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  • Afghanistan news reel

    New Clashes around Kunduz: After a Taleban attack the Bundeswehr was engaged in heavy fighting with the Enemy. While no German casulties are reported, the attackers suffered several death according to Spiegel-online.

    ----

    Intro to an article from the German magazine Spiegel. In the past I used to post regulary about the war in Afghanistan on this board but stopped due health problems. If there is still interest I could translate the rest of the article and post some more from the last weeks. Of course not all centering on the German sector, but about whatever I can find.

  • #2
    at least i´d like to read more, so please,go ahead
    If i only was so smart yesterday as my wife is today

    Minding your own biz is great virtue, but situation awareness saves lives - Dok

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    • #3
      POUND THEM INTO THE GROUND!!!!!!!!

      Do you know which unit?

      Any of the gebirgsjaeger units involved? I did partnership with the 231st GBJGR Btn and really respected those guys.

      Actually (its been 25 years!) but I always respected the hell out of all the Bundeswehr untis I worked with.

      BTW TArek...please do what you can. It is always good to hear about everyone in the fight.
      Last edited by Albany Rifles; 05 Jun 09,, 00:40.
      “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
      Mark Twain

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      • #4
        Tarek Morgen Reply

        Hope that your health has improved and have missed you here.

        This follows on combat recently in Badghis that was fairly intense and an IED attack in Konduz. Both on the same day.

        I'm wondering if, like Pakistan's recent bombings in Lahore and other modest actions in S. Waziristan, we're not seeing efforts to pressure other elements of the coalition and distract the ISAF efforts now under way in south.

        Bitte Tarek, Ich spreche nicht Deutsches.:)
        "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
        "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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        • #5
          I tried to find out which unit it was but could not find anything yet. The Bundeswehr is rather greedy with such kind of inormation and one must be glad for any bit of detail you get from the north of Afghanistan.

          ------

          Kabul/Berlin – The Series of planned attacks against the Bundeswehr continues. Thursday a Patroul of the Germany army was again target of heavy fire. The soldiers beat the attackers back and got into an several hour long firefight with the enemy. According to informations of SPIEGEL ONLINE several of the attackers were killed, but due nightfall the Bundeswehr was not yet able to inspect the battlefield to fulliest detail, but the Afghan police is already at the scene.

          The attack is part of a whole series of well organized ambushes from the Taliban against the Bundeswehr within the last weeks. After informations of the Bundeswehr and the local police a group of Taliban attack a convoy of the Bundeswehr near the Taliban-Stronghold Charrah Darreh near Kunduz at 15:00 local time. The German soldiers returned the fire and heavy combat ensued for the following five hours. There were no casulties or damages on the German side.

          The local police chief told SPIEGEL ONLINE via phone that several Taliban were killed in the fight. Abdul Racak could not yet name a exact number. “We have send a team to the area to collect all details.”
          The battlefield lies about 10 kilometers north of Kunduz, where the Bundeswehr has a Forward Operation Base with 667 soldiers. At the moment they are being support by the Nato Quick Reaction Force due the increased hostilities.

          In the past weeks the security condition around Kunduz got a lot worse. Intelligence services have collected hints that the local Taliban leader received explicit orders out of Pakistan to increase attacks on the Bundeswehr.

          ----the second half will be finnished later. It is 4:30 am here. I'll also reread the post later and try to correct the worst mistakes.

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          • #6
            Tarek Morgen Reply

            Thanks for the input. They may feel the Germans are politically vulnerable. I'm not sure how a German withdrawal, though, helps the Pakistani militants. I still wonder if it's not related to combat operations in the south and southwest.

            Certainly an interesting twist.
            "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
            "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

            Comment


            • #7
              Go the Bundeswhere, always respected the German Military, very disciplined bunch of guys, worked with them on many occassion, the last time was in Iserlohn.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Chaobam Armour View Post
                Go the Bundeswhere, always respected the German Military, very disciplined bunch of guys, worked with them on many occassion,.
                Ditto ;)

                Comment


                • #9
                  currently working on the rest of the artcile.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    ---- second part---

                    Not only the fighters of Mullah Salem are in the region, but also groups of international insurgents with ties to Al-Quaida. The threat-level against the German troops is considered very high.

                    The Bundeswehr reacted to the increased hostilties with a more aggressive approach. Several attacks in the past weeks have been repulsed with superior firepower, which caused Taliban losed.
                    In the past week (end may) convoiys of the Bundeswehr werer attacked at Friday and Saturday, but nobody got hurt. Since the begin of this year the Bundeswehr counted 29 attacks (This number is now a bit old, see later post for the newest attacks), sometimes rockets on the base, sometimes on the patrouls.

                    At Thursday morning The former Defenceminister and Social Democrat Peter Steinbruck arrived in Kunduz for a visit at his former troops. He commented the general situation as dangerous, but insisted that the military and civilian reconstruction efforts had to continue, but warned that the numbers of attacks would increase over the next weeks, an Opionen the Base-leader agreed with. A few hours later the Taliban mounted their attack.


                    ---end of article----

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                    • #11
                      New news from Afghanistan:

                      2 Bundeswehr soldiers injured after IED attack and prolonged fire-fight with Talibans. (longer article available if wished)

                      Italian forces capture 4 Taliban-leader (longer article available..but no sufficent Italian skills to translate it, sorry)

                      Two short Army Today Videos about Afghanistan:




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                      • #12
                        Black Watch smash Taliban drugs factories
                        A Military Operations news article
                        8 Jun 09


                        Scots and Afghan troops have destroyed a major Taliban drug centre in a series of night raids in Helmand.

                        In two separate helicopter-borne strikes, around 450 troops from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), and around 100 Afghan Army soldiers, have found and destroyed more than 5,500kg of opium paste in a large and well co-ordinated air-land operation.

                        The operation destroyed ten narcotic manufacturing facilities. As well as the opium, it netted 220kg of morphine, more than 100kg of heroin, 148kg of cannabis plus a range of chemicals used in the drug production process - including 5,800kg of ammonium chloride and 2,500kg of sulphur. Also found were eight AK-47 machine guns, three pistols, 16 full magazines and 900 rounds of ammunition.

                        The operation was backed by British and Canadian helicopters and multi-national fast aircraft including US jets flown from USS Eisenhower in the Gulf. British Royal Engineers improvised explosive device experts and Royal Artillery forward air controllers were also involved.

                        Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, Commanding Officer of 3 SCOTS, said:

                        "This has been an important operation against the illegal narcotics industry and represents a significant setback for the insurgency in Helmand province.

                        "The Jocks of 3 SCOTS Battle Group simply provided the wider security to the professional and courageous Afghan Security Forces who have destroyed a considerable amount of narcotic material.

                        "The link between the insurgents and the narcotics industry is proven as militants use the money derived from the drug trade as a principal source of funding to arm themselves with weapons and conduct their campaign of intimidation and violence.

                        "By destroying this opium and the drug-making facilities we are directly targeting their fighting capability. The operation has been well received by the Afghan people."

                        3 SCOTS and the Afghan National Army (ANA) had to battle through fierce defence from the Taliban, including rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, as they landed late at night on 31 May 2009 in the Upper Sangin Valley, 20km south of Kajaki.

                        The troops fought off the Taliban attacks, quickly uncovering several heroin manufacturing laboratories which netted a large quantity of opium in the villages of Nangazi, Banekza and Sar Puzeur.

                        Sergeant Rab McCready, a platoon sergeant, said:

                        "Landing on a hot [under fire] helicopter site at night could have been dangerous and confusing. I was very proud of the way the Jocks gripped the situation. The training just kicked in."

                        Led by soldiers from the ANA, the joint forces then searched compounds for narcotic manufacturing facilities, drug caches and illegal weapons.

                        The Battle Group pursued the operation into the following day, in temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius, before extracting from the desert in the early hours of 2 June, having spent more than 30 hours on the ground.

                        A second airborne raid was launched three days later, starting late at night on 5 June in the area around the villages of Chahardah and Bustanzay, and was completed the following morning.

                        Lieutenant Harry Pierce, 7 Platoon Commander, Bravo Company, said:

                        "This was the hardest operation we've conducted, a real test of endurance.

                        "The Afghans led the break-in and they were on the ball. The Jocks were outstanding in confusing and complex terrain and against well-conceived and 360-degree insurgent attacks."

                        Corporal Paul Innes from Ballingary, Fife, a Section Commander in 7 Platoon, said:

                        "The toughest acts of being an infantry soldier were tested in the op - dealing with a casualty, locating and fixing an enemy sniper and having the guts to cross open ground under fire. It was a test and we passed."

                        Private Shaun Goldworthy, 19, from Glenrothes, said:

                        "The enemy were no more than 80m away as we landed. You could hear them talking and the rounds landing as soon as the helicopter left."

                        One 3 SCOTS soldier received a gunshot wound to the arm. He was attended to by Private Stuart Turner, 29, from Aberdeen, who is a TA soldier working with 3 SCOTS.

                        Private Turner said:

                        "I was about 10m away when he went down. When I got there he had already started treating himself. The important thing was to get him out of contact, which was made harder because we couldn't locate the enemy sniper. Fortunately our doctor wasn't more than 100m away and got to him pretty quickly."

                        Second Lieutenant David Parsons, 1 Platoon Commander, A Company, 3 SCOTS, explained why Afghan soldiers played such a prominent role in the operation. He said:

                        "On all operations we try to have the Afghan soldiers leading from the front. We always aim for them to go into the compounds first as they naturally understand the local customs and culture better than us, and to avoid compromising any religious and social sensitivities.

                        "Not only will people living in the compounds be more able to engage with their own people and understand what is going on, but by us focusing on supporting the ANA with greater force protection and specialist knowledge, we are also continually building a lasting, working relationship between the ANA and the local populations."

                        Sergeant Eddie Nichol, 36, from Downfield, Dundee, said:

                        "It's what we've trained for and we are well prepared and enjoying the challenges out here. The Jocks are doing a great job despite incredibly harsh conditions."

                        Corporal Tommy Brady, 28, from Kirkton, Dundee, said:

                        "I've been in the Army for over 11 years and this is certainly the pinnacle of everything I have done to date. It's hugely challenging and particularly with the heat and the weight we carry, but we are well prepared and have the right kit to complete the job."

                        Private John Mitchell, 29, from Hilltown, Dundee, said:

                        "It's mentally and physically challenging out here and certainly the hardest thing that I have ever done, but camaraderie is brilliant and that's what keeps us going."

                        Private Barry Dougan, 18, from Cambuslang, Glasgow, said:

                        "The country is slightly different to how I imagined. I never realised quite how dominant the heroin industry was here and I have been surprised how closely the local population rely on it."

                        Private Andy Ross, 19, from Ardersier, Inverness, said:

                        "It's tough being away from home, friends and family, but at the same time it is good to be doing the job that we are trained for and feel like we are making a difference.

                        "It's been rewarding to interact with the Afghan people, who are generally happy to see us and it does feel like we are making progress."

                        The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, took over as the Regional Battle Group (South) on 10 April 2009. 3 SCOTS took over from 42 Commando Royal Marines as the battalion responsible for supporting a variety of operations across the whole of southern Afghanistan, not just those of the main UK Task Force in Helmand province.

                        The battalion is based within Camp Roberts at Kandahar Airfield and works directly to the Dutch-led divisional headquarters known as Regional Command (South), part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force.

                        Kandahar is a major base for ISAF personnel and equipment and is home to the forces of seven different coalition nations.

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                        • #13
                          could a mod maybe change the titel of the thread to something like "Afghanistan news reel" or simething fitting?

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                          • #14
                            Good Idea, it will stop making to many threads.

                            Comment


                            • #15


                              us forces release footage of insurgent throwing a grenade into a growd to disprove claims that this attack was causes by U.S. Forces


                              --------------------------------


                              New Command structure for ISAF:

                              WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - When a new U.S. commander takes over the war in Afghanistan, his arrival will herald a broader shake-up as the Pentagon seeks to raise its game and devote more of its best people to taking on the Taliban.

                              U.S. Army Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal could take charge in Kabul as soon as this week if the U.S. Senate approves his nomination and promotion to four-star general in the next few days.
                              more here:

                              Reuters AlertNet - ANALYSIS-US general aims to shake up Afghan war with new team

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