100 Taliban Killed- Hundreds Displaced

US and Afghan forces report that more than 100 Taliban members have been killed in the Southern province of Helmand. Three days of fierce fighting began after patrols came under attack from Taliban forces. The exact number of casualties is still not known.


However the attack has meant that more people have had to flee their homes in search of refuge in other parts of the country. The growing number of refugees in Kabul further highlights the deepening conflict between Taliban and foreign forces. Many people originally fled their homes in Helmand in search of temporary shelter in the Southern provincial capitals of Kandahar and Lashkar Gar, but now more are moving further into Kabul because of incresed instability and security dangers in the South.


The fighting has made it impossible for civilians to remain in their villages, which are used by Taliban as covers for attacking NATO and US forces. This is followed then by further airstrikes by allied forces on the villages where civilians are living. People are accused of co-operating with Taliban by the police, government and foreign forces and then further interegated by Taliban who claim that they are spies. As one man put it "We are under the feet of two powers."


Stopping insurgent forces is essential but the deaths of civilians and the uprooting of Afghan peoples lives must not be part of the process.

First Olympic Medal for Afghanistan

Rohullah Nikpai, has won Afghanistan its first ever medal at the Olympic games in Beijing. He competed in the 58kg category, defeating Juan Antonio Ramos from Spain to win the bronze medal in Taekwondo. Nikpai, an ethnic Hazara, was a member of the Afghan refugee team, when he left Kabul after fighting in the city, to live in refugee camps set up in Iran. He returned and was able to train in the Olympic training facility provided by the government. Hamid Karzai immediately called Nikpai to congratule him on his victory and rewarded him with a brand new house in Kabul. He also recieved a new Toyota sedan and $20,000 from the owner of the countries main cellphone network. Many in Afghanistan were overjoyed with his success, with some reporting that Taliban also fired gunshots into the open sky in the district of Panjwai and some areas of Helmand province, in honour of his victory.

No Upgrade for British Troops

The new British embassy in Kabul is going to have two olympic sized swimming pools for staff. The embassy, costing $120 million will provide this added bonus for its staff, while many Afghans still do not have access to a properly functioning water system. Meanwhile, British troops struggle with the security threat, being under equipped and short on man power.

Another unfortunate example of widespread corruption in Afghanistan.

They've really done it now

The Taliban mounted their fiercest attack on Nato forces since 2002, killing 10 French soldiers and wounding Americans and and Afghan soldiers. "In response to the attack," according to The New York Times, "the French president announced that he would fly to Kabul on Tuesday."

Whether Mr. Sarkozy intends to take on the Taliban himself or not is not clear. It does signify the increasing resolve of Nato countries. It was partly the lack of commitment that allowed the Taliban to slowly regain strength.

But loud proclamations, if not met with action (and success) will backfire, and the pressure may be on Sarkozy and other leaders of nations in Afghanistan to leave.

Kudos Robert Gates

The US Defense Secretary is a refreshing figure in the Bush administration. A recent op-ed by David Ignatius in the Washington Post commends Gates very highly, and rightly so.

"He is still firing on all cylinders, working to repair the damage done at the Pentagon by his arrogant and aloof predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld. Gates has restored accountability in the military services by firing the secretaries of the Army and Air Force when they failed to respond forthrightly to problems. And he has been an early and persuasive internal administration critic of U.S. military action against Iran."

And this morning, Gates proposed a noble plan to resucitate the mission in Afghanistan. $20 billion for a three-year project to double the size of the Afghan army is commendable, as is the restructuring of command. Gates wants all but a few US troops to be under NATO command. At present they are split roughly between NATO and Operation Enduring Freedom, an obvious strategic stumbling block. Gates also wants more troops, but they won't be available in the short term.

What is missing is a strong stance on the poppy problem. Thomas Schneider, a former Pentagon official, in The New York Times Magazine, courageously and cogently argues for aerial eradication of poppy-crop.

In any case, the debate on Afghanistan seems to be converging to a coherent line between the current administration and the next. Everyone seems enthusiastic to redouble efforts in the "good war." And that is very good.