Taliban says two Hostages Killed

Elizabeth Matthews, Intelligence Analyst: Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

United States (US): Intelligence Report

Taliban says two Hostages Killed

22July2007

KABUL, Afghanistan- Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, Taliban spokesman, claimed the Islamic militia had killed two German hostages. Ahmadi the stated that the Taliban would trade 23 captive South Koreans for imprisoned Taliban fighters. Ahmadi warned the Afghan government and U.S. and NATO forces not to try to rescue the hostages or they would be killed. Ahmadi claimed the Germans and the five Afghans kidnapped along with them were shot to death because Germany did not withdraw its 3,000 troops from Afghanistan as demanded by the Taliban. In South Korea, family members of kidnapped victims urged the government to accept the Taliban trade, noting Seoul already decided to bring its soldiers home this year. In March, President Hamid Karzai authorized the release of five Taliban prisoners in exchange for a kidnapped Italian reporter, but he called the trade a one-time deal. Mr. Karzai was also criticized by the United States and European nations, who felt the trade would encourage more kidnappings.

Analysis: It is likely that the Taliban is using that the German hostages as leverage for the release of their own Taliban detainees. Qari Yousuf Ahmadi offered no proof for his claim of the kidnapped Germans, which was disputed by both Afghanistan and Germany, were dead. The Taliban is using coalition forces, South Korea and Germany, to train and have NATO and U.S. forces withdrawal troops from southern Afghanistan provinces. It is not clear if Afghanistan would make trade, however it is likely that U.S. and coalition forces would persuade President Karzai to not give into terrorism.

Source: http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070722/FOREIGN/107220050/1001

(Reliability-8)

Afghan Police likely to have continued support from U.S.

Elizabeth Matthews, Intelligence Communications

04 July 2007

Afghan Police likely to have continued support from U.S.

Executive Summary:

Continued aid and training to Afghan police from the United States will likely offer support to police officers and their structure after the resurfacing of Ayman al Zawhiri. With continued support from the U.S., Afghan police officers can use counterintelligence to disrupt the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and other militant or terrorist groups from penetrating the Afghanistan government.

Discussion:

The United States provided the newly created Afghanistan police force with $4.1 billion dollars from 2002 to 2005 to support and train the Afghanistan police and the army. Afghanistan’s homeland security and police force has become an international project. With the United States overseeing and financially supporting police forces at the U.S. embassy and German forces training Afghan police; police forces in Afghanistan have been trained to follow rule of law, handle criminals, and handle terrorist threats.

The recent video from Ayman al Zawhiri has threatened to continue terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. With promised terrorist attacks coming in Afghanistan, Afghan police are undergoing more training and recruiting more individuals to fight the Taliban. Currently, Afghan police are still receiving funds and training from the U.S. The current training is enabling police to combat the Taliban at the ground level. Afghanistan still continues to face significant internal threats such as drugs (opium and heroine), threats to civilian reconstruction, and militants who are challenging Afghanistan’s new government.

The U.S. government wants to see Afghanistan succeed in becoming a democratic state; therefore the United States has requested $50 billion in the 2007 budget to aid Afghanistan and the military’s efforts in Afghanistan. To help Afghanistan address internal threats, the United States reestablished a five-pillared security reform agenda and designated a donor country to take the lead in reforming each pillar. The United States volunteered to lead the army reform effort, Italy volunteered in the Justice effort, the United Kingdom volunteered in aiding in combating drugs, Germany volunteered to lead the police reform effort and Japan volunteered in aiding in disarmament, demilitarization, and reintegration.

Comments: The United States is continuing to aid and train Afghan police officers as attacks began to pose more of a threat on police officers from the Taliban. With terrorists activities rising in the world with and the recent resurfacing of Ayman al Zawhiri in a video tape released after the Fourth of July; terrorist are looking toward different alternatives to build explosives to avoid capture and continue attacking innocent Afghan police officials and coalition forces.

Source: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05575.pdf

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19620751

Source Reliability: 7

Analytic Confidence: 6

U.S. Led Air Strike Kills 62 Taliban and 45 Civilians

Elizabeth Matthews, Intelligence Analyst, Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

United States (US): Intelligence Report

U.S. Led Air Strike Kills 62 Taliban and 45 Civilians

1July 2007

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) – A battle between Taliban insurgents and a joint Coalition-Afghan patrol began Friday June 30, 2007. The battle on Friday started when Taliban fighters tried to ambush a joint U.S.-Afghan military convoy. The battle on Friday began when Taliban fighters tried to ambush a joint U.S.-Afghan military convoy. Air strikes then targeted the Taliban insurgents seeking shelter in the homes of local Afghanistan citizens. Afghan officials claimed that 62 Taliban insurgents and 45 civilians were killed during the air strike. An investigating team was sent to Helmand province's Gereshk district, where fighting took place between insurgents and Western forces late Friday. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has acknowledged some civilians were killed in the southern battle but has said the death toll was nowhere near as high as Afghan officials have claimed. NATO's spokesman Maj. John Thomas said the military had no information "to corroborate numbers that large." He said NATO would not fire on positions if it knew civilians were nearby. "It's the enemy fighters who willingly fire when civilians are standing right next to them," he said.

Comment: Afghanistan civilians are infuriated with the loss of innocent civilian life. President Hamid Karzai also expresses his anger with NATO forces; accusing them of being careless with Afghan lives and following appropriate intelligence. President Karzai also blames the Taliban civilian casualties and accusing the Taliban of using civilians as human shields.

Analysis: It is only July and civilian deaths are only beginning to be calculated. With the Taliban continuing to disrupt Afghan and Coalition forces, civilians are suffering the consequences by bodily harm and death. With the recent video release of Ayman al-Zawahiri, it is highly likely that the Taliban will continue to attack Coalition and Afghan forces. It is also likely that civilian casualties will rise due to Taliban forces are continuing to attack Afghan officials and using civilians as human shields and leverage against Coalition and Afghan forces in order to regain control of the government.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19529868/

(Reliability-8)