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--- Begin Message --- -Caveat Lector- "When the oil well fire victims arrive the whole
ER smells like burning hot dogs" -Dr. John Rees,
former SW US Indian reservation ER doctor, also at
GWHCenter for 911 Pentagon victims but then as a
brain scan specialist advising surgeons
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning" -AirCav
colonel in Apocalypse Now
As part of Ed Lansdale's systematic destabilization of
South Vietnam, which attacked and alienated all of
the demographic and military pillars of anti-communist
resistance, Buddhists were persecuted to the extent that
some of their priests burned themselves alive in protest:
http://www.quangduc.net/BoTatQuangDuc/25photo.html
If it smells like burning hot dogs, it must be Another
Vietnam. This close on the heels of two messages about
the Pak NWF tribal provinces aka Pashtun Smuggler
Zone corresponding to Vietnam's Parrot's Beak and
Harriman Expressway in neutral Laos and Cambodia,
and a rare US incursion into Cambodian sanctuary
led by Gen Andrew Gatsis mindful of Pak NWF tribal
zone aka Pashtun Smuggler Zone.
http://www.rferl.org/reports/afghan-report/
SELF-IMMOLATION OF WOMEN ON THE RISE IN WESTERN PROVINCESBy Golnaz Esfandiari
Gurcharan Virdee is no stranger to the hardships facing women around the world. Virdee works with Medica Mondiale, a German-based international organization supporting women in war and crisis situations.
"Before she committed suicide, my sister always said she hoped she would never return to Afghanistan and experience the closed atmosphere of Herat." The group is currently working on a program to provide shelter to women living in the western Afghan province of Herat -- an area where Taliban-era repressions are still very much in place.
There, Virdee met several women who had attempted to kill themselves through self-immolation. The most tragic case, Virdee says, involved a young pregnant woman who survived despite suffering severe burns over 60 percent of her body.
"One of the women that I met, she was about 29. She already had four children, [and] she was seven months pregnant when she burned herself. She was experiencing problems with her husband and family; they wouldn't allow her to go and visit her own family. She set fire to herself. She then gave birth to a baby with no painkillers, nothing. The baby girl was taken by her aunt to look after her, and [the mother] died three weeks after giving birth," Virdee said.
A government delegation that traveled to Herat last week said at least 52 women in the province have killed themselves in recent months through self-immolation.
A Herat regional hospital last year recorded 160 cases of attempted suicide among girls and women between the ages of 12 and 50. But Virdee says the real number is probably much higher.
"The official statistics which the hospitals have are for the women who have actually come to the hospital, who can receive treatment. There are many other cases of women burning themselves in the villages, in the city, in some of the provinces. But these are women we can't give any estimates on, partly because they never reach the hospital or because they die in their villages or city. These are the cases that never come to the attention of any public authorities," Virdee said.
Afghan officials say poverty, forced marriages, and lack of access to education are the main reasons for suicide among women in Herat. Domestic violence is also widespread.
"A lot of women are saying that their husbands don't allow them to go and visit their families. There are severe restrictions on their movement, and also there is violence towards them -- both physical and psychological -- and intimidation and isolation," Virdee said.
During the five-year rule of the Taliban militia, women were not allowed to work or study. They could not leave their homes without a male escort and were forced to wear the all-encompassing burqa.
Since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, women have once again been given the right to study and work. But activists say women in many parts of Afghanistan -- including Herat, which is ruled with an iron fist by provincial governor and warlord Ismail Khan -- still face repression and harassment.
Virdee says the continued crackdown on women's rights is contributing to the rise in self-immolation cases.
"The institutional repression of the women's movement is also a big factor because women are not allowed to go on their own in taxi cars, they are sort of socially policed if they are talking to other men, they have to be in the burqa, they have restriction on freedom to work. Just recently in Herat a women's shop which was employing a lot of women was closed. The driving school for women was also closed," Virdee said.
Ahmad Bassir is a Herat-based correspondent for Radio Free Afghanistan. He says women see no difference between their lives now and under the Taliban, and that desperation drives them to attempt suicide.
"They say we were hoping that after the fall of Taliban and after the transitional authority took power, the situation would improve for women, and there would be fewer restrictions. But we see that there have been no changes, and women are using this very violent act [of self-immolation] to show their protest. Most of these girls are literate, they are knowledgeable, and several of them are students," Bassir said.
Bassir adds that the despair is especially strong among women who once lived as refugees in neighboring Iran, where women enjoy far greater rights.
Mina, a Herat resident, told Radio Free Afghanistan that her sister recently committed suicide after returning to Afghanistan from Iran.
"Before, we lived in Iran, and we were used to the life and environment there, which was very good. But since we returned [to Afghanistan], to Herat, there has been a lot of pressure on us. Before she committed suicide, my sister always said she hoped she would never return to Afghanistan and experience the closed atmosphere of Herat. She also had family problems. She didn't like her fiance, but she was forced to get engaged to him," Mina said.
The rise of self-immolation among women in Herat is causing concern among the authorities and citizens. Herat Public Television last year broadcast a program urging husbands to treat their wives with greater consideration. Several NGOs are also trying to address the issue.
But Virdee says these are only small steps toward solving an endemic problem. In many cases, she says, social restrictions continue to prevent women from seeking what little help is available.
"At the moment, although there are lots of different women's NGOs and the department of women's affairs all trying to raise some kind of public awareness about this issue, the problem is that women are so restricted that for them to even get out of the house, to be able to seek support is also sometimes very difficult," Virdee said.
Nor is the problem restricted to Herat. Female suicide through self-immolation is common in many parts of Afghanistan and throughout all of South Asia.
But statistics are incomplete and largely anecdotal. There is a strong social stigma attached to suicide in Afghanistan, and many families are reluctant to seek help for victims of self-immolation or talk about the reasons behind the attempt.
Golnaz Esfandiari is an RFE/RL correspondent.
FIVE AFGHAN AID WORKERS KILLED.Five Afghan nationals working for an aid agency were killed on 25 February in the village of Ozbin in Kabul Province, 50 kilometers from the Afghan capital, AFP reported on 26 February. Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said that one aid worker is missing and two others sustained injuries when their vehicle was ambushed, the BBC reported on 26 February. The victims were working for the Swedish Development Fund, which is supporting the Rural Development Ministry in implementing a National Solidarity Program, AFP reported. No one has taken responsibility for the attack. Four staff members of the Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation were killed in an ambush in the western Afghanistan's Farah Province on 14 February (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 February 2004). (Amin Tarzi)
AFGHAN SOLIDER KILLED AT CUSTOM HOUSE CLASH.One Afghan soldier was killed and two were injured in a 1 March clash that occurred at the customs house of the southeastern Afghan city of Khost, Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press reported. The clash took place between local residents and soldiers belonging to Khost Military Division No. 25. The cause of the fighting is not known, but an unspecified number of local residents have reportedly been arrested. (Amin Tarzi)
ATTACK ON VIDEO STORE KILLS ONE.One person was killed and another injured on 28 February in the northern Afghan town of Taloqan, "The New York Times," reported on 2 March. Afghan sources suspected the attack on the video store to have been inspired by the former Taliban regime, which banned videos and music. This was the second attack on the store in the past two weeks. (Amin Tarzi)
EIGHT AFGHANS AMONG 11 KILLED IN PAKISTAN SHOOTING.Eight of the 11 people killed near Wana, in Pakistan's South Waziristan region on 28 February were Afghans, including a 14-year-old boy, the Islamabad daily "The News" reported on 29 February. Six others were injured in the shooting. The incident occurred when Pakistani soldiers opened fire on two vehicles that did not stop at a roadblock, the BBC reported 28 February. Initially, Pakistani military sources said that while some civilians might have been killed, militants initiated the attack. However, an unidentified Pakistani intelligence source called the incident "mistaken fire." Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has called for an immediate inquiry into the incident, and has expressed his deep sorrow to the families of those killed, the Karachi daily "Dawn" reported on 1 March. Speaking before the Pakistani Senate on 29 February, Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, said that while the Wana incident is regrettable, it should be viewed against the background of Pakistan's national security, Pakistan Television reported. South Waziristan is considered to have served as a sanctuary for the Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives since the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. (Amin Tarzi)
SUNNI, SHI'ITE AFGHAN-ARMY RECRUITS CLASH.Sunni and Shi'ite recruits for the Afghan National Army clashed on 2 March in Kabul, Radio Kelid reported. The clash occurred as the Shi'ites were making preparations for the Shi'ite religious holiday of Ashura. An unidentified spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said one person was killed in the clash. However, Afghan police sources said no one was killed, but 16 people were injured, Kelid reported. The Shi'ites are a minority in Afghanistan. (Amin Tarzi)
http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2004%20News%20archives/March/5n/Taleban%20Kill%207%20Soldiers%20in%20Border%20Raid.htm
Taleban Kill 7 Soldiers in Border Raid
Bashir Siddiqui
Reuters, Arab News
KABUL, 5 March 2004 — Suspected Taleban guerrillas killed seven Afghan soldiers in a raid near the Pakistan border, a senior military commander said yesterday.
Guerrillas attacked the border post late Wednesday near the Maruf district in Kandahar, said Khan Muhammad, the provincial military commander.
Khan blamed Taleban guerrillas for the attack, which left another soldier listed as missing.
“They came over on foot from Pakistan,” Khan told reporters. “There were eight soldiers at the post, and maybe the other one got away.”
He said Afghan soldiers had been dispatched to the area to investigate but had no information on any arrests.
Meanwhile, US-led forces stationed a civilian-military team in Ghazni yesterday, taking to 12 the number of missions designed to bolster reconstruction and squash Taleban-inspired insurgency.
The US military that contributes most of the13 ,500 troops in Afghanistan hunting guerrillas wants to establish a more permanent presence in outlying, volatile regions.
“Wherever Provincial Reconstruction Teams go, security follows,” said Lt. Gen. David Barno, commander of US-led forces in Afghanistan.
The formal opening of the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) coincides with a shift in US operations in Afghanistan away from large deployments in search of guerrillas toward smaller teams spending longer in remote areas in a bid to improve intelligence.
“We have adjusted our military strategy to achieve closer cooperation between the coalition and local communities,” said US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad during a ceremony in Ghazni.
The change follows recognition that large-scale operations had failed to net important Al-Qaeda and Taleban leaders, while searches of towns and villages infuriated locals who complained of arbitrary arrests and physical abuse.
There has also been no letup in guerrilla attacks which have made much of the country, particularly the south and east, no-go zones to aid groups carrying out vital assistance work in the war-shattered country.
PRTs are seen as a way of bringing aid to risky areas, winning “hearts and minds” and extending President Hamid Karzai’s influence outside the capital Kabul.
Khalilzad said Pakistan had been urged to stop guerrillas from launching operations inside Afghanistan. Over 550 people have died in the violence since August, including aid workers, foreign troops and Afghan soldiers.
“There are terrorist-extremist forces that oppose efforts to build a new Afghanistan,” he said. “They want to take this country back to violence, backwardness, poverty and repression.”
"Osama bin Laden was permitted to sneak out the back
door of Tora Bora from Afghanistan to Pakistan because US
special forces were afraid of "low hanging clouds"... 2004 the
posse is not afraid of low hanging clouds and snow in the same
region...[since] 2003 the front door was left open for Osama bin
Laden to cross from Pakistan through Afghanistan to Iran"
following 2 stories are 2004 news, not 2001-2 history!!!
Afghan Villages Locked in Grip of Taliban Forces
http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e130596266&e=22399 reg
Los Angeles Times
US troops block roads to Tora Bora
http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?e130579820&e=22399
Hi Pakistan
KABUL: US and Afghan troops have blocked all roads leading to the eastern border region of Tora Bora, where Osama bin Laden was lasted spotted, aid agency officials said on Thursday.
"It is reported by the local population from Pacher Agam that access to Tora Bora...has been restricted by international and national military forces," a non-governmental organization said in an advisory notice.
The organization warned other non-governmental organizations to suspend their operations in the area "immediately". "All NGOs and aid (agencies) are advised to suspend missions immediately to the area until further notice," the advisory said.
The warning comes as US forces step up their hunt for Osama around Tora Bora and other regions along the 2,500 kilometre frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The US military has expressed confidence of capturing or killing Osama this year. US military spokesman, Lt Col Bryan Hilferty, said he was unaware of any specific military operation involving US-led troops in Tora Bora.
"I don't know of any large scale US-led operation down there," he told reporters. The mountainous Tora Bora region, 50kms south of the eastern city of Jalalabad, was the scene of a major US-led operation in Dec 2001 to capture Osama bin Laden.
Tora Bora was believed to be the last stronghold of Al Qaeda fighters and the Taliban before the capture of Kabul by US forces in 2001. The neighbouring districts of Pachir wa Agam and Khgiani are known as rife opium-producing areas.
Bob wrote:
Daniel Hopsicker's book on Mohamed Atta, the who, what, why, when,
how, where of 911, is now in print in English and German.
The government version was that Atta was a lone crazed religious
nut, and that Osama bin Laden was permitted to sneak out the back
door of Tora Bora from Afghanistan to Pakistan because US special
forces were afraid of "low hanging clouds". That was just what psyops
told green beanies to tell the Afghan soldiers to excuse leaving the way
into the Pashtun Smuggler Zone in Pakistan's semi-autonomous
northwest frontier tribal provinces open for bin Laden, according to the
first few pages of "Welcome To Terrorland". Strangely now in winter
2004 the posse is not afraid of low hanging clouds and snow in the
same region. They can claim they have learned how to deal with
snow and mountains, but I know who trained the best of them in
Wyoming and Alaska before they left the US. In 2003 the front door
was left open for Osama bin Laden to cross from Pakistan through
Afghanistan to Iran, and that's why the posse is not afraid of low flying
clouds and snow in Pak NWF tribal provinces--they're not afraid that
Osama is in Pakistan so it's safe to look for him there.
Lone crazed religious nut and the insufficient spark of high-heeled boys
in green beanies has nothing to do with it. Pink-haired stripper girlfriend
of Atta the coke freak and heroin smuggler might.
http://www.sitbot.net/re/BooksbyDanielHopsicker
Please let us stay on topic and be civil.-Home Page- www.cia-drugs.org
OM
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Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at:
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