GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Taliban turn cell phones back on in Afghan south

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Federal News Radio

05April2011 12:28pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – The Taliban have allowed the restoration of cellular phone services to parts of southwestern Afghanistan, two weeks after they ordered a shutdown to prevent people from giving away their movements to NATO forces, a government official and the insurgents said Tuesday.

The ban affected more than 800,000 cellular phone users in southwest Helmand province and another 100,000 in surrounding areas. Helmand remains a Taliban stronghold despite months of fighting between U.S.-led coalition forces and insurgents. The Taliban ordered the networks to close down about two weeks ago and blew up eight cell phone towers to enforce the ban.

The shutdown, which was honored by all four of Afghanistan's private cellular networks, shows the influence the Taliban wield in many parts of the country, despite a ramped up campaign against them by coalition forces _ who say the have stopped the insurgents in parts of the south. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Taliban Aim For The Top

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Strategy Page

30March2011 10:56amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: In Pakistan, the Taliban are having increasing problems with Pushtun tribes that want nothing to do with the Taliban movement.

Naturally, the Taliban call these tribes heretics and traitors. But that's not enough. These other tribes form militias (often supported with government supplied cash and weapons) to keep the Taliban out of tribal territory. Rather than go to war with these militias, the Taliban use the terror tactics they learned from al Qaeda, and send death squads and suicide bombers after the tribal leaders, especially the ones in charge of the militia. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: 'New Yorker': US in Direct Talks with Taliban

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: VOA News

19February2011 10:36amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A prominent U.S. magazine reported Friday the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has entered into "direct, secret talks with senior Afghan Taliban leaders."

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll, writing in The  New Yorker, described the continuing talks as of "an exploratory nature" that do not yet amount to a "peace negotiation."

Coll says several people briefed about the talks told him about them last week.  

The New Yorker article say the talks are the "final diplomatic achievement" of the late Richard Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The story says Holbrooke, who died suddenly in December, lived long enough to see his advice to talk to the Taliban accepted.

Earlier Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Taliban cannot defeat or outlast U.S. military pressure and must break with al-Qaida and reconcile with the Afghan government.  (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Commander says rule of law needed to stop Taliban

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: US ARMY

12February2011 5:48pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2011 — To stop the Taliban and terrorists, Afghans must have confidence in their government's ability to deliver justice and resolve civil disputes, the commander of a "rule of law" force in Afghanistan said today.

Speaking with Pentagon reporters via video teleconference, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins said the Afghan government must deliver on establishing the rule of law in Afghan provinces, districts and sub-districts.

Afghan officials need to craft "sound governance that will enable an enduring transition of security responsibility to Afghan forces and deny this rugged country as a sanctuary for global threats," the general said.

Failure, he said, could duplicate conditions found in Afghanistan after the fall of the communist government in 1991.

"It's worth recalling that there were core grievances 20 years ago in the Afghanistan of the early 1990s that spawned and subsequently empowered the Taliban, leading to the opening of this land as a safe haven for al-Qaida," Martins said. "One of these grievances was the inability of the post-communist Afghan governments to establish a foundation at the sub-national level." (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: 'New Taliban device' killed bomb expert

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Independent

10February2011 2:11pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A bomb disposal hero did not have equipment to detect a new Taliban device which killed him in Afghanistan, an inquest heard today.

Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was posthumously awarded the George Cross for disarming 64 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in five months.

But on the last day before he was due to fly home to see his family, he triggered a pressure plate which had recently been developed by the Taliban.

The 30-year-old was hailed as "phenomenally great" and "a giant of a man" as his inquest in Truro came to a close.

S/Sgt Schmid died after his knee came into contact with the plate as he disarmed his third set of explosives on that day alone in Sangin.

Colonel Bob Seddon, Britain's top bomb disposal officer who resigned last year, said it was a "constant battle" to keep up with new IEDs developed by the Taliban. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: TERROR ALERT

US issues global terror alert including India and Pakistan

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Economic Times

02February2011 12:47amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON: The US today issued a global travel alert, including on visiting India and Pakistan , for its citizens in view of the increasing threat from terrorist organisations like al-Qaeda and the Taliban .

In its latest travel alert titled "worldwide caution", the State Department expressed concern over continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against US citizens and interests overseas including India and Pakistan.

"In India, there is a continuing threat of terrorism as attacks have randomly targeted public places frequented by Westerners, including luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas," the travel alert said.  (read full report)