http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: ISAF) en-us Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:18:00 -0800 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/french-troops-end-combat-mission-in-afghanistan?start=0 French combat troops in Afghanistan are preparing to come home on Tuesday as their mission officially ends. Some 400 soldiers are pulling out from their forward operating base in Kapisa province to handover to the Afghan army. Between now and the end of the year a further 700 will leave. The remaining 1,500 troops will withdraw by next summer. <br /> Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:18:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/french-troops-end-combat-mission-in-afghanistan Afghanistan War, French forces in Afghanistan, ISAF, Afghanistan, Kapisa Province, French Armed Forces, Afghan National Army, NATO, Withdrawal, Forward operating base French combat troops in Afghanistan are preparing to come home on Tuesday as their mission officially ends. Some 400 soldiers are pulling out from their forward operating base in Kapisa province to handover to the Afghan army. Between now and the end of the year a further 700 will leave. The remaining 1,500 troops will withdraw by next summer. "We're a little stressed about the departure but we're happy to be leaving as we've been here for a while now. The last few days are the most difficult," said Private 1st class Terena. Chief Corporal Stephane added: "I'm looking forward to seeing my wife, children and going to a good restaurant." Policing Kapisa province has been a costly mission for France. Most of its 88 soldiers killed since the start of the conflict lost their lives fighting here. The head of the Afghan mission in the province says the force will be sorely missed. "They're our friends and they were by our side during operations. They also provided us with logistical and aerial support," said Colonel Bbabgul Haqmal. Successive attacks by rogue Afghan soldiers have hastened the pullout but French forces were due to leave by the end of the year. Beyond that, some 500 French troops will remain to provide training. http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-is-david-patraeus-really-a-us-war-hero?start=0 A scandalous affair has brought down a man referred to by many as one of the greatest generals in US history. But how successful have David Petraeus's strategies really been in Iraq and Afghanistan? Until a few years ago, few people had heard of Petraeus. But in Washington DC, he has been long revered. His counter-insurgency strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan have been hailed as great successes. But his critics say, the legacy of his career is not that stellar and deserves far more scrutiny than the US media and politicians are willing to give it. Inside Story Americas reassesses his record.<br /> Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:07:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-is-david-patraeus-really-a-us-war-hero David Petraeus, Iraq War troop surge of 2007, Afghanistan troop surge, Counter-insurgency, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, Iraq, Afghanistan, US Armed Forces, Director of the CIA A scandalous affair has brought down a man referred to by many as one of the greatest generals in US history. But how successful have David Petraeus's strategies really been in Iraq and Afghanistan? Until a few years ago, few people had heard of Petraeus. But in Washington DC, he has been long revered. His counter-insurgency strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan have been hailed as great successes. But his critics say, the legacy of his career is not that stellar and deserves far more scrutiny than the US media and politicians are willing to give it. Inside Story Americas reassesses his record. http://news.linktv.org/videos/as-nato-withdraws-afghan-army-moves-into-helmand-firing-line?start=0 Afghanistan's southwestern province of Helmand has seen daily attacks by fighters ahead of the withdrawal of international troop in 2014. More than 900 NATO soldiers have died in and around the Helmand River Valley, but now the Afghan National Army has taken increased control in the province's conflict. With fighters often hiding near and among local civilians, Afghan forces now see themselves facing the same challenges as the US Marines that are increasingly taking a back seat in the efforts against the armed groups. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Nolay. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:09:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/as-nato-withdraws-afghan-army-moves-into-helmand-firing-line Afghan National Army, Afghanistan War, Helmand Province, Withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, Afghanistan, US Marines, ISAF, NATO, Taliban, Outpost Afghanistan's southwestern province of Helmand has seen daily attacks by fighters ahead of the withdrawal of international troop in 2014. More than 900 NATO soldiers have died in and around the Helmand River Valley, but now the Afghan National Army has taken increased control in the province's conflict. With fighters often hiding near and among local civilians, Afghan forces now see themselves facing the same challenges as the US Marines that are increasingly taking a back seat in the efforts against the armed groups. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Nolay. http://news.linktv.org/videos/five-royal-marines-charged-insurgent-afghan-murder?start=0 Five Royal Marines have been charged with murder in the killing of an Afghan insurgent in the Helmand province last year. It's believed to be the first time British forces have been detained on such serious charges, which could be used by Afghan militants to build support. Mon, 15 Oct 2012 02:28:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/five-royal-marines-charged-insurgent-afghan-murder Royal Marines, Helmand Province, Afghanistan War, Afghanistan, Taliban insurgency, ISAF, Taliban, British Armed Forces, United Kingdom, Murder Five Royal Marines have been charged with murder in the killing of an Afghan insurgent in the Helmand province last year. It's believed to be the first time British forces have been detained on such serious charges, which could be used by Afghan militants to build support. http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-have-us-candidates-forgotten-afghanistan?start=0 The war in Afghanistan has lasted nearly 11 years and claimed the lives of some 2,000 Americans. But, with the US presidential campaign now in full swing, neither party seems to want to discuss the conflict. Inside Story Americas discusses the issue. Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:06:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/inside-story-americas-have-us-candidates-forgotten-afghanistan Afghanistan War, US presidential election, 2012, Afghanistan troop surge, Afghan National Army, Politics of the United States, Afghanistan, ISAF, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Taliban The war in Afghanistan has lasted nearly 11 years and claimed the lives of some 2,000 Americans. But, with the US presidential campaign now in full swing, neither party seems to want to discuss the conflict. Republican candidate Mitt Romney in particular seems vague on what he would do differently from Barack Obama. So why are both of them not talking about the issue? Guests Lawrence Wilkerson, Kurt Volker, and Rajiv Chandrasekaran discuss. http://news.linktv.org/videos/taliban-bomb-destroys-entire-nato-fuel-convoy?start=0 A Taliban bomb has destroyed up to 22 NATO fuel tankers carrying supplies from Uzbekistan to US-led coalition forces in southern Afghanistan. The parked vehicles were hit by an explosion before dawn, and fire engulfed the entire convoy. Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:02:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/taliban-bomb-destroys-entire-nato-fuel-convoy Taliban, Samangan Province, Afghanistan War, ISAF, Afghanistan, NATO, Explosion, Tank truck, Uzbekistan, Truck A Taliban bomb has destroyed up to 22 NATO fuel tankers carrying supplies from Uzbekistan to coalition forces in southern Afghanistan. The parked vehicles were hit by an explosion before dawn in Samangan province, and a subsequent fire engulfed the entire convoy. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-11-2012?start=105 Democracy Now! interviews Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Ra&uacute;l Castro, on her support for LGBTQ rights, ending the US embargo, and swapping the US-held "Cuban Five" prisoners for jailed contractor Alan Gross. Then award-winning journalist, filmmaker, author, and professor Saul Landau discusses his new film "Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up," about US support for violent anti-Castro militants. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:09:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-11-2012 US-Cuba relations, Cuba, Cuban Five, Mariela Castro, United States, Raúl Castro, United States embargo against Cuba, LGBT, Saul Landau, Alan Phillip Gross The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he's ordered new restrictions on air strikes targeting Taliban militants hiding in residential homes. The directive from General John Allen prompted the Afghan government to claim the U.S.-led NATO occupation force has agreed to stop bombing residential areas and homes altogether. But U.S. officials say the attacks will continue but now under stricter guidelines for air strikes, not ground operations. The new policy was unveiled amidst widespread anger over the latest NATO attack that killed 18 civilians, including nine children, last week. On Friday, Allen met directly with some of the victims' families and apologized to the Afghan people. Gen. John Allen: "This was a joint Afghan and U.S. force. They were taken under fire. A hand grenade was thrown. Three of our people were wounded. We called for the people who were shooting to come out. And then the situation became more grave, and the innocent people were killed. On those occasions when our forces accidentally kill or harm Afghan people, we are very sad. And I have come here today to offer you my condolences and my regrets, but importantly, to apologize to each of you for this tragedy." General Allen's new directive to limit air strikes comes nearly two years after his predecessor, General David Petraeus, also issued new rules that were billed as a major step toward reducing civilian casualties. http://news.linktv.org/videos/suicide-bombs-nato-missiles-kill-dozens-in-afghanistan?start=0 Two Taliban suicide bombers have killed at least 22 people near a NATO airbase in Kandahar. Meanwhile, NATO is accused of killing 17 civilians, all members of the same Afghan family, in a pre-dawn air strike in southern Logar province. ISAF says only militant fighters were among the dead. Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:02:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/suicide-bombs-nato-missiles-kill-dozens-in-afghanistan Afghanistan, Logar Province, ISAF, Suicide attack, Afghanistan War, Kandahar, Taliban, Civilian casualties, NATO, Air strike Two Taliban suicide bombers have killed at least 22 people near a NATO airbase in Kandahar. Meanwhile, NATO is accused of killing 17 civilians, all members of the same Afghan family, in a pre-dawn air strike in southern Logar province. ISAF says only militant fighters were among the dead. http://news.linktv.org/videos/australian-troops-wrestle-with-realities-of-afghanistan-exit?start=0 Afghanistan aims to run its own security by 2014 but how well prepared is the country and what will Australia's legacy there be? ABC News joins Australian troops as they struggle to train Afghan troops and prepare for their own exit. Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:01:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/australian-troops-wrestle-with-realities-of-afghanistan-exit Afghanistan War, Afghanistan, Afghan National Army, Australian Army, Australia, Taliban insurgency, ISAF, Taliban, Orūzgān Province, Improvised explosive device Afghanistan aims to run its own security by 2014 but how well prepared is the country and what will Australia's legacy there be? http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-may-22-2012?start=108 As NATO concludes its largest-ever summit in Chicago, Democracy Now! hosts a debate on whether the trans-Atlantic military alliance should exist at all. An attorney representing one of the activists detained on terror charges in Chicago says the group were victims of police entrapment. And Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson fights extradition from Germany to Costa Rica over decade-old charges. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 22 May 2012 09:47:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-may-22-2012 NATO summit, NATO, Chicago, Afghanistan War, Barack Obama, ISAF, Afghanistan, Afghan National Army, Pakistan, United States NATO Approves Deal for Afghan Transition NATO leaders have approved a deal for a military transition in Afghanistan that would hand control to Afghan forces next year. Under the agreement, NATO would withdraw its combat troops by 2014 but leave thousands behind in a training and advisory role. President Obama hailed the deal as a way to bring the Afghan war to an end. President Obama: "At the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) meeting this morning, we agreed that Afghan forces will take the lead for combat operations next year in mid-2013. At that time, ISAF forces will have shifted from combat to a support role in all parts of the country. And this will mark a major step toward the goal we agreed to in Lisbon, completing the transition to Afghan lead for security by the end of 2014 so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own country and so our troops can come home." NATO Fails to End Dispute on Pakistani Supply Line Despite the agreement for Afghanistan, NATO leaders were unable to resolve the ongoing dispute on reopening Pakistani supply routes to NATO — a step seen as essential to an orderly withdrawal. Pakistan has shut down NATO supply lines over the U.S. refusal to apologize for a raid last year that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Anti-NATO Protesters Target Boeing, Obama Campaign HQ Protesters wrapped up days of action around the NATO summit in Chicago on Monday with a march to the headquarters of the military contractor Boeing. Later in the day, demonstrators protested outside the headquarters of President Obama's re-election campaign. Aaron Weiner: "I think, like a lot of people here, I feel a little betrayed. The whole 'hope and change' dialogue was so prominent in his campaign, and yet there's really been so little, and we're still seeing all of this money being spent on security, being spent on various wars, and it's just — there hasn't been that change that we were promised." Attorneys for protesters in the week's largest march on Sunday say more than 60 people were arrested and more than two dozen were treated for wounds at the hands of police. Four police officers were also treated for injuries. Official: Drone Standards Show "How Easy It Has Become to Kill Someone" The Obama administration has confirmed new details of its process for authorizing drone strikes on suspected militants overseas. The Associated Press reports counterterrorism adviser John Brennan will have a greater role than previously disclosed, consulting with other agencies before ultimately making final recommendations to President Obama. One official said there remains concern over "how easy it has become to kill someone" under the administration's drone strike policy. The official says the United States has targeted alleged al-Qaeda operatives in lethal attacks for reasons including being heard in a conversation plotting an attack on a U.S. ambassador overseas. Had that conversation occurred in the United States, the suspect would normally be investigated instead of assassinated. NATO Reaches $1.7 Billion Deal for New Drones In other drone news, NATO has reached a deal with the military contractor Northrop Grumman for a $1.7 billion fleet of new drones. NATO's "Allied Ground Surveillance" system will use the drones and their accompanying command stations at sites around the world. NATO says it will spend additional billions on the system's operation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-may-22-2012?start=675 As NATO concludes its largest-ever summit in Chicago, Democracy Now! hosts a debate on whether the trans-Atlantic military alliance should exist at all. An attorney representing one of the activists detained on terror charges in Chicago says the group were victims of police entrapment. And Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson fights extradition from Germany to Costa Rica over decade-old charges. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Tue, 22 May 2012 09:47:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-may-22-2012 NATO summit, NATO, Chicago, Afghanistan War, Barack Obama, ISAF, Afghanistan, Afghan National Army, Pakistan, United States As NATO concludes its largest-ever summit in Chicago, we host a debate on whether the trans-Atlantic military alliance should exist at all and its new agreement to hand over control to Afghan forces next year. "When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you're a military alliance, every problem looks like it requires a military solution," argues Phyllis Bennis, an author and fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. "NATO is a giant, big hammer. The problem is, Afghanistan is not a nail, Libya is not a nail. These are political problems that need to be dealt with politically. And by empowering ... a military alliance, NATO is really serving to undermine the goal of the United Nations Charter, which speaks of the importance of regional organizations, in political terms, for nonviolent resolution of disputes, not to put such a primacy and privilege on military regional institutions that really reflect the most powerful parts of the world." Speaking in support of NATO, Stan Sloan, a 30-year security analyst at the CIA and former senior specialist at the Congressional Research Service, counters: "I believe that having allies in this alliance for the United States serves our interests, serves our national interests. ... [NATO] has always been a political alliance. ... I think as long as the member states regard cooperation among them as valuable and even necessary if they have to use military force, they will continue to judge that we need the alliance." As the largest NATO summit in the organization's 63 years came to a close, NATO leaders in Chicago endorsed plans to hand control of Afghanistan over to its own security forces by the middle of next year. The two-day meeting brought together leaders from more than 50 countries, including 28 NATO members, as well as Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Heads of state confirmed NATO combat troops would be withdrawn by the end of 2014, with only training units remaining. President Obama addressed a news conference as the summit came to an end. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Since last year, we've been transitioning parts of Afghanistan to the Afghan National Security Forces, and that has enabled our troops to start coming home. Indeed, we're in the process of drawing down 33,000 U.S. troops by the end of this summer. Here in Chicago, we reached agreement on the next milestone in that transition. At the ISAF meeting this morning, we agreed that Afghan forces will take the lead for combat operations next year in mid-2013. At that time, ISAF forces will have shifted from combat to a support role in all parts of the country. Our coalition is committed to this plan to bring our war in Afghanistan to a responsible end. We also agreed on what NATO's relationship with Afghanistan will look like after 2014. NATO will continue to train, advise and assist and support Afghan forces as they grow stronger. And while this summit has not been a pledging conference, it's been encouraging to see a number of countries making significant financial commitments to sustain Afghanistan's progress in the years ahead. President Obama speaking at the close of the NATO summit last night in his hometown of Chicago. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari received a last-minute invitation to attend the summit last week. He met only in passing with President Obama, and no agreement was reached on reopening supply routes to NATO in Afghanistan, a step seen as essential to an orderly withdrawal. To discuss the significance of the NATO summit and the planned withdrawal from Afghanistan—and whether NATO should exist at all—we're joined by two guests. In Washington, D.C., Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, she's written a number of books, including Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power. And in Burlington, Vermont, we're joined by Stan Sloan, European security expert at the CIA from the late 1960s until 1999. He was also a senior specialist at the Congressional Research Service. Since retiring from government service, he has taught at Middlebury College in Vermont. His most recent book is Permanent Alliance? NATO and the Transatlantic Bargain from Truman to Obama. I'd like to start with Stan Sloan. The significance of the NATO summit, and your assessment of what they concluded? Good morning. My pleasure to be with you this morning. The NATO summit, I think, did what it was expected to do in terms of laying down a plan for the departure from Afghanistan. It is one that will satisfy nobody, but it was important that NATO follow in the steps that the United States had already taken with President Obama's trip to Kabul and the signature of an agreement on how the United States would withdraw and what the status of its remaining forces would be afterwards. So I think that was—that was expected. The alliance also acknowledged that it's dealing with a very difficult set of circumstances, with resources available for defense declining in all countries, and trying to put together a plan, which is referred to, to some—by some, as "smart defense," a plan for using resources more effectively. I know some people I've talked to would prefer that it be called "smarter defense," because the allies have been trying to do this more or less throughout the history of the alliance. And so, perhaps in these times, the alliance does have to be smarter. There's no guarantee that what has happened at Chicago will produce the kind of results that it desired, but at least it shows that all the allies are headed in the same direction. Phyllis Bennis, you were in Chicago. Thousands of people were protesting outside. What do you think of the results of the summit and whether the 63-year-old organization, NATO, should exist at all? Thanks, Amy. I think that we learned a number of things from the NATO summit in Chicago this past weekend. One of them was that a number of European countries have a far more functional democracy than we do, in the sense that governments are far more accountable to public opinion, particularly on the war in Afghanistan. I think that NATO played the role that it has played for a very long time, which is to provide political—and to a small degree, military and economic, but primarily political—cover to United States operations. What we see in NATO is that this is a U.S. set of decisions, and NATO is being brought on board, encouraged to keep even a few troops there. My personal favorite of the moment is Austria. They have three troops in Afghanistan at the moment. You know, this is designed to make it appear to be a multilateral operation in Afghanistan. And in fact, this is a U.S. operation and needs to be treated as such. I think that what we're dealing with is a scenario in which a relic of the Cold War, the NATO alliance, which was always designed in a far more offensive way than defensive, I think, has reached, if it hadn't before—and we can argue that separately—but certainly has reached the end of any shred of legitimacy in this period of history. You know, this is really about the hammer and the nail. When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When you're a military alliance, every problem looks like it requires a military solution. NATO is a giant, big hammer. The problem is, Afghanistan is not a nail, Libya is not a nail. These are political problems that need to be dealt with politically. And by empowering, more than any other regional organization, a military alliance, NATO is really serving to undermine the goal of the United Nations Charter, which speaks of the importance of regional organizations, in political terms, for nonviolent resolution of disputes, not to put such a primacy and privilege on military regional institutions that really reflect the most powerful parts of the world. Stan Sloan, your response? Well, my response as—I qualify it, I guess, by the fact that I'm a confirmed Atlanticist. What does that mean? It means that I believe that having allies in this alliance for the United States serves our interests, serves our national interests. For the Europeans—I just got back from Prague last week, where I was talking to citizens of the Czech Republic about this—for Europeans, having the alliance with the United States serves their interests. So, that's my bias to—as a going-in position. The fact is that NATO is far more than the description that we just heard. It's always been a political alliance. I think there is, and I would agree with what Phyllis has said about the hammer and nail to the extent that NATO, or the trans-Atlantic alliance, needs to have more capacity to use the nonmilitary instruments of security more effectively. NATO does have the structure, the integrated command structure, that gives the allies the option of using military force when necessary. And if we believe that there will be cases— When you say "the integrated command structure," Stan Sloan, you mean the integrated military command structure? That's correct. That's correct, the integrated military command structure. That that makes it possible for the alliance to coordinate the activities, military activities, of the allies, as it did over Libya, for example, and has been doing in Afghanistan. I do believe that in the future the alliance ought to add additional tools to its inventory. It has already said that it believes in taking comprehensive approaches to security problems. But NATO doesn't have all of the instruments to do this. And partly it's a political problem. Members of the European Union, some of them in the past, have not wanted to give NATO a broader mandate. But I think now it is increasingly important for the trans-Atlantic alliance, for the allies, to be able to work together in diplomacy, use of other instruments of national power, to try to prevent crises from becoming violent. We have the ability to deal with in whether they become violent, if we're asked, if we're given an international mandate to intervene. And then I think the alliance needs tools to do with—to deal with the post-conflict environment, when you need a peace and resolution capacity, which again requires the coordination of diplomacy and economic tools. So, the alliance—the alliance has been a lot of things for a lot of years. And I think as long as the member states regard cooperation among them as valuable and even necessary if they have to use military force, they will continue to judge that we need the alliance. Phyllis Bennis, your response? Well, I think, first of all, we have to separate out what people think and what governments do. And I think if we look at Europe, there is a vast majority of Europeans who would, for example, want to get U.S. military forces, and particularly U.S. military equipment—namely, bombs—out of Europe. We've seen huge movements across Europe. So the notion that, quote, "Europeans" want this level of U.S. intervention, I think, is a very—is not really true. I think that we have to be clear that what's needed in the world is very much what Stan is talking about: ways of resolving disputes without resorting to violence, etc. The problem is, NATO is a military alliance. And charging it with doing nonmilitary things, giving it more power, more influence, would be a disaster. If we want to, for example, look at Kosovo, which supporters of NATO love to point to as a great human rights accomplishment, I think there are serious problems with that assessment, given the number of casualties that happened after and during NATO's intervention. But aside from the ultimate consequences, the fact that the decision to intervene militarily in Kosovo was taken not in the U.N. Security Council, which international law and the U.N. Charter say is the only place that can decide on that kind of intervention legally, but was given instead to the NATO high command to make that decision, as if that's somehow equally legitimate, because everyone knew that it wouldn't be possible to get unanimity in the Security Council, that that was a serious breach of international law and a serious problem. When you had—right before the NATO intervention in Kosovo, you had the first involvement of the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a nonmilitary collaborative effort that had monitors on the ground. Instead of shoring them up, perhaps even providing some kind of armed protection for them so they could continue and strengthen their work, they were withdrawn. So the possibility of negotiations was simply taken away. That's what happened in Libya. The possibility of negotiations, based on perhaps a combined effort of the Arab League, part of whom did not support the NATO intervention, and the African Union, none of which supported the NATO intervention—there could have been some kind of negotiated settlement with far less civilian casualty levels, far lower levels of national trauma, and far more success than what we're seeing now in Libya. So I think that this notion of relying on NATO for things outside of its purview—NATO is a great military alliance. It does a really good job at what militaries do: killing people and breaking things. When we talk about cleaning up the pieces, you don't send in the same bull that broke the cups in the china shop. Last month, we spoke to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, the most prominent active-duty servicemember to question the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In a report following his second year-long deployment in Afghanistan, Davis was skeptical about whether Afghan security forces could take on what NATO and U.S. forces have been unable to fully accomplish themselves. LT. COL. DANIEL DAVIS: If you're telling me that with 100,000 U.S. troops and about 50,000 NATO troops throughout the entire amount of time that we had the surge forces in there, if they were unable to materially degrade the Taliban, then what logic are you going to place that, as we're taking 33,000 out, as we're drawing down significant amounts of financial inputs, that suddenly the Afghan security forces, who have been unable to, with our help, to knock down the Taliban, are now suddenly going to be able to do it on their own? I don't see the logic in that, frankly. That's Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis. Stan Sloan, your response, as we wrap up? I think there are good arguments to be made on both sides of this question. Certainly, there is a possibility that once the United States has withdrawn combat forces, that the central government in Kabul could even fall and that security forces would not be able to do the mission. Who knows? It's a difficult question. I think the President is in a difficult spot. And he's made some choices, reflecting the desire of the American people and the people of the other alliance countries, to end the commitment to combat there, and hoping that in fact there will be some degree of stability possible in the wake of the withdrawal. Let me make just a quick comment on the question of what NATO is and what NATO isn't. In Kosovo—and Phyllis was talking about the decision of the allies to go into Kosovo without a U.N. Security Council resolution—that resolution was not possible because both Russia and China would veto such a resolution. And I think that probably I would agree with those who say that when something—in the view of American interests, and, for that matter, European interests, when something needs to be done, that if Russia and China are blocking it, then there need to be other options for dealing with it. And that's what happened in Kosovo. I also should say NATO is far more than just a military alliance. If you go back and read the North Atlantic Treaty, you'll see that it's a value-oriented organization. And the preamble makes it very clear that the organization is intended to support individual liberty, democracy and the rule of law. And that became very important in the 1990s, when countries that had come out from under the control of the Soviet Union wanted to reestablish their sovereignty. The 1995 Senate—NATO enlargement report made it very clear that these countries would have to establish democratic systems and control over the military by civilian authority and all of these things that these countries needed to do, because they wanted so badly to get the protection of being a NATO member. This produced a dramatic—after the revolution of getting out from the control of the Soviet Union, it produced a revolution in Europe that created more democracies and countries that then were viable as European Union members, and it created a whole different Europe. This was a political accomplishment of the alliance, not a military accomplishment. Finally— I think— —your response, Phyllis Bennis? I think that that was much more the accomplishment of the European Union than NATO. And I think, at the end of the day— Not true. —when we look at the major work that the NATO military alliance is conducting today in Afghanistan, I think that the great singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, writing about Vietnam, had it right about NATO and the U.S. in Afghanistan: we're fighting in a war we lost before the war began. And finally, that issue of what you feel, Phyllis Bennis, needs to happen in Afghanistan now? I think there needs to be a much faster pullout, and it needs to be a complete pullout. What we're hearing now, the decision that was endorsed— Thank you. —the U.S. decision endorsed in Afghanistan in the NATO summit was for a partial pullout, leaving behind somewhere probably between 16,000 and 20,000 U.S. troops, who will be doing training, but who will also be doing special operations. That means it's Green Berets being left behind. And I think that what we see in the future in Afghanistan is going to be very much a legacy of what this 11 years of occupation have created: a situation in which women in Afghanistan still are dying in greater numbers than anywhere in the world but Niger, where children in Afghanistan have the worst outcomes for surviving to their first birthday. This is the legacy of our 11 years of occupation and war. There needs to be a much faster withdrawal, and it needs to be based on the understanding that it is a complete withdrawal. Then we can begin the process of making good on the obligations that we have to the people of Afghanistan for reparations, for compensation for the damage that we have done to that country. But as long as U.S. troops and NATO troops are occupying the country, the process of beginning that reconstruction process can't even begin. Phyllis Bennis, I want to thank you for being with us, fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies— Thank you. —written a number of books, including Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer and Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power. And Stan Sloan, European security expert at the CIA from the late '60s until 1999, also senior specialist at the Congressional Research Service. He now teaches at Middlebury College in Vermont. His most recent book is Permanent Alliance? NATO and the Transatlantic Bargain from Truman to Obama. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-051812?start=885 <p>Massive protests in Aleppo as UN chief blames al-Qaeda for Syria attacks, Iranians rally to denounce Bahrain-Saudi Arabia union, UN Security Council demands Sudan withdraw from disputed Abyei region, and more.</p> Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-051812 Syrian Civil War, Syria, Israel, United Nations, Iran, UN Security Council, Bashar al-Assad, Ban Ki-moon, Gaza blockade, Bahrain Uprising Presenter, Female #1 Two NATO soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in an attack that targeted a NATO base in Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan. A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, stated that one of its military bases in Nari District was attacked by rockets that Taliban members had launched. He said that two soldiers were killed without indicating their nationalities. Taliban has escalated its attacks against the NATO and Afghan government forces since the beginning of spring. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghan-militants-launch-spring-offensive-with-coordinated-attacks?start=0 Fighting between Taliban gunmen and Afghan security forces has ended in Kabul after almost 18 hours, Afghan defense ministry officials have said, after militant fighters launched attacks on multiple targets across the country. Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:43:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghan-militants-launch-spring-offensive-with-coordinated-attacks Taliban insurgency, Afghanistan War, Afghanistan, Afghan National Police, Taliban, Suicide attack, Haqqani network, Kabul, NATO, Jalalabad Province Fighting between Taliban gunmen and Afghan security forces has ended in Kabul after almost 18 hours, Afghan defense ministry officials have said, after militant fighters launched attacks on multiple targets across the country. ----- Gunmen launched multiple attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, assaulting Western embassies in the heavily guarded, central diplomatic area and at the parliament in the west, witnesses and officials said. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the assault, one of the boldest on the capital since U.S.-backed Afghan forces removed the group from power in 2001. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-anatomy-of-a-massacre?start=0 The recent massacre of 17 civilians by a rogue US soldier has been shrouded in mystery. But through unprecedented access to those involved, this report confronts the accusations that Bales didn't act alone. Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:18:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-anatomy-of-a-massacre Panjwai shooting spree, Afghanistan, Afghanistan War, Robert Bales, Panjwai district, Kandahar Province, Shooting, Spree killer, US Army, Taliban The recent massacre of 17 civilians by a rogue US soldier has been shrouded in mystery. But through unprecedented access to those involved, this report confronts the accusations that Bales didn't act alone. "They came into my room and they killed my family". Stories like this are common amongst the survivors in Aklozai and Najiban. As are the shocking accusations that Sergeant Bales was not acting alone. Even President Karzai has announced "one man can not do that". Chief investigator, General Karimi, is suspicious that despite being fully armed, Bales freely left his base without raising alarm. "How come he leaves at night and nobody is aware? Every time we have weapon accountability and personal accountability." These are just a few of the questions the American army and government are yet to answer. One thing however is very clear, the massacre has unleashed a wave of grief and outrage which means relations in Kandahar will be tense for years to come: "If I could lay my hands on those infidels, I would rip them apart with my bare hands." A Film By SBS. Distributed By Journeyman Pictures. ---- MAN (Translation): You know where your father is? CHILD (Translation): He died. REPORTER: How did he die? CHILD (Translation): The Americans. Violence is nothing new in this country. But no-one was prepared for what happened here on the night of March 11. MOHAMMAD WAZIR (Translation): They came into my room and they killed my family, my two sons, my nephew and my mother who were sleeping in that room were also killed. MULLAH BARRAAN (Translation): When they screamed, the small children were very scared, especially the six-month-old. When this child screamed, the American put the pistol in the child’s mouth. The massacre of 17 Afghan civilians has unleashed a wave of grief and outrage. A US soldier is now in custody, charged with the murders. But what really happened here? Did this man act alone? Or were others involved, as he walked from house to house shooting men, women and children in their beds? I went to find out more about this atrocity, and to see for myself where the killings took place. I travel to the Panjwai district, an hour's drive from Kandahar. It's a treacherous dirty in the heart of Taliban country. When investigators first visited the scene of the killings, they were attacked by the Taliban. An Afghan National Army soldier was killed. At a base near the villages, I'm told the area is now laced with Taliban mines - too dangerous to visit. REPORTER (Translation): What about the house and the village? SOLDIER (Translation): It’s impossible, we would have assisted you if possible but because of the danger we are not allowed in there. REPORTER (Translation): what is your plan now to clear up the landmines? SOLDIER (Translation): An extensive operational plan, a big one. With the recent events, the people hate us – because they hate the Americans they also hate us. I'm turned back to the relative safety of Kandahar. The next day, an Afghan police team picks a path for me through the booby trapped roads and fields. I follow the steps of the man who came here on the night of March 11. I'm the first Western journalist to make it here. The massacre took place 20km south-west of Kandahar. The Special Forces Base of Camp Belambai is close to the villages of Alkozai and Najiban. Investigators say the gunman left the camp that night armed with an automatic rifle and a pistol. He walked to Alkozai, less than a kilometre away, entered two houses is, and opened fire. It's taken us two days to get to the village of Alkozai. After questions about IEDs, mines and booby traps, we finally managed to arrive. Inside one of the houses, I find evidence of just how terrifying that night must have been -The fear the people inside must have felt. As one after the other, they were targeted and shot. REPORTER (Translation): What happened here? SOLDIER (Translation): When they run away from that end, they were hiding here. He then came and shot them here. Some were shot in the yard and some here. Just like that. REPORTER (Translation): How many were killed here? SOLDIER (Translation): 15 to 16 people were killed or wounded in this area. There are the bullet marks. REPORTER (Translation): They ran away and came here? SOLDIER (Translation): Yes, they ran here but some were killed in the yard and some here. REPORTER (Translation): Where are all those people from the village now? MAN (Translation): They went everywhere or to the city, after the incident. People are frightened. Suspicion that there was more than one killer is now a view widely held in Afghanistan, spurred by comments from the President himself. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT: In four rooms, people were killed - children and women were killed - and than they were all brought together in one room, and then put on fire. That, one man cannot do. GENERAL KARIMI, CHIEF INVESTIGATOR: I'm guessing - assumption - that he is helped by somebody. One person or two person. Hamid Karzai's personally appointed chief investigator, General Karimi, tells me that village elders claim several soldiers took part and they've told him there's evidence to prove it. GENERAL KARIMI: What the claim is that there were boot prints in the area. In some area, they say a kneeling position of three or four individuals. And also they claim that the helicopters were there to support the operations. Of course, I told them that helicopters - when the guy was started missing, to search him. They said, "No. The noise of the helicopters were there from the very beginning, when the shooting started." That means there were many Americans that were supporting this issue, that were doing this deliberately - it's not one individual. That's the claim of the people. I wanted to ask survivors of the attack what they had seen, but I was blocked by the US military. The survivors were children, I was told, and the Americans now treating them said they didn't want them traumatised by my questions. It was only after personal intervention by President Karzai himself that I was finally granted permission to see the survivors, and to hear the chilling accounts of what they'd been through. SEDIQULLAH (Translation): The bullet hit my ear like this and went through here scraped here and came out here. When my father came out, he shot my father and then he entered our room. We ran from that room to the other room – he came and shot us in that room and then he left. NOORBINAK (Translation): He was shooting, he shot my father’s dog first, and then he shot my father in the foot, then he dragged my mother by the hair. My mother was screaming and he held a gun to her and my father said “Leave her alone” and then he shot him right there. As 8-year-old Noorbinak watched her parents desperately trying to fend off the intruder, he turned his gun on her and shot her in the leg. NOORBINAK (Translation): One entered the room and the others were standing in the yard, holding lights. I'm struck by her reference to more than one soldier being involved - a claim repeated by the brother of one of the victims. MULLAH BARRAAN (Translation): The Americans left the room, my brother’s children say they saw in the yard many Americans with lights on their heads and they had lights at the ends of their guns as well. They don’t know whether there were 15 or 20, or however many there were. Staff Sergeant Bales left the scene of the killings in Alkozai village and walked in the darkness back to the base. It was 1:30am when he arrived. He was spotted by Naimatullah, an Afghan guard on duty at the base that night. NAIMATULLAH (Translation): I asked him to stop, he spoke but I did not understand what he said. He spoke in his own language and entered – I even cocked my gun. The killing could have stopped here. Naimatullah alerted a fellow Afghan soldier, who tried to get a message to the Americans. REPORTER (Translation): After that, what did you do? NAIMATULLAH (Translation): I called out to the duty officer, he was walking just outside and he ran up to me and I told him that the American had just entered the base and he went to notify the foreign forces. President Karzai's investigator is now trying to piece together what happened next. He's suspicious that Bales was able to come and go without his fellow Americans noticing. GENERAL KARIMI: How come he leaves at night and nobody is aware? I mean, every time we have weapon accountability, you have an individual and personal accountability. So if this young man was not there, somebody must have known - his friend, his room-mate, you know, and must have reported that this guy was missing. Bales then spent a full hour back at the base. What he did during that time isn't yet clear. But he hadn't finished killing. At 2:30am, he left Camp Belambai a second time. He headed to the village ofNajiban to the south, about 1.5km from the base. He was spotted by another Afghan guard as he walked into the night. AFGHAN GUARD (Translation): He had an M4 gun, a helmet and his bullet proof vest. He started to walk off. 5.30 When he started to move away I called a patrol and told them that an American has left the base. The patrol called the platoon commander and the platoon commander notified the foreign forces. The soldier entered the house of this farmer, Mohammed Wazir - 11 family members were asleep inside. MOHAMMAD WAZIR (Translation): They attacked during the night. They knocked on the door. When they knocked on the door my elderly mother, who opened the door, and was shot and killed right there and then they entered the inside - they went in to my room and killed my family in that room. And then they brought all the bodies and put them into one room and then they took all the linen and the blankets from the cupboard and covered them and set them on fire. Bales was spotted once more by an Afghan guard as he walked back to the base from the village. SOLDIER (Translation): I notified the foreign forces that someone is coming. They told us not to shoot because it’s one of theirs. When we went out the foreign forces searched him, took his clothes, and brought him into the camp in his underwear. As I'm speaking to the Afghans about the killings, Bales's lawyer appears on American television, casting doubt on a trial that could still be years away. JOHN HENRY BROWNE, LAWYER: There's no forensic evidence, there's no medical examiner's evidence, there's no evidence about how many alleged victims or where those remains are. So, you know, it's fascinating from a defence lawyer's perspective. You know - prove it. Investigator-general Karimi is angry that Bales is no longer in Afghanistan to be questioned over the massacre. As he hears claims from villagers that Bales had recently threatened to kill them in revenge for a recent attack. GENERAL KARIMI: Three days, four days - that's what they said - before this incident, one of the US vehicles was hit by mine, in a village in that vicinity, that area. One of the American soldiers lost his leg. He was amputated. This guy happens to be a very close friend to this individual, Robert Bales - close friend to this guy. And he had called the people - he had gone to the village - and told the people that he will revenge his friend, he will shoot everybody and gain revenge. That's another issue that the people claim. I travelled back to the city of Kandahar, where I want to speak to one more survivor - Aminea - not her real name - now lives here with her six children in a mud hut with no electricity. AMINEA (Translation): As I was dragging him to the house, his brain fell into my hand and I put it into a clean handkerchief. There was so much blood – as if three sheep had been slaughtered. Of all the stories I heard on this trip, hers was the most wrenching account of how the killings have changed this country. And how Afghan people now fear the soldiers who had promised to help them and protect them. AMINEA (Translation): I had no feeling other than… if I could lay my hands on them, if I could lay my hands on those infidels, I would rip them apart with my bare hands. MARK DAVIS: Whether more killers were involved or not, there's little doubt that many Afghans now believe there were. That will be a very tense province for a long time to come. More Dateline stories from Afghanistan, including Yalda's recent interview with President Karzai, can be seen online. http://news.linktv.org/videos/accused-us-soldier-flown-out-of-afghanistan-to-kuwait?start=0 Afghan lawmakers have expressed anger over the US decision to fly an American soldier accused of killing 16 civilians out of the country. The US Army sergeant is now in Kuwait, but US officials say they have not ruled out a trial in Afghanistan. Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:21:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/accused-us-soldier-flown-out-of-afghanistan-to-kuwait Afghanistan, Panjwai shooting spree, Afghanistan War, Robert Bales, Panjwai district, US Army, Leon Panetta, Hamid Karzai, Kandahar Province, US-Afghanistan relations Afghan lawmakers have expressed anger over the US decision to fly an American soldier accused of killing 16 civilians out of the country. US Defense Secretary Leon Pannetta has discussed the situation with Hamid Karzai, and the Afghan President has also said he wants all foreign troops out of villages and rural areas next year. Meanwhile, the Taliban has cut off talks with the US. http://news.linktv.org/videos/tensions-high-as-us-defense-secretary-visits-afghanistan?start=0 US defense secretary Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan to hold talks with local leaders, just days after a rogue American soldier killed 16 civilians in Kandahar Province. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:42:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/tensions-high-as-us-defense-secretary-visits-afghanistan Afghanistan, Leon Panetta, Panjwai shooting spree, Afghanistan War, Kandahar Province, US-Afghanistan relations, ISAF, US Secretary of Defense, Shooting, Abdul Rahim Wardak US defense secretary Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan to hold talks with local leaders, just days after a rogue American soldier killed 16 civilians in Kandahar Province. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-031212?start=682 Tension continues to rage between Afghans and the US-led ISAF forces over the Kandahar massacre, in which 16 Afghan women and children were killed by a US soldier, Dubai TV reports. The Taliban movement vowed to seek revenge for the victims. Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-031212 Israel, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Palestinians, Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel, Gaza, United States, Yemen, Arab Spring - duplicate, Gaza City, Migron, Mateh Binyamin Presenter, Male #1 German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived to Afghanistan on a surprise visit. Merkel met with German troops stationed at the country's northern region of Mazar-e-Sharif. Germany has the third largest army contingent of the NATO-led international forces. Berlin reduced its troops to 4,900 last February, with plans to completely withdraw by the end of 2014. Merkel's visit to Afghanistan comes as tension continues to rage between the government of Kabul and the Afghans on one side, and the US-led ISAF forces on the other over the Kandahar massacre, in which 16 Afghan villagers, all of them women and children, were killed by a US soldier. The incident prompted the Afghan government to hint that it may delay the signing of a strategic deal with Washington. Meanwhile, the Taliban movement vowed to seek revenge for the victims. Al-Seghair Salam has the details. Reporter, Male #1 The rift between Washington and Kabul seems to be widening, especially amid the incidents of gunfire repeated from the air and the ground. Most of the incidents are usually committed by US troops working under the auspices of the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, and most of the victims are usually Afghan civilians. In the latest incident, described as the "Kandahar Massacre," a US soldier, said to be "insane," opened fire on Afghan villagers, killing 16. Guest, Female #2 The Americans killed my 2-year-old son. Was my child a member of the Taliban? Believe me, I have never met a 2-year-old Taliban fighter. The Americans are humiliating us. Reporter, Male #1 The intensifying rage of the residents was echoed by the government of Kabul, which said the Kandahar incident may harm the US-Afghan strategic agreement, authorizing a long-term US troop presence in the country. Meanwhile, the Taliban vowed to seek revenge and escalate its retaliatory attacks on Americans. In a phone conversation with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, US President Barack Obama described the Kandahar incident as "shocking." A similar statement was issued by NATO. Guest, Male #2 (Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary-General) Obviously, incidents such as these undermine the population's trust in the Coalition forces. We are here to help the Afghan people, who must understand that they need our efforts in order to create a better future. But it is clear that burning the Quran and this type of attack on civilians undermines the trust they have in us. Reporter, Male #1 The repercussions of that broken trust between the two sides was visible on the ground, especially as NATO troops continue to come under friendly fire by Afghan soldiers trained by international forces. This indicates that rebuilding trust is becoming a very difficult task to achieve. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-more-attacks-in-response-to-quran-burning?start=0 The burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a US airbase in Afghanistan has provoked yet another attack from the Taliban on Monday. A suicide car bomb detonated at a US airbase in Jalalabad killed nine people, including six civilians. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:37:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-more-attacks-in-response-to-quran-burning Afghanistan, Jalalabad, Taliban, Suicide attack, Hamid Karzai, Quran desecration, Jalalabad Airport, NATO, Car bomb, ISAF The burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a US airbase in Afghanistan has provoked yet another attack from the Taliban on Monday. A suicide car bomb detonated at a US airbase in Jalalabad killed nine people, including six civilians. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-fourth-day-of-anti-american-protests-are-deadliest-yet?start=0 In the four days of protests since the discovery of burnt Qurans at Bagram air base 25 people, including two US soldiers, have died. Friday's 11 deaths marked the deadliest day in four days of protest. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:50:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-fourth-day-of-anti-american-protests-are-deadliest-yet Afghanistan, Quran desecration, Herat Province, Bagram Airfield, ISAF, Protest, Afghanistan War, NATO, Kabul, Afghan National Army In the four days of protests since the discovery of burnt Qurans at Bagram air base 25 people, including two US soldiers, have died. Friday's 11 deaths marked the deadliest day in four days of protest. Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Kabul. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-quran-desecration-protests-continue-for-third-day?start=0 In a third day of violence in Afghanistan sparked by the burning of Qurans, another five people have been killed. President Hamid Karzai is appealing for calm, while the Taliban is calling on people to target military bases and kill foreigners. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:12:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-quran-desecration-protests-continue-for-third-day Afghanistan, Quran desecration, Protest, Taliban, Hamid Karzai, NATO, Bagram, Jalalabad, Kabul, Quran In a third day of violence in Afghanistan sparked by the burning of Qurans, another five people have been killed. This brings the total number of dead to 14 since protests began. President Hamid Karzai is appealing for calm, as demonstrations take place in Kabul, Bagram, and Jalalabad. However, the Taliban is calling on people to target military bases and kill foreigners. In a demonstration in eastern Nangarhar province, an Afghan soldier started shooting at NATO soldiers, according to reports from local officials and western military sources. http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-nato-commander-responds-to-quran-allegations?start=0 General John Allen, Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, responds to claims that a large number of Islamic religious materials, which included Qurans, were being prepared for disposal. The incident happened at the detainee facility in Parwan. General Allen has initiated an investigation and intends to invite Afghans to join the investigation. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:03:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/afghanistan-nato-commander-responds-to-quran-allegations Afghanistan, Quran desecration, ISAF, General John Allen, NATO, Kabul, Parwan Province, Quran, Islam General John Allen, Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, responds to claims that a large number of Islamic religious materials, which included Qurans, were being prepared for disposal. The incident happened at the detainee facility in Parwan. General Allen has initiated an investigation and intends to invite Afghans to join the investigation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/accidental-quran-burning-sparks-angry-protests-in-afghanistan?start=0 The commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has issued a hasty apology after reports surfaced of religious texts being improperly disposed of at a military detention facility, leading to angry scenes in Kabul and Bagram. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:13:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/accidental-quran-burning-sparks-angry-protests-in-afghanistan Quran desecration, Afghanistan, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan War, Quran, Kabul, Protest, ISAF, NATO, Telegraph.co.uk Telegraph's Ben Farmer in Kabul says the apology by the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan after reports that religious texts were of improperly disposed is an attempt to avoid a repeat of the violence last April when a Florida pastor, burned a Quran at his church. http://news.linktv.org/videos/war-in-afghanistan-the-truth-has-become-unrecognizable?start=0 Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a 17-year army veteran who returned in October from his second year-long deployment in Afghanistan, says military officials have not leveled with the American public about how poorly the the decade-long war is going. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:46:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/war-in-afghanistan-the-truth-has-become-unrecognizable Afghanistan War, Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, Dereliction of Duty II, Afghanistan, US Army, Taliban, NATO, ISAF, Michael Hastings (journalist), Rolling Stone "Senior ranking US military leaders have so distorted the truth when communicating with the U.S. Congress and American people in regards to conditions on the ground in Afghanistan that the truth has become unrecognizable." That's the assessment of a damning new report by Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis who returned in October from his second year-long deployment in Afghanistan and says military officials have not leveled with the American public about how poorly the the decade-long war is going. He argues that local Afghan governments are unable to provide the basic needs of the people and that insurgents control virtually all parts of Afghanistan beyond eye shot of a US base. We speak with Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone, who obtained a copy of the full report and published it last week. "Lieutenant-Colonel Davis is on the right side of history and the fact [is] that he believes in this and is willing to risk [his career]," Hastings says. http://news.linktv.org/videos/suicide-attack-kills-seven-at-afghanistan-air-base?start=0 A suicide attacker set off a vehicle laden with explosives Thursday outside a gate at a sprawling base for US and NATO operations, killing seven civilians in a second suicide bombing in as many days in southern Afghanistan, officials said. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:10:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/suicide-attack-kills-seven-at-afghanistan-air-base Afghanistan, Suicide attack, Car bomb, Kandahar Airfield, Kandahar, NATO, US Armed Forces, Civilian casualties, ISAF, Associated Press A suicide attacker set off a vehicle laden with explosives Thursday outside a gate at a sprawling base for US and NATO operations, killing seven civilians in a second suicide bombing in as many days in southern Afghanistan, officials said. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-clinton-expresses-total-dismay-over-us-marines-video?start=0 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in condemning a video that purports to depict four US Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:52:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-clinton-expresses-total-dismay-over-us-marines-video US Marines, Hillary Clinton, Taliban, Afghanistan, US Secretary of State, Afghanistan War, US-Afghanistan relations, Cadaver, Urination, ISAF Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in condemning a video that purports to depict four US Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. http://news.linktv.org/videos/rwa-video-us-investigates-taliban-corpse-abuse-in-afghanistan?start=0 The US military is investigating a video showing what appears to be troops urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The footage of what seems to be US Marines has been uploaded to several sites including video sharing site YouTube. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:59:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/rwa-video-us-investigates-taliban-corpse-abuse-in-afghanistan Afghanistan, US Marines, Taliban, US Armed Forces, War Crime, Afghanistan War, US-Afghanistan relations, ISAF, Urination, Abu Ghraib prison WARNING: Graphic Content. The US military is investigating a video showing what appears to be troops urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The footage of what seems to be US Marines has been uploaded to several sites including video sharing site YouTube. The film could be another blow for America after previous scandals like the abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in 2004 and the recent conviction of 11 soldiers for running what became known as a "kill squad," murdering unarmed Afghan civilians. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212?start=35 The Taliban condemned a video showing four soldiers in US Marine uniforms urinating on three corpses believed to be Taliban fighters, but added that the incident will not affect its ongoing talks with the United States, reports Al Jazeera. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-011212 Protest, Israel, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Bahrain, Racism, Civilian casualties, Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, Egypt Presenter, Female #1 The Taliban condemned a video showing four soldiers in US Marine uniforms urinating on three corpses believed to be Taliban fighters. However, the Taliban said this incident will not affect its ongoing talks with the United States. Presenter, Male #1 Meanwhile, the incident has roused wide-scale controversy in the United States and Afghanistan. The US Marine Corps said it began an investigation into the incident. Reporter, Male #2 The dead deserve respect and should be buried, not urinated on. A video uploaded online shows four US Marines urinating on three corpses believed to be those of Taliban fighters. It has roused a wide-scale controversy in the United States and Afghanistan. The authenticity of the video has not yet been verified, nor has its date or location. But the US Marine Corps announced that it was going open an investigation into the incident, which was described by the Taliban as barbaric. The Taliban pointed to similar incidents that have occurred in the past ten years but were never revealed. Among the people, the incident evoked a wave of denunciation in the chaotic Kandahar and the capital Kabul. Guest, Male #3 We are all Muslims; we condemn this action committed by foreign soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Taliban fighters. Guest, Male #4 We denounce the behavior of the American soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Taliban fighters. This will harm the peace talks. Guest, Male #5 The American soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Muslims have committed a crime. We don't want them on our soil after that. Reporter, Male #2 The incident coincided with efforts that have been exerted to reach a political settlement for the Afghan crisis. The Taliban is exerting efforts alongside the international community to put an end to the conflicts in the country that have been ongoing for over a decade. Recently, Taliban fighters expressed their conditional readiness to open a political office outside Afghanistan to run peace talks with the government in Kabul and its allies in NATO led by the United States. However, they warned that this move does not mean the end of battles. In the US's initial response, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the American special envoy to Afghanistan, Marc Grossmanm, will visit Kabul and a number of major capitals in the region next week to discuss the peace process. This implies that the option of a political solution in Afghanistan is gaining support from various international and regional powers. Presenter, Male #1 Joining us from Kabul is Abdul Salam Zaeef former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. Mr. Salam, can you explain the timing of the release of this video, and who do you think benefits from disrupting talks between the Taliban and the United States? Guest, Male # 6 (Abdul Salam Zaeef, former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan) I think this kind of action or this kind of thing that was exposed in the video could be harmful to the peace process. It could also break the trust between the two sides. I don't think this is the first time the Americans carry out such acts but the release of the video is very important. I think the people who released the video did so deliberately. Presenter, Male #1 Who do you think benefits from the release or broadcast of these images at this particular time? Guest, Male # 6 I believe the timing was not suitable. There was progress in the relationship between the two sides and I think that progress will continue in the future. The only way to solve the crisis is to proceed with the talks in Afghanistan. The release of this video aimed to halt this development. I know this is the result of the occupation, and if this occupation continues in Afghanistan, it is best to end the occupation. The way that was chosen to this end is a good one, the negotiations option. And I hope these talks will not stop because continuing war has severe consequences. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-nato-troops-fight-insurgents-in-kabul?start=0 NATO has released this video of soldiers inside the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, fighting back against an attack on the US Embassy compound and ISAF HQ on September 13, 2011. Video via <a title="Storyful.com" href="http://storyful.com/stories/1000007842" target="_blank">Storyful</a>.<br /> Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:12:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-nato-troops-fight-insurgents-in-kabul Kabul, Afghanistan, Taliban, NATO, ISAF, Terrorist attack, Afghanistan War, Rocket-propelled grenade, Storyful Video of NATO soldiers inside ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, fighting back against an attack on the US Embassy compound and ISAF HQ on September 13, 2011. Video via Storyful.