InfoAnda - Foreigners boost insurgency in eastern Afghanistan

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Skrela nightmare hands Wallabies victory | 22 November 2008
Massive winter storm continues sweep across the country | 2 February 2011
Thirty years on, Khmer Rouge torturer faces justice | International | | 15 February 2009

Refugees on rise and poor countries bear brunt: UNHCR | | 20 June 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Foreigners boost insurgency in eastern Afghanistan

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Foreigners boost insurgency in eastern Afghanistan By KATHY GANNON,Associated Press Writer - Friday, August 13 Send IM Story Print JALALABAD, Afghanistan – As the spotlight of the Afghan war focuses on the south, insurgent activity is increasing in parts of the east, with Arab and other foreign fighters linked to al-Qaida infiltrating across the rugged mountains with the help of Pakistani militants, Afghan and U.S. officials say. Security in eastern Afghanistan is critical because the region includes the capital, Kabul, which the insurgents have sought to surround and isolate from the rest of the country. The east also borders Pakistan, where al-Qaida's leaders fled after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion drove the Taliban from power. Gen. Mohammed Zaman Mahmoodzai, head of Afghanistan's border security force, told The Associated Press that infiltration by al-Qaida-linked militants has been increasing in his area since March. "One out of three are Arabs," he said, coming mostly from Pakistan's Bajaur and Mohmand tribal areas where the Pakistan military is battling Pakistani Taliban insurgents. The advent of spring makes it easier to move through mountain passes into Afghanistan, though Mahmoodzai believes the influx of Arabs has been greater than can be explained by seasonal trends. A NATO official said he thought Mahmooodzai's estimate of Arab infiltration was high but acknowledged that activity by foreign fighters was running "a little more than average" in the east. He said most of them were believed to be Pakistanis, Chechens and Tajiks although it was difficult to determine their origins. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is sensitive. In some cases, militants enter the country through legal crossing points such as Torkham, 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Jalalabad. Mahmoodzai said the infiltrators carry fake passports and visas provided by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group that India blames for the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai that left 166 people dead. "We know it is Lashkar-e-Taiba because we have sources inside the Afghan Taliban," Mahmoodzai said. "They said the Arabs are coming here through Lashkar-e-Taiba." Last month, the NATO-led command announced the capture of two Taliban commanders it said were helping Lashkar-e-Taiba (LASH-kar-e-TOY-bah) members slip into Afghanistan. In reporting the second arrest, a NATO statement referred to a "recent influx" of Lashkar-e-Taiba members into the eastern province of Nangarhar. The mixture of insurgent groups adds to the complexity of the war in the east, often fought in terrain much more rugged and challenging than in the north or south. In eastern Afghanistan last year, the U.S. Army pulled out of two outposts in the mountains of Nuristan province after insurgents nearly overran the bases in two battles that claimed a total of 17 American lives. Insurgents operating from bases in the eastern part of Nuristan are believed to have killed the 10 members of a medical team, including six Americans, gunned down last week in a northern province. Longtime smuggling routes through the east link militant sanctuaries in Pakistan with northern provinces such as Kunduz and Baghlan, where insurgent attacks are increasing. Al-Qaida's links to a Taliban faction led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin are believed stronger than with Taliban groups in the south. The Haqqani group was believed to have played a major role in the Dec. 30 suicide bombing at a CIA base in the eastern province of Khost that killed seven agency employees. A NATO official said that if al-Qaida is in Afghanistan, it's probably in Kunar, the eastern Afghan province along the Pakistani border where Osama bin Laden maintained bases in the 1990s. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information to the media. Gen. Mohammed Afzal, the Afghan army's commander in the east, said the insurgents were focusing their eastern operations in the provinces of Kunar and Nuristan _ which also borders Pakistan _ and the area south of Jalalabad, the region's main commercial center. "The enemy changed their tactics this year, and al-Qaida has started to become even stronger this year," he said. He cited greater use of suicide attacks and roadside bombs _ many against NATO supply convoys coming in from Pakistan. Such tactics had not been used as frequently in the mountainous east as in the south. "The government is there by day, but by night it is the Taliban who are in control," said Malik Naseer, who is running for parliament in next month's election from a district of Nangarhar. "Residents say there are some foreigners among them." The NATO official said the Taliban were accelerating a campaign of intimidation in Nangarhar, including letters left in front of homes warning residents against dealing with foreigners and government officials or listening to music. The role of Lashkar-e-Taiba is especially disturbing because of the group's extensive network throughout South Asia and its purported links to Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI. The Pakistani agency helped organize Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Army of the Pure, two decades ago to launch attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the disputed mountain region that lies at the heart of the rivalry between the two nuclear-armed nations. Lashkar-e-Taiba, which the U.S. military refers to as LeT, is believed to have played a role in the Feb. 26, 2010 car bombing and suicide attack on two guesthouses in Kabul frequented by Indians, and in the October 2008 car bombing at the gates of the Indian Embassy that killed more than 60 people. Pakistan says it broke ties with the group after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States. Nevertheless, it is widely believed that some factions within Lashkar are still close to the Pakistani military, which has not pursued the organization as vigorously as it has other Islamic militant groups that have staged attacks inside Pakistan. "I've watched them since 2008 ... move to the West, become more active in other countries and more active throughout the region and more engaged with other terrorist groups," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told Pakistani reporters in Islamabad last month. "So there is an increased level of concern with respect to where LeT is and where it appears to be headed." Christine Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies, says Lashkar-e-Taiba has been attacking coalition soldiers in Afghanistan since 2004. Fair said she has tracked Lashkar-e-Taiba operations in several eastern Afghan provinces, including Kunar, Baghlan, Nangarhar, Logar and Nuristan. The NATO official speculated that Lashkar-e-Taiba is using Afghanistan to "get up their jihadi street credentials" among the militants' support base. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Extinct mammoth tusks fill elephant ivory ban gap AFP - 16 minutes ago Pakistan says won't divert forces from militant fight Reuters - 34 minutes ago Malaysia court jails brothers over church attack AFP - 35 minutes ago US teenager on peace mission to N.Korea AFP - 55 minutes ago Rare 'princess' turtle returns to Malaysia AFP - 1 hour 31 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Germany posts record second quarter growth BP to pay 50 mln dlr fine for deadly 2005 Texas blast India threatens to ban Blackberry email, messaging Italy's Molinari shares early lead at PGA Championship Boosted by big profit, GM preps for IPO with new boss More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors Global equities rocked by economic recovery fears India threatens to ban Blackberry email, messaging US court says Germany can be sued over Hitler-era bonds First use of tools pushed back a million years More Most Viewed » Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery 40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors World's first full face transplant man appears on TV Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Friday, 13 August 2010
Major powers drawing up framework for Mideast talks
Russia marks submarine loss under shadow of new tragedy
Facebook panic button prompts surge in abuse reports
Iran stoning woman tortured to confess on TV: lawyer
Boosted by big profit, GM preps for IPO with new boss
Cisco revenue climbs but profit disappoints
US jobless claims jump to six-month high
Iran stoning woman 'tortured' before TV 'confession'
Are the Iraqi security forces ready or not? |
'Rage against US' motivated Kampala bombing 'mastermind'
Australia working with US on WikiLeaks files
Suspect says rage at U.S. led him to plot Ugandan bombs |
Claims of Afghan civilian deaths spark protest
Four bullet-riddled bodies found in South African mine |
Staff at BAA airports vote to strike |
Many Americans don't want government to push fast Internet |
Tata Steel swings to quarterly profit, lags forecasts
India industrial output grows at slowest in 13 months
Credit Suisse gets green light for branch in India
China Mobile and Xinhua agree to set up search engine
Miner Vedanta in talks to buy Cairn India stake
Mahindra says MoU for Ssangyong takeover to be signed soon
Asia Naphtha-Taiwan Formosa buys more for Sept
Pakistan stocks end flat; floods bring prices worry
Japan PM voices concern over yen's 'rapid' rise
MTV video awards give Kanye West a second chance |
Aussie actors steal spotlight in Animal Kingdom |
Kelsey Grammer's girlfriend pregnant |
Fantasia released from hospital after overdose |
A Minute With: Eat Pray Love director Ryan Murphy |
WikiLeaks to continue releasing Afghan war files: Assange
Heavy rain and mudslides bring more misery to China |
US-TECH Summary
Germany posts record 2Q growth
Canada intercepts migrant ship on Pacific coast |
Brazil's surprise election issue: Iran
BP to pay 50 mln dlr fine for deadly 2005 Texas blast
Oracle sues Google over Android
Reclusive Myanmar to hold elections on November 7 |
India threatens to ban Blackberry email, messaging
Gates says Kim Jong-il's son seeks military stripes |
Italy's Molinari shares early lead at PGA Championship
Google denies selling out on 'net neutrality'
Boosted by big profit, GM preps for IPO with new boss
Oracle accuses Google of violating patents
Diseases pose new risks in Pakistan flood crisis |
Car bomb explodes in Bogota, in test for new president
Russians criticize Putin on corruption and oligarchs |
Chinese admiral says U.S. drill courts confrontation |
Google adds voice commands to Android smartphones
Once high-flying China official gets death sentence |
Lawyer's collapse halts Canadian's Guantanamo trial
New rain piles on misery for China flood survivors
Media watchdog slams Wikileaks' 'irresponsibility'
Foreigners boost insurgency in eastern Afghanistan
U.S. arrests Israeli linked to serial knife murders
Advertisers flocking to Facebook: eMarketer
S.Korea president pardons politicians, businessmen
India gives RIM until Aug 31 to yield on BlackBerry
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
WikiLeaks to continue releasing Afghan war files: Assange
Affidavit: Conn. shooter stole empty kegs, cases
Stabbing spree suspect nabbed before Israel flight
Judge keeps gay marriage on hold
India to target Google and Skype messaging next: report |
Kelsey Grammer's girlfriend pregnant
Oracle sues Google over Android |
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Kirk Douglas "confused" about NY mosque plans
Paris Hilton to vigorously defend bad hair day
TV series "Glee" to get comic book treatment
Lindsay Lohan could see early release from rehab
Seoul shares rise 1.4 pct on techs, shipyards
'Cathy' comic strip comes to an end. AAACK!
Yen weak after Japan govt's 'verbal intervention'
Europe's biggest balloon festival takes flight
Chinese investors drop bid for AIA shares
Aussie actors steal spotlight in "Animal Kingdom"
Pakistan c.bank buys 22.15 bln rupees of govt paper
Kelsey Grammer's girlfriend pregnant
Offshore holdings of NZ govt debt fell in July-RBNZ
A Minute With: "Eat Pray Love" director Ryan Murphy
Korean Air posts record Q2 profit, fcasts Q3 growth
China mudslides highlight cost of rapid economic growth
Lindsay Lohan could see early release from rehab |
The Expendables eyes brawny box office debut |
WRAPUP 1-New Zealand data leaves market split over rate rise
Paris Hilton to vigorously defend bad hair day |
Ryan Reynolds homes in on Safe House thriller |
Seoul shares rise 1.4 pct on techs, shipyards
Idol judge Kara disappointed by Fox silence |
S.Korea T-bond futures steady on caution
NBC pulls Mad Men spoof after Emmy rivals irked |
Kirk Douglas confused about NY mosque plans |
Iran to fire up first nuclear power plant next week
Fires grow close to secret Russian nuclear site
Russia says to start up Iran Bushehr plant August 21 |
Russia says to start up Iran Bushehr plant Aug 21
Energy costs send US consumer prices higher
Germany drives record recovery as experts fear 'peak'
Optimistic on resolving India security concerns: RIM
Clinton prods Netanyahu on Mideast peace talks |
Spain confirms timid economic recovery
Germany releases suspected Israeli spy |
Iran to launch first nuclear power plant
Ten killed in Jamaica in outburst of gang violence |
Germany drives record recovery, but experts fear 'peak'
US nabs al-Qaida-linked militants in Afghanistan
Four charged over deaths of 800 Bosnian Muslims |
Death toll in Nigeria building collapse rises to 23 |
Gates: Congress hurting Afghan civilian aid effort
Russia to keep grain export ban, reap less in 2011 |
Canadians board Sri Lanka asylum boat
Three gunned down in Melbourne shootings
Guide says Stevens in good spirits before death
Prominent Tibetan sentenced to life in prison
Lawyers vary on contact between Marine, suspect
BlackBerry assures India on access to services: source |
Heavy rain and mudslides bring more misery to China
Bollywood icon Khan offers new face of Indian cinema
Eminem set to return to No. 1 on album chart
Vedanta seeks Cairn stake for $8.5 bln
Harvard tops Chinese university rankings
BlackBerry 'optimistic' it can avert India ban
Rookie TV shows have strong shot at Emmy glory
Myanmar junta announces November 7 election
Pakistani shares up; rupee firms; o/n rates down
Cross divides Poles on role of religion in public life
Diseases pose new risks in Pakistan flood crisis
Chinese businessmen accused of Filipino tax dodge
Rains leave 33 more dead in flood-ravaged China
Chinese 'gold' brings Egyptians a taste of little luxury
Korean Air shifts into red due to stronger won
Extinct mammoth tusks fill elephant ivory ban gap
Frustrated lefties can hope for liberated future
Yen eases as recovery concerns leave markets mixed
Ryan Reynolds homes in on "Safe House" thriller
Pakistan says won't divert forces from militant fight
"Idol" judge Kara "disappointed" by Fox silence
Jail for US pair in Thai film fest graft scandal
Paris Hilton to vigorously defend bad hair day |
Eminem set to return to No. 1 on album chart |
Rookie TV shows have strong shot at Emmy glory |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01