The General is not the only one who is concerned with respecting Islam. Is this second video we see that the mission is still to “win the hearts and minds” of the people of Afghanistan. Will they ever realize nation building has failed, and bowing down to Islam only helps it advance across the world?

In the final video, the spokesperson states we did not “disrespect” the locals. How nice. Do you realize that you are disrespecting yourself and America by respecting Islamic culture?

The soldiers that I have spoken to do not care for Islam as all, so this is not a knock on them, but on their so called “leaders”. The ones who drew up the war plans. It is time realize that supporting a Sharia state is not what US Soldiers should be doing. Afghanistan is not worth one drop of US blood. It is time to bring the troops home.

Department of Defense

These ridiculous Rules of Engagement (ROE), stem from the nation building policy. I do not mean any disrespect to our great troops when I say this, because they did not write up the war plan, but nation building is a failure, as the infidel does not get to dictate to Muslims what Islam is. Iraq is now a Christian persecuting Islamic country, where the Shiite vs Sunni feud continues, and Afghanistan will always be an Islamic hellhole.

This is besides the fact that Islam is marching across the West. In the end what is the point of fighting them over there, and allowing Islam to takeover here? Our troops deserve better. It is time to bring them home, and end all Muslim immigration. The war is here now.

Newly appointed Afghan war commander General David Petraeus says there will be no change in the application of the rules of engagement in the US led war.

Petraeus made the remarks in Brussels on Thursday during a briefing to NATO officials about the war in Afghanistan

The remarks come as there are fears among some NATO countries that Petraeus would make changes in the current rules of engagement, which put restrictions on coalition attacks to limit civilian casualties.

The top US commander insisted that he had no plans to make it easier for NATO troops to use lethal force in operations in populated areas.

He said keeping civilian casualties to an “absolute minimum” would remain a key objective.

Petraeus also insisted that the foreign forces must achieve unity in order to meet their objectives in Afghanistan.

His visit came just one day after the US Senate confirmed him as the new top commander.

US President Barack Obama picked Petraeus to take charge of the 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan after he fired General Stanley McChrystal for publicly criticizing White House officials.

Petraeus predicts the war in Afghanistan may get more intense over the next few months. He has also warned that it could take a number of years before Afghan security forces can take over from the US-led troops.

The rising foreign casualties have sparked anger among the public in the countries allied with the US in Afghanistan.

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Lawmakers: Afghan leader threatens to join Taliban
By AMIR SHAH and CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

KABUL – Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened over the weekend to quit the political process and join the Taliban if he continued to come under outside pressure to reform, several members of parliament said Monday.

Karzai made the unusual statement at a closed-door meeting Saturday with selected lawmakers — just days after kicking up a diplomatic controversy with remarks alleging foreigners were behind fraud in last year’s disputed elections.

Lawmakers dismissed the latest comment as hyperbole, but it will add to the impression the president — who relies on tens of thousands of U.S. and NATO forces to fight the insurgency and prop up his government — is growing increasingly erratic and unable to exert authority without attacking his foreign backers.

“He said that ‘if I come under foreign pressure, I might join the Taliban’,” said Farooq Marenai, who represents the eastern province of Nangarhar.

“He said rebelling would change to resistance,” Marenai said — apparently suggesting that the militant movement would then be redefined as one of resistance against a foreign occupation rather than a rebellion against an elected government.

Marenai said Karzai appeared nervous and repeatedly demanded to know why parliament last week had rejected legal reforms that would have strengthened the president’s authority over the country’s electoral institutions.

Two other lawmakers said Karzai twice raised the threat to join the insurgency.

The lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of political repercussions, said Karzai also dismissed concerns over possible damage his comments had caused to relations with the United States. He told them he had already explained himself in a telephone conversation Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that came after the White House described his comments last week as troubling.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said reports Karzai threatened to abandon the political process and join the Taliban insurgency if he continued to receive pressure from Western backers to reform his government are troubling.

“On behalf of the American people, we’re frustrated with the remarks,” Gibbs told reporters.

The lawmakers said they felt Karzai was pandering to hard-line or pro-Taliban members of parliament and had no real intention of joining the insurgency.

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NATO details its Afghan night raids policy
By TINI TRAN

KABUL – A new directive from NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan orders coalition forces to avoid night raids when possible, but to bring Afghan troops with them if they must enter homes after dark.

The coalition released details of Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s new policy Friday — changes that are meant to cut down on the storm of complaints from Afghan people.

Though McChrystal’s order falls short of the complete ban on night raids sought by President Hamid Karzai, it does reflect new sensitivities by NATO at a time when the coalition is pursuing a strategy of gaining Afghan public trust in a bid to rout Taliban extremists.

McChrystal had issued the order in late January — as reported by The Associated Press last week — and portions of the classified directive were made public Friday by his headquarters. It follows the NATO commander’s move to limit the use of airstrikes last year that were responsible for the bulk of civilian deaths.

“Despite their effectiveness and operational value, night raids come at a steep cost in terms of the perceptions of the Afghan people,” according to excerpts of his directive.

“In the Afghan culture, a man’s home is more than just his residence. … Even when there is no damage or injuries, Afghans can feel deeply violated and dishonored, making winning their support that much more difficult,” it said.

The directive tells troops “to explore all other feasible options before effecting a night raid.”

However, if night raids are conducted, Afghan security forces “should be the first force seen and the first voices heard by the occupants of any compound entered.”

The order requires that Afghan troops must be included in the planning and execution of all night raids, and that Afghan government representatives must be notified in advance. When possible, community elders also need to be consulted.

It also said that all searches during the raid must be led and accomplished primarily by Afghan forces, including the search of women by women. Compensation for property seized or damaged must also be made — reiterating a practice already in place.

Tensions have risen over civilian deaths and injuries caused during NATO operations as additional coalition troops have poured into Afghanistan as part of a bid to try and turn the tide against the resurgent Taliban.

But even as NATO mounts a massive ongoing offensive against militants in southern Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents continued to mount their attacks in the rest of the country.

In the capital, Karzai met with India’s Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and expressed his regret and condolences for the Feb. 26 attacks in Kabul, claimed by the Taliban, that killed 16 people, including six Indians, Karzai’s office said Friday. Menon invited the Afghan leader to India and reaffirmed India’s commitment to rebuilding Afghanistan.

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Forces in Afghanistan told to limit nighttime raids
By Barbara Starr

Washington (CNN) –

A new classified directive to coalition forces in Afghanistan puts restrictions on nighttime raids of Afghan homes and compounds, according to a senior U.S. official who has seen the document.

The official declined to be identified because a declassified version of the document has not been made public. The directive is signed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, the official said.

The directive comes as the coalition seeks to reduce tension between its military forces and Afghan civilians in an effort to maintain Afghan public support.

Nighttime raids in which troops enter private homes have sparked problems for U.S. and NATO forces. The raids are viewed as overly invasive — a violation of the privacy of the home in Afghan culture — and they can turn violent.

The document orders forces to use Afghan troops at night “whenever possible” to knock on doors of residences and compounds, and to use them if forcible action is required for entry, the official said.

But the directive also orders troops to “conduct an analysis” of whether it is militarily essential to conduct a raid at night or whether it can be put off until daylight, the official said. If troops can keep a target under surveillance but wait for daylight, they then can enlist the aid of village elders, perhaps, in determining if a home or compound poses a threat, the official said.

The official emphasized that troops always have the right to defend themselves and are given leeway to use their best judgment on the battlefield.

McChrystal also is updating another directive, first issued last year, on conducting operations to minimize civilian casualties, the official said.

The updated version, which is yet to be published, will include “more clarity” for troops on how to operate in “escalation of force” incidents, such as when a vehicle approaches a checkpoint in a potentially threatening manner and troops must decide whether, and when, to fire at it. The official declined to offer further details but said the aim is to make sure even the most junior troops have full understanding of rules and procedures.

Some troops and local commanders have expressed concerns that recent rules can inhibit their ability to take action under fire.

These directives come as the coalition has been involved in several recent incidents in which civilians were inadvertently killed, and as the coalition conducts major operations in southern Afghanistan.

McChrystal released a video message to the Afghan populace apologizing for an incident this week in which 27 Afghan civilians were killed.

“I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people. I pledge to strengthen our efforts to regain your trust to build a brighter future for all Afghans,” he said in the message.

The official said the documents may be made public in the coming weeks, after current operations ease.

That includes the Taliban, right General?

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Intelligence chief acknowledges U.S. may target Americans involved in terrorism
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post
Thursday, February 4, 2010

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair acknowledged Wednesday that government agencies may kill U.S. citizens abroad who are involved in terrorist activities if they are “taking action that threatens Americans.”

Blair told members of the House intelligence committee that he was speaking publicly about the issue to reassure Americans that intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense “follow a set of defined policy and legal procedures that are very carefully observed” in the use of lethal force against U.S. citizens.

Blair’s unusually frank remarks come as the issue of targeting Americans for lethal action has attracted more notice. As the United States steps up its campaign against suspected terrorists overseas, it has become more apparent that some extremists may be U.S. citizens.

The most prominent case to date is that of a U.S.-born cleric, Anwar al-Aulaqi, who lives in Yemen and has been linked to the Army major who allegedly shot and killed 13people at Fort Hood, Tex., in November, and to the Nigerian accused of attempting to bomb a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day.

Aulaqi is a member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the main al-Qaeda organization, and has been linked to the Fort Hood shooter as well as the Nigerian. He was thought to be meeting with regional al-Qaeda leaders at a compound in Yemen targeted by a Dec. 24 strike. He was not said to be the focus of the strike, and he was not killed. But U.S. officials said at the time that they thought he might have been killed.

“I just don’t want Americans who are watching this to think that we are careless about endangering — in fact, we’re not careless about endangering American lives as we try to carry out the policies to protect most of the country,” Blair said at the annual threat briefing before the panel. He did not specifically refer to the targeting of Aulaqi.

In response to questions from Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the panel’s ranking Republican, Blair said: “We take direct action against terrorists in the intelligence community. If that direct action, we think that direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that.”

Hoekstra pressed for clarification of the policy, especially its threshold for targeting Americans for lethal action.

“The concern that I have today is that I’m not sure that . . . [it is] very well understood as to what you and the people in your organization can do when it comes to Americans who have joined the enemy,” Hoekstra told Blair.

The director of national intelligence said the factors that “primarily” weigh on the decision to target an American include “whether that American is involved in a group that is trying to attack us, whether that American is a threat to other Americans.”

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