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Afghanistan
Throughout history millions have urged us to ‘make love, not war’ and an important voice has just joined this choir.
On Tuesday, Australia’s former Army Chief, Peter Leahy, suggested that the defence budget should be cut and redirected towards its diplomacy and aid programs – and no, he wasn’t wearing flares or dreads.
Continue reading "Former army chief says ‘make love, not war’" »
Welcome to Monday @ The Punch
Today in 1989 Soviet Troops pulled out of Afghanistan after nine years of conflict.
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Max Power says:
They still are brave freedom fighters. The Northern Alliance have been battling the Taliban for years in an effort to restore freedom to Afgahnistan. The Taliban are terrorists, not just in the Pentagons eyes but the whole worlds. Blowing up markets full of civilians, blowing up schools, hospitals and any… Read more »
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Lindsay says:
T Chong, you are a goose. The mujahideen who fought against Soviet troops fell into civil war following their victory. They were then decimated by the Taliban and reorganised into the Northern Alliance. In turn the NA - assisted by coalition airpower and advisors - played a major role in… Read more »
The Defence Department posted this image from Afghanistan on its website on Tuesday. As you can see, the faces of the Australian soldiers were obscured.
For security reasons, we have decided to also obscure the faces of the Afghans in the photo.
The Defence Department released this photo along with a media release, which explained the men pictured were village elders and religious leaders of Chenartu, north-east of Tarin Kowt. The photo shows the Afghans laughing and getting on well with members of Australia’s Special Operations Task Group as they engage with Afghan communities across Oruzgan province.
Continue reading "First casualty of war is truth, closely followed by logic" »
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Sad part of it all says:
Exactly. The power of the media. The owners the controllers, the humble seagull scavenging and fighting for his meal ticket to gain about of notoriety and a couple of dollars, pity isn’t it. Read more »
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James says:
You seem pretty certain there Jason. Care to elaborate on who is going to invade, and when. Oh, and a why wouldn’t go astray. While your at it, perhaps a how would be in order. But in order to work out the how, we must also know where this invasion… Read more »
Outside a Sydney court this morning, self-styled Sheikh Haron claimed his views were not being accurately represented.
Accordingly he and a female aide – who video-recorded the Sheikh’s long sermon to reporters on the steps of the court - handed out copies of the letter which is reproduced below.
He faced the Downing Centre Local Court today charged with sending harassing letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers.
Continue reading "Sheik’s plea: Stop killing civilians, call the Wiggles" »
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Ginny says:
If he wanted to stop the war in Afghanistan, making Australian society more aware of their casualties would be the right way to go. Eventually society will be sick of their OWN losses [like america] and public opinion will triumph [as with Vietnam.] We ought to have access to all… Read more »
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We are citizens of the world and every heart bleed says:
I suggest part of the sheik’s sentence be he has to sit down with a whole heap of pictures of grieving mothers fathers and families plus the face only pictures of the deceased and see if he can identify the"murderers” and the “victims” and match the mourners to the relevant… Read more »
It’s hard to know whether those handling media for the Australian Defence Force are as clueless as they seem or are now openly trying to bait the Australian media.
Yesterday there were a couple of press releases sent out from the ADF. The first was helpfully entitled: News Stories from Afghanistan – Three news stories for broadcast/publication.
Doing their favourite PLA impression, the ADF has in fact provided three media releases on Australia’s operation in Afghanistan labelled “news stories” and penned from within the organisation.
Continue reading "Much glorious Afghan victory has been won by ADF" »
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MarkH says:
T.Chong, casualties of war…how long do you think these guys have to make a snap decision??? 1hr? try .5 seconds friend or foe. Sure innocent people are killed but I dont see you questioning the Talibans tactics by suicide bombing or IED attacks. So what is it? Sure the ADF… Read more »
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T.Chong says:
Mark: The ADF “Public Affairs/Relations” or whatevr title goes by, is a propaganda unit- pure and simple, like every other country in every war since David vs Goliath. Just because they are “ours” doesnt lessen the reality of them being paid to spin stories. Look at any neg event concerning… Read more »
An evocative photograph taken last week underscored that old utterance about a picture being worth a thousand words, and prompted at the same time some perennial questions about war in general, and about the particular war being waged at present in Afghanistan.
The AP photograph showed a small boy in the Afghan province of Helmand, standing on top of a small mound, his left hand reached out to clasp the right hand of a uniformed and heavily-equipped US marine.
Just what the two of them might have said to one another was not recorded in the caption, nor in the report below, which detailed a call from the UK Minister for International Defence and Security, Baroness Ann Taylor, for Australia to commit more troops to the NATO effort against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Afghanistan needs us to decide if we’re fighting on" »
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watto says:
Eric if you take your own advice and look up google Bush was trying to negotiate an oil pipeline through Afganistan. I suggest you look up “diplomacy” on dictionary.com - the definition does not say commercial interests…. Enjoy your “cheap” gas prices mate! Read more »
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Eric says:
John, bin Laden was the leader of al-Qaeda, the organisation that planned and executed the 9/11 attacks. Afghanistan was hosting al-Qaeda training bases, and Osama bin Laden himself, at the time. I suggest that Google is a useful source of information. Read more »
Welcome to Wednesday @ The Punch
Fact: today in 2001 the United States launched an attack on Afghanistan in retaliation to the events of September 11. It’s also the eighth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.
For more background information on Afghanistan listen to this audio study from ABC Rear Vision.
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Eric says:
Shabangabang, in WWII the Allies bombed Germany and Japan literally to rubble, killing millions. In Afghanistan they’re being much more gentle. Read more »
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Razor says:
shabangabang - the difference is not in what is going on over there, it is what is going on over here. To misquote someone else - The soldiers in Afghanistan are at war while the Western world is shopping. In other words - NATO isn’t committed to winning the war… Read more »
On 28th July 2009, I flew out of Sydney bound for Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. It was to be the start of a fascinating trip into the Afghan war zone.
I embedded with the American 10th Mountain Division in Logar province, in the East part of the country. I was then shipped out to “The Tip of The Spear” as they called it, to the district of Kherwar.
The unit I joined was part of the Coalition’s blocking force against Taliban forces who are trying to use the area as an alternative entry point to the Wardack province and into Kabul.
Continue reading "Heart of darkness: inside the Afghan war zone" »
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Kristen Riley Owen says:
Thank you. Read more »
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Pan says:
Thanks Gary. Been watching your work for a while now. Thanks so much for bringing home the news and sharing it with those “civvies” who care about what’s goinjg on out there… Read more »
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