Afghanistan

Afghanistan means "Land of the Afghans." Modern Afghanistan was created in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who created the Durrani Empire. During the 19th Century, Afghanistan was a buffer state in the Great Game, which was a land grab between the British and Russian empires. Many of Rudyard Kipling’s books were about the Great Game.

Some believe the Great Game has carried into modern times starting with the Soviet invasion in the late 70's and the subsequent support of the Mujahedeen by the Western and Islamic powers. When the Soviets left, the country fell into civil war and most of it was eventually controlled by the Taliban. It is largely believed that the Taliban was created by Pakistan's intelligence service (ISI) in order to keep its own tribal areas from revolting.

In 2001, after 9-11, the U.S. led an invasion into Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban by siding with the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance, at the time, controlled the Northern part of the country and had been led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was assassinated shortly before 9-11. In the wake of the U.S. invasion, both Osama Bin Laden and Taliban fled into the tribal areas of Pakistan and have continued to fight. War continues in Afghanistan, with multiple players from many nations participating. In many ways, the Great Game in Afghanistan continues to this day.

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Original Technorati articles tagged “Afghanistan”

• in Politics
  The West and Karzai on Different Pages
  Hamid Karzai and his foreign backers appear headed in opposite directions.
  by jamesgundun / on Nov 10, 2009
• in Politics
  Afghanistan Horizon: 30,000 Divisions
  Uncertainty is depleting President Obama's political support for escalation in Afghanistan.
  by jamesgundun / on Nov 7, 2009
• in Politics
  More U.S. Combat Soldiers in Afghanistan?
  U.S.Army Special Forces Counterinsurgency Efforts Continue Despite shortage on U.S. Green Beret Advisers in Afghanistan.
  by desperatelands / on Nov 3, 2009

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “Afghanistan”

• Voices rising for a public inquiry on Canadian complicity in torture

  
  Impolitical — Authority: 511
  First up, Professor Errol Mendes powerfully sets out what is at stake for Canada as Richard Colvins allegations of Afghan detainees handed over by Canada to a knowingly torturous regime have come to the fore. An important read for anyone wanting to understand the scope of the possible damage done here and the ...
  1 hour ago

• The Kopp-Etchells Effect

  
  MetaFilter — Authority: 746
  Stunning pictures by Michael Yon show what happens when helicopters land in dust storms: The Kopp-Etchells Effect is thought to be the result of static electricity created by friction as materials of dissimilar material strike against each other, in this case titanium/nickel blades moving through the air and dust, ...
  2 hours ago

• An Interview with Matthew Hoh

  
  Newshoggers.com — Authority: 654
  By Derrick Crowe If Matthew Hoh could tell you one thing to help you understand the U.S.s predicament in Afghanistan, hed tell you: The presence of our ground combat troops is not doing anything to defeat al-Qaida. Think about that for a moment. We are paying roughly $1 million per troop, per year in Afghanistan . ...
  3 hours ago

• Cursed with Interesting Times

  
  YayaCanada — Authority: 426
  Thanks to readers for the following: (1) Afghanistan torture scandal Richard Colvin: Portrait of a whistleblower Friends say hes sincere, articulate, discreet. Foes say hes a rogue. Who, really, is Richard Colvin? But ( thanks to Ron in Montreal) its all immaterial because hes on the verge of a ...
  3 hours ago

• Sunday Breakfast Menu, Nov. 22

  
  The Caucus — Authority: 783
  The Sunday talk shows are all abuzz with the morning-after chatter coming behind the Senates health care vote late Saturday that caps off an intense week in the health care debate.
  4 hours ago

• Stanley McChrystals War on Poverty

  
  The Skeptical Bureaucrat — Authority: 126
  History News Network has linked to this critique from the left of General McChrystals strategy in Afghanistan. Im not a leftist myself - Im more like a Whig - but I think there is undeniable merit in points such as these: The biggest obstacle to [McChystals new counterinsurgency strategy as stated in his leaked ...
  4 hours ago

• Well, Either That Or Giving Up Their Plans To Remake The Economy

  
  Tai-Chi Policy — Authority: 443
  Dems are saying they’ll have to increase taxes to fight Afghanistan . Posted in Democrats Tagged: Afghanistan
  5 hours ago

• NWFP govt bans wedding ceremonies after 12 am

  
  Pakistan News | News, Videos, Articles, Current Affairs, Politics, Entertainment, Technology | Geo TV | Dawn | The News | Ten Sports | Geo Super | India News — Authority: 460
  PESHAWAR: The NWFP government Saturday announced that wedding ceremonies should not be carried out after 12 am. Chief Minister NWFP, Ameer Haider Hoti has stated that ”The masses have united against the terrorism, and it is time to unveil the foreign elements involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan”
  5 hours ago

• Unconscious Conviction?

  
  walkofthefallen.com — Authority: 131
  A young American woman, Amanda Knox, is on trial in Italy. She is accused of the gruesome murder of her college friend and room-mate, Meredith Kercher. This case has made the local news for sometime, since the accused is a student at the local University of Washington. I have no opinion of whether Ms. Knox and ...
  5 hours ago

• Is imam a terror recruiter or just an incendiary preacher?

  
  Stupidica — Authority: 171
  The Yemeni-American imam whos been under renewed scrutiny after the deadly shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, preaches against alcohol, birthday parties, black magic and extramarital sex. He also supports armed struggle — jihad — against the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and has encouraged extremist insurgents ...
  5 hours ago

• Canada signs new prisoner transfer agreement

  
  CKA Canadian News — Authority: 463
  Canada has signed a re-written prisoner-transfer agreement with Afghanistan that will allow them greater access to captured insurgents that Canadian soldiers turn over to the Afghans. The deal, inked early Thursday, comes as the Conservative governm
  5 hours ago

• A Woman Among Warlords

  
  Red Tory v.3.0 — Authority: 506
  Via Pacific Free Press (This is What Courage Looks Like): Malalai Joya is an Afghan politician who has been called “the bravest woman in Afghanistan.” As an elected member of the Wolesi Jirga from Farah province, she has publicly denounced the presence of what she considers warlords and war criminals in the ...
  6 hours ago

• Shorter Question Everything

  
  Question Everything — Authority: 442
  China and USChinese spies are aggressively stealing secrets to build up China’s military and economic power, a US advisory panel on US-China relations has warned. The report was published in the same week that US President Barack Obama made his first official visit to China. A Chinese embassy spokesman in Washington ...
  6 hours ago

• Stanley McChrystal Appears to Mock Obama in Afghanistan

  
  Today With President Barack Obama — Authority: 153
  Watch Stanley McChrystal, who seems to mock Obama as the Afghanistan defense minister jokes about Obamas "over elaborated" decision. Id fire McChrystal. Theyve got nerve. Afghanistan ought to be boosting their troops so we can pull out.
  6 hours ago

• Americans conflicted over Afghanistan war

  
  The Washington Post — Authority: 970
  WINONA, MINN. -- Christina and Jesse Fladmark were married on Flag Day last year at the band shell on the Mississippi River. They chose the spot largely because Jesse, a soldier, draws strength from the nearby war memorial.
  6 hours ago

• Of Good Intentions And Imperial Overreach

  
  Newshoggers.com — Authority: 654
  By Steve Hynd Yesterday, my good friend Derrick Crowe posted a quote from a recent piece on just wars by the Center for American Progress. It struck me as perfectly encapsulating the pitfalls of the kind of "we didnt mean to aquire one" notion of benevolent empire Americans seem to have inherited from we Brits. ...
  6 hours ago

• Indo-Iranian relations in downward spiral

  
  RUPEE NEWS: Recording History, Narrating Archives, Strategic Intellibrief Analysis: Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ??????? ????? | ???? | Rupi Nyheter | ??????? | ????? ????? — Authority: 516
  The Indian Iranian relations have gone down from they heyday when Iranian President Seyyed Mohammed Khatami’s five-day India visit went to India in Juanuary 24th 2003 to celebrate Bharat’s republic Day. At the time there were huge expectations on both sides to develop an Indo-Iranian axis against all powers in ...
  6 hours ago

• As Afghans Resist Taliban, U.S. Spurs Rise of Militias

  
  NYT > Theater — Authority: 916
  Leaders of anti-Taliban militias in Kunduz Province met with the Afghan governments intelligence chief in Kunduz this month.
  6 hours ago

• Taliban on motorcycles no match for Apache helicopters

  
  Report on Arrakis — Authority: 609
  I love these kinds of stories... Idaho Statesman FORWARD OPERATING BASE NAWBAHAR, Afghanistan — The Taliban had set a trap for the tiny company of Afghan soldiers here, its handful of U.S. mentors and the American helicopters that they expected would rush in help. Firing mortars to lure the Americans and Afghans ...
  6 hours ago

• Said the President to the 1,500 troops in camouflage uniform: "You guys make a pretty good photo op,"

  
  Althouse — Authority: 756
  Im thinking he said it with knowing — perhaps even self-deprecating — humor, but still, extracted and quoted on Drudge , it looks awful. Also at the first link: "President Obama will not announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan before the Thanksgiving holiday, senior aides said Thursday." ...
  6 hours ago

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