#Camp Shorab

[composedbedlam]

If You Can’t Take the Heat … by Marines Via Flickr: Marines with Task Force Southwest fire a 120mm mortar in support of Operation Maiwand 11 at Camp Shorab, Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Conner Robbins)

[unclesamsmisguidedclub]

Sgt Once Told Marine General Robert Neller to Stop Being a Grinch

Task Force Southwest, Afghanistan: It doesn’t happen often that a Sergeant gets away with dressing down a Brigadier General. But it happened to Marine General Robert Neller in 2006 in Iraq after he became frustrated over all the Christmas decorations being put up on their base in Fallujah. And he told the 300 or so Marines the story when he stopped at Camp Shorab in Afghanistan this Christmas…

[everydayafghanistan]

A small group of protestors, several of whom are physically disabled (third image published by @mohammadomarlemar), set off from Helmand’s capital Lashkar Gah for Kabul on Sunday. The group began their protest with a sit-in (second image, May 9) and hunger strike after more than 20 people were killed by a car bomb that was detonated outside a small, crumbling stadium in Lashkar as a crowd left a wrestling match on the evening of March 23. The protesters, if they complete their march, will traverse more than 600km of terrain in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius for much of the way. Their efforts have garnered attention in local media, however, among Afghanistan’s power centres their calls for an end to the war—which they chanted about through a loud-hailer as they strode out of Lashkar Gah—have had little impact. The group’s initial request for safe passage to march to the Taliban’s de facto Afghan capital of Musa Qala in Helmand’s north were rejected. Instead, a Taliban spokesman said, they should protest outside Camp Shorab where American soldiers and Marines are based in the province. #Helmand, #Afghanistan. Photos by Andrew Quilty @andrewquilty. #everydayHelmand, #everydayAfghanistan, #everydayAsia, #everydayeveryWhere, #Instagram #protest #peacemarch (at Helmand Province)

[washingtoncapitals]

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#Repost @nhl ・・・ Captain Nate Lowry of the U.S. Marine Corps is based at Camp Shorab, Helmand province, Afghanistan. He will be rockin' the red from afar this Saturday for #StadiumSeries. #ALLCAPS

[ladystylestores]

Russia-Taliban: White House officials knew in 2019 – report | USA News

Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to United States officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence. 

The information came out overnight from White House officials who reiterated the president was unaware,  according to the Associated Press news agency (AP).

The assessment was included in at least one of President Donald Trump’s written daily intelligence briefings at the time, according to the officials. Then-National Security Adviser John Bolton also told colleagues at the time that he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment in March 2019.

‘Disown everything’

The White House has said Trump wasn’t – and still hasn’t been – briefed on the intelligence assessments because they have not been fully verified. However, it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of a doubt before it is presented to top officials. 

Bolton declined to comment on Monday when asked by the AP if he had briefed Trump about the matter in 2019. On Sunday, he suggested to NBC that Trump was claiming ignorance of Russia’s provocations to justify his administration’s lack of response. 

“He can disown everything if nobody ever told him about it,” Bolton said.

The New York Times reported that officials provided a written briefing in late February to Trump laying out their conclusion that a Russian military intelligence unit offered and paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Mitch knew, and held Trump’s hand as he abandoned our service members. I’ve had family serve in each branch, and it is unspeakable that these two crooks would sacrifice our loved ones in endless wars.

At home and abroad, they don’t care if we die.https://t.co/8YyHmOWzOm

— Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) June 27, 2020

The revelations cast new doubt on the White House’s efforts to distance Trump from the Russian intelligence assessments. The AP reported  on Sunday that concerns about Russian bounties also were in a second written presidential daily briefing this year and that current National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien had discussed the matter with Trump. O’Brien denies doing that. 

On Monday, O’Brien said that while the intelligence assessments regarding Russian bounties “have not been verified”, the administration has “been preparing should the situation warrant action”.

Russia relations

Democratic lawmakers who were briefed on the matter on Tuesday at the White House emerged from the meeting calling on new sanctions against Russia to deter what they called “malign” activities.

Congressman Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence committee, said Trump should not be courting Russian President Vladimir Putin by inviting him to a Group of Seven (G7) summit of leading industrial nations but rather should impose costs on Moscow.

“The president of the United States should not be inviting Russia into the G7 or G8. We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia’s malign activities,” he told reporters after the White House briefing.

The administration’s earlier awareness of the Russian efforts raises additional questions about why Trump did not take punitive action against Moscow for efforts that put the lives of American service members at risk.

Officials said they did not consider the intelligence assessments in 2019 to be particularly urgent, given Russian meddling in Afghanistan is not a new occurrence.

The officials with knowledge of Bolton’s apparent briefing for Trump said it contained no “actionable intelligence”, meaning the intelligence community did not have enough information to form a strategic plan or response. However, the classified assessment of Russian bounties was the sole purpose of the meeting.

The intelligence that surfaced in early 2019 indicated Russian operatives had become more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani Network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” in 2012 during the administration of then-President Barack Obama. 

US Congress leaders: Did Trump know about Russia and the Taliban

Late Monday, the Pentagon issued a statement saying it was evaluating the intelligence but so far had “no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations”. 

“Regardless, we always take the safety and security of our forces in Afghanistan – and around the world – most seriously and therefore continuously adopt measures to prevent harm from potential threats,” said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.

Bounties

Concerns about Russian bounties flared anew this year after members of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known to the public as SEAL Team Six, raided a Taliban outpost and recovered roughly $500,000 in US currency. The funds bolstered the suspicions of the US intelligence community that Russians had offered money to Taliban militants and linked associations. 

The White House contends the president was unaware of this development, too. 

The officials told the AP that career government officials developed potential options for the White House to respond to the Russian aggression in Afghanistan, which was first reported by The New York Times. However, the Trump administration has yet to authorise any action. 

US Marines stand during a change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest military field in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan [File: Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo] 

The intelligence in 2019 and 2020 surrounding Russian bounties was derived in part from debriefings of captured Taliban militants. Officials with knowledge of the matter told the AP that Taliban operatives from opposite ends of the country and from separate tribes offered similar accounts. 

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russian intelligence officers had offered payments to the Taliban in exchange for targeting US and coalition forces. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to the Taliban’s chief negotiator, a spokesman for the insurgents said on Tuesday, but it was unknown whether there was any mention during their conversation of allegations about Russian bounties. Pompeo pressed the insurgents to reduce violence in Afghanistan and discussed ways of advancing a US-Taliban peace deal signed in February, the Taliban spokesman tweeted. 

The US is investigating whether Americans died because of the Russian bounties. Officials are focused on an April 2019 attack on a US convoy. Three US Marines were killed after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armoured vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan.

An Afghan boy watches a US soldier from 5-20 Infantry Regiment attached to 82nd Airborne on patrol in Zharay district in Kandahar province, Afghanistan [Baz Ratner/Reuters]

Three other service members and an Afghan contractor were wounded in the attack. As of April 2019, the attack was under a separate investigation, unrelated to the Russian bounties. 

The officials who spoke to the AP also said they were looking closely at insider attacks from 2019 to determine if they were linked to Russian bounties.

“Hostile states’ use of proxies in war zones to inflict damage on US interests and troops is a constant, longstanding concern. [The] CIA will continue to pursue every lead; analyze the information we collect with critical, objective eyes; and brief reliable intelligence to protect US forces deployed around the world,” CIA Director Gina Haspel said in a statement that was critical of the leaks.  

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from World Wide News https://ift.tt/2NFo0YF

[riyadhvision]

Pentagon report shows thousands more US troops deployed overseas

In this photograph taken on August 27, 2017 a US Marine watches Afghan Commandos take part in a combat training exercise at Shorab Military Camp in Lashkar Gah in Helmand province.

:: The Pentagon pledged Monday to be as transparent as possible about how many troops are deployed overseas, after an agency published figures that diverge significantly from official counts.

According to a quarterly…

[reginaperes157]

US Afghanistan In this Jan. 15, 2018 file photo, U.S. Marines stand guard during the change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest military field in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, marking a sharp change in the Trump administration's policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table after more than 17 years of war. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini, File) Gov-auctions.org - #1 Government & Seized Auto Auctions. Cars 95% Off! The vast majority of U.S. service members and veterans believe the American “occupation” of Iraq and Afghanistan has lasted long enough, but they still support the ongoing war on terror raging since October 2001, according to the results of a survey published this month. Legally Concealed Courses - Firearms, Concealed Carry, Survival from Regina Perez RSS Feed via IFTTT

[celebsrumorblog]

A blow to morale: Afghan generals worry about US withdrawal

A blow to morale: Afghan generals worry about US withdrawal

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FILE – In this Jan. 15, 2018 file photo, U.S. Marines stand guard during the change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest military field in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, marking a sharp change in the…

[magaratimes]

#VOA: "US Marines Return to Helmand"

#VOA: “US Marines Return to Helmand��

[ad_1]

CAMP SHORAB, AFGHANISTAN — 

The U.S. Marine Corps has returned to Helmand, the restive province in southern Afghanistan where it fought years of bloody battles with the Taliban, to help train Afghan forces struggling to contain the insurgency.

Many of the 300 Marines coming to Helmand as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support training mission are veterans of previous tours in the province,…

[brajeshupadhyay]

Russia paid the Taliban BOUNTIES for killing American troops in Afghanistan

In another brazen attack on the U.S., a Russian military intelligence unit has secretly paid bounties to Taliban-linked fighters to kill U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, according to a bombshell New York Times report.

The report represents a deadly escalation in Moscow’s repeated efforts to undermine U.S. policy, and came as the administration was seeking to find ways to extract itself from the decades-long war by making peace with the Taliban.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the activity, the New York Times reported Friday, citing officials briefed on the matter – but the U.S. took no evident action. 

President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. troops, with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani standing behind him, during an unannounced visit to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, November 28, 2019. A Russian military unit paid Taliban fighters bounties to kill American forces, according to the New York Times

There were times when the bounties were in fact paid, according to the paper, although it did not identify specific U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan were killed as a result of the Russian bounty payments, according to the paper. The money went to Islamist militants.

The matter was discussed at the White House national security council. Twenty Americans were killed last year in the bloody Afghan war, which began in 2001.

According to the paper, U.S. policy members developed a ‘menu’ of options, from a diplomatic slap to further increases in U.S. sanctions or other unnamed responses. But officials said the White House has taken no response to date. 

The group paying the money was described as a Russian military intelligence unit, which the paper did not identify by name. 

In this photograph taken on August 28, 2017 US Marines keep watch as unseen Afghan National Army soldiers participate in an IED (improvised explosive device) training exercise at the Shorab Military Camp in Lashkar Gah in the Afghan province of Helmand

In this photo taken on June 6, 2019, US soldiers look out over hillsides during a visit of the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General Scott Miller at the Afghan National Army (ANA) checkpoint in Nerkh district of Wardak province

A U.S. Army carry team moves the transfer case containing the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Goble during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, December 25, 2019 in Dover, Delaware. The Times did not identify which of 20 American forces were killed after alleged bounty payments from a Russian military intelligence unit

The U.S. has already sanctioned Russia following the country’s interference in the U.S. elections, which prosecutors connected to President Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration took no action to retaliate for the bounties, according to the report

Afghan Taliban fighters and villagers attend a gathering as they celebrate the peace deal signed between US and Taliban in Laghman Province, Alingar district on March 2, 2020

Trump received substantial criticism during the 2016 campaign for his repeated calls to improve relations with Moscow. Then after he took office, he came under fire for his closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin with only translators present, and for publicly accepting Putin’s denial of interference in the elections.

Former Trump national security advisor Mike Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts after urging the Russian ambassador not to retaliate against U.S. sanctions imposed during the Obama administration for election interference. 

Flynn then sought to reverse his guilty plea. 

The revelation follows serious allegations in a new book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who claims Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help his reelection by buying U.S. farm products.

Trump weathered a House Democratic impeachment effort after the release of his call to the president of Ukraine urging investigations of rival Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Trump said the call was ‘perfect’ and was acquitted of impeachment articles on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. 

The CIA, the NSA, and the Pentagon all declined comment to the paper. 

In February the U.S. inked a deal with the Taliban that would bring about an end to the war, the longest in U.S. history, while slowing drawing down U.S. forces. ‘I really believe the Taliban wants to do something to show that we’re not all wasting time,’ Trump said after the U.S. and the Taliban reached the agreement in Doha. He said he would be meeting with Taliban leaders and added: ‘They will be killing terrorists. They will be killing some very bad people. They will keep that fight going.’

Russia has longstanding ties to Afghanistan, having been ousted by Mujahadeen forces who got American backing in the 1980s after Russia’s 1979 invasion.

Last fall, Trump called off secret meetings with the Taliban planned for Camp David during one phase of peace talks after a car bomb attack in Kabul. The talks eventually resumed. 

Taliban officials held talks in Moscow in September following the collapse of U.S.-Taliban balks. Russia publicly stressed dialogue at the time, Al Jazeera reported at the time, quoting Russia’s TASS news agency.

The post Russia paid the Taliban BOUNTIES for killing American troops in Afghanistan appeared first on Sansaar Times.

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[rielpolitik]

NARCO-POLITIK: 'Helmand Province', Drug Lab On A Global Scale? - By John Brennan

NARCO-POLITIK: ‘Helmand Province’, Drug Lab On A Global Scale? – By John Brennan

Source – off-guardian.org

– ‘…It’s clear that Washington is interested in maintaining Afghanistan as narco-state despite the rising number of drug-addicted servicemen stationed in this country with training mission…The United States isn’t interested in combating Afghan opium industry, but rather takes control over heroin trade routes out of Afghanistan. In this scheme Camp Shorab is some sort of…

[mystlnewsonline]

WASHINGTON | Large US troop pullout planned in Afghanistan, officials say

WASHINGTON | Large US troop pullout planned in Afghanistan, officials say

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Thursday, marking a sharp change in the Trump administration’s policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table after more than 17 years of war.

One official said the troops could be out by summer, but no final decision has been made.

President…

[defenseflashnews]

DFN:Countering electronic warefare, CAMP SHORAB, AFGHANISTAN, 06.11.2018

[georgemcginn]

U.S. Department of Defense Lead Photos Update

U.S. Department of Defense Lead Photos Update

You are subscribed to Lead Photos for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

Shorab Blast 03/08/2018 06:00 PM CST

Marines fire a 120 mm mortar as a show of force at Camp Shorab in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 10, 2018. The Marines are assigned to Task Force Southwest. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa Karnath

[usacurrentnews-blog]

Troops caught in shutdown crossfire

U.S. Marines stand guard during the change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest military field in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan on Jan. 15. During the shutdown, active-duty troops and essential civilians are continuing to work, but will not be paid. | Massoud Hossaini/AP Photo

Republicans on…