteran Afghan air force pilot opened fire inside a military compound at Kabul International Airport early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of Afghan and NATO forces in what might have been another in a series of attacks by Taliban infiltrators, authorities said.U.S. Master Sgt. Jason Haag, a NATO spokesman, said some NATO forces were killed, but could not say how many.The pilot, whose identity was not immediately released, began shooting about 11 a.m. after an argument with a foreign colleague, according to a statement released by Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi."An Afghan officer opened fire on foreigners after an argument," Azimi said. "For the past 20 years, he has been a military pilot."Azimi could not give a specific number of deaths and injuries but said...
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
A soldier who was injured in Afghanistan while clearing roadside bombs has died, the Ministry of Defence said today.
The soldier was on an operation to clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Nahr-e Saraj (South) district of Helmand Province
9:39AM BST 20 Apr 2011
The soldier, from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, was on an operation to clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Nahr-e Saraj (South) district of Helmand Province on Monday when one bomb detonated.
Initially taken to Camp Bastion in Helmand, the soldier was then evacuated to the Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital in Birmingham, but died on Tuesday, the MoD said.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said he announced the death...
Monday, 18 April 2011
gunman in Afghan army uniform opened fire inside Kabul's defence ministry Monday, killing two soldiers and wounding seven in an audacious strike at the heart of government claimed by the Taliban
A gunman in Afghan army uniform opened fire inside Kabul's defence ministry Monday, killing two soldiers and wounding seven in an audacious strike at the heart of government claimed by the Taliban.
The attack, which the militants said was aimed at France's visiting defence minister Gerard Longuet, was the third major assault on Afghan security targets in four days and one of the worst security breaches in years.
"A person in Afghan army uniform opened fire on his comrades, killed two soldiers, injured seven others, then was targeted himself and was brought down," Afghan army spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP.
After his death, the...
Friday, 15 April 2011
An unarmed British soldier was hailed for his astonishing bravery after capturing a Taliban bombing chief in a fist fight.
Private Lee Stephens leapt off an armoured vehicle to grab the high-ranking Taliban fighter from a motorbike after a chase across the desert in Helmand province.
"I grabbed the geezer," said Gunner Pte Stephens, 30. "It was Mark One left, Mark Two right fists. That was it. No weapons, just my hands."
Soldiers from B Company, 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, based at Durai Junction on Highway One, had pushed into an insurgent hotspot looking to disrupt the enemy.
Shortly after spotting an improvised explosive device, the soldiers saw a motorcyclist approach as they crossed open ground.
Insurgent gunmen then opened fire from behind him...
Monday, 4 April 2011
Protests erupted in Afghanistan again Monday against a Florida pastor's burning of the Quran, making four straight days of demonstrations
Protests erupted in Afghanistan again Monday against a Florida pastor's burning of the Quran, making four straight days of demonstrations — some deadly — against the destruction of Islam's holy book in a country struggling to beat back an insurgency led by Taliban religious extremists.The demonstration in eastern Laghman province briefly threatened to turn into another melee as about 300 protesters brandished sticks and threw stones at police, who in turned started firing shots in the air, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.The protest started in Alingar district and the shouting crowd moved toward the provincial capital of Mihtarlam, where they clashed with officers who wanted to keep them out of the city, said Gen. Abdul Aziz Gharanai, the provincial police chief.However,...
Friday, 1 April 2011
UN mission in Afghanistan has been thrown into a deep crisis after a furious mob of protesters killed and wounded a number of its staff
UN mission in Afghanistan has been thrown into a deep crisis after a furious mob of protesters killed and wounded a number of its staff in one of the country's most peaceful cities.
One police source in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif claimed at least eight foreign UN employees were killed after a demonstration in the thriving commercial hub turned violent. Other officials reported different figures.
Provincial police spokesman Sherjan Durrani said the demonstrators poured out of mosques in the city in the early afternoon, shortly after Friday prayers where worshippers had been angered by reports that a Florida pastor had burned a copy...
Pakistani official says Islamist militants have attacked a terminal in the country's northwest for trucks carrying supplies for NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, killing three Pakistani guards at the site.
Pakistani official says Islamist militants have attacked a terminal in the country's northwest for trucks carrying supplies for NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, killing three Pakistani guards at the site.Government administrator Akbar Khan said the guards were killed on Friday in the town of Landi Kotal, close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He says the attackers slit the guards' throats.Taliban militants often attack NATO supply trucks in Pakistan, though the vast majority of the goods are untouched.Much of the non-lethal supplies for the war effort in Afghanistan come via Pakistan after being unloaded at the Arabian Sea port of Karachi in the sou...
American female soldiers stationed in Afghanistan are being encouraged to wear a Muslim headscarf when interacting with civilians
In an effort to get closer to the local population, American female soldiers stationed in Afghanistan are being encouraged to wear a Muslim headscarf when interacting with civilians. But some question whether the practice constitutes cultural sensitivity or a form of appeasement that is degrading to U.S. soldiers.
Major Kyndra Rotunda, executive director of the Military Law and Policy Institute and AMVETS Legal Clinic, told The Daily Caller that while the women are not being ordered to wear the head scarf, encouragement is tantamount to a demand.
“They say they are encouraging women to wear the headscarf when they are out and about and on patrol....
six soldiers killed were Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, Staff Sgt. Frank E. Adamski, Spec. Jameson L. Lindskog, Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess, Pfc. Dustin J. Feldhaus and Pvt. Jeremy P. Faulkner.
large-scale helicopter-borne assault into a remote, insurgent-held sanctuary near the border with Pakistan left six U.S. soldiers dead in heavy fighting with Afghan and Pakistani insurgents, U.S. officials said. The operation, which was continuing Thursday, was designed to drive back the enemy in the remote and mountainous border region. One Afghan soldier was also killed in the assault. In this week’s assault, U.S. forces pushed deeper into the valley and closer to the Pakistan border than they had in years, killing large numbers of enemy fighters and uncovering several significant weapons caches, a U.S. military official said.Names of the fallen..The six soldiers killed were Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, Staff Sgt. Frank E. Adamski, Spec. Jameson L. Lindskog, Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Burgess,...
female Airmen made history here March 30 when the F-15E Strike Eagles of "Dudette 07" blazed down the runway to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces.
Afghanistan: A team of female Airmen made history here March 30 when the F-15E Strike Eagles of "Dudette 07" blazed down the runway to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces.The two-ship formation consisted of all females, two pilots and two weapons system officers, but more importantly, it marked the first combat mission flown from Bagram to be planned, maintained and flown entirely by females.This mission represents the first combat sortie on record to involve only female Airmen from the pilots and weapons officers to the mission planners and maintainers, said Lt. Col. Kenneth Tilley, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing historian.Although the call sign for the mission may have been lighthearted, the sortie was all business calling for the pilots to travel to the Kunar...
Thursday, 31 March 2011
U.S. intelligence source said the CIA is in the country to increase the "military and political understanding" of the situation.
The NATO mission -- called Operation Unified Protector-- includes an arms embargo, a no-fly zone and "actions to protect civilians and civilian centers," the alliance said Thursday.It follows a U.N. Security Council resolution allowing member states to take all necessary measures -- with the exception of foreign occupation -- to protect civilians under the threat of attack in Libya.Over the weekend, CNN reported that rebels had taken al-Brega, Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad and reached a town just east of Sirte. But in the last three days, opposition fighters have been pushed back eastward.Hoekstra: What may be next in Libya Libyan opposition speaks out on tactics Anderson: Gadhafi opposition badly armed Libyan foreign minister resignsRebel forces -- hampered by a lack of organization, training...
BTricks
