BBC: World: "Three soldiers of the Afghan National Army are killed by a bomb in Ghazni province, military officials say."
Afghanistan is looking more and more like a little brother quagmire to the big one in Iraq. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "PARIS (Reuters) - More than 20 states, mostly in Europe, colluded in a "global spider's web" of secret CIA prisons and transfers of terrorism suspects, a European rights watchdog said in a report released on Wednesday.
It's called 'Rendition'. We will be hearing much more bad news for America about this. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has sacked dozens of senior police officials days after anti-U.S. riots in Kabul, an official said on Saturday.
The writing was on the wall when the US and Karzai agreed to put Taliban into government positions at the outset. Just another example of Americans having no clue as to how to build a foreign nation after invading it. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "Twelve men are arrested on terror charges, accused of planning attacks in Canada, police in Toronto confirm."
CNN: World: "Don't leave wounded enemies to die. Don't desecrate the dead. Don't cause unnecessary suffering. Don't steal things while searching private homes. And don't photograph detainees, especially when they're hooded."
CBS News: "The U.S. military has cleared soldiers alleged to have intentionally killed Iraqi civilians in the town of Ishaqi during a March raid, defense officials said. However, evidence is mounting in the other two cases of alleged soldier misconduct."
ABC News: Politics: "Officials Conclude Troops Followed Rules of Engagement"
Reuters: Top News: "FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - A U.S. Army sergeant was found guilty on Thursday of assaulting an inmate of Abu Ghraib prison with his dog, becoming the 11th soldier convicted in the scandal that President George W. Bush called the biggest mistake of the U.S. war in Iraq.
Let's be clear here, the mistake was Bush's, these soldiers were the unwitting victims of Bush's torture policy as were those tortured. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "MIAMI (Reuters) - The number of prisoners on hunger strike at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay navy base grew by more than a dozen to 89 on Thursday, a spokesman for the controversial detention center said.
With no courts to appeal to, the hunger strike is their own means of defense. This is a sad statement on American democracy, rule of supposed law, and constitutional human rights. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "A key U.S. general in Iraq has ordered American commanders to conduct core values training on moral and ethical standards on the battlefield. The order came as the military investigates if U.S. Marines intentionally killed unarmed Iraqi civilians."
New York Times: International News: "The chief of the highway police in Kabul saw the accident and said soldiers fired into the crowd, but the crash was not deliberate."
CBS News: CBS Evening News: "Most civilized nations, including the U.S., subscribe to the laws of war. Iraqi insurgents and terrorists, says CBS News military consultant Mitch Mitchell, do not and view killing innocent civilians as both permissible and encouraged."
Odd laws indeed that state bombing of neighborhoods and homes which could harbor the enemy is OK in terms of "collateral damage" but, killing innocents up close with a rifle or sword, instead of a bomb and shrapnel dropped from a plane, is illegal. Odd laws indeed. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "Three women and a man working for the ActionAid charity have been shot dead in northern Afghanistan."
Too bad our forces in Iraq were not in Afghanistan to protect them. But, then, if we hadn't invaded Iraq, Afghanistan would probably now be a safe place for aid workers even without our troops protecting them, now. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "The U.S. says brake failure on a military truck was the cause of a road crash that sparked deadly anti-American riots in the Afghan capital. At least 11 people were killed in the unrest, the worst in Kabul since the fall of the Taliban."
Even if it was brake failure, who in Kabul is going to believe it? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "Marine Gen. Peter Pace also told CNN that he still did not know why it had taken nearly three months for the Pentagon to find out about the November 19 incident in the Iraqi town of Haditha, in which up to 24 civilians were killed.
How does a person this stupid get promoted to General? I, and most soldiers know why it took nearly 3 months. The military maxim, "cover your ass" is why. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: Politics: "The Senate Armed Services Committee will investigate allegations that U.S. Marines committed an atrocity last year in the Iraqi city of Haditha, the panel's chairman said Sunday."
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "A deadly traffic accident Monday involving U.S. troops sparked the worst rioting in the Afghan capital since the fall of the Taliban regime, with hundreds of protesters looting shops and shouting "Death to America!" At least eight people were killed and 107 injured, an official said.
More than 20 people have been killed in fresh clashes in Afghanistan, and a human rights group reported yesterday that about 34 civilians died earlier this week in a US air strike on a southern village - double the official toll.
"CNN: World: "A human rights group said Friday that about 34 civilians were killed in a U.S. air attack Monday on the village of Azizi in southern Afghanistan, more than double the number previously cited by President Hamid Karzai."
Reuters: Top News: "FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - The defense wrapped up its case on Friday in the military trial of a sergeant accused of terrorizing detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, after struggling to prove that the abuse was approved by superiors."
It is a perverse sense of justice that our military is being tried, as they should be, for policies which the President apologized for implementing last night to the world. Our soldiers go to prison while our President who created the environment which permitted those soldiers to believe their actions were appropriate expects to get off with an apology. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "American investigators believe that a criminal investigation into the deaths of about two dozen Iraqi civilians points toward a conclusion that U.S. Marines committed unprovoked murders, a senior defense official said."
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "Afghan security forces clashed with Taliban militants in a firefight in southern Afghanistan, killing 60 insurgents and four ...
CNN: World: "At least 29 people have been killed in the latest bloodshed in the escalating conflict southern Afghanistan, according to the U.S.-led coalition."
At least 16 civilians were killed in air strikes by American-led forces on a village near Kandahar in Afghanistan yesterday. A US military spokesmen said a Taliban compound had been targeted but survivors from the village said civilian houses were bombed.
"This is not how to win the hearts and minds of the people. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Fighting this week in Afghanistan has been among the most intense since the U.S. invasion more than four years ago, with up to 300 people reported killed since last Wednesday."
But for Iraq, this would never be happening today. Opportunity costs continue to mount for the U.S. as a result of invading Iraq. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "In a separate incident, four Afghan aid workers were killed by a roadside blast west of Kabul, police said.
More ripped and shredded bodies of people trying to help other people. This war in Afghanistan should have been over years ago, were it not for Iraq. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "A US Army dog-handler goes on trial in the US charged with abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq."
Still going after the little guys, who believed they were following orders. When will those in the Pentagon and White House who set the stage for believing abusive tactics would be OK be sought? They are the true guilty parties. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan killed more than 60 Taliban fighters and 16 civilians in attacks on their strongholds in the south on Monday, the governor of Kandahar province said.
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "A U.S. soldier was killed and six wounded during a firefight with militants, the U.S.-led coalition said Saturday.
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BBC: World: "Fifteen Saudi Arabians arrive home after being released from the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba."
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "Heavy fighting involving several hundred Taliban fighters and Afghan and coalition forces in southern Afghanistan killed about ...
Were it not for Iraq, this war in Afghanistan would have been over a couple years ago. Opportunity costs of invading Iraq keep mounting and mounting. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Hundreds of Taliban insurgents attacked a town in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, and 13 policemen and 40 Taliban were killed in hours of fighting, government officials said on Thursday.
Shouldn't we have been done in Afghanistan years ago. Oh, yeah, Iraq diverted our attention and drained our strength. Iraq is our Samson's Delilah! -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Independent: World News: " The Pentagon released the names yesterday of all 759 people who have been held at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba since it opened in 2002 - including 201 people whose identity has never been revealed.
New York Times: International News: "The fighting followed similar clashes in mid-April and represented another show of force by the insurgents close to the Taliban's former spiritual capital."
Reuters: Top News: "KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Three Taliban commanders were among 11 insurgents killed in a battle near the southern Afghan town of Kandahar in which five policemen were also killed, Afghan authorities said on Monday.
Three dead on their side, 6 dead on ours. I sure hope we aren't fightin a war of attrition in Afghanistan? -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Reuters: Top News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. forces are tracking a worrisome rise in Afghanistan of tactics used by insurgents in Iraq, but have no conclusive evidence that those methods have been brought by rebels coming from Iraq, a senior U.S. commander said on Wednesday.
Yeah, well that U.S. commander has mush for brains. Iraq has become as good or better a recruiting and training ground for terrorists than Afghanistan ever was. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Read full story for latest details."
Really, I thought I saw him on Rodeo Drive the other day! -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
The Washington Times: World: "Ten U.S. soldiers died when their helicopter crashed during combat operations aimed at flushing out militants from remote mountains in eastern Afghanistan, officials said yesterday."
BBC: World: "Ten soldiers from the US-led coalition die after a military helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, officials say."
New York Times: International News: "The Taliban, counting on the imminent departure of U.S. troops, appear to be increasing their insurgency in southern Afghanistan."
This will also be the case in Iraq, which is why the Hawks will try to keep us there for decades, and the doves will fight for withdrawal to allow the inevitable to occur and the Iraqis to decide their own fate. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
New York Times: International News: "An American imprisoned in Afghanistan after being found guilty of running a private jail and torturing detainees was released under a presidential pardon."
Ah, a touch of American justice. It is not your crime, but, who speaks for you that determines your fate. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Newsweek: World News: "Global Islamic terrorism is the product of scattered groups. It has much less support in the Muslim world than people think."
BBC: World: "New estimates suggest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost the US $811bn - more than Vietnam."
New York Times: International News: "Investigators said the undeclared flights sometimes picked up kidnapped terrorism suspects and took them to countries that use torture."
BBC: World: "Four Afghan soldiers hunting militants are killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Kunar province, officials say."
CBS News: "An audio tape - believed to be from Osama bin Laden - says the West is waging a "crusade" against Muslims all over the world. The tape says America's "blockade" of funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government proves that it is at war with Islam."
It's a message with legs in many parts of the world. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Washington Post: Today's Highlights: "Three documents, seen as Pentagon's top priority, envision expanded role for Special Operations troops outside war zones, defense officials said."
New York Times: International News: "Documents found on an operative appear to show that he was a money carrier who appeared to be distributing cash to the families of Qaeda members."
BBC: World: "Two men accused of spying for the US have been killed in Pakistan's tribal region of Waziristan, officials say."
The civil unrest continues to grow in Pakistan where all that stands between al-Queda and nuclear missiles all ready to launch is the military dictator, Musharraf. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "A large explosion late Wednesday ripped through a district of Afghanistan's capital that houses embassies and the headquarters of NATO's peacekeeping mission, a NATO spokesman said."
If we hadn't invaded Iraq, Afghanistan could be a peaceful democracy now. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "Six people are injured in eastern Afghanistan, reportedly by American forces."
Civilian casualties occur in militarized zones horrible as that is. But, here in the U.S. this story will be forgot by Noon tomorrow, but, will never be forgot by Afghanis. This is why protracted occupation breeds growing insurgency, prompting longer occupation, prompting more insurgency. This was the lesson of Viet Nam, which the Bush administration is having to learn all over again because none of them served in Viet Nam. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
World Press Review: Breaking News: "The Times Of India, Conservative daily of New Delhi"
So, do we risk a civil war in Pakistan that could lead to al-Queda getting control of Musharraf's nuclear missiles, or just leave the terrorist camps in Pakistan alone? I have been saying all along that Pakistan is a far greater threat than Iran, but, then the White House didn't listen to me about Iraq either. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CNN: World: "Suspected Taliban militants have attacked two police checkposts along a highway in southern Afghanistan, sparking fighting that has left 14 fighters dead, police said Sunday, according to The Associated Press."
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories: "Afghan security forces backed by coalition helicopters attacked a suspected Taliban hideout in southern Afghanistan, setting ...
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CBS News: "A Pakistani Cabinet minister has confirmed that military forces have killed an Egyptian al Qaeda terrorist on the United States' most-wanted list. He is accused of having a role in the 1998 American Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya."
We kill one, they recruit 500 to take his place. In the White House they call this 'progress'. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "Many people are injured in an explosion during prayers at a park in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, reports say."
BBC: World: "Aid workers report a steep rise in child mortality in Basra, where the US military says the situation is "serious"."
CBS News: "Prosecutors seeking Zacarias Moussaoui's execution introduced gruesome photos of burned and blackened bodies from the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon. A defiant Moussaoui shouted, "Burn all the Pentagon next time" as he was led out of the courtroom."
Under other circumstances, this might be bravado of a noble enemy. But, under these circumstances, all we have is one very sick and contagious puppy that needs to be put away for the safety of all. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
Independent: World News: "Three British soldiers were injured, two of them seriously in a suspected bomb attack in Afghanistan yesterday."
Christian Science Monitor: All Stories: "Their honesty is resonating with those who want to serve their country, even in war.
I wonder if that realism includes advising them they could see action in Iran a whole new war with Americans as the front line soldiers instead of hiding behind Iraqis for protection. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
BBC: World: "At least 11 people are injured in two bomb attacks in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan."
Newsweek: World News: "
The proud Afghan risked all to save a Navy SEAL. Now, feeling abandoned, he is facing death threats.
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Independent: World News: "The Bush administration has sent undercover forces into Iran, and has stepped up secret planning for a possible major air attack on the country, according to the renowned US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh."
History is full of warnings to those who would fight wars on two simulataneous fronts. Bush is now planning for fighting a 3 front war against all historical odds. Somebody, please, send him a history book and read it to him each night at bedtime. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
CBS News: "Anguish. Anger. Resignation. More than 2,700 pages of documents released by the Pentagon in response to an Associated Press lawsuit are saturated with emotion from detainees held in this U.S. military base."
BBC: World: "The Pentagon voluntarily releases over 2,500 pages detailing tribunal hearings at the detention centre in Cuba."
The Washington Times: World: "Jordanian-born al Qaeda militant Abu Musab Zarqawi has been replaced as head of the terrorist organization in Iraq in a bid to put an Iraqi figure at the head of the group's struggle, said a leading Islamist."
But the back story is Zarqawi screwed up bombing Arabs in Jordan which hurt al_Queda support. -- David R. Remer, PoliWatch.Org.
