Politico, 31 August 2017 One from the horse’s mouth: Private warriors are just like T-shirts; they are cheaper in developing countries. Call it the globalization of private force. But do we want Filipino, Colombian and Ugandan mercenaries fighting our wars for us, their way? To them, military operations might involve massacring a village that could […]
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Forbes, 24 August 2017 The intervention in Afghanistan has cost the US $1.07 trillion dollars since 2001. The bill can be divided into three segments. Overseas Contingency Operations funds specifically dedicated to the war come to $773 billion. $243 billion can be attributed to increases in the base budget of the Department of Defense while […]
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Wall Street Journal, 22 August 2017 Useful article that gives an overview over the real number of US soldiers in Afghanistan: 8400 ‘full-timers’ and 3500 temporarily deployed, altogether 11,900. 3900 will be added based on Trump strategy, summa summarum: 15,800. Then there is an unknown number of special forces etc; of course, some soldiers shift between […]
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Reuters, 18 August 2017 Author Josh Smith, among other things, gives figures about composition of RS mission: Of the 12,447 troops from 39 countries that make up the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, about 2,865 are classified as advisers, according to numbers provided by the coalition. Another 7,766 are considered “enablers”, which can range from logistics […]
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Foreign Policy, 16 August 2017 A very readable pre-Trump speech insight, by former US ambassador Ron Neumann, into problems that have now fallen behind the military-first, anti-terrorism strategy – reform, institutions, anti-corruption – expressing the fear that upcoming elections and related alliance-building might stop whatever reform is ongoing.
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New York Times, 7 August 2017 An interesting rendering of the local power architecture in Ghor province, where Taleban fighters recently have taken Taiwara district – including alleged ‘cross-frontline’ connections between a local ‘Taleban faciliatator’ and the High Peace Council in Kabul and a Jamiati commander-turned-Daesh.
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Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 7 August 2017 In German: As one of the few international media, the leading Swiss daily does not just reprint the claims about an alleged IS-Taleban collusion during the recent massacre in Sarepul province, but points out that if the allegation turned out to be true, it would constitute a serious shift […]
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Politico, 25 July 2017 Afghans are still waiting for an American strategy for their country, but it is delayed another time. Here an inside view from Washington on what problems that might stand in its way.
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Wall Street Journal, 25 July 2017 Journal reporters were allowed to watch President Ghani during a full working day: “During a series of meetings, the 66-year-old former World Bank official and ex-finance minister berated a senior United Nations envoy over plans to fund parliamentary elections and threatened to fire about half a dozen senior government […]
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Daily Finland, 7 July 2017 “A teenage asylum seeker from Afghanistan was deported from Finland on Tuesday a few hours before the court suspended the deportation order (…). The Turku appeal court allowed the 19-year-old asylum seeker Zaki Hussaini to stay in Finland based on his work permit application, but the law enforcers had already made […]
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New York Times, 11 September 2005 A useful re-read about the Tora Bora cave complex, “part of a C.I.A.-financed complex built for the mujahedeen,” with Osama bin Laden’s involvement. Featuring also Mawlawi Khales, Haji Abdul Qadir and Engineer Mahmud (both late) and a certain “Brig. Gen. James N. Mattis, the commander of some 4,000 marines.”
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BBC, 8 June 2017 A rare glimpse into Taleban controlled area in Helmand – Sangin and Musa Qala – “the Taliban’s de facto capital”: “We were not allowed to film anything to do with opium. The opium trade is synonymous with this region (…) “Opium is our economic necessity, but we hate it as much as […]
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