US military against targets Shabaab in central Somalia
The US military has launched six airstrikes in the central Somali province of Mudug since Nov. 19, killing at least 55 Shabaab fighters.
Author Archives: Bill Roggio
Taliban calls Afghan government “impotent,” says negotiating with it is “a waste of time”
The Taliban yet again belittled the Afghan government as a “powerless and foreign imposed” regime that is unworthy of sitting down at a negotiating table. Additionally, the Taliban noted that it is “fighting and negotiating with the American invaders for the success of Jihad.
Afghan government’s negotiating position completely at odds with Taliban’s
President Ghani wants the Taliban to accept democracy, participate in the government, and break ties with terrorist groups. The Taliban has repeatedly refused to adhere to these demands. Additionally, Ghani called for negotiations that are first driven by Afghans, which is the opposite of what is actually occurring today.
Taliban kills 3 US soldiers in Ghazni roadside bombing
Ghazni remains a hotbed of Taliban activity in southeastern Afghanistan, and the US military has been forced to deploy units there to prevent its collapse.
Analysis: US military grossly underestimates Taliban, al Qaeda force levels in Afghanistan
The US military’s official estimate of the number of fighters in the Taliban’s ranks needs to be at least doubled given the level and intensity of fighting in Afghanistan, as well as the number of Taliban casualties claimed by the Afghan security forces.
AFRICOM launches 2 more strikes against Shabaab in central Somalia
The US military is clearly targeting Shabaab in Mudug province. There have been five strikes there in the past four days and 50 Shabaab fighters are reported to have been killed in the attacks.
US military kills dozens of Shabaab fighters in 3 strikes
The pattern of the strikes, which took place in central Somalia, indicates that al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa either has an established base in the area, or that it was massing its fighters for a large scale attack.
Taliban denies agreement reached with US on elections, demands “an Islamic government”
The Taliban confirmed that it met with a high-level delegation of US officials in Qatar, and quashed news reports that the group wanted the Afghan government to postpone the April 2019 presidential elections and establish an interim government.
Peace with the Taliban will not be peaceful
The Taliban is more than happy to negotiate the terms of US withdrawal — but if and only if an accord is reached on its terms. Because if a so-called peace agreement can be reached, you can be sure it will be one that will not benefit the Afghan people, the US, or the region.
US Treasury adds Qods Force, Hezbollah officials to list of global terrorists
While the Treasury designation focuses on the four Iraqis’ links to Hezbollah, which is described as “a terrorist proxy for the Iranian regime that seeks to undermine Iraqi sovereignty and destabilize the Middle East,” it practically ignores the fact that one of them is the Secretary General of the Imam Ali Battalions, or Kata’ib Imam Ali, a key component of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an official military arm of the Iraqi state that reports directly to the prime minister.
Taliban routs commando company in one of Afghanistan’s most secure rural districts
Another company of the elite Special Forces commandos was overrun, this time in the once impenetrable district of Jaghuri in Ghazni province. Afghan forces are being besieged by the Taliban on a daily basis.
At Moscow conference, Taliban refers to itself as the “Islamic Emirate” 61 times
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is the name of the Taliban’s government before the US deposed it after the Sept. 11, 2001 attack by al Qaeda. The Taliban insists that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan be restored and recognized as the true representatives of the Afghan people.
“The international status of the Islamic Emirate will be strengthened” due to Moscow meeting, Taliban brags
The Taliban said that the Moscow conference serves as a propaganda and diplomatic coup for the group, as it has sought international legitimacy for its cause. It reitered that it refuses to negotiate with the Afghan government and is seeking the withdrawal of US forces.
Taliban storms fourth Afghan base this month
All but three of the border policemen manning the outpost were either killed or captured, according to reports. The base in Farah is just the latest to fall to the Taliban.
Taliban overruns military bases in Uruzgan’s capital and Faryab
The Taliban continues to press its successful attacks on the Afghan security forces even as they withdraw from more remote areas to defend more populous areas.
US military continues to spin a Taliban victory against Islamic State as its own
The US military’s repeated attempts to spin the Taliban’s victory in Jawzjan as its own only serves to demonstrate just how eager it is to manufacture successes in Afghanistan when they are few and far between.
Analysis: Baradar’s release from Pakistani custody unlikely to impact Afghan peace talks
While many officials and analysts are hopeful that Baradar can influence negotiations between the US and the Taliban, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to influence the current crop of Taliban leaders, who have waged a successful insurgency and control more ground in the country since any point during the war.
General Raziq’s assassin trained at a Taliban camp
The US military and Resolute Support have yet to identify Raziq’s assassin as a member of the Taliban, let alone acknowledge that he trained in a Taliban camp.
Taliban attacks meeting attended by General Miller, kills Kandahar police chief
General Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was present at the meeting but was not wounded. The the governor of Kandahar and the head of the province’s National Directorate of Security were among those killed. The assassination of Raziq is a major blow to the Afghan government. He was arguably the most powerful player in the Afghan south and a stalwart ally of the US, and he may not be easily replaced.
Taliban claims to have captured 2 Afghan districts
While the Taliban’s claim of controlling districts in Samangan and Paktika cannot be independently verified, the group has proven to be accurate when reporting on the status of districts.
Scores of Taliban recruits train at Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah Training Camp
Scores of Taliban recruits train in broad daylight at the Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah Training Camp.
Taliban assaults district center south of Kabul
Taliban has been active in the eastern Afghan provinces of Wardak, Paktia, and Ghazni over the past several days and killed the chief of police for Sayyidabad district.
Somalia remains ‘a terrorist safe haven,’ State notes
Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa “still maintained control over large portions of the country” and “retained the ability to carry out high-profile attacks” in 2017 despite increased targeting by the US military, the African Union, and the Somali government.
Taliban videos shows fighters occupying base, outposts in Afghan north
Yet again, the Taliban has another propaganda video that shows its fighters occupying a military base and several security outposts in broad daylight without fear of being targeted by Afghan or Coalition air or ground power.
Taliban claims to shoot down Afghan military helicopter
The Afghan military was either unable or unwilling to secure the crash site and recover the bodies of its soldiers at least 10 hours after the helicopter went down.
Taliban overruns military base in Zabul
The Taliban has released yet another video showing their fighters gathering in the open after overrunning a military base without fear of reprisal from NATO or Afghan warplanes.
Taliban threatens Sar-i-Pul City, captures district in Jawzjan
The Taliban overran the Kham Ab district center in Jawzjan province in the last 24 hours as the group continues to pressure Afghan forces in the north.
Iraqi militant Qayis Khazali warned us about Iran. We ignored him.
Iran has its tentacles all over Iraq, and the United States has no one to blame but itself. It is a bipartisan failure dating back to the March 2003 invasion. The seeds of this failure can be seen in the interrogation transcripts of Qayis Khazali, the leader of the Mahdi Army’s Special Groups and Asaib Ahl al Haq.
Taliban announces death of Jalaluddin Haqqani
Jalaluddin fought the Soviets, served as the Minister of Frontiers during the Taliban rule of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, was a member of the Taliban’s Quetta Shura, or governing body, and father of Sirajuddin Haqqani, one of the Taliban’s two deputy emirs and overall military commander.
US confirms death of emir of Islamic State Khorasan
The press release that announced Orakzai’s death said that he “is the third Islamic State – Khorasan chief killed in 25 months.” However, that is incorrect. The US military has announced the death of four Khorasan province emirs since July 2016.