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Afghanistan
Ex-Afghan intelligence directors appointed as acting interior and defense ministers
2018-12-24
Posted because some of you may know the players, and therefore have thoughts on whether this is meaningful beyond local politics.
[KhaamaPress] President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..
 has appointed the former Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid as the acting minister of defense.

The Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Palace in a statement confirmed the appointment of Mr. Khalid as the new minister of defense.
The statement further added that President Ghani has approved the appointment of Asadullah Khalid as the new acting minister of defense as per the Article#13 and Clause#64 of the National Constitution of Afghanistan.

In a separate statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff said the former Intelligence Chief Amrullah Saleh has been appointed as the new acting minister of interior.

Asadullah Khalid will replace Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami while Amrullah Saleh will replace Wais Ahmad Barmak who were serving as the ministers of defense and interior before the latest appointments announced in the leadership of the two ministries today.

The latest appointments have been announced at a time when the U.S. President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
 is mulling a reduction in troops level as the Afghan national defense and security forces are facing a resurgent Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 in some of the key provinces of the country.
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Afghanistan
Alarm Bells Ring Over High ANA Casualty Rate
2018-09-24
The tree of Afghan freedom, watered with so much blood.
[ToloNews] Senators in the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) on Sunday summoned Ministers of Defense and Interior and the deputy head of the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
 (NDS) to answer questions over the increase of insecurity in the country and the high casualty toll among security forces.

Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami acknowledged the casualty toll problem among Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and said in the past month 513 soldiers were killed.

Bahrami said this had been one of the worst months in terms of deaths among security forces. He also said at least 718 were maimed and 43 were captured by turbans.

He however emphasized that the corpse count among bandidos turbans was three to four times higher.

"Unfortunately, in the last one month 513 ANA soldiers were killed, 718 maimed and 43 captured; it was the highest number of fatalities we have had in a single month. Compared to the fatalities among our security forces, the enemy suffered three to four times more than us," said Bahrami.

Senators however blasted security departments over their inability to prevent attacks in provinces as well as in Kabul city.

The senators said instead of preventing attacks, security forces were being used to retrieve bodies following such incidents.

"The bandidos turbans carry out attacks and loot properties, but when we (security forces) get there, we only collect bodies and assess damage caused to the area," senate Mohammad Alam Ezedyar said.

"You take control of the city after it is attacked, and everything is destroyed. You become proud that you have taken the city back, what kind of pride is this? Why should a city collapse?" said senator Abdullah Qaraloq.

"What is the main problem? Afghanistan is in a very bad situation," said another senator Zalmai Zabuli.

The defense minister said currently the Afghan cops are not being backed up by air support at night and that this is proving a big challenge.

Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak meanwhile responded to senators questions on the calls for a review of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington.

Barmak said the BSA was an important instrument for stability in the region and Afghanistan and that it helps to maintain security in the country.

"I told you earlier that daily 30 ANA and police soldiers get killed," said Barmak.

"Those who oppose the BSA are working in the interests of neighboring countries," said Bahrami.
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Afghanistan
Afghan Air Force conducts airstrikes in Ghazni leaving 18 militants dead
2018-08-26
[KhaamaPress] The Afghan Air Force carried out Arclight airstrikes as part of the ongoing ’Nejat Operations’ in southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, leaving at least 18 snuffies dead.

The 203rd Thunder Corps of the Afghan Military in the Southeast said the operations are being conducted under the leadership of Thunder Corps commander Gen. Dadan Lawang.

According to a statement released by the Thunder Corps, at least 18 snuffies were killed after coming under airstrikes in Moqor district during the ongoing operations.

The statement further added that a Humvee armored personnel carrier captured by the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 was also destroyed along with some weapons and munitions.

According to Thunder Corps, two commanders of the Nusrat Group of the Taliban were also among those killed.

Ghazni is among the relatively volatile provinces in southeastern parts of the country where the Talibs and terrorist belonging to the other groups are actively operating in some of its districts.

Troops On High Alert In Ghazni, As Periodic Clashes Continue

[Tolo] The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Saturday said the Afghan cops are on high alert in Ghazni city and are trying to minimize security threats against the city.

The ministry’s remarks come after residents reported that festivities broke out on Thursday between security forces and forces of Evil on the outskirts of the city.

The defense ministry also said they will continue their military operations on the outskirts of the city and beyond in order to eliminate the forces of Evil and to ensure the safety of the city.

"Security measures have been taken there, our reinforcement troops are there, and in the areas where we felt there were threats we have launched operations. But our forces are on high alert in Ghazni and our operations are ongoing," interior ministry’s front man Najib Danish said.

Meanwhile a number of Ghazni residents said festivities broke out in some areas on the outskirts of the city on Thursday night and that they are worried that the situation will deteriorate.

Two weeks ago the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 carried out a massive attack on the city and controlled parts of Ghazni for about four days. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them...
 after a few days security forces pushed the Taliban back from the city.

Ghazni residents said all roads connecting Ghazni to other provinces are not completely secure and that a number of Ghazni people were not able to get back to their city to celebrate Eid.

Avizha Orzhalan said she works in Kabul, but her family lives in Jaghoori. Orzhalan said she had been extremely stressed during the siege of Ghazni as she had not been able to contact her family as all communication networks had been cut.

"Following Ghazni’s collapse, Taliban are in control of roads, they are even in control of the check posts that belonged to the people. When we go they search us and our mobiles and we are facing problems," said Orzhalan.

Meanwhile a number of residents in Ghazni districts also said they are worried about the security situation adding that festivities have flared up in the past few days in some districts.

"Khwja Omari and Khogyani districts are out of government’s control," Fazlullah, a resident of Khawja Omari said.

"Taliban have check points in Khwja Omari district and they travel past the district and police headquarter buildings," Ghulam Rasul, another resident said.

GHAZNI WAR
On August 10, Taliban launched coordinated attacks on Ghazni city, in the center of Afghanistan ‐ 148 kilometers southwest of Kabul.

The attack however lasted for five days during which Taliban took over parts of the city and clashed with Afghan cops.

During the attack, telecom services shut down and people either fled the city or took cover in their homes. However the ones who stayed behind faced a severe lack of water, food and healthcare services.

During the siege, the Afghan interior and defense ministers Wais Ahmad Barmak and Tariq Shah Bahrami held a presser in Kabul and said at least 70 police soldiers were killed in the first four days of the attack.

The defense minister also stated that Pak, Chechen and Arab hard boyz had been fighting alongside the Taliban.

On the corpse count, Bahrami said that about 200 forces of Evil had been killed.
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Afghanistan
FO rejects charges Pakistanis aided Taliban in Ghazni
2018-08-18
[DAWN] The Foreign Office rejected on Thursday allegations that Pak citizens had supported the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 attack on Afghanistan’s city of Ghazni recently.

"We have not received any evidence to back up these spurious accusations and reject these baseless allegations," FO front man Dr Muhammad Faisal said, rejecting allegations made by Afghan officials and others.

Last Friday, some 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed the city of Ghazni and retreated five days later.

Afghan defence minister Tariq Shah Bahrami had earlier this week said that Ghazni attack had been carried out by Taliban with the support of external elements, including Paks.

Moreover, The New York Times

...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
 had reported that Afghan officials had claimed the Taliban were aided by imported muscle, including Paks and Chechens, and even some Al Qaeda affiliates.

The FO front man said that Pakistain was fencing the border with Afghanistan with the objective of restricting cross-border movement of both "men and material" as part of its counterterrorism efforts.

He expressed the hope that the border fencing would help achieve long-term regional stability and improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistain.

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Afghanistan
'We won't survive': Residents speak of ongoing battle in Ghazni
2018-08-15
[Al Jazeera] As Afghan cops backed by US airpower continue to battle Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 fighters in the eastern city of Ghazni, hundreds of civilians have been displaced with little means to survive.

Fighting raged for a fifth-straight day on Tuesday following the brazen attack by the gang that threatens the control of the strategic city, about 150km south of the capital, Kabul.

While information has been scarce, an estimated 400 people have been killed so far, including about 150 civilians, according the UN and the Afghan ministry of defence.

"When the fighting intensified, we knew we would die if we didn't leave our home to travel to Kabul," Ghazni resident Yassan Yassan, 21, told Al Jazeera, adding the Taliban had cut electricity and water supplies across the city.

Recalling the violence, Yassan said: "I witnessed a rocket landing on a group of people attempting to escape. All of them died."

She also said the Taliban set government buildings on fire and blocked several areas including the Kabul-Kandahar highway.

"We had to pass through dangerous areas to get to Kabul, we witnessed the worst festivities between the Taliban and security forces," said Yassan.

The UN's Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said between 130 and 150 civilians have reportedly been killed, but those figures remained unconfirmed.

Sanela Bajrambasic, a representative of International Committee of the Red Thingy, told Al Jazeera from Geneva that the situation deteriorated very fast.

"It is a sad reality and it is leaving deep wounds on [Ghazni's residents]," she said. "We have been focused on helping the local hospital. As of today, we are also trying to help collect bodies and to transport them back to their families."

Bodies of Pakistanis killed in Ghazni city being shifted to Pakistan: Khattak

[KhaamaPress] The leader of the Awami National Party
founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986. Part of the PPP-led cabinet 2008-13. The ANP is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism....
 of Pakistain Afrasiab Khattak has said that the dead bodies of the Pakistanis killed in Ghazni city clashes, are being shifted to Pakistan. Khattak was citing reports regarding the killing and apprehension of several Pakistani militants during the Ghazni clashes as he asked the Pakistani authorities in for an explanation.

Calling the involvement of the Pakistani militants the repetition of the Jalalabad fiasco in 1989, Khattak said authorities in Pakistan must change its policy.

This comes as the Afghan defense minister Tariq Shah Bahrami said Monday that the attack on Ghazni city was carried out by Taliban with the support of foreign militants, including Pakistanis, Chechens, and Arabs.

In regards to the casualties of the militants, Bahrami said at least 194 militants have been killed so far, including 12 of their senior commanders. He also added that more than 147 militants have sustained injuries while 20 civilians were also killed during the clashes.

This comes as clashes continue between the Taliban militants and the Afghan forces in Ghazni city since early Friday.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran Ramps Up Support to Taliban in Western Afghanistan
2018-07-31
[TheJamestownFoundation] During an official visit to Iran in May, Tariq Shah Bahrami, Afghanistan’s defense minister, received assurances that Tehran was fully committed to helping Kabul fight terrorism. It was a welcome guarantee, coming as Afghan forces faced a fresh onslaught from the Taliban, which typically mounts an annual offensive in April. Within months, however, the promise appeared to ring hollow as Afghan officials increasingly blamed Iran for the fighting in Afghanistan’s western Farah province.

A Common Enemy
Speaking after his meeting with Bahrami on May 13, Iranian Army Chief of Staff Mohammad Hossein Baqeri declared that Tehran and Kabul shared a common purpose.

“The shared backgrounds between the two countries of Iran and Afghanistan, including religion and language, have brought them together in such a way that no obstacle can undermine their close relations, especially in combatting the terrorist groups,” he said (Khaama Press, May 13).

However, as Bahrami gathered assurances and pledges of support from the clerical regime’s senior officials in Tehran, a battle was brewing along the nearly 1,000 kilometer-long border between the countries. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Taliban fighters descended on the western city of Farah, which serves as the capital of the rural Farah province.

Heavily armed Taliban fighters breached Farah’s defenses in the early hours of May 15. By mid-day, they had overrun large swathes of the town, torched several government building and killed and captured government soldiers, policemen and pro-government militia members.

“The incompetent defense minister, the head of the Directorate of National Security [the Afghan secret service] and Mr. President, the residents of Farah are utterly disappointed with you because we were nearly overrun by Iranian and Pakistani spies,” said Humayon Shahzada, a militia member who fought in the battle (Tolo News, May 15).
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Afghanistan
Ghazni ghastliness: gov’t meeting mortared, Afghan airstrikes leave 41 Talibs toes up
2018-07-09


Ghazni city comes under mortar attack amid high level security meeting

[Khaama Press] The Ghazni city in southeastern Ghazni province came under mortar attack amid ongoing high level security meeting, the officials said.

The incident took place before noon time as the defense minister Tariq Shah Bahrami, deputy interior minister, and some other senior officials had participated in a security meeting.

The deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense Gen. Mohammad Radmanish confirmed the incident and said a mortar round has landed away from the provincial government compound.

Gen. Radmanish further added that the attack has not inflicted casualties on the security personnel or civilians.

However, unconfirmed reports indicate that the mortar attack has left at least five people wounded, including security personnel.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban militants have not commented regarding incident so far.

The minister of defense and other senior security officials arrived in Ghazni province earlier today to review the security situation of the province.

Ghazni is among the relatively volatile provinces in southeastern parts of the country but the security situation of the province has sharply deteriorated during the recent months.

Taliban militants suffer heavy casualties in Ghazni airstrikes

[Khaama Press] The Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during the airstrikes conducted in southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan in support of the ongoing operations.

The 203rd Thunder Corps of the Afghan Military in a statement said the airstrikes were conducted in Khumar Khel and Esa Khel areas of Moqor district.

The statement further added that the airstrikes were conducted as part of the ongoing Palang Sahra military operations which are jointly being conducted against the anti-government armed militants.

According to Thunder Corps, at least 41 militants were killed and at least 17 others sustained injuries during the airstrikes and military operations.

Two Dshk heavy machine guns installed on pickup type vehcles were also destroyed during the airstrikes along with a rocket launcher and PKM machine gune, Thunder Corps said, adding that the dead bodies of at least three militants were left behind by the other militants.

In the meantime, the Thunder Corps said a militant was killed during a separate clash with the security forces in Khair Kot district of Paktiak province and a Ak-47 assault rifle, a motorcycle, and Pakistani national identity card were also confiscated.

The anti-government armed militant groups including Taliban militants have not commented regarding the report so far.
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Afghanistan
General Murad formally introduced as new commander of Kabul Garrison
2018-06-24
Because some of our readers may be familiar with the gentleman, and glad to hear of his new assignment.
[Khaama Press] General Murad Ali Murad was formally introduced as the new commander of Kabul Garrison Command, nearly a month after he was dismissed as the deputy interior minister for security.

Defense Minister Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami introduced Gen. Murad as the new commander of Kabul Garrison Command during a ceremony in Kabul today.

He said Gen. Murad has been appointed as the new commander of Kabul Garrison Command and deputy defense minister for the security affairs of capital Kabul.

This comes as the ministry of interior officials last month announced that Gen. Murad had been dismissed as the senior deputy interior minister for security.

Deputy front man for the ministry of interior Nusrat Rahimi had confirmed that Gen. Murad has been appointed as the new commander of Kabul Garrison Command.

Earlier, reports had emerged that Gen. Murad has been dismissed from his post as the senior deputy interior minister for security following a suicide kaboom in Kabul.

The attack in western part of Kabul city had targeted a center which operated for the distribution of electronic national identity cards.
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Afghanistan
Iran reacts at allegations linking the country to Farah war
2018-05-22
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Iranian officials reacted at the allegations linking the country to the recent war and violence in western Farah province of Afghanistan.

A front man for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran Bahram Qassemi told news hounds that Tehran notes the allegations by certain sides in Afghanistan accusing the neighboring countries for supporting the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 after the past week attacks in Farah city.

Qassemi further added that the US commanders who have grown desperate at establishment of security in the country after years of extensive military presence in Afghanistan and shedding the blood of thousands of innocent people in the country, are attempting to accuse the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran of supporting the Taliban to derail the public opinion from the real reasons behind the continued war in the country, according to Fars News.

In the meantime Qassemi said talks about water resources are also underway between the two countries and linking the issue to the internal problems in Afghanistan is not logical, correct and rational.

This comes as the Afghan defense Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami had earlier said that the war in Farah has links with the water resources management issues.

The US Department of Defense or Pentagon had also said earlier that Washington cannot rule out the involvement of Iran in Farah violence.

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Afghanistan
Farah violence has links with the issues related to water management: Bahrami
2018-05-21
[KhaamaPress] The Afghan Defense Minister Gen. Tariq Shah Bahrami says the growing violence and recent war in western Farah province have links with issues surrounding the management of water resources.

Gen. Bahrami made the remarks during a visit to Farah province where he was accompanied by other security bigshots including the commander of the NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
 Resolute Support Mission Gen. John Nicholson. He did not elaborate further in this regard but added that around twenty terrorist group are operating in Afghanistan and are being supported by the neighboring countries.

This comes as the US Department of Defense or Pentagon officials had earlier said that they are not ruling out the involvement of Iran in a major offensive carried out by the Talibs in western Farah city of Afghanistan.

"I don’t think you can ever rule out how much Iran interferes throughout this region. Iran remains the most destabilizing factor in the Middle East. So no, I don’t think you can ever rule out their mischief," a spokesperson for Pentagon Dana White said.

Hundreds of Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 holy warriors launched a coordinated attack on Farah city the bustling provincial capital of Farah in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Afghan national defense and security forces responded to the attack by launching air and ground operations that lasted until early hours of Wednesday morning.
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Afghanistan
Afghanistan wants Iran to rid it of terrorism scourge
2018-05-14
[PRESSTV] Afghanistan's Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami has discussed stepped-up military and defense cooperation with Iran which is wary of ISIS's presence near its borders.

Bahrami is currently on an official visit to Tehran where he met Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri on Sunday after holding talks with his counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami.

Bahrami said his trip is aimed at expanding cordial relations between the two nations and their armed forces and securing Iran's help to rid Afghanistan of the terrorism scourge.

Iran was key to the defeat of ISIS in the region and Iraqi and Syrian leaders have repeatedly thanked the Islamic Theocratic Republic for its military advisory assistance to the countries.

After losing its bases in Iraq and Syria, ISIS has established a foothold in eastern and northern Afghanistan despite the presence of foreign troops and stepped up its terror attacks in recent months.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US main organizer of terrorists in Middle East: Shamkhani
2018-05-14
[PRESSTV] A senior Iranian official says the United States is the main organizer of terrorist groups and the creator of instability and insecurity in the Middle East.

"The experience in Iraq and Syria shows that the US is at the root of organizing snuffies and creating instability and insecurity in these countries and certain reactionary Arab countries have also logistically and financially supported this process," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said in a meeting with Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami in Tehran on Sunday.

There are many documents proving that the US and its allies have "shamelessly" attacked the Iraqi and Syrian military and security forces at different junctures with the purpose of saving terrorists, he added.

The senior Iranian official emphasized that the Takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed...
 terrorism, backed by certain regional countries, is a serious threat to Moslem nations and countries, saying, "It can be countered only through [improving] cooperation and adopting joint approaches."

In a meeting with Bahrami on Saturday, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said the emergence and expansion of ISIS Takfiri terrorist group in Afghanistan was a "very dangerous phenomenon," expressing Tehran's readiness to cooperate with Kabul in the fight against terrorism.

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