Afghanistan Updates

 

Afghanistan Updates provide twice-weekly, one-page situation reports on the latest developments affecting US policy and engagement in Afghanistan, both at home and abroad.

Afghanistan Updates capture and channel the complete range of media and research resources – to provide Members and Staffers with tightly-packed, relevant information support that they can immediately use.

Afghanistan Update

18 January 2010

The full-page version is available here.

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Topic in Focus: Kabul Security

• The Afghan government’s policy is to keep Kabul a relatively ‘open city’, rather than creating a barricaded fortress, as was done in Baghdad, to avoid hurting the economy and cutting off the government from its people.
• No matter how great the security measures that are taken, the porous nature of Kabul will allow insurgents to smuggle some weapons and explosives into the city.
• More in full version…

Kabul Security Key Developments:

• · Multiple Taliban attacks on key government targets in Kabul on Jan 17 were longer than any initiated by the Taliban in the capital since they were driven from power by an anti-Taliban Afghan alliance and U.S. Special Forces in 2001.
• · The overall casualty toll was relatively low: three members of the Afghan security forces and two civilians were killed, and 71 people, including 35 civilians, were wounded. At least seven militants were killed, and Afghan government forces never lost control of key buildings.
• More in full version…

In Quotes:

"The attack on Kabul is something that will undermine the Taliban forces, and do them more harm than good ... Mullah Omar announced a few months ago that the Taliban should avoid civilian casualties to improve their image but yesterday they proved they are desperate, that they will do anything to undermine the government."

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