Another Taliban attack on NATO

It is but a few days since the propaganda machine told us that the Taleban realised they couldn't win and were looking for a peace agreement.

There is also news that does not seem worthy of reporting - US airstrikes killing 16. 

NATO says four soldiers killed in "insider" attack in Afghan south

Four soldiers fighting with the NATO-led alliance were killed in an attack believed to involve members of the Afghan police in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, the coalition said.

Reuters,

16 September, 2012

The attack came a day after two British soldiers were shot dead by an Afghan policeman while returning from a patrol in southern Helmand province, one of the strongholds of the Taliban-led insurgency.

The shooting took place in Zabol, a southern province where U.S. forces are based, according to a local official, who said all four soldiers killed were American.

One attacker who was wearing an Afghan National Police uniform (ANP) was also killed in the fighting, the source said.

At least 51 foreign military personnel have been killed in "insider" attacks this year, attacks which have put a heavy strain on trust between the coalition and Afghanistan as they move towards handing security responsibility to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

The rise in such attacks has led to the training of new recruits to the Afghan army and police being suspended.

With foreign combat troops withdrawing from the increasingly unpopular and expensive war, the enormous cultural divide that still separates Afghans and their allies after 11 years of conflict has become more of a concern than ever.

The NATO-led coalition and its Afghan counterparts have created a special Joint Casualties Assessment Team to investigate every attack, which number at least 37 this year.

In more than half of cases, attackers are either killed or escape and the motive never emerges, making it more difficult for the coalition to stem the surge.

Adding to the toll of coalition deaths caused by insider attacks over the weekend, two were killed and nine wounded in Friday's attack on Camp Bastion, one of the worst attacks on a NATO-operated base all year.

Six Harrier jets were destroyed and two were significantly damaged in the raid on the camp airfield, carried out by 15 insurgents wearing U.S. Army uniforms and split between three teams, a NATO statement said on Sunday.

Three refuelling stations were destroyed and six aircraft hangars were damaged. Britain's Prince Harry was at Camp Bastion at the time of Friday's attack, but was unharmed.

All but one of the attackers were killed, with the remaining fighter taken into custody by coalition forces.

In a separate incident on Sunday, NATO-led forces arrested a Taliban fighter responsible for killing two U.S. troops when they were downed in their Kiowa helicopter in eastern Afghanistan, according to a separate statement by the coalition.

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This is not worthy of reporting in the western press

At least 16 Afghans killed in US-led airstrikes

At least 16 people have been killed in US-led airstrikes on the eastern provinces of Kunar and Laghman.

Press TV,

16 September, 2012

Many civilians have lost their lives in the US-led operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past months, with Afghans becoming increasingly outraged at the seemingly endless number of the deadly assaults.

Washington claims that its airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.

Afghan students rally in Kabul against anti-Islam US film

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday to voice their anger over the release of the insulting film.

Press TV,

16 September, 2012

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday to voice their anger over the release of the insulting film.

Fury over the blasphemous movie has spread across the world, with protesters marching on the US embassies and torching the US flags.

6 US jets destroyed in Harry base attack in Afghanistan

Six US fighter jets have been destroyed in Taliban attack on Prince Harry base in Southern Afghanistan in which two American soldiers were killed.

Press TV

16 September, 2012

NATO said on Sunday that the six jets were destroyed on Friday after the attackers armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles stormed the British air base in Afghanistan, leaving two US Marines dead.

The attack comes following fresh angry protests across the war-ravaged country against an anti-Islam movie and the country’s lawmakers call for the cancellation of a security pact with the United States.