“Afghan Journalists Union: Attack on Media by Taliban would be a war crime. #TOLO & #1TV  ” (Muslim Shirzad on Twitter)

Today Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan released a press statement naming 2 TV networks, Tolo and I TV as “military objectives” as opposed to “media outlets” saying that this was “due to their disrespectful and hostile actions towards the Afghan Mujahid nation”. The Taliban accuse these channels of being directly funded by the US Embassy and claim that networks are fabricating stories and propaganda. They state,

“Tolo and 1 TV channels are spearheads among these propaganda networks tasked with promoting the intellectual, cultural and information invasion of the infidels in Afghanistan. These networks with the complete backing of the Americans ridicule our religious and cultural norms, encourage obscenity and lewdness, inject the minds of youth with dangerous substances such as irreligiousness, immorality, violence, gambling, intermixing and profanity and specifically spread propaganda filled with hate and open enmity against Jihad and Mujahideen.

The clear shameless example of propaganda by these satanic networks is a report which they published claiming that on the fourth day following Eid ul Adha when the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate captured Kunduz city, they (may Allah forbid) attacked a female hostel and violated the honor its students.”

Full statement can be read on the following link.

“Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate designates 2 Afghan channels as military objectives following alleged propaganda”

here, https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/afghanistan-islamic-emirate-statement-designates-2-afghan-media-channels-as-military-objectives-following-alleged-propaganda/

The Afghan Spectator tweeted,

Afghans are divided on #Taliban threat to @TOLOnews. While most condemn Taliban, others claim Tolo reporting has hurt Afg “culture”

Invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and the double standards of the west

FILE FOOTAGE MAR94 – Lady Margaret Thatcher and former leader Gen. Augusto Pinochet are seen in this file footage taken in March, 1994, during a private meeting in Santiago. Pinochet was arrested in London October 17 while on a visit to Great Britain for medical treatment and is being held under armed guard at The Clinic in London following an appeal for his extradition to Spain to face charges of genocide and torture. Lady Thatcher said that the former leader “must be allowed to return to his own country forthwith” and that “he did so much to save British lives” during the 1982 Falklands War when Chile supported Britain in its conflict with Argentina.
CD/HB/ME – RTRIN7N

Western hypocrisy regarding support for alleged “terrorists” Margaret Thatcher with Augusto Pinochet

Before exploring the role of the media and what has angered the Taliban to this point, we must go back to 2001. The US-led invasion of Afghanistan was in reaction to 9/11 and like the war in Iraq, the legality of such an extreme move has been under question from the beginning. No Taliban were found to be involved in the attack and many Afghans had never even heard of the Twin Towers. Islamic Emirate, the government of the time was ousted and replaced by a NATO supported parliament with the country under foreign occupation. Though Taliban were accused of sheltering Osama Bin Laden, behind 9/11, there was hypocrisy in the stance of foreign governments. Britain for example had in the past sheltered an equally controversial character. Under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, brutal Chilean Dictator Augusto Pinochet viewed by many in his own country and internationally as a terrorist was feted and protected within the UK. As Ib Times reported,

“under the Pinochet regime, thousands of opponents and left-wing activists were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, executed or simply “disappeared.” Many Chileans, including former President Michelle Bachelet, who is running for a comeback in the current, are demanding that the government conduct a thorough probe of the full magnitude of human rights abuses committed by Pinochet and his military officers.

But as a devout anti-Communist, Pinochet enjoyed the support and friendship of a number of Western leaders, including none other than British Prime Minister and Conservative icon Margaret Thatcher.”

For further details see following link from Amnesty International,

“How General Pinochet’s detention changed the meaning of justice”

How General Pinochet’s detention changed the meaning of justice

How would the British government have reacted if Chile had decided to occupy Britain over the presence of Pinochet?

Occupation of Afghanistan did not stop at sheltering Bin Laden but continued with trillion dollar efforts to change the entire system within the country from government to the infrastructure and included remodelling the media to shore up an installed western style democracy. (Control the media and you are well on your way to controlling the people).

Its important to explore how today’s statement from the Taliban threatening named TV companies may have arisen given media changes over recent years in Afghanistan. Or to look at this another way…. If Hitler had occupied Britain or Japan taken over the US during the Second World War, would they have viewed those collaborating with media outlets funded by Hitler or Hirohito governments as “independent” or an enemy entities?

Alleged bias of media?

Tolo image via Twitter

Under the Taliban initially TV was banned although attitudes have changed over the years. TV is accepted though Taliban expect media to work within Islamic guidelines.

Tolo TV is seen as being heavily influenced and financed by those the Taliban view as “foreign occupiers” and in their eyes cannot be termed as “independent”.

I TV describes itself as follows on the station’s website,

“1TV is one of leading television stations in the country.  Known for its hard-hitting news reports and high-impact current affairs programs, 1TV prides itself on rapid, objective, and factual reporting.

1TV reaches a large percentage of highly educated and affluent viewers, targeting a younger audience and a greater share of the middle class.  Its aggressive national outreach and catchy programming make it one of the leading privately owned commercial television stations in Afghanistan.”

One of the concerns of the Taliban appears to be the cultural impact of foreign influenced media and erosion of the teachings of Islam. Taliban do not refer to all media including some international press in a negative manner, they state, “the Military Commission of the Islamic Emirate holds utmost respect for independent and impartial news outlets and exerts efforts to provide a safe atmosphere for their work.” Whatever an individual may think of the Taliban, the question is, did any foreign government or army have a legal and moral right to overthrow not only the Taliban but the entire political system of Afghanistan and have a large controlling stake in the media?

Saad Mohseni is co owner of Tolo, Afghanistan’s most watched station which comes under under Moby Holdings. According to Altai Consulting 2010 report, Moby’s channels reach between 50 to 60 percent of the television audience within the country. They have introduced western style programmes such as soap operas and singing contests. There is also the question of funding, Moby which owns Tolo allegedly received $2.2 million from the United States Agency for International Development to help with start-up in Afghanistan. As New York Times points out,

“Mr. Mohseni has built a business in the bubble of security and prosperity afforded by the international presence in the country. He has done this with the start-up help of United States government money and with a cash injection last year from News Corporation, led by his friend Rupert Murdoch, with whom he shares an Australian background, a love of gossip and an obvious industriousness.”

“As the involvement of the United States winds down, the big question is what the American legacy will be. A flourishing independent media industry is an important pillar of the American strategy for rebuilding the country, and Moby has become an important part of that media landscape”

So what can the Taliban do regarding addressing any complaints of media bias or fabricated stories other than issue statements? Who would take the time to listen as many automatically assume whatever the Taliban says must be “propaganda”. Taliban now see certain human rights groups including Amnesty International as being part of the problem lacking in impartiality so trust is at a very low point.

(I have certainly experienced bias and censorship myself with Afghan media. In early 2014 I was asked to write an article on the war in Afghanistan, for a new magazine Afghan Zariza. So I wrote an anti-war piece discussing troop withdrawal. The person who had approached me said he previously worked for Hindustan Times. I waited for publication and was told finally that the “boss” thought it was “too inflammatory, so it was banned from publication!) Here is a link to the banned article,

“Time for a complete withdrawal in Afghanistan, we should never have invaded in the first place”

http://londonprogressivejournal.com/article/view/1704/time-for-a-complete-withdrawal-in-afghanistan-we-should-never-have-invaded-in-the-first-place

Alleged fabrications of “gang-rape” in media

Taliban entering Kunduz during take-over, allegations of “gang-rape” denied strongly (Image via Sabiq Jihadmal)

One issue which surfaced in the media almost as soon news came of the Taliban entering the city of Kunduz in an attempt to regain old territory (and prior to the US bombing of the Medecins San Frontiers, MSF hospital) were stories of “gang rape”. These appalled the Taliban and were see as an insult to Islam. Anyone tracking propaganda in Afghanistan in recent years can follow a pattern of such stories arising usually as Taliban make gains in territory, open a political office or are linked to peace talks. These claims appear to be fuelled both by certain press and by Afghan researchers such as Horia Mosadiq, based with Amnesty International in London who clearly has personal contempt for the Taliban. Islamic Emirate wrote in an earlier media release on Amnesty International,

“the invaders and their stooges made some claims yesterday which were unfortunately picked up by media outlets and it was even more unfortunate that the organization of Amnesty International also used these accusations in their own report circulated from the address of the invaders.

They accused the Mujahideen in Kunduz of looting people’s property, torching homes and carrying out other unethical actions.”

@mmodaser tweeted,

Uni, on Facebook, rejects Tolo’s piece on the alleged rape of students; says there were no girls in hostel.

@mmodaser also tweeted,

The number of #Afghans cheering for Taliban’s warning to Tolo & 1TV on FB is considerable. A lot of ppl have been upset about the programs.

Bashir Ahmad Gwakh, an Afghan journalist pointed out that the Higher Education Minister, (Dr Farida Mohmand) stated that, “Tolo’s baseless report about rape in Kunduz university hostel has caused serious damage to female education and because of this girls are scared to return to university.” It was highlighted that serious debate and laws are needed to ensure impartial journalism and unbiased media coverage in Afghanistan. I examined recent stories in the media which the Taliban alleged were “fabrications” and “propaganda” in an earlier article, see following link,

“Islamic Emirate claim gains in Badakhshan, allege fabricated interview and deny Amnesty International allegations”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/islamic-emirate-claim-gains-in-badakhshan-allege-fabricated-interview-and-deny-amnesty-international-allegations/

What disturbed me was the chain reaction of the media, how quickly they picked up on stories and seemingly reran the same accounts often without doing any research or background checking. So far I have not seen any evidence published which has supported either Taliban being present in the Kunduz hospital in a combatant role or evidence of alleged “gang rape”. I have seen comments from those fleeing the conflict of Kunduz saying they saw no evidence of systematic sexual violence against women (or men) from Taliban. The Taliban had issued statements to its fighters on entering Kunduz to respect the lives of civilians even issuing a phone number for NGOs and companies to contact in the event of any difficulty.

Threats to media

I do not support aggression towards media. My colleague Saleem Shahzad, an investigative journalist was tortured and murdered for his honesty in reporting in Pakistan, he also covered insurgency in Afghanistan. We ran a website together reporting on socio-political issues. Saleem (whom I sometimes edited) was just releasing his first book publication, “Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11”. We reported regularly on human rights abuses and were in the planning stages of a conference and documentary on drones and “collateral damage” at a time when few were addressing this issue. If alive today, Saleem would have been one of the first on the ground to report on the Taliban take-over of Kunduz and the terrible bombing of Medecins Sans Frontier (MSF) hospital. There were allegations from media and human rights organizations that he may have been killed by state entities but despite an inquiry (and avoidance of my evidence) no- one was was ever held to account nor did I receive support from human rights organizations that promised to phone me back to discuss but never did.

It is important that during conflict journalists have access to cover stories and can work without threat. It is also essential to cover the opinions of all sides and to restrain from propaganda and fabricated stories.

Human Rights Watch responds to Taliban statement on Tolo and 1 TV

Patricia Grossman, Afghanistan senior researcher for Human Rights Watch tweeted,

outrageous statement by Taliban–adding to already dangerous situation for Afghan media 

Ahmad Sujah also of HRW tweeted

1 Taliban violate int’l laws by declaring journalists “military objects…[to be] directly eliminated”

2. Journalists are civilians and are protected. Not liking what they report doesn’t allow the Taliban to declare them “military objects”

Phelim Kine Deputy Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch reminded that deliberate targeting of journalists by Taliban or anyone else is considered a “war crime”.

The danger of propaganda

Did alleged media propaganda contribute to the US bombing of Kunduz hospital?

The Taliban statement on Tolo and 1 TV is viewed as a serious threat to media however there were and are also other serious threats. Consider this, what if alleged media propaganda about the Taliban being inside the MSF hospital at Kunduz had contributed to it being targeted and bombed?

Jason Cone, Executive Director, Doctors Without Borders, Medecins Sans Frontier US, claimed in TV interviews that there was no evidence of Taliban using the hospital as a base for military action on the night the hospital was attacked. He tweeted, that there was a

burden on @POTUS @DeptofDefense to substantiate false claims of fighters in our hospital.

There is also a need  for media to substantiate gang rape allegations against the Taliban or if there is no credible evidence to state this and drop the story.

Recently efforts have been made to secure peace talks with the Taliban, what will not help is state authorities and media misreporting or fabricating stories. If media propagates or deliberately conjures up stories to support an aggressor does the protected status of the media change as it is no longer neutral?

Tolo response to Taliban threat

Tolo gave a press conference today in response to Taliban threat making the following points:-

Fahim Dashti head of Afghan journalist union says any attack on media would be a war crime.

Dashti says Afghan people expect media to not bow to Taliban threats and to carry on reporting based on journalism ethics.

Dashti says Afghan media emphasizes commitment to democratic values & professional journalistic ethics, ensuring impartiality and balance.

Dashti says media calls on govt and international organizations to support Afghan media, making their security & immunity a top priority.

Fahim Dashti on behalf of AFG media: Attack on media is a war crime and if Taliban does it, as a first reaction, we will boycott their news.

US double standards regarding media

Image representing McCarthy and the “Hollywood Ten”, who were Hollywood blacklisted and seen as untrustworthy and accused of placing subliminal messaging .. (via Thinglink)

US now has a considerable role and influence on Afghan media in a partnership role with Afghan companies. America however did not take so kindly to what it considered interference in its own media. Take the era of McCarthyism for example which affected US media heavily, including the Hollywood film industry and is described as,

“a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–4. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, though most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party.”

The US government would not allow those they saw as communist sympathizers (often those with connections in the Soviet Union for example) to exert influence on American media. There was a major clampdown whether those accused had connections in reality or were wrongly accused.

Today the US seeks to exert considerable influence over the media of a number of countries including Afghanistan. Given the links of some Afghan media to the US in terms of funding and training, how can they be seen as independent of outside influence and how does this affect reporting?

Perhaps the most disturbing element is how misreporting and propaganda can affect the security of a country. The Taliban have now issued their statement making it clear that media who allegedly act in this way will not protected. It could be argued that companies who do not follow the ethics of good journalism and engage in biased reporting are actually inciting terrorism in Afghanistan.

Links 

“Afghanistan profile: Media”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12013942

“An Afghan Media Mogul, Pushing Boundaries”

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Statement by the military Commission of Islamic Emirate concerning intelligence TV networks of Tolo and I TV 

It is known to everyone that alongside the military invasion of Afghanistan by America, its intelligence apparatus simultaneously launched propaganda war during the course of which many so called free media channels were propped up that are still being directly funded by the American embassy. Its programs are presented as propaganda material aimed at supporting the American invaders and their stooges, combatting Jihad and struggle of the valiant Afghan nation, challenging Islamic principles and encouraging the division of national unity of the country.

Tolo and 1 TV channels are spearheads among these propaganda networks tasked with promoting the intellectual, cultural and information invasion of the infidels in Afghanistan. These networks with the complete backing of the Americans ridicule our religious and cultural norms, encourage obscenity and lewdness, inject the minds of youth with dangerous substances such as irreligiousness, immorality, violence, gambling, intermixing and profanity and specifically spread propaganda filled with hate and open enmity against Jihad and Mujahideen.

The clear shameless example of propaganda by these satanic networks is a report which they published claiming that on the fourth day following Eid ul Adha when the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate captured Kunduz city, they (may Allah forbid) attacked a female hostel and violated the honor its students.

These television networks continually published this fabricated report despite the fact that the citizens of Kunduz city have strongly rejected these claims while bearing witness in front of Allah Almighty that all the educational facilities of Afghanistan including the female hostel in Kunduz were closed for holidays and there was no one present.

The religious people of Kunduz and entire Afghanistan are of the belief that the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate are vanguards of the honor of the people. However intelligence and obscenity propagating networks such as Tolo and 1 TV channels want to disrespect, dishonor and present this nation as lewd. They want to harm the honor and prestige of this nation with such open lies which can easily be discerned by all.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from now onwards does not recognize Tolo and 1 TV channels as media outlets but designates them as military objectives due to their disrespectful and hostile actions towards the Afghan Mujahid nation.

Henceforth no employee, anchor, office, news team and reporter of these TV channels holds any immunity. The Military Commission of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan orders all its Mujahideen take a decisive stand against these two satanic channels. Hereafter all the reporters and associates of these channels will be deemed enemy personnel, all of their centers, offices and dispatched teams will be considered military objectives which will be directly eliminated. Our demand from those associating with these channels is that they stay away from their offices and reporters and to end all contacts with them. People should stop visiting the main offices and branches of these channels, cease participating in its programs and bar all its reporters from entering their homes. Intellectuals should stop partaking in its news reports and the Muslim nation should generally quit watching and strongly boycott them.

The Military Commission of the Islamic Emirate holds utmost respect for independent and impartial news outlets and exerts efforts to provide a safe atmosphere for their work. However those outlets which are bent on enmity towards our religion and country, spreading poisonous lies instead of news and are overall harmful rather than beneficial for our country and the people then the Mujahideen will also take a decisive stance against them.

Military Commission of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

28/12/1436 Hijri Lunar

20/07/1394 Hijri Solar                       12/10/2015 Gregorian

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

I know absolutely nothing about cricket though I do confess to once writing 2 articles on the subject, one related to charity, the other on youngsters in Kashmir. However in this new phase of my life, I am considering setting up my own sporting facility in Pakistan and naming it, the “Who Gives A Sh.. Cricket Academy”.

For a start I could self appoint myself as an overnight “expert” and do my own PR on the website in case some clever clogs decides to investigate my past. Why not have a go at something new…. after all I know cricket is something to do with wickets and a ball and bowling a maiden under (or was it over). That should be enough for starters. Then I will find some equally “cricket ignorant” individual perhaps with a famous partner to become an Ambassador for the game and we are on a roll.

Forget interviews for jobs, a “one horse race” would be much quicker than interviewing suitable candidates for my venture and dealing with all that “meritocracy” business. The very idea that a person should be picked for having committed years of experience to the sport and having some relevant qualifications to manage a business endeavour is laughable. Instead I can choose some guy with a handsome face because people are so fickle they won’t care about merit… just a big flirty smile.

Also if I start following an ethical interview procedure I might unearth some fake degree certificates and no one is bothered about such minor details these days. Those who fake it are to be praised for being innovative aren’t they?… I see it all the time on Twitter. “So pretty, we don’t care if you are qualified” tweet me back dear”. In fact my advice to the younger generation would be why spend years studying when you can buy a “pretend” degree online or down at Qasim’s market.

To advertise my Academy I will take a few well placed “selfies” with influential people, an actor or musician to attract attention (but no one who might know too much about cricket) they might show me up. Then to help boost funding, I will grab a few cute children with big eyes for more selfies to gain the sympathy vote and stress how important it is to give underprivileged youngsters a shot at the game. We must of course have a charity aspect to the initiative (and maybe siphon off a few pounds here and there)?… Its to be expected in Pakistan isn’t it?

My newly appointed Ambassador for Cricket will then round up local youth to participate whether they want to play or not. If anyone asks me awkward questions about the game, to hide my lack of knowledge I can always quickly google “a googly” to make myself look good and impress the funders. Then I will make a video of us all having a go on the pitch, one nice big smiling happy family…. Maybe even get “Hello” magazine to do an interview (that will pay for a few nice outfits to wear at cricketing events).

Anyone I take on to assist at my Academy (whether paid or unpaid) will have absolutely no background checks whatsoever regarding their suitability to work with kids or to root out paedophiles just in case any criminal records are found. There is too much fuss in the media lately about this sort of thing. Its Pakistan for goodness sake who is remotely bothered about child safety and welfare?

Then there is the practical side of keeping the cricket grounds tidy. Perhaps I could employ some of those men I see hanging round the bus station in Peshawar day after day. They might like a job cutting the grass on the pitch, after all they do seem to spend an awful lot of time showing interest in very young boys…

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights, WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Afghan and foreign soldiers inspect the site of a bomb attack that targeted several armored vehicles belonging to forces attached to the NATO Resolute Support Mission, in downtown of Kabul. Image: Massoud Hossaini / AP/Press Association Images

Taliban have targeted a UK military convoy in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan in retaliation for airstrikes on the northern city of Kunduz, confirmed today by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The incident occurred in a central residential area during rush hour, initially there were conflicting reports as to the cause with MOD saying the convoy was struck by IED whilst Afghan police claimed it was a suicide attack.

Spokesman Col Brian Tribus for US – led Resolute Support military coalition in the region confirmed the attack to AP news agency stating there were “no casualties are reported at this time. However several civilians are reported to have been injured.

This comes just over a week after the aerial bombing of a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz in which 22 people, 12 MSF staff members and 10 patients were killed. Thirty-seven people were injured, including 19 members of the MSF team. The organization had recently given GPS coordinates of the trauma hospital to Coalition and Afghan military to avoid being targeted and labelled the attack a “war crime” demanding an independent and transparent investigation. The Taliban had recently taken over the city which led to a fierce battle with Afghan military or control of the area.

Islamic Emirate posted their statement claiming responsibility,

Kabul martyr attack destroys 2 APCs

KABUL, Oct. 11 – A martyrdom attack has struck the military convoy of foreign forces in the heart of Kabul city this morning, according to officials reporting from the capital.

The attack carried out by a hero of Islamic Emirate – Rahmatullah Khostwal – using a sedan vehicle packed with explosives targeted the convoy in PD2 of the city as a result 2 military vehicles were completely destroyed, killing all the invaders onboard.

This attack was carried out on foreign forces in the heart of Kabul city to avenge the recent attacks by the invaders targeting civilians in Kunduz and other provinces.

End

Veterans for Peace released the following statement recently calling for an end to hostilities in Afghanistan and a withdrawal of troops,

“if the attack was indeed deliberate, then it is a very serious war crime.  We support Doctors Without Borders’ call for an independent investigation.  We have seen what happens when the Pentagon is allowed to investigate itself.  It is high time that the U.S. military be held accountable for the deaths of innocent civilians. We call for all involved, up to the highest level, to be held accountable.

Veterans For Peace also calls for the end of the U.S. led war in Afghanistan and all military personnel brought home. This latest tragedy is not the first U.S. incident in Afghanistan that may be considered a war crime.  The U.S. invasion and occupation that began fourteen-years ago today, has done no favors for the Afghan people. There have been countless incidents where wedding parties, for example, have become “collateral damage.”  Whether by careless mistakes or ruthless deliberate targeting, many thousands of Afghani civilians have been killed. According to a report from the Watson Institute For International Studies at Brown University, 311,000 people — dead and seriously wounded — have become casualties in the interrelated war zones of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most are combatants, but 117,000 of these casualties are civilians. And though it is extremely hard to document, it is estimated that an additional 360,000 people have died in Afghanistan from the negative effects of war, for example, on public health infrastructure and as a consequence of displacement and malnutrition.”

– See more at: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/index.php?cID=845#sthash.aWA8dr2I.dpuf

The Taliban are making significant gains in their efforts to reclaim old territory. As Long War Journal reported,

“while fighting for control of the provincial capital of Kunduz, the Taliban launched a wider offensive in the Afghan north aimed at seizing control of districts in five provinces: Badakhshan, Baghlan, Faryab, Kunduz, and Takhar. Since Sept. 28, the jihadist group has taken control of 11 districts in these five provinces and another in the western province of Farah.”

LWJ has reported further that according to the Taliban they have gone on to seize control of the districts of Garziwan and Pashtun Kot in Faryab province and a recent posting from an account linked to the Taliban states they are now making progress in the Ghorak district of Kandahar.

The latest updates from Abdulqahar Balkhi, a Twitter account affiliated with Islamic Emirate are as follows,

Breaking Mujahidin overran Ghorak district admin center (#Kandahar), police HQ & large CP, 20 gunmen killed, vehicles/arms seized #Azm

Mujahidin begun large scale attacks on Tagab district center (#Kapisa), district bazaar cleared, attacks underway on HQ buildlings #Azm

Reminder :: Alisay district center also under tight siege for past 3 days, enemy troops in contact trying to surrender #Azm

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

epa02167124 US troops from the 4th Squad 73rd Cavalry of the 82nd Airborne Division iniciating a patrol mission on a village on the outskirts of Shewan, Farah province, Afghanistan, 20 May 2010. EPA/TIAGO PETINGA

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ ( 39(الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَن يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ (40)

Fourteen years ago today the American invaders launched their invasion of our sacred homeland in violation of all humanitarian and accepted international laws.

The savage Americans justified their brutal invasion of Afghanistan as revenge for the 9/11 attacks despite the fact that this justification was totally irrational because the Afghans were neither involved nor aware of the 9/11 incident. However Bush and his coalition backers invaded Afghanistan without any proof and in violation of all international laws.

The goals for which this invasion was carried out have not only not been achieved but everything has turned out vice versa.

The Americans set out the four following objectives to justify their brutal invasion:

Firstly to depose the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate

Secondly to abolish narcotics production/trade

Thirdly to bring about a government conforming with the wishes of the Afghans

Fourthly to bring security and put an end to the fighting

But we can clearly observe that conversely to American expectations, today the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate are able to better confront the Americans and its coalition militarily than during their rule.

The narcotics trade which was virtually abolished during the rule of Islamic Emirate reached epic proportions with Afghanistan holding first place as producers during the American invasion.

The system of governance propped up by America in Afghanistan at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of American lives is the most corrupt and failed government as admitted by America herself.

Security has deteriorated to a level that tens of thousands of fully armed American and NATO forces do not feel a sense of safely even inside the American embassy and NATO headquarters in the heart of Kabul city. This while not even counting the Afghans whose lives, property and homeland is burning in the flames of insecurity lit by the foreigners.

On the occasion of the 14^th anniversary of the American invasion of Afghanistan, on top of condemning and resolving to completely expelling the invaders, the Islamic Emirate calls on America and her international partners to learn a lesson from its fourteen year invasion and instead choose the path of intellect, do not try yourselves with the already tested Afghans and let the Afghans themselves choose their own fate and the destination of their country by withdrawing your forces completely.

This is the same sound pathway which was proposed to you by the Islamic Emirate fourteen years earlier and it once again reiterates it to you on the 14^thanniversary of your invasion of Afghanistan.

Wasalam

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

23/12/1436 Hijri Lunar

15/07/1394 Hijri Solar                       07/10/2015 Gregorian

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Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

“Kill and dump policy” operating in Balochistan (Image Pirdhan Baloch) 

UN & INTERNATIONAL HR ORGANIZATIONS MUST TAKE NOTICE OF MASSACRE & SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE STATE TERRORISM IN BALOCHISTAN: BSO-AZAD

The Baloch Student Organization (Azad) spokesperson condemned the occupying forces’ bloody operations in several areas; which are intensifying daily.  The State’s Forces have subjected non combatant people of Balochistan to perpetual violence; innocent people are kidnapped and their homes are looted and burned during the State’s intense military operations.

Recently Parom area of Panjgoor was surrounded by occupying forces.  During the subsequent military operations in the area a number of homes were attacked and innocent women and children were subjected to acts of torture.  The next day operations continued in the Mashkay region; attacking villages, looting homes and setting them ablaze.  Many more women and children were severely tortured by the state’s forces.  As of last reports the entire region is still besieged and has been completely cordoned off.  Nobody is allowed to enter or leave the affected areas.

In Koh Espeth region of Mashkay, state ground and air forces have surrounded several villages and gunship helicopters have begun heavy bombardment. Many of the mountain villages have been completely wiped out.  Additionally many Baloch have been abducted and taken to an undisclosed location.  Residents of the affected areas have been left displaced in the wilderness.

Meanwhile the National Party, the Pakistani religious political parties and State Council are sitting in the Parliament and providing direct assistance to the occupier state’s military forces, and have expressed full support for their Pakistani master’s military operations.

The BSO-Azad Spokesperson said that due to the Baloch people’s commitment to freedom and everlasting sacrifices the occupier forces’ will surely fail.  The spokesperson also appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take notice of the massacre in Balochistan and speak out against the state terrorism in Balochistan.

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Links

“Army atrocities in Balochistan never see light of day report”

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/10/07/national/army-atrocities-in-balochistan-never-see-light-of-day-report/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

The center of the strategically-important province of Kunduz was conquered by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate after a few hours of fighting on 28 September 2015. White flags, being emblazoned with Shahada (testifying Oneness of Almighty Allah), were hoisted in the downtown and other important official buildings of the city. This historical incident brought the dreams of the Afghans into reality. The hearts of believers are full of joy and eyes full of cheers, hopeful for the establishment of an Islamic system across the country.

This great victory of Mujahideen has shaken the invaders and exposed the real face of the leaders of NATO. It has also exposed their propaganda machine functioning to betray and provide wrong information to their people. But the news of the crushing defeat and failure of coalition forces have reached their people. The two headed surrogate administration of Kabul is also facing disgrace and uncertainty because, on one side, thousands of brutal troops in Kunduz, trained at the cost of billions of dollars and who are working for the interest of foreigners, fled the battlefield and on the other hand, brave Muslim people of Kunduz warmly welcomed the Mujahideen.

The great victory of Kunduz happened at a time that the 14th year since the illegitimate invasion of America is nearing its end. Everyone knows that on 7 October 2001, the brutal American troops viciously invaded Afghanistan against all ethical norms and international principles. They violated the independence and freedom of the brave Afghan nation and trampled on all human values under the pretext of democracy. They toppled the legitimate Islamic government of the people, started massacre of the Afghans in the name of terrorism, put integrity of the country at risk, destroyed security and economy of the country while their occupation and brutality is still continuing.

 The officials and the defeated army of the two-headed surrogate administration of Kabul which has no legitimacy and popularity are looking towards the help of invaders. The surrogate leaders inside the Arg (presidential palace) have tried to hide their defeat and made telephone calls to the White House but the initial response of Americans was very tough. Peter Cook, spokesperson of the Pentagon said: “Obviously, this is a setback for the Afghan security forces….” Later for the satisfaction of Arg officials, the spokesman of the White House Josh Earnest said: “the United States is providing advisory support to Afghan troops”. When American advice failed to uplift the sagging morale of their local unscrupulous gunmen then the invading forces started their brutality by launching blind bombardments. They destroyed civilian’s houses and hospitals and burnt up civilians and doctors in flames!!!

Contrary, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate have presented themselves as a morally lofty victorious military force in Kunduz battle. They demonstrated great ethical capabilities beside patience and tolerance. Honor of the people, respect to the homes of opponents, protection of foreign nationals and their centers, general amnesty and protection of civilians assets are those distinctive moral values that the opposite side do not even recognize. The great victory of Kunduz and the ongoing Jihadic operations of Azm (determination) have clearly demonstrated that the sacred and true caravan of Islamic Emirate is reaching its victorious destination by the grace of Allah, the Almighty. Soon the independence and sovereignty of the country will be restored by the grace and blessings of Almighty Allah and with cooperation of our Muslim people. The implementation and establishment of Shariah based system will make the believers blissful and satiated. That is not a hard task for Almighty Allah to accomplish.

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Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

November 2011: A 12-year-old patient sits in his hospital bed during rounds at the MSF trauma hospital in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan. He suffered a fractured pelvis after being struck by a taxi (MSF)

Medecins Sans Frontier/Doctors Without Borders are calling for an independent, transparent investigation.into the horrific US bombing of their hospital in Kunduz, northern area of Afghanistan which killed 22 patients and MSF staff.  MSF stated on their Facebook page, “the main central hospital building, housing the intensive care unit, emergency rooms, and physiotherapy ward, was repeatedly hit very precisely during each aerial raid, while surrounding buildings were left mostly untouched.”

Initially reports said U.S. forces were under attack and called in the airstrikes for their defense. However Army Gen. John Campbell, the chief of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday that “the Afghan forces called in for fire to support them because they were under direct fire.” (Both MSF and Taliban denied strongly the presence of insurgents in hospital grounds).

Jon Williams reporter for the BBC reported a change in the story from US officials tweeting,

Top US commander in ‪#‎Afghanistan‬ say it was Afghans who called in airstrike on ‪#‎Kunduz‬ ‪#‎MSF‬ hospital. US forces not under direct fire >> BBC

Had been reports US Special Forces under fire in vicinity of #Kunduz hospital at time of attack. GEN. Campbell says not under direct fire.

2011: The front gate at the newly opened MSF trauma hospital in Kunduz- There is a strict no weapon policy inside the hospital to ensure all patients can receive free medical and surgical care safely

Gen Campbell stated that Afghans were in jeopardy taking fire from enemy positions and fired upon. Air support was called in, AC130 cannon that targeted the hospital are only used by Special forces. The changing story is disturbing particularly given the reported tensions between the Afghan Special Forces and hospital staff where they reported the ASF for entering the hospital, firing guns and behaving in a threatening manner which I covered in an earlier story, see link,

“Kunduz hospital had complained of threats from Afghan Special Forces in July, a full and independent investigation into bombing is essential.”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/kunduz-hospital-had-complained-of-threats-from-afghan-special-forces-in-july-a-full-and-independent-investigation-into-bombing-is-essential/

What checks are carried out when partners call for airstrikes or are requests for help taken purely on trust? What if someone had a vendetta against an organization and the power to have them destroyed? The bombing of Kunduz has echoes of two earlier incidents, this is not the first time the US has bombed hospitals but an investigation must ensure all precautions are taken to ensure its the last.

US bombing of hospitals in Vietnam and Iraq

US bombing of Bach Mai hospital on December 22 in 1972

(Image, Talk Vietnam) 

David Ross, organizer at Veterans for Peace told me about an incident where the US bombed a hospital in Hanoi during the Vietnam war which some historians suggest was a way of bringing the war to an end. He stated,

“the Bach Mai Hospital was deliberately targeted and bombed to show the Vietnamese that we would show no mercy in our pursuit of victory. Our media, however, dutifuly reported it as an “accident” when it got to where they could no longer declare that it was a “communist lie.” Obama wants gun control because of senseless killing, he should start with the military. With a government like ours, I will keep my guns thank you very much.”

Ross recalls his own experience of coming across the aftermath of a bombing in Vietnam.

“I was very close to an arc light (B-52) bombing. (Bet they still don’t coordinate things worth shit.) The ground actually heaved. When we got in there the earth was turned upside down, some casualties didn’t have a mark on them – just dead. Others had their lungs ripped right out of their mouths, others just kind of turned into “jelly on sticks.” Pieces all over the place. Bad day for “Charlie,” bad nightmares for the rest of our lives. “Go to hell.” No, you and me buddy – we have already been there and anyone who hasn’t been can’t even begin to imagine.”

US lawyer Jerry Elmer, author of, “Felon for Peace: The Memoir of a Vietnam-Era Draft Resister” states that the bombing of civilians as part of the Christmas bombing could never be justified as a “cruel necessity” as written by Conservative British Member of Parliament and Defense Minister Jonathan Aitken, in his biography of Nixon. Elmer argues that such actions (in this case carpet- bombing of civilian areas) are morally and ethically wrong, he recalls,

“during the Christmas bombing, as throughout the war, the United States flatly denied that we were bombing civilian targets. This was an out-an-out lie. We bombed schools, hospitals, and civilian population centers. Indeed, carpet bombing is uniquely well suited to targeting civilians who, in military parlance, present less “hardened” targets than do military facilities.

To take but one specific example, during the Christmas bombing — on December 19 and again on December 22 — B-52s bombed the Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. At 1150 beds, Bach Mai Hospital was the largest civilian hospital in the DRV. We substantially damaged or destroyed the entire hospital. This was not an isolated example, either. The Bach Mai Hospital had been previously bombed by the United States on June 27, 1972; many other hospitals in the DRV were destroyed during the Christmas bombing.”

As Emma Daly points out in her article “Crimes of War: Immunity from Attack”, the Fourth Geneva Convention on Warfare states clearly, “civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.”

Both Kunduz and Fallujah experienced difficulties with Special Forces before being bombed.

In some cases hospitals in conflict zones have had an uneasy relationship with Special Forces as seen both in Kunduz and previously Fallujah in Iraq prior to being bombed. As the Internationalist reported in 2004,

“Special Forces stormed the Falluja General Hospital. They rounded up all the doctors, pushed them face down on the floor and handcuffed them with plastic straps behind their backs. With the hospital occupied, those wounded by the U.S. aerial bombings headed to the Falluja Central Health Clinic. And so at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 9, U.S. warplanes bombed that clinic as well, killing 35 patients, 15 medics, 4 nurses, 5 support staff and 4 doctors, according to a doctor who survived (The Nation, 13 December). U.S. fire also targeted an ambulance, killing five patients and the driver.”

MSF also reported the aggressive behaviour of Afghan Special Forces detailed in a press release in July 2015.

“On Wednesday 1 July at 14:07, heavily armed men from Afghan Special Forces entered the MSF hospital compound, cordoned off the facility and began shooting in the air. The armed men physically assaulted three MSF staff members and entered the hospital with weapons. They then proceeded to arrest three patients. Hospital staff tried their best to ensure continued medical care for the three patients, and in the process, one MSF staff member was threatened at gunpoint by two armed men. After approximately one hour, the armed men released the three patients and left the hospital compound.”

As Internationalist pointed out, “the hospital (in Falluja) was selected as an early target because the American military believed that it was the source of rumors about heavy casualties,” when the U.S. attacked Falluja in April, wrote the New York Times (8 November). “It’s a center of propaganda,” a senior American officer said.

MSF at the hospital at Kunduz put out repeated statements declaring its independent position. The Taliban paid a brief visit to a hospital following the take-over of the city and as reported in Vice News had not caused problems for the staff. They had posted photographs of their visit on social media which may have angered state authorities. MSF had posted recent figures on patients highlighting the increase in numbers due to present conflict and pressure on facilities with staff working long hours overtime. A Facebook posting by a doctor also showed his feelings just a short time before he was killed in the bombing, As New York Times reported, Dr. Ehsan Usmani stated,

“a thousand curses on you Ashraf Ghani and Stanekzai that you bloodied and covered in dust the people of Kunduz with your blind bombings,” he wrote, referring to the Afghan president and Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, the minister of defense. The Afghan military has also been using helicopter airstrikes to target the Taliban, but sometimes misses and hits civilians.

“Spit, spit, spit, spit on your faces,” Dr. Usmani wrote and then, more desperately: “Hey people, share this message that since this afternoon the bombers of the dirty and unclean government have been killing, maiming and wounding the innocent people of Kunduz.”

MSF has released a statement responding to General Campbell’s new information,

“Today the US government has admitted that it was their airstrike that hit our hospital in Kunduz and killed 22 patients and MSF staff. Their description of the attack keeps changing—from collateral damage, to a tragic incident, to now attempting to pass responsibility to the Afghanistan government. The reality is the US dropped those bombs. The US hit a huge hospital full of wounded patients and MSF staff. The US military remains responsible for the targets it hits, even though it is part of a coalition. There can be no justification for this horrible attack. With such constant discrepancies in the US and Afghan accounts of what happened, the need for a full transparent independent investigation is ever more critical.”

Support for MSF is growing as is the call for media to report responsibly. The Economist for example ran a headline, entitled, “The consequences of the accidental bombing of an aid hospital” the mistake being to always assume a government statement is correct.

US partners in Afghanistan are clearly very unhappy with Taliban advances in Kunduz. Stories have been circulating accusing the militants of looting and gang rape. Taliban deny strongly and state that this is yet another attempt to minimise local support for the group by instilling fear in locals which is why they issued statements trying to reassure NGOs and business to carry on working and they would not be harmed. Taliban spokesman also highlighted a “fabricated” interview in mainstream media by the Big Story where a journalist claimed to have interviewed Mullah Mansour. Taliban state he has never given a direct interview. They also claim it is local militia and police that are harassing locals and sent photos of very young boys that appear to be attached to the police. Once again the tendency is for media to pass off anything Taliban says as “propaganda” instead of carrying out further checks. Recent reports by human rights organizations allege serious human rights abuses by US partners, militia and warlords. Is this what US is supporting in Afghanistan?

Returning to the hospital bombing, David Axe of the Daily Beast explains how the aircraft used to target the compound is exempt from the usual checks required to engage a target. He states,

“gunners in an AC-130 only need to feel that a burst of 25-millimeter or 40-millimeter gunfire is appropriate in order to justify squeezing the trigger. And when friendly troops on the ground are under attack, a gunship crew is more likely to decide to open fire, a former AC-130 pilot told The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity.

So the gunship crew over Kunduz, apparently believing insurgents were firing on U.S. advisers, skipped the normal procedures meant to protect civilians and blasted away on what turned out to be a medical facility—for more than an hour.”

See link,

“How a US gunship slaughtered doctors”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/05/how-a-u-s-gunship-slaughtered-doctors.html

There are strong indications that this should be treated as an alleged war crime. As Christopher Stokes General Director of Medecins Sans Frontiers states, “there can be no justification for this horrible attack. With such constant discrepancies in the US and Afghan accounts of what happened, the need for a full transparent independent investigation is ever more critical.”

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Kunduz hospital where staff and patients died after being bombed allegedly by US