World-News

By Jeremy Scahill

Contrary to popular belief, the US actually has 189,000 personnel on the ground in Afghanistan right now-and that number is quickly rising.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24220.htm



Up to 56,000 more contractors likely for Afghanistan, congressional agency says

CRS, which provides background information to members of Congress on a bipartisan basis, said it expects an additional 26,000 to 56,000 contractors to be sent to Afghanistan. That would bring the number of contractors in the country to anywhere from 130,000 to 160,000.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121504850_pf.html



U.S. spends $23 billion on Afghan contracts so far

Currently there is a great deal we do not know about contracting in Afghanistan. We do know, however, that the president's new strategy in Afghanistan will bring a massive increase in the number and value of contracts and contractors in Afghanistan," the Democratic senator said.

http://snipurl.com/tqohr



Ten Afghan civilians killed: Karzai

"President Karzai strongly condemns the operation which caused civilian deaths and has appointed a delegation to investigate the incident," it said.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/VVOS-7Z6L3H?OpenDocument


From Information Clearing House

--------

'I dont's see any just wars anywhere these days'
http://www.ufppc.org/us-a-world-news-mainmenu-35/9227/

--------

Afghanistan: $57,077.60, Surging by the Minute
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/17-5

But Afghanistan Is More Complicated Than Vietnam
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/23-2

--------


They Are Afghan; They Decry NATO's War

Pierre Barbancey reports from Kabul for L'Humanite: "The Taliban surf on the population's rejection of a corrupt government sustained by foreign armies that kill civilians. Women make the point that violence against them increases incessantly."

http://www.truthout.org/1218095



A Holiday Season of War

Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com: "Excuse the gloom in the holiday season, but I feel like we're all locked inside a malign version of the movie Groundhog Day. You remember, the one in which the characters are forced to relive the same 24 hours endlessly. Put more personally, TomDispatch started in November 2001 as an email to friends in response to the first moments of our latest Afghan War. More than eight years later ... well, you know the story."

http://www.truthout.org/topstories/122209vh4

--------

Obama’s troop surge

Hawaii Reporter
by Tom Cole

12/18/09

Earlier this month President Obama announced his plans for a new way forward in Afghanistan. He laid out clear objectives for a troop level increase, underscored the importance of strengthening Afghan security forces and outlined the strategic necessity of success in the region. I believe the President made a very compelling case for why it is absolutely critical that America defeat al Qaeda and prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies...

http://tinyurl.com/ylk6qx8


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Obama
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Karzai
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Afghanistan
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Vietnam
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=contractor
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Taliban
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=al-Qaeda
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=civilian+deaths
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Jeremy+Scahill
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=William+Pfaff
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Jo+Comerford
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Pierre+Barbancey
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Tom+Engelhardt
http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Tom+Gallagher