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    Taliban expanding control in Afghanistan

    Taliban expanding control in Afghanistan

    The Taliban represents about 60% of the Afghan population. And we could get them to either not harbor international terrorists or we could attack those international terrorists with not serious resistance.

    The idea that we can replace the Taliban is misguided.

    There is a good map at the top of the article.

    The Taliban has retaken control of the district of Kohistan in the northwestern province of Faryab over the weekend. The district has changed hands twice during the past several months.

    Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Muhajid claimed on Sept. 24 that the Kohistan district headquarters and “all CPs/buildings” fell to the Taliban and there were “multiple gunmen killed” and a “sizable amount [of] weapons seized” during the fighting.
    Read the rest at the link.
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    Whose 'idea' was or is it to "replace" the Taliban? They don't govern Afghanistan, they are engaged in a civil war against the Afghan government under President Ghani. Where do you see an article, a post, a reference, or an 'idea' of "replacing" the Taliban?

    When you discuss geopolitics, Peter, you tend to turn your posts into straw men manufacturers.

    Again.....who ever even suggested the Taliban be "replaced" thus where is any 'misguidance?'

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    Exclamation

    Taliban strike almost wipes out entire Afghan army base...

    Almost entire Afghan army base slaughtered by Taliban
    19 Oct.`17 - In yet another attack targeting Afghan soldiers, Taliban militants struck one of the country’s army base in the Kandahar province.
    According to officials, the militants slaughtered the entire Afghan Army base in Maiwand, Kandahar province in the dead of the night on Wednesday, leaving just two soldiers uninjured. The attack on Wednesday night took the week's toll to more than 120 people killed by the militant group. Wednesday’s attack left at least 43 Afghan soldiers dead and nine others injured. According to reports, a suicide bomber blew up an armored vehicle, and then fighters went in to the base, killing soldiers in their sleep. Apart from the soldiers killed, the base itself sustained major damage.

    Defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said in a statement, “Unfortunately there is nothing left inside the camp. They have burned down everything they found inside." On Wednesday, before the midnight attack two other attacks targetted security forcesa and claimed dozens of lives. Reports said, "Taliban fighters killed nine police officers late Wednesday in the western Farah province during attacks on police posts there and killed six policeman in an ambush in the northern Balkh province." Meanwhile, earlier in the week, a series of other attacks struck the Afghan army, and were considered to be even more deadly. On Tuesday an attack struck Paktia, in which two Humvees exploded killing 60 and leaving 300 others injured.


    In Ghazni, on the same day, an attack struck the District Headquarters and left 20 dead, out of which 15 were police officers. Reports stated that the Taliban are increasingly using U.S.-made Humvees in their suicide attacks. Government security officials were quoted in a report in the Washington Post as saying, "The bulky off-road vehicles, taken from Afghan army bases in previous attacks, create more shrapnel when they explode and make it harder for Afghan guards to tell whether an approaching suicide bomber is with the Taliban.”

    Earlier this month, the White House gave Gen. John Nicholson, the top commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, "more authority to attack the Taliban, more warplanes and drones to mount punishing airstrikes — and a few thousand more American troops to advise the Afghans.” As the current situation stands in Afghanistan, America's longest-running war, forces have reached a stalemate. Reports have noted that currently, the Taliban "either control or exert influence in about 40 percent of Afghanistan, an area that is home to about a third of the population — 11 million people."

    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...red-by-taliban
    See also:


    Taliban unleashes wave of suicide bombings in Afghanistan
    Wednesday 18th October, 2017 - In what is being dubbed the “biggest terrorist attack this year,” Taliban unleashed a wave of suicide bombings across Afghanistan on Tuesday.
    The terror group launched suicide bombings in the country’s south, east and west, targeting police compounds and government facilities. The attacks left at least 74 people dead and scores of others injured, including policemen and civilians. Officials said that a provincial police chief was among those killed in the attack on Afghan police headquarters. Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister, Murad Ali Murad said the day’s onslaught was “biggest terrorist attack this year.” Addressing a press conference in Kabul, Murad said that in Tuesday’s attacks in Ghazni and Paktia provinces, the insurgents killed a total of 71 people. He further added that in southern Paktia province, 41 people, including 21 policemen and 20 civilians, were killed when two suicide car bombs targeted a police compound in the provincial capital of Gardez. Officials added that 48 policemen and 110 civilians were injured.




    Murad confirmed that Toryalai Abdyani, the provincial police chief was killed in the Paktia attack. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior said that after the two cars blew up in Gardez, five attackers with suicide belts tried to storm the compound but the Afghan security forces “killed all five terrorists.” Waheed Majroo, the Health Ministry spokesman said that the Gardez city hospital saw 130 people injured in the attack. Mujeeb Rahman Chamkni, a lawmaker from Paktia said that along with the provincial chief of police, several of his staff were also killed. Chamkni added that most of the casualties were civilians who had come to the centre, which also serves a government passport department.


    Insurgents stormed a security compound in Andar district in southern Ghazni province, using a suicide car and killing 25 policemen and five civilians. Murad said that at least 15 people were wounded, including 10 policemen. He added that despite the staggering numbers, Afghan forces are confident in their “readiness to fight terrorists and eliminate them from Afghanistan.” Meanwhile, Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor in Ghazni, said the Taliban attack there lasted nine hours and that by the time the attackers were repelled, there were 13 bodies of Taliban fighters on the ground. In western Farah province, police chief Abdul Maruf Fulad said that the Taliban attacked a government compound in Shibkho district, killing three policemen. Late on Tuesday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for all three attacks.


    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...in-afghanistan
    Related:

    Terrorists must surrender or face elimination, warns Afghan President Ghani
    Oct.20,`17: Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has warned terror outfits and terrorists operating in his country to surrender or face elimination.
    The Office of the President, ARG Palace, quoted President Ghani, as saying in a statement, "The criminal groups linked to the outsiders, in the latest terrorist wave of attacks, targeted various parts of the country. After committing crimes and acts of savagery against humanity in Ghazni and Paktia, the terrorists once again martyred some Afghans and security personnel in Maiwand district of Kandahar." According to Khamma Press, the statement further added that the groups which have been involved in crimes, terror, and murders, are currently on the verge of destruction and elimination.

    President Ghani said that his government of national unity and the Afghan people stand along side the Afghan security forces and will use all their force to fight against the crimes of the terrorist groups. He said the terror groups are being wiped out from the communities and are currently having no other option other than surrendering or being eliminated. According to President Ghani, for this reason, the terrorist groups have once again opted not to refrain from any act of savagery.

    He said the Afghan security forces continue to defend from the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country with their blood and their bravery will be written in golden scripts in the history of the country. President Ghani also added that the Afghan forces remain in the frontline in the fight against terrorism and the international community and the Afghan people will always remain thankful for their devotion.

    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...resident-ghani
    Last edited by waltky; 10-20-2017 at 04:56 AM.

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    It is only a matter of time...
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    Mosque attack death toll rises to 89...

    Kabul mosque attack death toll rises to 89
    Saturday 21st October, 2017: The death toll from suicide bomb attacks on two mosques in Afghanistan has risen to at least 89 people.
    A RadioFreeEuropeRadioLiberty web site report said the two attacks took place yesterday on a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul and on a Sunni mosque in the central Afghan province of Ghor. The Kabul mosque death toll has risen to 56, the Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman said. At least 55 people were also injured while praying at the Imam Zaman mosque in the western Dasht-e-Barchi section of Kabul. The extremist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack.

    In the second attack in Ghor, officials said at least 33 people were killed and 10 injured. The suicide bomber detonated an explosive in Khewiagan, a Sunni mosque located in the district of Dulaina. No claim of responsibility has been made so far for the attack. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the attacks show that "the terrorists have once again staged bloody attacks, but they will not achieve their evil purposes and sow discord among the Afghans."


    The United States strongly condemned the October 20 attacks and previous attacks in Afghanistan during a week in which U.S. drones strikes were reported to have killed more than 30 militants in the region. "In the face of these senseless and cowardly acts, our commitment to Afghanistan is unwavering," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

    "The United States stands with the government and people of Afghanistan and will continue to support their efforts to achieve peace and security for their country," she said. Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite population has been the target of several terror attacks this year that have been blamed on the Taliban and IS. A recent United Nations report said at least 84 people had been killed and 194 wounded so far in 2017 in attacks on Shi'ite mosques and religious ceremonies prior to the most recent incidents.

    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...ll-rises-to-89

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    Another one bites the dust...

    Marines Take Out Taliban Kingpin Responsible for Killing, Maiming Troops
    27 Dec 2017 -- A Taliban shadow governor who had planned and executed improvised explosive device attacks on Marines and Afghan soldiers for well over a decade was killed in a precision airstrike just days before Christmas, Marines here told Military.com.
    Task Force Southwest, the 300-Marine element that deployed to Helmand province as an advisory force for the Afghan National Defense Forces in April, does most of its work from inside the wire, supporting the local troops who patrol and launch ground attacks. But this recent strike on local Taliban mastermind Qari Fida Mohammad illustrates the impact Marines continue to have on the active fight. Mohammad, longtime shadow governor of the restive Helmand district of Marjah, was killed Dec. 20, task force spokeswoman Maj. Kendra Motz said. Standing inside the unit's operations center, where 11 large flat screens featured detailed live drone footage from around Helmand province, Capt. Brian Hubert explained how the strike happened. "Through the work of the intelligence sections as well as the operations in here, and coordination with the Afghans as well, we were able to conduct a strike on him a few days ago," said Hubert, battle captain for Task Force Southwest. "Basically, we're very familiar with the battlespace now. So when we see the leaders we know are important there, we can kind of do a bead on them."

    The unit started tracking Mohammad with its eyes in the sky. When he was well positioned as a target, the Marines called in two Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons to execute the strike. "He was in a vehicle traveling with deputies, bodyguards, and a cousin of his, who was also a sub-commander," Hubert said. "We took the shot successfully, and [he was] dead on the spot, which was huge." Mohammad, who was based in the Taliban hotbed of Marjah, but operated throughout Helmand province, had been well-known to the Marines for years. Col. Matthew Reid, deputy commander of the task force, told Military.com he had known about Mohammad in 2010, when he deployed to Helmand for active combat operations. "We're still not really fully aware of the exact ramifications of taking him out," Reid said. "It was a pretty big takedown, so we're pretty happy about it. He was behind a lot of attacks against Marines back in the day--really high profile attacks."


    U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest depart a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter prior to an advisory meeting with Afghan National Army soldiers at Camp Hanson, Afghanistan, June 13, 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

    Hubert said the task force was now tracking the impact of Mohammad's elimination. Ahead of the strike, he said, Marines had watched via drone footage as local civilians took to their homes, fearful of being blamed and facing violent reprisal if any attack were launched on the shadow governor. Now, he said, newly leaderless Taliban fighters in southern Marjah are acting disorganized and confused, without orders to carry out. "Supposedly, [Mohammad] also had a lot of intimidation where he killed full families; he was absolutely just a Mafia-style Taliban leader in that area," Hubert said, adding that he regularly demanded 'taxes' from local civilians by force. "Taking him out ... hopefully provides the residents of Marjah and the southern end a little bit of a 'hey, maybe it's a turn.'" For the Marines, Marjah is a region full of history. It's the site of some of the service's most hard-fought battles in Helmand. Some 50 American troops died in the 2010 joint siege on Marjah, known as Operation Moshtarak. When Marines departed Afghanistan in 2014, Marjah was considered relatively stable; but by 2016 it had fallen back under Taliban control.

    Marines are now working to empower Afghan troops from the local 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army to hold the line. When the small task force arrived, the provincial capital city of Lashkar Gah was on the verge of being overtaken by the Taliban, Marines said. Now, with support from the Task Force, the soldiers have restored stability to the town and are beginning to move offensively against the Taliban. In a shura with Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller on Dec. 23, Helmand provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat said Afghan troops continue to take daily casualties in the fight. But task force personnel continue to exact a daily toll against the Taliban as well. On a December visit to the operations center, a dark plume of smoke rose from a road on one of the screens -- evidence of a precision strike carried out only minutes before. From the screens, Hubert said, Marines had watched a pair of Taliban fighters carrying weapons dig a hole in a road south of the Marjah district center, intending to emplace IEDs ahead of a trip Afghan National Security Forces intended to make to the center.

    MORE

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ransom View Post
    Whose 'idea' was or is it to "replace" the Taliban? They don't govern Afghanistan, they are engaged in a civil war against the Afghan government under President Ghani. Where do you see an article, a post, a reference, or an 'idea' of "replacing" the Taliban?

    When you discuss geopolitics, Peter, you tend to turn your posts into straw men manufacturers.

    Again.....who ever even suggested the Taliban be "replaced" thus where is any 'misguidance?'

    Either way gentlemen our presence there hasn't helped.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ransom View Post
    Whose 'idea' was or is it to "replace" the Taliban? They don't govern Afghanistan, they are engaged in a civil war against the Afghan government under President Ghani. Where do you see an article, a post, a reference, or an 'idea' of "replacing" the Taliban?

    When you discuss geopolitics, Peter, you tend to turn your posts into straw men manufacturers.

    Again.....who ever even suggested the Taliban be "replaced" thus where is any 'misguidance?'
    The bolded: how you you know?

    You have very little of a clue about real life geopolitics.
    Look, the Taliban represent ~40% of the population. No other faction comes close. The Taliban will rule again at some point in the future. And that is not our concern.
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    Quote Originally Posted by donttread View Post
    Either way gentlemen our presence there hasn't helped.
    It certainly helped complete our stated mission when we went in. Our mistake was to mission shift into nation building (in a country that has never been a nation in its long thousands of years history.)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ransom View Post
    Whose 'idea' was or is it to "replace" the Taliban? They don't govern Afghanistan, they are engaged in a civil war against the Afghan government under President Ghani. Where do you see an article, a post, a reference, or an 'idea' of "replacing" the Taliban?

    When you discuss geopolitics, Peter, you tend to turn your posts into straw men manufacturers.

    Again.....who ever even suggested the Taliban be "replaced" thus where is any 'misguidance?'
    We aren't going to defeat the Taliban. We did what we set out to do. Time to come home. The Taliban governs every part of the country where there are no American troop except the capitol.

    We always have the ability to drop bombs on them in a way we couldn't in 2001. The Taliban are crazy but not stupid.

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