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 Blogging
  9/11 Hysteria Too Expensive To Maintain
  Not enough paxil to calm an entire nation
  by Mozart99 / on Jan 28, 2012
• in Film
  Documentary: Hell and Back Again (2011)
  What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home?
  by missbobetier / on Jan 22, 2012
• in Film
  Warning: Don’t Watch Essential Killing (2010) with Your Dog(s)
  Run to live... kill to survive
  by missbobetier / on Jan 22, 2012

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “afghanistan”

 

• Threats & Bribes: Why U.S. Troops Will Never Leave Afghanistan

  
  NOVAKEO.COM — Authority: 120
  I read somewhere that if you want your children to do what you tell them to do, there are only two things that actually work:  Threats and bribes.  Well, the same thing should be true with regard to international relations — but it’s not. Internationally speaking, threats and bribes have obviously gotten ...
  11 hours ago

• Afghan man strangles wife for having baby girl

  
  top99news - breaking news from the world top newspapers — Authority: 163
  http://www.guardian.co.uk Afghan man strangles wife for having baby girl Afghan police say local militia member, who is still at large, killed the woman after she gave birth to a third daughterAn Afghan man killed his wife for giving birth to a third daughter rather than the son he hoped for, police in ...
  11 hours ago

• Afghan man strangles wife for having baby girl

  
  The Guardian - guardian.co.uk — Authority: 962
  Afghan police say local militia member, who is still at large, killed the woman after she gave birth to a third daughter An Afghan man killed his wife for giving birth to a third daughter rather than the son he hoped for, police in Afghanistans northern Kunduz province have said. The victim, 28, known by the one ...
  12 hours ago

• Afghanistan to press Pakistan for access to Taliban

  
  World News, Breaking News Updates, Latest News & Headlines — Authority: 139
  KABUL (iBBC News) - Afghanistan will press Pakistan for access to Taliban leaders during a one-day visit to Kabul by Pakistans foreign minister, with Afghan officials hoping to ease cross-border strains and lay the ground for peace negotiations with the insurgents. Hina Rabbani Khar will visit Kabul on February 1 to ...
  12 hours ago

• Afghanistan to press Pakistan for access to Taliban (Reuters)

  
  newsaddicts — Authority: 144
  Reuters – Afghanistan will press Pakistan for access to Taliban leaders during a one-day visit to Kabul by Pakistan’s foreign minister, with Afghan officials hoping to ease cross-border strains and lay the ground for peace negotiations with the insurgents. Yahoo! News: World News
  12 hours ago

• Afghanistan : un juge français va enquêter sur l’embuscade d’Uzbin

  
  top99news - breaking news from the world top newspapers — Authority: 163
  http://www.lefigaro.fr Afghanistan : un juge français va enquêter sur l’embuscade d’Uzbin Cette attaque avait coûté la vie à dix militaires français en août 2008, à l’est de Kaboul. published date:Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:11:00 GMT
  12 hours ago

• Indiana National Guard Private Begins Long Recovery From Injuries

  
  Chicago news, weather, traffic - CBS 2 - WBBM — Authority: 149
  His survival is nothing short of amazing, but the road to recovery for Indiana National Guardsman Doug Rachowicz is just beginning.
  12 hours ago

• The CIA, Afghanistan and assassination

  
  The Daily Organ — Authority: 114
  How the killing of a CIA squad in Afghanistan led to deep divisions back home in America…   Tribal elders gather in Khost, Afghanistan © dvidshub In 2009 seven CIA personnel were killed in a suicide bombing at Foward Operating Base Chapman, in Khost, Afghanistan. The bombing was carried out by Jordanian ...
  12 hours ago

• Hellfire Missile Takes Out Taliban Jihadist

  
  American Power — Authority: 664
  Via Weasel Zippers : And from yesterday, " The Taliban Go Mainstream: Afghanistan Terror-Sponsors Seek Softer Side to Medieval Political Regime ."
  13 hours ago

• Georgia on His Mind

  
  The Page by Mark Halperin — Authority: 627
  Obama meets Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili Mon. at the WH. Expected to discuss security issues, Afghanistan and reforms in Georgia.
  13 hours ago

• ISAF, Afghan Taliban Forge Unlikely Alliance in Key Border Town

  
  Offiziere.ch — Authority: 97
  Afghan Local Police trainees, at Patrol Base Marzak, Jan. 21. 2012. David Axe photo. by DAVID AXE PAKTIKA, Afghanistan — The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan has an unusual new strategy for defeating the Taliban in one key eastern town: join them. In Marzak, a Kharoti-tribe village of just a few thousand people ...
  14 hours ago

• IED financier named as casualties fall

  
  Money Jihad — Authority: 109
  Earlier this month, a U.N. committee added Ahmad Zia Agha to its list of sanctioned terrorists.  The committee’s summary of the listing included these details about Agha’s participation in the financial pipeline behind the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being used against coalition forces. Ahmad Zia Agha ...
  14 hours ago

• Guide to Afghanistan: The Adventures of a KL-ite (Part 8 – Lending the Afghans a hand)

  
  FAT BIDIN MEDIA — Authority: 99
  This week is part 8 of my multimedia documentary, Guide To Afghanistan: The Adventures of a KL-ite , which includes video, still photos an text. As you would know, this is concurrent with the 10-part feature on The Malaysian Insider website, of which you can view part 8 here: Lending the Afghans a hand ...
  15 hours ago

• Wilder Marine killed in Afghanistan returned to Idaho

  
  Wounded Times — Authority: 131
  Wilder Marine killed in Afghanistan returned to Idahoby Justin CorrKTVB.COMPosted on January 28, 2012 at 4:47 PMUpdated yesterday at 5:08 PMBOISE -- After making the ultimate sacrifice... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
  1 day ago

• Taliban Have Begun Talks With U.S., Former Taliban Aides Say

  
  heave-ho.org — Authority: 449
  Former officials said Taliban negotiators traveled to Qatar for discussions with American officials that included a possible prisoner transfer.
  1 day ago

• Network Control Center Supports Mission and Morale on Bagram

  
  DoD Live — Authority: 499
  Story by Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham 455th Air Expeditionary Wing  BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Every time someone emails a policy letter, instant messages their family or takes time out to watch a movie on their desktop, the airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Communication Squadron network control center at ...
  1 day ago

• Worth a Thousand Words: Cobra Gold 2012

  
  DoD Live — Authority: 499
  Children at the Ban Khlong Bangbor School play with spinning tops during a celebration for National Children’s Day in Rayong, Thailand, Jan. 13, 2012. Ban Khlong Bangbor School will have a multipurpose building constructed during Cobra Gold 2012. Rayong is an area where Cobra Gold 2012 will be taking place. Cobra ...
  1 day ago

• 50 militants surrender in Afghanistan

  
  Thaindian News — Authority: 534
  Kabul, Jan 29 (IANS) Fifty militants from the Hezb-i-Islami outfit have surrendered to the Afghan government, Xinhua reported.The militants surrendered in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the northern province of Baghlan late Saturday, provincial police chief Asadullah Shirzad said Sunday.Hezb-i-Islami led by former ...
  1 day ago

• Taliban recordings openly sold in Kabul

  
  Money Jihad — Authority: 109
  Care to buy 50 Taliban songs for a dollar?  Just stroll down the avenues of beautiful downtown Kabul, where your local shopkeeper will be happy to make the sale.  From NPR on Jan. 23: Reminds us of the West Bank .
  1 day ago

• The Diplomat: Afghan Commandos’ Mixed Show

  
  War Is Boring — Authority: 413
  Afghan National Police in Marzak, Jan. 23, 2012. David Axe photo. by DAVID AXE On January 10, insurgents assaulted and captured a telecommunications building in the city of Sharana, in the southeastern province of Paktika. The assault, which claimed the lives of 10 people, demonstrated both the growing ...
  1 day ago

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