Former head of SAS reveals how he will implement new strategy in AfghanistanThe British commander tasked with helping to bring to an end eight years of war in Afghanistan by persuading the Taliban to lay down their arms believes many in the enemy ranks have "done nothing wrong". The Islamist extremists now waging a ferocious insurgency against Nato forces are almost universally reviled for promoting a medieval style of fundamentalism and perpetrating brutal abuses of human rights, but Lieutenant-General Sir Graeme Lamb told The Independent that many in the Taliban's rank and file carry a sense of "anger and grievances which have not been addressed". The former head of the SAS has been asked to turn the seemingly relentless tide of war in Afghanistan by overseeing the implementation of the new US-led strategy of promoting engagement with Taliban "moderates" and convincing them to switch sides. However, he warned that it would be wrong and counter-productive to impose "Western preconceptions" on the process of winning them over.
The British commander tasked with helping to bring to an end eight years of war in Afghanistan by persuading the Taliban to lay down their arms believes many in the enemy ranks have "done nothing wrong".
The Islamist extremists now waging a ferocious insurgency against Nato forces are almost universally reviled for promoting a medieval style of fundamentalism and perpetrating brutal abuses of human rights, but Lieutenant-General Sir Graeme Lamb told The Independent that many in the Taliban's rank and file carry a sense of "anger and grievances which have not been addressed".
The former head of the SAS has been asked to turn the seemingly relentless tide of war in Afghanistan by overseeing the implementation of the new US-led strategy of promoting engagement with Taliban "moderates" and convincing them to switch sides. However, he warned that it would be wrong and counter-productive to impose "Western preconceptions" on the process of winning them over.
Sixteen people, including six Italian soldiers died in a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital late Thursday minutes after President Hamid Karzai had defended the country's disputed presidential election. The attack of the military convoy was the deadliest on Italian forces in Afghanistan, and caused shock waves to ripple across Europe as EU leaders fight to find enough support to continue the eight year engagement. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said his government shared the pain of the victims' families and that Italy planned a "strong reduction" in its 3,100 troops following the election, but would not do so without the support of NATO allies.
The attack of the military convoy was the deadliest on Italian forces in Afghanistan, and caused shock waves to ripple across Europe as EU leaders fight to find enough support to continue the eight year engagement.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said his government shared the pain of the victims' families and that Italy planned a "strong reduction" in its 3,100 troops following the election, but would not do so without the support of NATO allies.
[Berlusconi] would not do so without the support of NATO allies.
pussssssy. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
A powerful suicide bomb that killed six Italian soldiers here on Thursday prompted Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy to declare that his nation had begun planning to "bring our young men home as soon as possible." ... "We are all convinced that it would be best for everyone, whoever they are, to remove our conspicuous presence from Afghanistan quickly," Mr. Berlusconi said. Senior elected officials in Germany and Britain have also expressed weariness with the mission as violence has increased and casualties have mounted. Meantime, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan dismissed complaints that the Aug. 20 presidential election had been marred by widespread fraud and ballot-stuffing, saying he was "surprised and rather shocked" that European Union election monitors had warned that 1.1 million of his 3.1 million votes were suspicious. Western governments, he said, should "respect the people's vote." ... "I believe firmly, firmly in the integrity of the election," Mr. Karzai said... A number of Western diplomats are convinced that if all fraudulent ballots were discarded, Mr. Karzai would be left with less than 50 percent of the vote, forcing him into a runoff...
"We are all convinced that it would be best for everyone, whoever they are, to remove our conspicuous presence from Afghanistan quickly," Mr. Berlusconi said.
Senior elected officials in Germany and Britain have also expressed weariness with the mission as violence has increased and casualties have mounted.
Meantime, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan dismissed complaints that the Aug. 20 presidential election had been marred by widespread fraud and ballot-stuffing, saying he was "surprised and rather shocked" that European Union election monitors had warned that 1.1 million of his 3.1 million votes were suspicious. Western governments, he said, should "respect the people's vote." ...
"I believe firmly, firmly in the integrity of the election," Mr. Karzai said...
A number of Western diplomats are convinced that if all fraudulent ballots were discarded, Mr. Karzai would be left with less than 50 percent of the vote, forcing him into a runoff...
It is all very fine. It just has one critical flaw. He speaks as if the British have any say in what happens in Afghanistan. We don't. we are part of the American Foreign Legion and we do as we are told.
This is an American show and it's about time all our vainglorious european politicians who love to strut by proxy admitted that they are nothing but a rubber stamp for American policy. keep to the Fen Causeway
India's Gurkhas are preparing to unilaterally declare independence in a separate "Gorkhaland" state in the area around Darjeeling. They claim they have been forced to take the step by decades of misrule which has siphoned away millions of pounds of government funds earmarked for them.Despite the lucrative tea and tourism industries in the area, unemployment is high, electricity supply is sporadic and people are forced to travel for hours to the nearest proper hospital.
They claim they have been forced to take the step by decades of misrule which has siphoned away millions of pounds of government funds earmarked for them.
Despite the lucrative tea and tourism industries in the area, unemployment is high, electricity supply is sporadic and people are forced to travel for hours to the nearest proper hospital.
The annual assembly of the UN nuclear watchdog has passed a resolution urging all Middle East nations to renounce nuclear weapons under oath. The non-binding ballot was passed by 100 votes to one, with Israel voting against. Israel is one of only four countries worldwide, along with India, Pakistan and North Korea, outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The annual assembly of the UN nuclear watchdog has passed a resolution urging all Middle East nations to renounce nuclear weapons under oath.
The non-binding ballot was passed by 100 votes to one, with Israel voting against.
Israel is one of only four countries worldwide, along with India, Pakistan and North Korea, outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Despite accusations of press censorship and anti-semitism, Egypt's minister of culture Farouk Hosni managed to win 22 votes out of 57 expressed in the first round of voting in UNESCO's election of a new director-general. Reuters - Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, who said last year he would burn Israeli books, won a comfortable lead in the first round of voting in UNESCO's election of a new director-general on Thursday. Hosni's bid for the United Nations culture agency's top post has stirred a political storm, with accusations of anti-Semitism and press censorship in Egypt. With 22 votes out of 57 expressed, he did not carry the majority needed to win in the first round so voting will go to a second round on Friday. There was one abstention.
Reuters - Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, who said last year he would burn Israeli books, won a comfortable lead in the first round of voting in UNESCO's election of a new director-general on Thursday.
Hosni's bid for the United Nations culture agency's top post has stirred a political storm, with accusations of anti-Semitism and press censorship in Egypt.
With 22 votes out of 57 expressed, he did not carry the majority needed to win in the first round so voting will go to a second round on Friday. There was one abstention.
