afghanistan

Afghanistan means "Land of the Afghans." Modern Afghanistan was created in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who created the Durrani Empire. During the 19th Century, Afghanistan was a buffer state in the Great Game, which was a land grab between the British and Russian empires. Many of Rudyard Kipling’s books were about the Great Game.

Some believe the Great Game has carried into modern times starting with the Soviet invasion in the late 70's and the subsequent support of the Mujahedeen by the Western and Islamic powers. When the Soviets left, the country fell into civil war and most of it was eventually controlled by the Taliban. It is largely believed that the Taliban was created by Pakistan's intelligence service (ISI) in order to keep its own tribal areas from revolting.

In 2001, after 9-11, the U.S. led an invasion into Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban by siding with the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance, at the time, controlled the Northern part of the country and had been led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was assassinated shortly before 9-11. In the wake of the U.S. invasion, both Osama Bin Laden and Taliban fled into the tribal areas of Pakistan and have continued to fight. War continues in Afghanistan, with multiple players from many nations participating. In many ways, the Great Game in Afghanistan continues to this day.

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Original Technorati articles tagged “afghanistan”

• in Social Media
  9/11 Hysteria Too Expensive To Maintain
  Not enough paxil to calm an entire nation
  by Mozart99 / on Jan 28, 2012
• in Film
  Documentary: Hell and Back Again (2011)
  What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home?
  by missbobetier / on Jan 22, 2012
• in Film
  Warning: Don’t Watch Essential Killing (2010) with Your Dog(s)
  Run to live... kill to survive
  by missbobetier / on Jan 22, 2012

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “afghanistan”

 

• Taliban promise to capture, kill Prince Harry

  
  Thaindian News — Authority: 533
  London, Feb 11 (IANS) The Taliban have promised to use all their power to kill or capture Prince Harry when the British royal returns to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot.The 27-year-old prince is expected to fly missions out of Camp Bastion in Helmand province on a four-month duty, the Daily Mail [...]
  13 hours ago

• Kifaru Kicks Some Ass

  
  Kit Up — Authority: 466
  I’m not going to try to pretend that I didn’t already love Kifaru before I linked up with them at SHOT this year.  I’d been enjoying my Kifaru ZXR rucksack since I took it on my last deployment to Iraq and got some good use out of it while out on patrol with a LRS unit.  These [...]
  13 hours ago

• Worth a Thousand Words: Really Big Tire Change

  
  DoD Live — Authority: 519
  Senior Airman Justin Evans, a crew chief with the 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, rolls a used C-5 Galaxy tire-and-wheel assembly to a collection point after its removal from and aircraft at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Robert Couse-Baker)(af.mil)
  13 hours ago

• Barack Obama and His Politicized State of the Union Address

  
  Moore Common Sense — Authority: 110
  President Barack Obama at the State of the Union We live at a time when we are blessed with all the internet and 24 hour news cycle programs where no public figure should be able to get away with lying. And shortly after Obama’s 65 minute speech two liberal pundits began to fact check the president’s speech. It ...
  14 hours ago

• When Afghans moving away from privatised thuggery (in theory)

  
  Antony Loewenstein — Authority: 464
  After years of the US allowing Afghanistan to become a paradise for private mercenaries, Kabul is fighting back (though, to be sure, a government with no legitimacy at all): The push by Afghanistan’s president to nationalize legions of private security guards before the end of March is encouraging corruption ...
  14 hours ago

• When Afghans move away from privatised thuggery (in theory)

  
  Antony Loewenstein — Authority: 464
  After years of the US allowing Afghanistan to become a paradise for private mercenaries, Kabul is fighting back (though, to be sure, a government with no legitimacy at all): The push by Afghanistan’s president to nationalize legions of private security guards before the end of March is encouraging corruption ...
  14 hours ago

• A true picture of Afghanistan

  
  Collins Report — Authority: 120
  By Jim Emerson, staff writer Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis spent most of last year on his second tour of Afghanistan; He was assigned to the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force. While carrying out his duties the Colonel talked to the troops about their situation in the region. He talked to everyone in any position as well as ...
  15 hours ago

• Moderate quake shakes Chile

  
  TrendPK.com — Authority: 149
  WASHINGTON: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 shook central Chile late Friday, US researchers reported.    The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 11:58 pm local time (0258 GMT Saturday), was located 52 kilometers (32 miles) south southwest of the city of Concepcion, according to the US Geological Survey
  15 hours ago

• Weekly 24-hour CNG closure begins in Sindh

  
  TrendPK.com — Authority: 149
  TrendPK.com KARACHI: The gas supply to the CNG stations has been suspended from 9AM this morning for at least 24 hours across Sindh province including Karachi, TrendPK reports Saturday. According to details, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) suspended the gas supply to the CNG stations across the province at 9am ...
  15 hours ago

• 2 assassins of ex-Afghan president arrested

  
  TrendPK.com — Authority: 149
    Two Afghan officials say Pakistan has arrested two people in connection with last year s assassination of a former Afghan president who was trying to broker peace with the Taliban.   The officials told The Associated Press in Kabul the two were recently detained in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the alleged base ...
  15 hours ago

• Afghan soldier boast about shooting Aussie Digger

  
  TrendPK.com — Authority: 149
  An Afghan soldier who opened fire on Australian troops at a remote base last year has claimed he and his fellow army recruits had often discussed killing the foreigners, a report said Saturday.   In a Taliban video, Mohammed Roozi talks about how he attacked Australian and Afghan soldiers at Patrol Base Nasir in ...
  15 hours ago

• Tennis: Australia clinches Davis Cup tie against China

  
  TrendPK.com — Authority: 149
    Australia on Saturday took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in their best-of-five Davis Cup tie against China after Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione claimed a straight sets doubles victory.   Davis Cup veteran Hewitt and Guccione did not drop a service game in their 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over China s Zhang Ze and Li Zhe.   ...
  15 hours ago

• Afghanistan unites behind cricket team in defeat to Pakistan

  
  The Guardian - guardian.co.uk — Authority: 962
  Where invasion, aid, and piecemeal democracy have only partially succeeded, cricket has had its own moment as a unifying force in Afghanistan Where invasion, aid, and piecemeal democracy have only partially succeeded, cricket had its own moment as a unifying force in one of the worlds most fractured regions on Friday ...
  15 hours ago

• Information Clearing House Newsletter 10 February 2012: Greek police union wants to arrest EU/IMF officials

  
  Creative-i — Authority: 124
  10 February 2012 – Information Clearing House Pakistan: ’11 militants killed’ near Afghanistan : Eleven Taliban militants were killed and 19 wounded in northwest Pakistan Friday during a crackdown by the Pakistani military near the border with Afghanistan, according to reports. http://bit.ly/wrtg88 Karzai ...
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• Why the desire to pull the troops out of Iraq in the first place?

  
  The Tizona Group — Authority: 394
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• What Happened to All the Milblogs?

  
  American Power — Authority: 640
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  17 hours ago

• Family Focus Friday: Mom and Daughter Deploy Together

  
  DoD Live — Authority: 519
  Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsbury, 4th Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs How many service members can say they’re been on a deployment with their mom?  A mother and daughter recently learned that a deployment can test more than a family’s strength through separation.  Spc. Samantha Kelly and ...
  1 day ago

• Worth a Thousand Words: Riverine Squadron 2

  
  DoD Live — Authority: 519
  Gunnersmate 2nd Class Justin Travis, assigned to Riverine Squadron 2, serves as a lookout while conducting an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission during exercise Bold Alligator 2012, the largest amphibious exercise in the past 10 years. Bold Alligator represents the Navy and Marine Corps’ ...
  1 day ago

• Stop NATO News: February 10, 2012: NATO Air Strike Killed Eight Afghan Children: Karzai

  
  Creative-i — Authority: 124
  10 February 2012 — Stop NATO news NATO Air Strike Killed Eight Afghan Children: Karzai Another U.S. Drone Strike Kills Three In Pakistan Pentagon Budget To Fund First NATO Global Hawk Drones Argentina Appeals To UN Over British Military Buildup In South Atlantic Leading U.S. Officials Flock To Bulgaria Amid Mideast ...
  1 day ago

• TOSHIBA L300 LAPTOP, DUAL CORE,2GB RAM, see spec inside REF192

  
  ModCool — Authority: 147
  US $162.83 (12 Bids) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 4:19:37 PST Bid now | Add to watch list View original post here: TOSHIBA L300 LAPTOP, DUAL CORE,2GB RAM, see spec inside REF192
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