Free Republic

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2010 – Military officials have provided details on numerous recent operations in Afghanistan. -- An Afghan-international security force detained two suspected insurgents in Helmand province last night while pursuing a Taliban commander with ties to an insurgent network operating in southern Arghandab district of Kandahar province. The force found 5 pounds of heroin during the operation and protected women and children who were present. -- Afghan and international forces detained several suspected insurgents in the Tagab district of Kapisa province last night while pursuing a Taliban commander directly linked to a September 2008 ambush that wounded three...

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2010 – The commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan has made changes to improve command and control in the key province of Helmand. Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez also spoke about the civil-military cooperation and lessons learned from the Marja campaign in Helmand. A Marine battalion will replace British forces in the strategic town of Sangin along the Helmand River, Rodriguez said during a teleconference with Pentagon reporters today. “The British are committing their theater reserve for the next several months into the central Helmand River valley to increase the security...

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2010 – Afghan and international security forces conducted combined operations in Afghanistan’s Ghazni, Helmand and Logar provinces last night, detaining a Taliban commander and several suspected insurgents, military officials reported. An Afghan-international force detained two suspected insurgents in Ghazni while pursuing a Taliban facilitator responsible for providing money, munitions and guidance to the Taliban and to the Haqqani terrorist organization’s networks in Ghazni and Paktika provinces. The security force went to a compound in the Gelan district, and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for the occupants to come out of the buildings before the combined...

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2010 – Afghan and international security forces conducted numerous operations last night, capturing a Taliban district chief and killing or capturing numerous other insurgents, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international force captured the Taliban district chief of Now Zad and killed a large number of insurgents during an operation in Helmand province’s remote Baghran district. Numerous insurgents engaged the combined force with rocket propelled grenades and machine gun fire as the force approached a compound outside the village of Kariz-e Adamkhan. Throughout a four-hour fire fight, insurgent forces tried to use homemade bombs against the security force....

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2010 – Precision air strikes, a pitched battle with insurgents in Kunar province and the killing or capture of key enemy fighters highlight recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported. A precision air strike called in by a combined Afghan-international security force killed several insurgents, including a Haqqani terrorist network roadside-bomb cell leader, while the insurgents were planting a roadside bomb in Khost province last night. After international forces confirmed insurgent activity and that no civilians were at risk, they called for the air strike as the terrorist cell members were planting the bomb on a main...

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2010 – Military officials in Afghanistan have provided details of various recent operations that resulted in enemy fighters being killed or captured. -- A combined Afghan-international security force in Khost province’s Sabari district captured several Haqqani terrorism network commanders and other individuals last night and early this morning. The Haqqani network facilitators are believed to be responsible for planning and executing bombing attacks and militant operations against coalition forces, supplying weapons and directing attacks in Khost’s Sabari and Yaqubi districts. -- A separate Afghan-international force detained several individuals suspected of militant activity in Farah province’s Gulistan district...

COB ADDER – As the United States continues to prepare for the eventual withdraw of forces from Iraq, its service members are focused on training Iraqi Security Forces to assume the responsibility of securing their nation. To that end, a group of Iraqi Commandos and members of the Iraqi Tactical Support Unit received training here throughout April, when Soldiers with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade provided instruction on helicopter insertion techniques. The training, conducted with the help of two U.S. Special Forces Soldiers, was supervised by the 12th CAB's plans section. Capt. Igan O'Reilly, a coordinator for the section, said...

Since 2000 a total of 853 men have gone under the knife to become women while in the same time span 12 women have had an operation to become a man. Back in 2000 there were just 54 sex change operations carried out in the country while last year the figure stood at 143.

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2010 – International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials in Afghanistan provided details on various operations conducted in Afghanistan in recent days: -- A combined Afghan-international patrol stopped a vehicle and found 1,600 pounds of hashish in Helmand province’s Registan district yesterday. Two people in the vehicle were detained. They admitted their intent was to deliver the drugs to Taliban members in Barham Chah, and that the route the combined forced was traveling was a main drug-smuggling conduit. -- An ISAF patrol found three 82mm mortar rounds in the Garm Ser district of Helmand province today. --...

CORONADO, Calif., March 5, 2010 – Addressing a group of Navy SEALs here yesterday, the nation’s top military officer said history would show the decisive contributions provided by special operations troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addresses sailors assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group 1 in Coronado, Calif., March 4, 2010. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I actually believe that when the story is told someday in history that the role of special forces in these wars will...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2010 – Afghan and international forces killed or detained suspected militants and found bomb-making materials, narcotics and weapons in recent operations, military officials reported. A combined Afghan and international security force searched a compound in Kandahar province yesterday after confirmed reports of militant activity and captured a Taliban facilitator and other insurgents suspected of bomb and suicide attacks. In Logar province last night, a force searched a compound, detained suspected insurgents and recovered explosive materials. A combined force killed several insurgents while searching for a terrorist cell commander in a rural house in Paktika province yesterday. The...

Under the shift in strategy, the teams now focus on targeting key Taliban figures rather than mainly hunting Al Qaeda leaders and have increased the number of raids they conduct, officials say. Reporting from Washington - The U.S. military command has quietly shifted and intensified the mission of clandestine special operations forces in Afghanistan, senior officials said, targeting key figures within the Taliban, rather than almost exclusively hunting Al Qaeda leaders.

New York State’s Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund hasn’t been all that dedicated. Since 1991, only 34.9 percent of the money in the fund went directly toward the repair and improvement of the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges. And over the next four years, that will shrink to about one fifth. It’s supposed to be a “locked box,” but apparently the lock wasn’t very strong. If only one-third of the money in the Highway and Bridge Trust Fund has actually been used to pay for highways and bridges, the question, is, where did the money go? The answer is...

9/3/2009 - CAMP UR, Iraq (AFNS) -- Operations continue as normal at Camp Ur. The focus remains the same: keep the base running and the mission on target. Iraqi army soldiers routinely work with their U.S. counterparts, but one important difference now is that the Iraqis have taken command of the controls. "It's a historic time for anyone serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom," said Lt. Col. Steven Ramsay, the Tallil Logistics Military Advisory Team senior adviser. "We have committed to turning over all operations to the Iraqi people and they are committed to taking over and succeeding." Colonel Ramsay and...

On the frontline with British troops in Afghanistan As Afghanistan prepares for an election, award-winning photographer Sean Smith, stationed with British troops during Operation Panther's Claw, finds many soldiers becoming frustrated at the inexperience and lack of discipline of the Afghan National Army. guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 18 August 2009 video at link etc

8/12/2009 - CAMP BUCCA, Iraq (AFNS) -- A ceremony was held to mark the end of Air Force participation in visitation operations at Camp Bucca's theater internment facility as the Army assumed responsibility of the mission Aug. 10 here. More than 120 Airmen from the 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron were recognized for bringing detainees and their family members together. Army Lt. Col. Brad Bishop, 168th Military Police Battalion commander, presided over the ceremony, handing out certificates of appreciation and coins to thank the Airmen for their service. "I cannot tell you how much we appreciate the job well done...

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., June 12, 2009 – Civilian employees representing various federal departments are being trained here alongside their military counterparts in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. Army Sgt. Carlos Velasquez radios for medical assistance while Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Jackson delivers medical aid during a training exercise at Camp Atterbury Ind., June 9, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As part of a broader focus of operations in Afghanistan designed to include both military and civilian assets, more than 20 civilians from the State Department, the Agriculture...

MOSUL — Iraqi Police gathered with their counterparts from the Iraqi National Police and Iraqi Army at the 3rd Iraqi Police Division’s new operations center for a situational update briefing on the morning of May 26. The IP realized they could leverage significant operational gains with their own operations center to conduct mission planning and tracking, while working with key personnel from the Iraqi Army and Iraqi National Police. "[The Iraqi Police] recognize that they need to work together with the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi National Police. To do that, they needed a functional operations center from which they...

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2009 – Defense leaders are “clearly pleased” to see the Pakistani military take action against increasingly emboldened Taliban forces, and have offered additional support if Pakistan’s government will accept it to promote a sustained effort, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and others have expressed “a very real concern” about the eroding security situation in Pakistan in recent weeks, Morrell told reporters. “They and others in this building were clearly pleased to see the Pakistan military take the initiative over the...

Taleban militants operating in Pakistan's Swat region who agreed a peace deal with the government have expanded operations into nearby Buner. Dozens of militants have been streaming into bordering Buner to take over mosques and government offices. Buner is part of the Malakand region, which has just seen the implementation of Sharia law under the peace deal. But the Taleban have mainly operated in Swat, where they fought the army from August 2007 until this year's deal. Under the deal the Taleban were expected to disarm. Buner district is only about 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Islamabad. Mian Iftikhar...