InfoAnda - Kandahar is key city in Afghan war

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

Belgium starts efforts to agree on coalition government | | 15 June 2010
Spanish king well after lung surgery on benign growth | 8 May 2010
Syrian, Saudi leaders in Lebanon to defuse tension | 30 July 2010

Atwood's latest study in human frailty | 1 April 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Kandahar is key city in Afghan war

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 Kandahar is key city in Afghan war By KATHY GANNON,Associated Press Writer - Thursday, November 26 Send IM Story Print KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A wedding was called off because international troops killed the groom. A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a police patrol. An old woman was beaten by the Taliban after she tried to stop them from taking her son. And all of this happened in just two weeks in the same place _ Kandahar. The fight for Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city, shows some of the biggest hurdles faced by the U.S. as it tries to implement a strategy of winning over the ordinary people of Afghanistan. Kandahar, a city of an estimated 800,000 people in the south, is an important piece in the battle for Afghanistan, and losing control of it would be a huge blow to the coalition. The city _ and the outlying province with the same name _ will be a focus of the additional buildup of tens of thousands of troops which President Barack Obama is expected to order for Afghanistan. A senior military official said Wednesday that any troop increase approved by the president would likely be deployed to the country's east and south, where Taliban forces have a strong foothold. The military is particularly interested in improving security in Kandahar, which is regarded as the "spiritual center" of anti-U.S. forces. By some accounts, including that of military officials, religious insurgents already control most of the 17 districts in Kandahar province. Kandahar was the headquarters of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and the presence of Taliban there is growing. The outgoing NATO commander for southern Afghanistan told The Associated Press that troops need to secure the exits and entrances to Kandahar city itself if the provincial capital is to be protected from infiltration and an eventual Taliban takeover. "Will Kandahar fall? Every two or three weeks people tell me Kandahar will fall. I think the way forward is to secure the approaches to Kandahar city," said Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart C. De Kruif. But the strength of the insurgents is only part of the problem. The other part is the local people's mistrust of the U.S. and the Afghan government with which it is partnered. Without trust, the residents cannot be counted on to tip off authorities to the militants' presence. "Progress is hindered by the dual threat of a resilient insurgency and a crisis of confidence in the government and the international coalition," said Obama's top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in an August report. McChrystal, who is asking for thousands more soldiers, has warned that the war can be lost unless the U.S. and the Afghan government win back the trust and support of ordinary Afghans. But in Kandahar, the U.S. is fighting an overwhelming belief that the war is aimed at ethnic Pashtuns, who are the backbone of the Taliban and who dominate in the south and the east of the country where the insurgency and military action are fiercest. "Why is it that all the killing is being done of Pashtuns? Not all Pashtuns are Taliban but that is what they (coalition) think. I am not government and I am not Taliban but I am suffering," says Naqib, whose cousin was shot and killed at the end of October when a NATO patrol fired at the car he was driving. Also killed in the incident were two women, and a 2-year-old child. Naqib's cousin Habib Rahman was to have been married the next day. The two men _ cousins, best friends and business partners _ had decided to marry the same day. Naqib postponed his wedding and Habib's fiance "hasn't eaten since Habib's death. It is like she is dead too," he said earlier this month. Officials said the incident is still under investigation. United Nations figures show insurgents cause twice as many deaths as pro-government forces. Between January and September this year, the U.N. reported insurgents killed 1,862 civilians, while pro-government forces, including international and Afghan soldiers, killed 419. But for 6-year-old Samina, who hid behind her father's arm, cracking tiny bubbles with her gum, the statistics meant little. Her mother was among those in the car that was killed. "What do I tell my daughter? That life is better because the international troops are here?" asked Hajji Mohammed, her father. Another hurdle is the lack of confidence of the people in their own government, and by extension the coalition. Government corruption, not the Taliban, is keeping businesses from flourishing in Afghanistan, said Ahmed Shah Lmar, regional manager for one of the country's leading cellular telephone companies. Lmar said businesses lose hundreds of millions of dollars to corruption, development plans sit in government offices gathering dust, and incompetent government officials delay projects until they become financially untenable. "The government is more of a headache for us than the Taliban," said Lmar, interviewed in an office at the end of a long hall protected by armed men and closed circuit televisions. After eight years and little sign of progress, the yawning chasm between Kandaharis and the international coalition has widened, with the Taliban outdistancing the coalition in the propaganda war for the hearts of the people. A mark of the Taliban's propaganda success is a widespread belief here that a U.S. cruise missile caused last August's ferocious explosion that killed 41 people and flattened a city block in the heart of Kandahar, instead of the powerful truck bomb they planted. "I would say 90 percent of people still believe it was a cruise missile. I blame the government and the international community for not moving faster, giving people information and showing them the proof that it was the Taliban," said Rangina Hamidi, an Afghan American woman who runs a small but thriving business employing more than 200 Afghan women. Hamidi returned to her native Kandahar in 2003 to run a charity for Afghan woman that has since turned into a business with outlets in the United States as well as Kandahar. But she blames both the government and the international community for failing to deliver on promises of security and a better life when the Taliban were driven from the area in 2001. Hamidi's husband Abdullah, an Afghan whom she met after returning to Afghanistan, had stayed in his homeland throughout the 1980s Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the civil war between rival mujahedeen groups that followed, and finally the repressive Taliban regime. With each successive regime he held out hope for a better future, turning down an opportunity to travel to the United States in the 1990s. When the Taliban were thrown out, his hope soared. But now he just wants out of what he calls a mess. "Sometimes I just get hopeless," Hamidi said. ___ Associated Press writer Anne Flaherty in Washington contributed to this report. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Mumbai holds vigils on eve of attacks anniversary AP - 2 hours 16 minutes ago India basks in lavish White House welcome AP - 2 hours 24 minutes ago Indonesia's top detective replaced after graft scandal AFP - Thursday, November 26 Philippine govt expels massacre suspect AFP - Thursday, November 26 Kandahar is key city in Afghan war AP - Thursday, November 26 News Search Top Stories Obama to head to Copenhagen with climate pledge Belgium on the block as GM outlines Opel cuts Swiss court grants Polanski bail: official Shuttle undocks from space station, returns to Earth Britain is last major nation in recession More Top Stories » Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Severe reactions to swine flu vaccine in Canada Swedish firm gives up bid for Saab Fed lifts 2010 growth outlook, sees unemployment easing Conscious but paralysed; patient's case not unique Mankind using Earth's resources at alarming rate More Most Viewed » Alcohol helps cut heart disease risk for men: study Mankind using Earth's resources at alarming rate 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 Copyright © 2009 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 Thursday, 26 November 2009
Iran seeks to quiet critic inside ruling system
Jet-man plunges into sea as Africa-Europe flight fails
Iraqi government launches YouTube channel
Belgium on the block as GM outlines Opel cuts
Israel approves 10-month settlement freeze
Swiss court grants Polanski bail: official
Italian prosecutors seek jail for Google execs
Britain is last major nation in recession
Shuttle undocks from space station, returns to Earth
Obama to unveil his Afghan plan Tuesday
Abbas says to stay on until next Palestinian vote | International |
Infineon, Nokia co-operate on next mobile generation
Israel offers, Palestinians reject temporary settlement ease
Israel announces partial settlement freeze
Israeli PM seeks 10-month new settlement halt
Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released | International |
Dozens dead in Ugandan rebel attack in CAR: sources | International |
U.S., U.N. aim to end Iraq vote impasse
Irish child abuse survivors criticize payout offer | International |
Taliban's Omar rejects Karzai call for peace talks
Infineon, Nokia co-operate on next mobile generation
Energy prices on the rise despite huge supply
Ky. court says state must readopt lethal injection
Philippine govt expels massacre suspect
Americans search for cheaper Thanksgiving trips
Indonesia's top detective replaced after graft scandal
Free to good home: Carrier USS John F. Kennedy
Kandahar is key city in Afghan war
Mom of teen set on fire: Son focused on recovery
Vietnam approves first nuclear power plants: deputy
Placard thieves leave Ito's LA courtroom nameless
Search crew working to free man stuck in cave
Japan PM 'surprised' at reports of dubious funds from mother
BLM delays Nevada horse roundup to allow appeals
NKorea's Kim Jong Il meets China defence minister: report
More bankruptcy cases filed in federal courts
China reports 8 cases of mutated swine flu virus
Pakistan court charges seven over Mumbai attacks
Former AP stringer among 57 dead in Philippines
Ships warned about icebergs headed for New Zealand
Toyota to fix gas pedals on 3.8 mln US vehicles
Alarm over asset bubbles returns with recovery
Toyota 'to fix gas pedals on 4 mln US vehicles'
CNPC, KazMunaiGas seal $2.6 Bln deal
China criticizes US anti-dumping move on pipes
Pakistani stocks end lower; rate cut discounted
FACTBOX-Baluchistan
India electric car pioneer plans biggest plug-in plant
Swiss court grants Roman Polanski bail | Entertainment |
BAIC to 'reassess' options after Saab bid fails
Music stores see dream week with Boyle, Lambert | Entertainment |
19.2 million people watch Donny Osmond win
TV accused of fanning Pakistan political instability
Iranian director, opposition campaigner wins award | Entertainment |
China's pandas worth more than Tiger Woods: Australian zoo
Gypsies seen as outcasts in new, ultra-conservative Iraq
Wall dividing Slovak village sparks Roma outcry
'Delighted' couple holds Australia's first gay union
Illinois Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide Of Family
For Afghan poor, Eid charity starts at home
California's Anaheim Hills Brush Fire Partially Contained
Teen Dodges Scolding; Lives On Subway For 11 Days
Nepal tucks into first international fast-food chain
Toyota Recalling 4 Million Vehicles To Replace Gas Pedals
France to ban 'psychological violence' in marriage
Lawsuit To Delay Massive Roundup, Removal Of Wild Horses In Nevada
Adam Lambert makes a splash, but risks losing fans
Man Robs California Bank With Tears In His Eyes
Britain's ex-top spy attacks govt over Afghan war
EU commission chief unveils nominees for new team
Comcast bid for NBC Universal could be sealed next week: source
A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks | International |
Obama to head to Copenhagen with climate pledge
Canadian generals dismiss torture allegations
Magazine publishers creating 'iTunes for magazines': reports
Wikileaks releases pager intercepts from 9/11
Main suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders | International |
Chavez calls Israel murderous U.S. arm | International |
Chavez calls Israel "murderous" U.S. arm
Fear of low China target casts cloud over climate talks | International |
IAEA chief: Iran must accept nuclear proposal
Honduras Supreme Court backs Zelaya ouster | International |
Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released | International |
Fighting Afghan Taliban with Islamic credit unions | International |
Israel announces partial settlement freeze
Khmer Rouge torturer had to kill or be killed | International |
Aristide party barred from Haiti's February ballot | International |
Germany sees 'broad support' for Iran resolution at IAEA
Worst New Zealand air tragedy still sparking rows
Acer says Windows 7 good for sales | Technology |
Prime suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders
Neb. drops theft charges against auto executives
Mumbai commemorates anniversary of attacks
Fla. police searching for missing lottery winner
Outback Aussie town to cull invading camels
4 bodies found in suburban Chicago home
AT&T Blasts White House IT Official Over Net Neutrality Remark
Texas District Hospital Fires 16 Workers For Breaching Patient Privacy
A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks
LA suburb's rebirth rides on electric car plant
City Closes Coffee Stand Drive-Thru Window Due To Complaints About Bikini Clad Baristas
Two Koreas to survey overseas industry; officials
News
Main suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders
W.A.T.C.H. Website Lists Hazardous Toys For Children
JC Penney salesman accused of raping boy in store
Washington Post Announces Closure Of Domestic Bureaus
Obama's first pardon: A turkey named Courage
Chinese tourists to Taiwan up 500 percent: govt
US revises statement on land mine policy
Contractor helicopter missing in Afghanistan
Economic High Points And Low Points
New Jackie Kennedy dress on display at JFK Library
Seoul shares fall 0.8 pct as builders lose ground
S.Korea drains 12 trln won via 7-day repos
Korea Hot Stocks
Dollar at lowest level against yen in 14 years
Taiwan's cabinet approves "Love Taiwan" spending
China urges boost to natural gas output, imports
Freddie Mercury memorial a beacon for British Asians
NZ business confidence eases in November-NBNZ
Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely
S.Korean strike cripples cargo train service
Adam Lambert furor spreads to gay community | Entertainment |
NZ housing affordability worsens in Oct
Phish electrifies fans with marathon show
Seoul shares rise on techs, autos; banks retreat
Oprah to visit White House for Christmas special
Oprah to visit White House for Christmas special | Entertainment |
McCartney says he 'revisits' Beatles members in songs
Lambert says he got carried away, but not sorry
Phish electrifies fans with marathon show | Entertainment |
Donny Osmond calls "Dancing" victory a career high
Sarah Palin memoir tops US book sales
Music stores see dream week with Boyle, Lambert
Robo-chefs and fashion-bots on show in Tokyo
German military chief resigns over Afghan air strike | International |
Gold price breaks $1,195 an ounce
Iraqi PM: election dispute poses risks to security
US-TECH Summary
Couple crashed White House state dinner
German army chief quits over Afghan strike
Iraq to counter "lies," show successes via YouTube
Fed's zero rate policy sparking growing complaints
Iran threatens minimum co-operation with IAEA
Israel dismisses Palestinian rejection of freeze | International |
Acer says Windows 7 good for sales
Lebanon agrees Hezbollah right to use arms against Israel
Deal near on Iraq vote law, second veto less likely | International |
Night-time theatre returns to Iraq as courage grows
Gunmen kidnap French national in Mali | International |
Irish church obsessively hid child abuse: report | International |
Saudi floods leave 48 dead, 900 stranded
Nazi camp guard Demjanjuk to go on trial in Germany | International |
One dead, three wounded in Hungary college shooting | International |
Muslims pilgrims get respite from rain at Arafat | International |
India police seize US$3M haul of rare fungus
China unveils carbon target ahead of Copenhagen
Iraq to counter lies, show successes via YouTube | Technology |
China unveils plan to limit carbon emissions
LinkedIn co-founder sees IPO likely, but not soon | Technology |
Sri Lanka opposition chief backs former army chief
Thailand looks to limit sex change surgery
Couple slips though security to crash state dinner
Dollar falls to 14-year low against yen
Canada's prime minister to visit China next month
Obamas plan quiet first White House Thanksgiving
Michelin honours cheap eats in new HK-Macau guide
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Stream of WH health care visits
Thanksgiving last full day in space for shuttle
Police: Dad visits strip club, leaves boy in truck
China Minsheng bank IPO slides 3 pct in HK debut
Pakistani stocks, rupee end flat ahead of holiday
Energy agency head praises Obama emissions goal
Taiwan GDP beats forecasts, outlook healthy
Pakistan's forex reserves dip to $13.90 bln
UPDATE 1-Taiwan GDP beats forecasts, outlook revised up
China Minsheng bank IPO tumbles 8 pct in HK debut
Malaysia plans 4.0 pct GST in 2011: minister
Indonesian police stop Greenpeace forest protest
Dollar falls to 14-year low against yen
Gold price breaks 1,195 dollars an ounce
Swiss to release Polanski as soon as bail posted | Entertainment |
Swiss authorities to decide soon on Polanski's bail
London West End show goes multi-lingual
Hollywood's mansion of magic celebrates 100 years | Entertainment |
Night-time theater returns to Iraq as courage grows
Between prisons and divisions: Chile's Mapuche Indians
Night-time theater returns to Iraq as courage grows | Entertainment |
A list of nominees at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards
Art-house films top contenders at Chinese Oscars
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	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01