NATO Friendly Fire Kills 4 in Afghan Unit

An Afghan National Army soldier stands guard near the scene of a friendly fire incident. (Photo credit: Rahmat Nikzad / AP)

Jan. 30, 2010

GHAZNI – A joint U.S.-Afghan force clashed with Afghan troops manning a snow-covered outpost and called in an airstrike early Saturday, killing four Afghan soldiers, U.S. and Afghan officials said. Both sides called the clash a case of mistaken identity.

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry condemned the killings in the eastern Wardak province and demanded punishment for those responsible. NATO called the deaths “regrettable” and announced an investigation.

The deaths are likely to strain relations between NATO and Afghan forces at a time both are calling for a closer partnership in the fight against the Taliban.

Underscoring those tensions, an Afghan interpreter killed two U.S. service members Friday at a combat outpost elsewhere in Wardak province, a NATO official said.

A U.S. soldier then killed the interpreter, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information. It wasn’t clear why the interpreter had opened fire on the Americans. …

Associated Press Television News footage of the aftermath showed American armored vehicles on the highway, about a half mile from the hilltop outpost. The snow outside the fortified compound was blackened by the airstrike. …

It was believed to be the first fatal friendly fire incident since November, when eight Afghans — four soldiers, three policemen and an interpreter — were killed during close combat amid a search for a missing U.S. paratrooper. …

Saturday’s incident followed the deaths Friday of two U.S. service members and one U.S. employee who were killed in eastern Afghanistan. In a statement announcing the deaths, NATO did not specify the circumstances or give further details pending an investigation.

That suggested the deaths may not have been due to hostile fire.

Also Saturday, NATO said its troops opened fire on a taxi the day before as it sped toward a patrol, ignoring warning shots. Two civilians were killed and one was wounded in the shooting, which occurred in the Muqor district of Ghazni province.

U.S. soldiers shot and killed an Afghan imam Thursday when his car approached a convoy on the eastern outskirts of Kabul. …

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Related reports on this site

“Death to America” (Jan. 7, 2010)

“Death to Obama” (Dec. 31, 2009)

Afghan Soldier Kills U.S. Troop (Dec. 29, 2009)

One Informant, Many Dead (Sept. 5, 2009)

Afghan Villagers Protest Raids (Feb. 1, 2009)

Karzai: Stop Air-Raiding Civilians (Nov. 5, 2008)

Karzai Warns of Afghan Backlash (Sept. 25, 2008)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 31, 2009

Mourners gather around the coffin of Omer Farooq al-Ani, a Sunni candidate for provincial council killed in a drive-by shooting in Baghdad on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Gunmen apparently targeting political candidates staged attacks around Iraq. (Photo credit: Khalid Mohammed / AP)

Election Day in Iraq

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that Iraq imposed a nationwide security lockdown before key regional elections with blanket measures not seen since the deadliest years of the insurgency, underscoring the high stakes for Iraqi leaders desperate to portray stability after nearly six years of conflict prompted by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

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Bin Laden Blames U.S. for Climate Change

The Associated Press via NBC News
Jan. 29, 2010

CAIRO – Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has called for the world to boycott American goods and the U.S. dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming, according to a new audiotape released Friday.

In the tape, broadcast in part on Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden warned of the dangers of climate change and said that the way to stop it is to bring “the wheels of the American economy” to a halt.

He blamed Western industrialized nations for hunger, desertification and floods across the globe, and called for “drastic solutions” to global warming, and “not solutions that partially reduce the effect of climate change.”

Bin Laden has mentioned climate change and global warning in past messages, but the latest tape was his first dedicated to the topic.

Climate change an ‘actual fact’

The speech, which included almost no religious rhetoric, could be an attempt by the terror leader to give his message an appeal beyond Islamic militants. …

“Speaking about climate change is not an intellectual luxury, the phenomenon is actual fact.”

He pointed out that former President George W. Bush had not signed the Kyoto emissions agreement although most industrialized countries did.

Grave ramifications

Bin Laden targeted the U.S. economy in particular in the recording, calling for a boycott of American products and an end to the dollar’s domination as a world currency.

“We should stop dealings with the dollar and get rid of it as soon as possible,” he said.

“I know that this has great consequences and grave ramifications, but it is the only means to liberate humanity from slavery and dependence on America.” …

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Related reports on this site

Al-Qaida Aims to Hit U.S. with WMD (Jan. 26, 2010)

Al-Qaida’s Next High-Value Target (Jan. 18, 2010)

Where is Osama Bin Laden? (Dec. 10, 2009)

Osama bin Laden Personality Profile (Dec. 6, 2009)

Adapting to Climate Change (Dec. 3, 2009)

Bin Laden Attacks Obama (Sept. 14, 2009)

Bin Laden Rails Against Obama (June 4, 2009)

Al-Qaida Lashes Out At Obama (June 3, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 30, 2009

Blackwater contractors secure the site of a roadside bomb attack near the Iranian embassy in central Baghdad in 2005. (Photo credit: Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP – Getty Images)

Blackwater Booted from Iraq

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that Iraq denied North Carolina-based Blackwater Worldwide (Xe), which guards American diplomats in Iraq, an operating license because of a deadly shooting spree in Baghdad. Iraqi officials said the lingering outrage over a September 2007 shooting in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead led to its decision. The shooting strained relations between Washington and Baghdad and fueled the anti-American insurgency in Iraq, where many Iraqis saw the bloodshed as a demonstration of American brutality and arrogance.

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At Inquiry, Unrepentant Blair Defends Iraq War

WMDs were ‘the absolutely key issue’ for joining U.S.-led invasion, he says

Former British prime minister Tony Blair is seen addressing the Iraq Inquiry in central London on Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. (Photo credit: UKBP via Reuters TV)

Jan. 29, 2010

LONDON – An unrepentant Tony Blair defended his decision to join the United States in attacking Iraq, arguing Friday before a panel investigating the war that the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks made the threat of weapons of mass destruction impossible to ignore.

The former British Prime Minister said that before Sept. 11 he thought “Saddam was a menace, that he was a threat, he was a monster, but we would have to try and make best.”

The attacks on New York and Washington changed everything, he said.

“After that time, my view was you could not take risks with this issue at all,” he said.

This is Britain’s third and widest-ranging investigation of the conflict, which triggered huge protests and left 179 British troops dead. The British military withdrew from Iraq last year.

It is not intended to apportion blame or hold anyone liable for the conflict. But it could embarrass American and British officials who argued — wrongly — the war was justified because Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction and building ties with al-Qaida.

Emotions run high

Blair appeared somber as he began his scheduled six hours of testimony. He grew feistier as the day went on, gesturing, smiling and, at times, correcting what he saw as the flawed questions of panel members. The audience in the hearing room included family members of soldiers and civilians killed or missing in Iraq — all of whom sat quietly as he testified.

Emotions ran higher outside, where demonstrators chanted and read the names of civilians and military personnel killed. Some 150 protesters shouted “Jail Tony” and “Blair lied — thousands died,” as police officers looked on.

Video

Tony Blair says he has no regrets over Iraq war (MSNBC, Jan. 29, 2010) — Tony Blair appeared before a public inquiry seeking to learn lessons from the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. (03:17)

The five-member panel pressed Blair on when exactly he offered U.S. President George W. Bush support for an invasion. Earlier witnesses claimed he promised it in 2002, more than a year before Britain’s Parliament approved military action.

Former British ambassador to Washington Christopher Meyer told an earlier hearing that an agreement had been “signed in blood” by Bush and Blair during a meeting at the president’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, in April 2002.

“The only commitment I gave — and I gave this very openly at the time — was a commitment to deal with Saddam,” Blair said. He said military options were discussed, but said he told Bush that Britain wanted to exhaust diplomatic routes before an invasion was considered.

‘No other way of dealing with this threat’

Blair said he had not been determined from the outset to remove Saddam Hussein.

“The absolutely key issue was the WMD issue,” not regime change. But he added that “if necessary — and there was no other way of dealing with this threat — we were going to remove him.”

Blair said other world leaders did not share his and Bush’s enthusiasm for confronting the WMD threat, even after the Sept 11 attacks.

“Although the American mindset had changed dramatically — and frankly mine had as well — when I talked to other leaders, particularly in Europe, I didn’t get the same impression.”

Blair acknowledged that the decision to join the war — which led to the largest public protests in a generation in London — had met with opposition in the country, and in his own Cabinet. …

“Blair should not be here giving his excuses for the illegal war, he should be taken to The Hague to face criminal charges because he has committed crimes against the Iraqi people,” said protester Saba Jaiwad, an Iraqi who opposed the war. …

Video

Blair defends Iraq war decision (MSNBC, Jan. 29, 2010) – Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the British Ambassador to the U.S., discusses former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s appearance before the Iraq Inquiry in London. (06:06)

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3/5/10 Update

British PM: Invading Iraq was ‘Right Decision’

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was heckled by protesters as he arrived to testify at an inquiry examining the Iraq war. (Photo credit: EPA)

March 5, 2010

LONDON – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown defended the decision to invade Iraq, saying Friday before an inquiry on the war that deposing Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do.

In testimony before a looming national election, Brown praised the sacrifice of those who died and immediately addressed a critical question: Did he agree with Britain’s choice of going to war?

“It was the right decision and it was for the right reasons,” he said.

Brown, who served as Treasury chief from 1997 to 2007 and approved military spending, planned to give around four hours of evidence to the five-person panel.

The inquiry on mistakes made in the war is Britain’s third and widest-ranging examination of the conflict, which triggered huge protests and left 179 British troops dead before the country’s forces withdrew from Iraq last year. …

Earlier this year, Prime Minster Tony Blair also stood by the decision to back the U.S. in removing Saddam because the Iraqi dictator was a threat to his region and the world.

Brown was heckled by a handful of protesters as he arrived for the hearing, entering through the center’s front door.

“Gordon Brown was the paymaster for this most unpopular of wars and was the second most powerful man in the government,” said John Rees, co-founder of the Stop The War Coalition. …

Video In hot seat (NBC Nightly News, March 5, 2010) — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday strongly defended his record. ITN’s Lucy Manning reports. (02:35)

Hearings in the inquiry began in November and have seen Blair, MI6 intelligence agency chief John Sawers, the head of Britain’s military Jock Stirrup and a host of ministers and government officials offer testimony.

Brown commissioned the inquiry last year to address concerns over the case made for war, and to scrutinize mistakes made over post-conflict security and reconstruction. …

John Chilcot, head of the inquiry, has said he will seek meetings with former members of the Bush administration in the next few months.

The panel will offer recommendations by the end of the year, but won’t apportion blame or establish criminal or civil liability.

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Related reports on this site

Bush-Cheney ‘Hell Bent’ on War (Nov. 27, 2009)

Anti-war protesters from the Stop the War group wear masks depicting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, right, former President George W. Bush, center, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, left. They posed for photographers Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 outside the conference center where the Iraq war inquiry is taking place in central London. (Photo credit: Lefteris Pitarakis / AP)

Iraq War Plan Soon After 9/11 (Nov. 22, 2009)

Protesters hold placards with the words ‘No Cover Up’ and ‘No More Lies’ as they demostrate outside the Houses of Parliament in London, June 15, 2009. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced an independent inquiry into the Iraq war Monday, six years after his predecessor Tony Blair controversially backed the U.S.-led invasion. Brown said the probe would not “apportion blame” but simply seek to learn lessons to “strengthen the health of our democracy,” while praising the role of British forces in Iraq. But David Cameron, leader of the main opposition Conservatives who are tipped to win the next general election, accused him of deliberately delaying its publication until after the poll to avoid any “inconvenient conclusions.”  (Photo credit: Shaun Curry / AFP — Getty Images)

Britain Orders Iraq War Inquiry (June 15, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 29, 2009

Kevin Lucey, seen here in 2007, says his ex-Marine son, who killed himself, didn’t get the treatment he needed. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Military Suicides Continue to Rise

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that suicide rates among active-duty U.S. military personnel continuing to rise even as the Defense Department dedicated more resources to identifying troubled service members and getting them the help they need. Preliminary figures confirmed at least 125 soldiers killed themselves in 2008, compared with 115 in 2007, 102 in 2006 and 87 in 2005.

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U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010, at least 4,374 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 31,639 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

• Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt, 19, Yonkers, N.Y., died Jan. 20, 2010 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related accident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.
• 1/29/10 update: Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett, 24, Concord, Calif., died Jan. 28, 2010 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.  He was assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, at least 884 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

Latest identifications:

• Army Spc. Robert Donevski, 19, Sun City, Ariz., died Jan. 16, 2010 in Abad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
• Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon, 52, Canadensis, Pa., died Jan. 17, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Headquarters, 7th Army and U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany.
• Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett, 29, Knightdale, N.C., died Jan. 19, 2010 near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy.
• Army Capt. Paul Pena, 27, San Marcos, Texas, died Jan. 19, 2010 in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
• Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery, 29, West Yellowstone, Mont., died Jan. 20, 2010 at Lorengal Outpost, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
• Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane, 22, Towson, Md., died Jan. 23, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
• Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Xin Qi, 25, Cordova, Tenn., died Jan. 23, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. Qi was assigned to Fourth Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan.
• Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus, 28, Thonotosassa, Fla., died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
• Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole, 22, Bowling Green, Ky., died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
• Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith, 19, Hornell, N.Y., died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Remember Their Sacrifice

Related links

Iraq Casualties

Afghanistan Casualties

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5,158 U.S. Dead – And She Draws (Almost) Every One

By Peter Jeary

World Blog
January 27, 2010

LONDON – At first glance, it looks like the partial remains of an ancient mosaic or the garble of an out-of-order digital billboard. Then the scale of the work grabs your attention: It sprawls across three walls of a gallery in London’s trendy Chelsea district, stretching more than 40 yards.

Like many works of art, the totality of “American Servicemen and Women Who Have Died in Iraq and Afghanistan (but not Including the Wounded, nor the Iraqis nor the Afghanis),” is revealed by standing back. But in Emily Prince’s installation each tiny piece of the mosaic is an artwork in itself – 5,158 portraits that chronicle the men and women of the American armed forces who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

Peter Jeary/ NBC News

The art installation at the Saatchi Gallery.

Each portrait, on a piece of card four inches by three inches, has been rendered by Prince from photographs used in on-line obituaries. Where no portrait was available, a blank white card with a name is used instead. The portraits are pencil sketches, with the cards themselves color-coded to depict the racial diversity of the fallen: light brown, dark brown, yellow, off-white. Some of the cards contain brief biographical details of the subject, others just carry their name, hometown, age and the date they died.

When it was first assembled, the portraits were displayed in a grid indicating the hometown of each of the subjects, outlined by the shape of the United States. In its latest incarnation, at the Saatchi Gallery on London’s Kings Road, the artwork is in chronological order, with a ten-foot high column marking a week of conflict. The first few columns contain a few scattered portraits, but after three yards the columns get crowded, each containing up to 27 sketches. The first flood of drawings marks March 2003, the start of the Iraq invasion.

Peter Jeary/ NBC News

Two of the pencil portraits of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the left, Charles A. Hanson Jr., Panacea Florida, 22, Nov. 28 2004. On the right, Salamo J. Tuialuuluu, Pago Pago American Samoa, Dec. 4 2004.

Prince said the decision to display the portraits in chronological order makes the piece open to a wider interpretation than the “literal and didactic” depiction in a geographic shape. There are practical advantages, she adds: In the map-like installation the top-most portraits were 35 feet from the floor, making them impossible to view in detail. Now, she says, each portrait is elevated no more than ten feet.

Speaking from her home in San Francisco, Calif., Prince, 28, said that her initial intention had been to transform the abstract numbers of the rising death tolls into something more meaningful. She says she started to sketch the portraits in 2004 without knowing if they would ever leave her studio, working seven days a week for more than a year. At first she depicted soldiers killed in Iraq but then expanded her project to include those lost in the Afghan campaign. Although she says she has strong political views, she wants the work to be politically ambiguous: “So that people can have their own experience whatever their political view.”

Waldemar Januszczak, art critic at London’s  Sunday Times newspaper, described the installation as a “powerful … and grim memorial to wasted life.” …

Peter Jeary/ NBC News

More portraits of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan during March, 2008.

There is another poignant space in the current installation. Four feet of the third wall remains prepared but empty, an area that no doubt will contain more portraits.

“American Servicemen and Women Who Have Died in Iraq and Afghanistan (but not Including the Wounded, nor the Iraqis nor the Afghanis)” is on display at London’s Saatchi Gallery until May 7, 2010.

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1/29/10 Update

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 080-10
January 29, 2010

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=13278
Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1

Soldier Missing in Action from Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial.

Army Specialist Lawrence L. Aldrich will be buried in his home town of Fort Worth, Texas tomorrow.

On May 6, 1968, Aldrich was a member of a search-and-clear mission in Binh Dinh Province in what was then South Vietnam. He was last seen with two other Americans engaged in a battle with enemy forces while manning an M-60 machine gun position. An air strike was called in, but one of the bombs inadvertently landed on Aldrich’s position, killing the three soldiers. Members of his unit later recovered the remains of the two other men, but Aldrich could not be found.

In July 1992, a joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam team traveled to the province to investigate the loss. They interviewed a local citizen who remembered a large ground battle in the area in May or June 1968. He took the team to a location where he indicated the remains were buried, but an excavation in 1994 found no evidence of a grave or remains.

Vietnamese officials unilaterally investigated the case in 2006 and interviewed two villagers who recalled finding a body of an American after the battle and burying it where it lay. A second joint investigation in 2007, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, recommended another excavation based on the information provided by the Vietnamese.

The excavation in March 2009 unearthed human remains and other non-biological evidence.  The identification of the remains was confirmed by matching the remains with Aldrich’s dental records.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 28, 2009

Zhang Binyang / Xinhua — AP

Korea Headache Looms for Obama

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that North Korea could become one of President Obama’s most vexing foreign-policy challenges.

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“Fed up with Congress, the country’s two main political parties, and the federal government”

American Public Fed up with Washington 

By Mark Murray
Deputy political director
NBC News
Jan. 26, 2010

Mark Murray Deputy political director

WASHINGTON – As President Barack Obama prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address Wednesday night [Jan. 27, 2010], he will be speaking to an American public that’s fed up with Congress, the country’s two main political parties, and the federal government, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Only 28 percent believe the federal government is “working well” or even works “okay,” versus seven in 10 who think it’s “unhealthy,” “stagnant” or needs large reforms.

By comparison, in December of 2000 — during the height of the disputed Bush-Gore presidential election — 55 percent said the government was working well or okay.

What’s more, a whopping 93 percent believe there’s too much partisan infighting; 84 percent think the special interests have too much influence over legislation; nearly three-quarters say that not enough has been done to regulate Wall Street and the banking industry; and an equal 61 percent complain that both Democrats and Republicans in Congress aren’t willing to compromise.

And the percentage who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction now stands at 58 percent, the highest level of Obama’s presidency.

“The message is a big one,” said Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “The message is, ‘We hate what’s going in Washington.’ ”

Video

NBC poll: ‘Too much partisan fighting’ (NBC Nightly News, Jan. 26, 2010) — President Obama faces a skeptical audience on Wednesday’s State of the Union, with 58 percent of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track, according to a recent NBC/WSJ poll. NBC’s Chuck Todd reports. (03:16)

Public’s anger isn’t directed at Obama

Indeed, the NBC/Journal survey finds that nearly half of the country (48 percent) said last week’s stunning election in Massachusetts, in which Republican candidate Scott Brown won a Senate contest in one of the nation’s most Democratic-leaning states, was aimed at sending a message to Washington. Only 15 percent disagreed.

But if the public is fed up with Washington, its anger isn’t necessarily directed at President Obama.

Only 27 percent say they blame him for not being able to find solutions to the country’s problems. By contrast, 48 percent blame Republicans in Congress and 41 percent blame congressional Democrats.

“The president has problems,” Hart adds, “but the Congress has much bigger problems.”

Obama’s numbers, in fact, are virtually unchanged from last week’s poll, which was released on the day of the Massachusetts election.

The president’s approval rating inched up two points to 50 percent, while the number believing his health care plan is a good idea declined two points to 31 percent.

“This data set reminds us that the Scott Brown election has been a huge event in Washington, D.C.,” said McInturff, the Republican pollster. “But around the country, I think this polling would suggest that it had a modest effect.”

Video

Obama to hit reset button in speech? (MSNBC Hardball, Jan. 27, 2010) – Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and NBC’s Chuck Todd discuss how President Barack Obama should lay out his agenda in Wednesday’s State of the Union. (10:29)

Focus more on the economy, less on health care

However, the poll also suggests the public wants Obama to refocus his priorities: 44 percent say he has given too much attention to health care, 16 percent say he’s given it too little attention and 38 percent say he’s given it the right amount.

On the other hand, 51 percent maintain he’s given the economy too little attention, compared with only 5 percent who say he’s given it too much attention and 42 percent who say he’s given it the right amount of attention.

Still, a majority of Americans continue to have high hopes for Obama. A combined 54 percent either say that he’s facing a short-term setback from which he’ll rebound or that he’s not facing a setback at all.

That’s compared with 42 percent who say he’s facing a long-term setback from which he’ll unlikely recover.

GOP’s enthusiasm edge

Looking ahead to this year’s midterm elections, 44 percent of registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 42 percent who want a GOP-controlled one. Last week’s survey showed a 41-41 percent tie on this question.

But Republicans continue to enjoy a significant enthusiasm advantage. Voters who are most interested in November’s midterms prefer a Republican-controlled Congress by a 49-41 percent margin.

Yet the poll also provides evidence that Obama might be more of an asset than a liability in November. Thirty-seven percent say their vote will be a signal of support for the president, while 27 percent say it will be a signal of opposition; 35 percent said it won’t signal anything about Obama.

The poll was conducted of 800 adults from Jan. 23-25 [2010], and it has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

More: See the full NBC/WSJ poll (PDF)

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Counterpoint

The State of the Union Is Comatose

By Frank Rich
Op-Ed Columnist

January 23, 2010

Excerpt

On State of the Union day, the Republican National Committee gathered at its winter meeting at Waikiki Beach to battle over a measure that would deny campaign funds to candidates who didn’t pass a Tea Party ideological purity test. … On the Hill that morning, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota led House colleagues in signing a “Declaration of Health Care Independence” to complement a bill that would let Americans “purchase insurance with their own tax-free money.” Gee, why did no else think of that ingenious fix for a health care system that leaves 46.3 million uninsured and whose runaway costs are on track to eat up one-fifth of the American economy?

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Rep. Michele Bachmann reacts to President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union address

Rep. Michele Bachmann reacts at President Bush’s 2007 State of the Union address

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 27, 2009

Supporters of the Pakistani Islamist party Jamat-e-Islami protest U.S. drone attacks in Karachi on Sunday. (Photo credit: Athar Hussain / Reuters)

Pakistanis Protest U.S. Airstrikes

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that the new Obama administration had a clear message for Pakistan: No change in U.S. policy when it comes to going after al-Qaida and Taliban targets in Pakistan’s lawless border areas.

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Report says Al-Qaeda Still Aims to Use Weapons of Mass Destruction Against U.S.

Video: Security

WMD report gives government failing grade (Jan. 26, 2010) — A new report warns that the U.S. government is far behind in preparing for a biological or nuclear attack by terrorists. NBC’s Pete Williams reports. (01:50)

By Joby Warrick

January 26, 2010

Excerpts

When al-Qaeda’s No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called off a planned chemical attack on New York’s subway system in 2003, he offered a chilling explanation: The plot to unleash poison gas on New Yorkers was being dropped for “something better,” Zawahiri said in a message intercepted by U.S. eavesdroppers.

The meaning of Zawahiri’s cryptic threat remains unclear more than six years later, but a new report warns that al-Qaeda has not abandoned its goal of attacking the United States with a chemical, biological or even nuclear weapon.

The report, by a former senior CIA official who led the agency’s hunt for weapons of mass destruction, portrays al-Qaeda’s leaders as determined and patient, willing to wait for years to acquire the kind of weapons that could inflict widespread casualties.

The former official, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, draws on his knowledge of classified case files to argue that al-Qaeda has been far more sophisticated in its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction than is commonly believed, pursuing parallel paths to acquiring weapons and forging alliances with groups that can offer resources and expertise.

“If Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants had been interested in . . . small-scale attacks, there is little doubt they could have done so now,” Mowatt-Larssen writes in a report released Monday by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

The report comes as a panel on weapons of mass destruction appointed by Congress prepares to release a new assessment of the federal government’s preparedness for such an attack. The review by the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism is particularly critical of the Obama administration’s actions so far in hardening the country’s defenses against bioterrorism, according to two former government officials who have seen drafts of the report.

The commission’s initial report in December 2008 warned that a terrorist attack using weapons of mass destruction was likely by 2013.

Mowatt-Larssen, a 23-year CIA veteran, led the agency’s internal task force on al-Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and later was named director of intelligence and counterintelligence for the Energy Department. His report warns that bin Laden’s threat to attack the West with weapons of mass destruction is not “empty rhetoric” but a top strategic goal for an organization that seeks the economic ruin of the United States and its allies to hasten the overthrow of pro-Western governments in the Islamic world.

He cites patterns in al-Qaeda’s 15-year pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that reflect a deliberateness and sophistication in assembling the needed expertise and equipment.

He describes how Zawahiri hired two scientists — a Pakistani microbiologist sympathetic to al-Qaeda and a Malaysian army captain trained in the United States — to work separately on efforts to build a biological weapons lab and acquire deadly strains of anthrax bacteria. Al-Qaeda achieved both goals before September 2001 but apparently had not successfully weaponized the anthrax spores when the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan forced the scientists to flee, Mowatt-Larssen said. …

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Related reports on this site

Al-Qaida’s Next High-Value Target (Jan. 18, 2010)

Osama bin Laden Personality Profile (Dec. 6, 2009)

Ayman al-Zawahiri Personality Profile (June 3, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 26, 2009

Sheik Abdirahman Ahmed, of the Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, in Minneapolis. (Photo credit: Matt Eich / Aurora for Newsweek)

Minnesota Somalis Jihad-Bound?

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that counterterrorism officials and the FBI were investigating whether al-Shabab or other Somali Islamic groups were actively recruiting in the United States. Officials said as many as 20 Somali-Americans between the ages of 17 and 27 had left their Minneapolis homes since 2007, apparently bound for Somalia.

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At Least 37 Killed in Baghdad Suicide Bombings

Hotels catering to journalists, security contractors hit; at least 104 hurt

Video

Baghdad bombings target hotels housing Westerners (NBC Nightly News, Jan. 25, 2010) — NBC’s Richard Engel discusses Monday’s bombings in downtown Baghdad, targeted at places frequented by Americans and other Westerners. (01:30)

The Associated Press and Reuters via NBC News
Jan. 25, 2010

BAGHDAD — Three car bombs exploded Monday near three Baghdad hotels popular with Western journalists, security contractors and businessmen. At least 37 people were killed and more than 104 injured, security officials said. …

There was no claim of responsibility for the latest major attacks in Baghdad — about six weeks after a series of blasts killed 127 and brought outcry against Iraq’s government for repeated security lapses as U.S. troops withdraw.

The first explosion struck at about 3:40 p.m. in the parking lot of what once was the Sheraton Hotel, toppling high concrete blast walls protecting the site and damaging a number of buildings along the Abu Nawas esplanade across the Tigris River from the Green Zone, two Iraqi police officials said.

Two other blasts followed minutes later, striking near the Babylon Hotel and the al-Hamra Hotel.

Photo chronicle Hotels hit View images from the scenes of the three bombings Monday in Baghdad.

The Washington Post, which has a bureau at the al-Hamra property, said three of its Iraqi employees were wounded. “The windows of the house were shattered in the blast, and much of the bureau is in tatters,” it reported. “Three Post employees were wounded by flying glass. Two of them sustained head injuries, and a third has broken ribs and a broken arm. All three are conscious, and the injuries do not appear life-threatening.”

The officials said the death toll was expected to rise. According to initial tallies, 16 of the victims were near the al-Hamra, 14 near the Sheraton, and seven died near the Babylon, including two policemen. …

Blastwalls fell like dominoes

Outside the former Sheraton, a high-rise tower with views of the Tigris River and the fortified Green Zone on the other side, the blast left a 10-foot-deep crater in the parking lot.

Cars were torn apart by the spray of metal and glass, which littered the lawns and courtyards of the popular fish restaurants along the river. …

The Babylon Hotel, which was hit by the second bomb, is used by Iraqi travelers and sometimes for government meetings.

The al-Hamra appeared to have been extensively damaged, according to NBC staff in Baghdad. Before the bomb went off, two men in a car opened fire on guards at the hotel checkpoint, a police official said. …

The blasts come about a month a half after a series of five blasts struck Baghdad, killing 127 people and injuring more than 500. …

Multiple blasts in August and October also targeted government buildings, killing more than 255 people. …

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1/26/10 Update

Iraq Militants Using New Tactics to Foil Security

At least 22 killed as bomber drives pickup through police checkpoint

U.S. army soldiers inspect the site of a car bomb attack in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. (Photo credit: Hadi Mizban / AP)

Jan. 26, 2010

BAGHDAD – Militant groups are finding new ways to foil Iraqi security — hiding explosives in the chassis of vehicles or tucking them into secret compartments, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said Tuesday as Baghdad was again hit by a suicide car bomb that sheared off the front of the main crime lab. At least 22 people were killed.

The attack came a day after car bombings struck three Baghdad hotels favored by Western journalists and security contractors. The back-to-back blasts underscored the evolving tactics of suspected Sunni militants to target high-profile sites with periodic — but powerful — assaults that show high degrees of planning and coordination.

The aim appears twofold: to maximize the blows to the Shiite-led government and exploit security gaps with Iraqi forces now almost entirely in control of checkpoints and patrols as the U.S. military draws down.

Any signs of backsliding on security would hurt the American-backed administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is using the drop in overall violence across Iraq as one of the pillars of his campaign in March 7 national elections. But al-Maliki is also under pressure to reach out to Sunnis — who were once favored by Saddam Hussein — to fend off Shiite rivals in upcoming voting.

Insurgents such as al-Qaida in Iraq “have become more creative at how to conduct attacks,” the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, told reporters.

The methods include wrapping explosives into the gears and slats of vehicle chassis or into carefully concealed chambers, he said.

He said Iraqi authorities have requested scanners capable of looking inside sealed portions of vehicles. Iraqi forces have been reluctant to expand the use of bomb-sniffing dogs because of the widely held Muslim tradition that avoids contact with dogs. …

In Tuesday’s attack, the bomber tried to drive a bomb-rigged pickup truck through a checkpoint and around blast walls protecting the forensic evidence office run by the Interior Ministry, said police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media.

The force of the blast toppled some of the 10-foot concert blast walls weighing seven tons and sliced away portions of the building’s facade. At least 22 people were killed — including 18 police officers and some civilian visitors — and nearly 90 were wounded, said police and hospital officials.

The office mainly dealt with data collected during criminal investigations, including fingerprints and other evidence. It is next to the Interior Ministry’s major crimes office, which deals with terrorism cases.

A day before, three suicide car bombings struck hotels in central Baghdad in quick succession. In at least one attack, gunmen flanked the vehicle and drove away guards. At least 41 people were killed and some offices of Western media were badly damaged. …

Odierno said U.S. military intelligence indicates between five and 10 main insurgent leaders planning the attacks in Baghdad. He said some of the leaders are believed to be university trained, with degrees in business administration, engineering and law. …

Video

Deadly suicide bombing in Iraq (MSNBC, Jan. 26, 2010) – A suicide bomber detonated outside a police lab in central Baghdad, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more. MSNBC’s Dara Brown reports. (00:39)

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Related reports on this site

Deadly Violence Erupts in Iraq (Dec. 8, 2009)

Massive Bomb Attack on Iraq Govt (Oct. 25, 2009)

Bomb Blasts Across Baghdad (Aug. 19, 2009)

Mass Casualty Baghdad Bombings (May 21, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 25, 2010

A supporter holds a poster of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a political rally in Basra, 260 miles southeast of Baghdad, Jan. 23, 2009. (Photo credit: Reuters / Stringer)

Poll Foreshadows Iraq’s Future

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported on the upcoming Jan. 31, 2009 provincial elections in Iraq — an important test of Iraq’s stability as the U.S. plans to withdraw its troops.

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Obama Moves to Centralize Control Over Party Strategy

The president has asked his former campaign manager, David Plouffe, to oversee House, Senate, and governor’s races to stave off a hemorrhage of seats in the fall. (Photo credit: Paul J. Richards / AFP – Getty Images file)

By Jeff Zeleny and Peter Baker

January 23, 2010

Excerpts

WASHINGTON — President Obama is reconstituting the team that helped him win the White House to counter Republican challenges in the midterm elections and recalibrate after political setbacks that have narrowed his legislative ambitions.

Mr. Obama has asked his former campaign manager, David Plouffe, to oversee House, Senate and governor’s races to stave off a hemorrhage of seats in the fall. The president ordered a review of the Democratic political operation — from the White House to party committees — after last week’s Republican victory in the Massachusetts Senate race, aides said.

In addition to Mr. Plouffe, who will primarily work from the Democratic National Committee in consultation with the White House, several top operatives from the Obama campaign will be dispatched across the country to advise major races as part of the president’s attempt to take greater control over the midterm elections, aides said. …

As Mr. Obama prepares to deliver his State of the Union address on Wednesday and lay out his initiatives for the second year of his presidency, his decision to take greater control of the party’s politics signals a new approach. The White House is searching for ways to respond to panic among Democrats over the possible demise of his health care bill and a political landscape being reshaped by a wave of populism.

Improving tactical operations addresses only part of his challenge. A more complicated discussion under way, advisers said, is how to sharpen the president’s message and leadership style.

The reinforcement of the White House’s political operation has been undertaken with a sense of urgency since Tuesday, when a Republican, Scott Brown, won the Massachusetts Senate seat that had been held by Edward M. Kennedy. …

The president summoned Mr. Plouffe to the Oval Office hours before the polls closed and asked him to assume the new role because of the implications the midterm elections hold. Mr. Plouffe built a reputation in 2008 as a master of the nuts and bolts of campaigns, and will assemble a team to provide unfiltered information that serves as an early-warning system so the White House and party officials know if a candidate is falling behind.

The day-to-day political operation will be run by Jim Messina, a deputy White House chief of staff, but Mr. Plouffe will coordinate the effort.

The party is trying to become less reliant on polls conducted by candidates, which can often paint a too-rosy picture of the political outlook. The president’s leading pollster, Joel Benenson, will be among those conducting research for Mr. Plouffe, aides said, along with others who will divide the country by regions. …

The first indication of Mr. Plouffe’s more prominent role came in an op-ed article he wrote for the Sunday issue of The Washington Post [link added], presenting a blueprint for how Democrats could avoid big defeats in the fall. He acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “We may not have perfect results, but November will be nothing like the nightmare that talking heads have forecast.” …

The White House intends to send Mr. Obama out into the country considerably more in 2010 than during his first year in office, advisers said, to try to rekindle the relationship he developed with voters during his presidential campaign. …

While presidents typically experience rough patches, this one is particularly challenging for Mr. Obama. Liberals have grown disenchanted with what they see as his unwillingness to fight harder for their causes; independents have been turned off by his failure, in their view, to change the way Washington works; and Republicans have become implacably hostile. …

It remains an open question how much new legislation will pass Congress, but the coming months will help frame the campaigns. While some form of financial regulation and job creation measures may pass, Obama aides said, larger initiatives like health care, a cap on carbon emissions and an immigration overhaul may have to wait, even though the White House denies trimming its ambitions. …

Related

November doesn’t need to be a nightmare for Democrats
(David Plouffe, Washington Post, Jan. 24, 2010)

Video

Eyeing midterms, Obama turns to trusted allies (NBC Nightly News, Jan. 23, 2010) – President Barack Obama is calling on the team that helped put him in the White House. NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports. (02:38)

The return of the neocons (David Margolick, Newsweek, Jan. 22, 2010) — Neoconservatism was once deemed dead — ‘Buried in the sands of Iraq.’ But it persists, not just as the de facto foreign-policy plank of the Republican Party but, its proponents assert, in Obama’s unapologetic embrace of American military might. (From the magazine issue dated Feb. 1, 2010)

Book review: ‘Inside Obama’s Brain,’ by Sasha Abamsky (Steven Levingston, Washington Post, Feb. 14, 2010) — Sasha Abramsky promises us a glimpse in “Inside Obama’s Brain.” He tells us right away what his book is not: It’s not a biography, not political history, not inside-the-Beltway prattle. It is, he says, “a psychological profile writ large.” … By the end of the book, Abramsky admits he hasn’t discovered any one thing that explains the question he set out to answer: “What makes Barack Obama tick?” Obama, he realizes, is — guess what? — “a powerfully driven man, ambitious, intelligent, and charming.”

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THE POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY OF BARACK OBAMA

Alone in a crowd: When cool comes off as cold (Jacob Weisberg, Newsweek, Jan. 22, 2010) — How Barack Obama connects to people is the opposite of a Clinton, a Bush or a Ronald Reagan. Think Lincoln or Carter. (From the magazine issue dated Feb. 1, 2010)

Related reports on this site

Barack Obama’s Leadership Style (Feb. 21, 2009)

“The Personality Profile of President Barack Obama: Leadership Implications.” Research poster presented by Sarah Moore, 44th annual Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, April 18, 2009, College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn. The research, conducted at the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics, was directed by Aubrey Immelman, Ph.D.

Summary of results

The profile reveals that Barack Obama is ambitious and confident; modestly dominant and self-asserting; accommodating, cooperative, and agreeable; somewhat outgoing and congenial; and relatively conscientious. The combination of ambitious and accommodating patterns in Obama’s profile suggests a “confident conciliator” personality composite.

Leaders with this personality prototype, though self-assured and ambitious, are characteristically gracious, considerate, and benevolent. They are energetic, charming, and agreeable, with a special talent for settling differences and a preference for mediation and compromise over force or coercion as a strategy for resolving conflict. They are driven primarily by a need for achievement, but also have substantial affiliation needs and a modest need for power.

The study offers an empirically based framework for anticipating Obama’s performance as chief executive. The following general predictions regarding Obama’s likely leadership style can be inferred from his personality profile:

• Ambitious, self-assured, gracious, considerate
• Preference for mediation and compromise over force or coercion as a strategy for resolving conflict
• High need for achievement; moderate need for affiliation; low need for power
• More pragmatic than ideological
• More task- than relationship oriented
• Likely to act as a strong advocate in his administration, using his powers of persuasion to advance his policy vision
• Preference for gathering information from a variety of sources rather than relying solely on advisors and administration officials
• In dealing with members of Congress, may show preference for avoiding unnecessary conflict by trying to remain above the fray in heated, highly divisive debates
• Preference for articulating and defending his policies in person rather than relying on staff and administration officials to speak for him

Obama’s Decision-Making Style (Nov. 25, 2009)
Excerpts from Oprah Magazine

Aubrey Immelman, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in Minnesota, says the variable that most distinguishes Obama from the two previous presidents is conscientiousness — one of the “big five” personality factors in standard psychology (everyone has all five, in differing degrees; the others are openness to experience, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism).

People who score high on the conscientiousness scale (as determined by several personality inventories) are dependable, orderly, self-disciplined, achievement oriented, cautious, industrious, and deliberate — the type who could, say, run a masterfully efficient political campaign, exercise daily, even while on the road, and make methodical decisions. (Those who score low tend to be careless, irresponsible, disorganized, and unreliable.)

Indeed, a 2000 study from the journal Assessment suggests that when it comes to presidents, conscientiousness is associated with greatness: George Washington, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, and Harry Truman (all of whom historians rank among the country’s foremost leaders) scored in the 90th percentile and above for the trait, based on inventories completed by biographical experts. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were solidly conscientious (78th and 75th percentile); Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy, however, came in at the 5th percentile. …

Full report

Barack Obama’s Personality Profile (Nov. 2, 2008)

Sarah Moore and Angela Rodgers present their research on
“The Personality Profile of President Barack Obama: Leadership Implications” in the State Capitol rotunda, St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 19, 2009. The research, conducted at the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics, was directed by Aubrey Immelman, Ph.D.

Sen. Barack Obama: Is he tough enough?
By Aubrey Immelman
St. Cloud Times
Nov. 1, 2008

Among the many leaders I have studied — presidential candidates as well as foreign adversaries as a consultant to the U.S. military — Barack Obama is something of a rarity. … Read more

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 24, 2010

Countdown to Iraqi Elections

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported on the Iraqi provincial elections and the power struggle among competing Shiite factions in Iraq.

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2 U.S. Troops Killed by Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan

Slide presentation

Front lines (MSNBC)  Soldiers are fighting to suppress the Taliban and win over the Afghan people.

By Rahim Faiez

Jan. 23, 2010

KABUL – A roadside bomb killed two U.S. service members in southern Afghanistan on Saturday as the country’s top NATO commander acknowledged an increased risk to foreign troops will accompany an influx of reinforcements aimed at routing the Taliban.

The deaths brought to at least 22 the number of American service members killed so far this month — compared with only 14 for the whole of January last year. A mild winter has brought no respite to the fighting, which traditionally drops off during the cold months.

[NATO Commander frames mission objective in Afghanistan]

“The end state of the mission is to protect the population and isolate the insurgency in a way where it doesn’t constitute a threat to the Afghan government,” Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, said Friday during a visit to the western command. “This will not happen in a short period or in an easy way. It’s realistic to expect an increase of risk to coalition forces.”

[Video added] Gen. Stanley McChrystal outlines the U.S. mission in Afghanistan to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Dec. 9, 2009. (04:50)

[Afghanistan violence: Daily incident report]

Also Saturday, militants kidnapped a district police chief, Jamtullah Khan, and two other officers on a nighttime foot patrol near the eastern border with Pakistan — the latest in a series of attacks against Afghan officials. …

It occurred a day after the governor of Wardak province escaped an assassination attempt when his convoy struck a roadside bomb, killing four Afghan soldiers and wounding another. Gov. Halim Fidai, who was unharmed, was on his way to inspect a school after meeting with elders in Jagatu district. …

In other violence, militants hiding among demonstrators fired on police Saturday, sparking a gunbattle in the middle of a protest over the deaths of four men in a NATO-Afghan raid, officials said. At least two people were wounded. …

Protesters have taken to the streets for three straight days and have blocked traffic on a highway that links the major cities of Kabul and Kandahar, forcing trucks and vehicles to wait for hours.

The protest Saturday turned violent when armed militants hiding in the crowd began shooting at police, according to the district’s chief administrator, Yasouf Saraji Andar. “Policemen also opened fire to defend themselves and two people were wounded,” he said.

Similar violence broke out earlier this month in the southern province of Helmand when six people were reportedly killed in scuffles between Afghan security forces and protesters angry over a rumor that NATO forces had desecrated a Quran. NATO has denied its troops disrespected the Muslim holy book.

Police in Helmand’s Garmsir district blamed Taliban militants for staging the protests to foment unrest.

A recent U.N. report showed the number of civilian deaths attributed to allied troops dropped sharply, while Taliban suicide bombings and other attacks killed more people. But reports of Afghan deaths at the hands of NATO and government forces continue to prompt anger. …

Three women were killed and two men wounded Saturday when their taxi was hit by militant gunfire in Paktika province, which is near the Pakistani border, according to a statement issued by NATO. …

Also, a policeman was killed and another wounded in a gunbattle after suspected Taliban militants ambushed a checkpoint in Baghlan province, according to the provincial government. …

Related report

Gates: Taliban part of Afghan ‘political fabric’ (AP, Jan. 22, 2010) — “The Taliban, we recognize, are part of the political fabric of Afghanistan at this point,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates told AFP Friday during a visit to Pakistan. “The question is whether they are prepared to play a legitimate role in the political fabric of Afghanistan going forward, meaning participating in elections, meaning not assassinating local officials and killing families.”

Related reports on this site

“Death to America” (Jan. 7, 2010)

“Death to Obama” (Dec. 31, 2009)

Afghan Support for U.S. Plummets (Feb. 10, 2009)

Afghan Villagers Protest Raids (Feb. 1, 2009)

Pakistanis Protest U.S. Airstrikes (Jan. 27, 2009)

Karzai: Stop Air-Raiding Civilians (Nov. 5, 2008)

Karzai Warns of Afghan Backlash (Sept. 25, 2008)

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29 Killed in Clashes, Suicide Attack in Pakistan

By Hussain Afzal

Jan. 23, 2010

PARACHINAR, Pakistan – Militants ambushed Pakistani security forces at checkpoints in two regions close to the Afghan border, sparking gunbattles that left 22 insurgents and two troops dead, officials said.

Elsewhere in the northwest on Saturday, a suicide bomber killed a police officer and three passers-by, part of a relentless wave of violence by al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents also blamed for attacks on U.S. and NATO troops across the frontier in Afghanistan. …

The [Pakistani] army deployed some 30,000 troops against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan in mid-October and has retaken many towns in the region. But many fear the militants have just set up in other parts of the vast, lawless border and will continue to threaten the Pakistani government and U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Illustrating that threat, a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into a police station near South Waziristan on Saturday. One officer and three passers-by died in the assault, police chief Farid Khan said.

Eight people were also wounded in Tank, one of the main towns leading to South Waziristan from Punjab province. …

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1/31/10 Update

Suicide Bomber Kills Scores at Pakistani Post

Men attend to a relative who was injured in a suicide bombing in Bajur tribal region, at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010. (Photo credit: Mohammad Iqbal / AP)

Jan. 30, 2010

KHAR, Pakistan – A suicide bomber killed 16 people Saturday at a police checkpoint in a northwest Pakistani tribal area where the military declared victory over the Taliban and al-Qaida last year, highlighting the difficulty Islamabad has in holding regions once the battle phase of its army offensives end.

Elsewhere in the lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, suspected U.S. missiles killed nine alleged militants, officials said.

Fourteen civilians and two police officers died in the suicide attack in the Bajur tribal region, while 20 people were wounded, local government official Bakhat Pacha said. The attacker, on foot, struck a market area in the region’s main town, Khar, he said. …

The attack came a day after officials said security forces had killed 44 militants in three days of battles on the outskirts of Khar.

Military offensive

Pakistan waged a major military offensive against Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents in Bajur in 2008, declaring victory over the militants by February 2009. But in recent weeks, clashes and now this latest suicide attack have signaled a deteriorating security situation in the area. …

Washington has waged its own fight in Pakistan’s tribal territories through its covert CIA-led missile program.

Overnight Saturday, three suspected U.S. missiles hit a compound and a bunker in the Mohammad Khel area of North Waziristan, part of a surge of the drone-fired strikes, intelligence officials said. The mountainous area is where a suspected U.S. drone is reported to have crashed on Jan. 24, they added.

Two missiles in Saturday’s attack hit the compound being used by the militants, killing seven of them, the intelligence officials said. The third killed two more insurgents in the bunker, they said.

Another such missile strike early this month targeted a meeting of militant commanders in an apparently unsuccessful attempt to kill Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

Blast a CIA base

The Pakistani Taliban are believed to have played a role in the Dec. 30 suicide bombing of a remote CIA base in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost province that killed seven of the agency’s employees. Analysts suspect the Haqqani network, an al-Qaida-linked Afghan Taliban faction based in North Waziristan, also helped carry out the CIA attack.

Since the CIA was hit, the U.S. has carried out 13 suspected drone strikes in North and South Waziristan, an unprecedented volley of attacks since the missile program began in earnest in Pakistan two years ago. …

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 23, 2010

Amanda Henderson holds a portrait of her late husband, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Henderson, at her home in Henderson, Texas. (Photo credit: Herb Nygren, Jr. / AP)

Army Issues Statement on Suicides

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that a U.S. Army probe into suicides among Houston-based recruiters, all veterans of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, said medical problems factored in the deaths but none had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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NATO cameras catch Taliban attack (MSNBC, Jan. 22, 2010) – NATO releases video of a Taliban militant atttack on the Presidential Palace and other government buildings in Kabul, Afghanistan. MSNBC’s Dara Brown reports. (00:41)

Video

Related report

Taliban Siege Rattles Kabul (Jan. 19, 2010)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — January 22, 2010

Joe Scarborough

A Conservative Response to Obama

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that former Congressman Joe Scarborough, speaking as “a good Republican,” responded to the inauguration of Barack Obama by saying, “I’m damn proud to be a part of this great republic.”

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