Podcasts about lashkar gah

When I worked at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province, I was largely based at the Forward Operating Base in Lashkar Gah - the main city of Helmand. There, amid the dust and noise of an active military campaign, there was a small, beautifully tended garden inside the base. I'm going to be honest and say that I was too preoccupied with my own job ever to ask myself who was responsible for its upkeep- even as I enjoyed that little slice of tranquility and beauty almost every day. Had I stopped to find out, I would have learned that the gardener was Shaista Gul, a local Afghan citizen whose hard work created a beautiful garden in the most unlikely place. By talking on this job, Shaista, and the thousands of Afghans, many of them interpreters, that served Britain during its involvement in the NATO mission, became enemies of the Taliban, facing constant threats, and worse, including murder. After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, some lucky Afghans were able to escape on evacuation flights from Kabul. But most were left behind and thousands made their way to Pakistan, including many that had been assured of resettlement in the UK. This month, the government of Pakistan has decided to expel all undocumented Afghans in the country believed to be around 1.5 million people. Of these, around 2,000 have been accepted as eligible to come to Britain in recognition of their past service with our forces. But thanks to a cost-saving policy made by Rishi Sunak last year, these people were kept in Pakistan in preference to bringing them to the UK where the migration system is under acute strain. Now these people, who risked their lives serving our country, find themselves threatened with being returned to Afghanistan by the Pakistani government. The story of Britain's treatment of those Afghans that worked with us during our involvement in that country is the subject of Larisa Brown's book, the Gardener of Lashkar Gah. Larisa is a defence correspondent, currently with The Times and previously working for the Daily Mail. She joined me, just as Pakistan was preparing to start its campaign of expulsions, to talk about Shaista Gul and the wider history of Britain's betrayal of its Afghan friends.You can find Larisa's book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/gardener-of-lashkar-gah-9781399411028/ I am on https://arthursnell.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shaista Gul was known to thousands of British servicemen and women over the years. He created a small oasis of peace at the UK's headquarters in Southern Afghanistan.But after Lashkar Gah main operating base closed in 2014 he had to leave the job he loved, and with it the garden he'd created. What followed was Taliban intimidation, fatal attacks on his family, and eventually a perilous journey to eventual safety in the UK.Sitrep talks to Larisa Brown, author of ‘The Gardener of Lashkar Gah: The Afghans Who Risked Everything to Fight the Taliban', and Shaista Gul's son Jamal, who worked as interpreter for Britain's armed forces in Helmand.

Shaista Gul was known to thousands of British servicemen and women over the years. He created a small oasis of peace at the UK's headquarters in Southern Afghanistan.But after Lashkar Gah main operating base closed in 2014 he had to leave the job he loved, and with it the garden he'd created. What followed was Taliban intimidation, fatal attacks on his family, and eventually a perilous journey to eventual safety in the UK.Sitrep talks to Larisa Brown, author of ‘The Gardener of Lashkar Gah: The Afghans Who Risked Everything to Fight the Taliban', and Shaista Gul's son Jamal, who worked as interpreter for Britain's armed forces in Helmand.

The Gardener of Lashkar Gah The True Story of the Afghans Who Risked Everything to Fight the Taliban by Larisa Brown is available from Bloomsbury. There are volumes of books written about fighting in Afghanistan.  Many focus on the ‘loss of innocence' of soldiers on tour or the political decision-making... The post #WavellReviews The Gardener of Lashkar Gah  appeared first on Wavell Room.

The latest on Kyiv's big drone attack in Russia and Canada's travel warning to LGBTQ+ citizens heading to the US. Plus: Andrew Mueller interviews ‘The Times' defence editor, Larisa Brown, about her new book ‘The Gardener of Lashkar Gah'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Package about thousands of people crammed into a football stadium in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, for a New Year concert featuring Afghan stars. Hosted by Brett Turner. This version includes voiceover and graphics. Also available in high definition.

Veterans In Politics- Season 5, Episode 2 with Bob Seely MBE MPBob is MP for the Isle of Wight parliamentary constituency.  He is the sixth generation to be involved in community life on the Isle of Wight, including family members who have served as its MP.  Our host Jonny explores this history, including that of his Uncle Jack and his famous warhorse 'Warrior' who served in WW1.  A fascinating story not to be missed!He first worked as a foreign correspondent in eastern Europe for four years as a stringer for The Times newspaper.  He first visited the USSR in early 1990, witnessing the first celebrations of Easter in western Ukraine since Soviet occupation after World War II, and also the first Chernobyl disaster protests in Kiev that year.  He filed an initial batch of reports and was invited by the newspaper to return permanently to the USSR / former USSR from 1990 to 1994.  During his time, Bob reported from most of the Union republics / new nations of the USSR: Russia (including Moscow, European Russia and Siberia) Ukraine (including Crimea), Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenian (including Nagorny Karabakh), Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.  He also made occasional visits to the Balkans, including Sarajevo and Kosovo.  He also wrote occasional articles for The Spectator and The Sunday Times.In the final year in the former USSR, Bob became a Special Correspondent for The Washington Post.  He then spent a year in the USA writing a book, Deadly Embrace, on Russia's role in the Caucasus.  During this time, Bob was a fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute.  He returned to the UK to work for the Associated Press as a London-based reporter.In 2000 Bob moved temporarily into politics.  He headed up the foreign affairs team for Francis Maude and afterwards worked briefly for Michael Howard and Sir Malcolm Rifkind. In 2005, he stood in the Broxtowe Parliamentary seat in the General Election but lost to the Labour candidate by 2,296 votes.From 2005 to 2008 Bob worked for MTV Networks International.MilitaryFrom 2008 onwards, Bob served in the UK Armed Forces.  He was mobilised or placed on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) for nearly a decade until his selection as a parliamentary candidate in the 2017 election, at which time he resigned his full-time service and returned to the Army Reserve.Bob was initially mobilised in 2008, deploying to Iraq.  He served out of the main operating base in at Basra Airport.  Over eight months (parts of Op TELIC 12 and 13), he deployed on over 20 operations during his tour, mainly focused on extended patrolling through the villages around the southern Basra marshes and parts of Basra city, meeting local village elders and providing atmospherics reporting for the UK Command.  After his tour Bob was remobilised and asked to remain in the Armed Forces on full-time service.  He deployed on four occasions to Afghanistan for one to four month tours.  He was based out of Lashkar Gah, and Nad Ali.Bob was awarded a Joint Commanders Commendation in 2009, and was decorated with a Military MBE in the 2016 Operational Awards and Honours List, receiving it from Her Majesty the Queen in early 2017.  Bob has also supported the development of UK military thinking in unconventional warfare.More on Bob here: About Bob Seely | Bob Seely MP

After 9/11 the West invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to remake them as friendly, terror-free liberal democracies. But the unintended consequences were historic disaster, countless dead and the humbling of Western power, symbolised by the shameful evacuation of Kabul in 2021. How did we get it so catastrophically wrong?   Arthur Snell, who served in Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, explores the flawed thinking that generated the very insurgencies the West was trying to suppress. Has the West built a world of forever wars that it can't win?   •  “Every way you look, the Western way of war burns through cash. And that creates incentives for warlords, generals and Prime Ministers.” – Arthur Snell •  “When we went to Helmand I really thought we were going to get this right… And over several command meetings I started to think, Do we really know what we're doing?” – Frank Ledwidge •  “Having invaded these countries and toppled their governments, we didn't know what to do next.” – Arthur Snell •  “She told me, the Afghan people hate you. They hate you because you make promises you don't deliver on.” – Frank Ledwidge •  “No-one said ‘You can't do counter-narcotics, and take away people's livelihoods, in the same place you're supposed to be winning hearts and minds.'” – Mike Martin •  “One of the reasons we crashed into Helmand was internal military politics. It suited the army to go in, to preserve its force structure.” – Mike Martin Want to support us? Visit www.doomsdaywatch.co.uk and back us from £3 a month to get episodes early and help shape the future of the show.   DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn – with assistant production from Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music is by Paul Hartnoll. The group editor is Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vários distritos da cidade de Lashkar Gah e rodovias já estão sob controle do grupo; militares afegãos alegam confrontos com mortos e feridos na região. Uma parceria da Agência Radioweb e de Médicos sem Fronteiras.

The south of Afghanistan is now under Taleban control, after the group took the cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah this week. Meanwhile, Britain and America are deploying thousands of troops - as many as were there before the withdrawal began earlier this year - to evacuate expats and the majority of embassy staff. After a 20-year war in Afghanistan, the West is running away. Britain and her allies, however, will continue to face challenges like Russian aggression and Chinese expansionism in the coming decade. Will we just sit back and accept our decline? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and General Sir Richard Barrons, who helped set up the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2001, and was deputy chief of the defence staff from 2011 to 2013.

In this episode of Worldview, our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar takes a deeper look at the Taliban's current advance in Afghanistan Events in Afghanistan are moving faster than the speed of analysis - as the Taliban claims more than 14 of 34 Afghan provinces, and cities including Lashkar Gah, Ghazni, Herat and even Kandahar. The claims are questionable - because in most areas Taliban soldiers are simply filmed walking in to the city centres, with no pushback or fighting required. This could mean that they may not be able to hold these areas, if Afghan forces make a strong push to reclaim them, but for the moment that counter attack has not come. Many now wonder if Kabul will be next, and how soon that might happen. To read more, visit the full article on our website: Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | Taliban advance in Afghanistan

Sembra ormai inarrestabile la marcia dei Talebani in Afghanistan. Dopo aver conquistato Ghazni, Herat e Kandahar, i miliziani hanno messo le mani anche si Lashkar Gah, capitale della provincia di Helmand nel sud del Paese, dopo aver permesso all'esercito e ai funzionari politici e amministrativi di evacuare la città.

On COI #146, Kyle and Will break down Twitter's latest attempt to root out what it calls 'misinformation,' with the platform announcing a new partnership with Reuters and the Associated Press to 'fact check' information on the site. The two newswires are among the most respectable in western media, but have poor track records reporting on certain issues and a tendency to uncritically repeat the empire's narratives and framing. A major offensive by the Taliban has seen the militant group capture five provincial capitals over the last week, including Kunduz city, while Taliban fighters continue to threaten Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and even Kabul, where they've launched several bombings and assassinations in recent days. As Afghan government forces fold under the assault, US officials are warning of a stepped-up bombing campaign to keep the group out of important cities. New York City has become the first in the US to adopt a full-blown vaccine passport. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the new pass will come into force in mid-September, and that the government will inspect businesses to ensure compliance. The program may be a sign of things to come for the rest of the country, as cities, counties and states across the US reimpose mask mandates and other pandemic restrictions due to hype around the Covid-19 "Delta variant." Odysee Rumble  Donate LBRY Credits bTTEiLoteVdMbLS7YqDVSZyjEY1eMgW7CP Donate Bitcoin 36PP4kT28jjUZcL44dXDonFwrVVDHntsrk Donate Bitcoin Cash Qp6gznu4xm97cj7j9vqepqxcfuctq2exvvqu7aamz6 Patreon Subscribe Star YouTube Facebook  Twitter  MeWe Apple Podcast  Amazon Music Google Podcasts Spotify Support Our Sponsor Visit Paloma Verde and use code PEACE for 25% off our CBD

On COI #146, Kyle and Will break down Twitter's latest attempt to root out what it calls 'misinformation,' with the platform announcing a new partnership with Reuters and the Associated Press to 'fact check' information on the site. The two newswires are among the most respectable in western media, but have poor track records reporting on certain issues and a tendency to uncritically repeat the empire's narratives and framing.    A major offensive by the Taliban has seen the militant group capture five provincial capitals over the last week, including Kunduz city, while Taliban fighters continue to threaten Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and even Kabul, where they've launched several bombings and assassinations in recent days. As Afghan government forces fold under the assault, US officials are warning of a stepped-up bombing campaign to keep the group out of important cities. New York City has become the first in the US to adopt a full-blown vaccine passport. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the new pass will come into force in mid-September, and that the government will inspect businesses to ensure compliance. The program may be a sign of things to come for the rest of the country, as cities, counties and states across the US reimpose mask mandates and other pandemic restrictions due to hype around the Covid-19 "Delta variant."    Odysee Rumble  Donate LBRY Credits bTTEiLoteVdMbLS7YqDVSZyjEY1eMgW7CP Donate Bitcoin 36PP4kT28jjUZcL44dXDonFwrVVDHntsrk Donate Bitcoin Cash Qp6gznu4xm97cj7j9vqepqxcfuctq2exvvqu7aamz6 Patreon Subscribe Star YouTube Facebook  Twitter  MeWe Apple Podcast  Amazon Music Google Podcasts Spotify Support Our Sponsor Visit Paloma Verde and use code PEACE for 25% off our CBD

The Taliban have captured three regional capitals in Afghanistan as they continue to make sweeping territorial gains in the country. They seized control of the key northern city of Kunduz on Sunday, as well as Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan. Also in the programme, the Tokyo Olympics conclude with a vibrant ceremony and Iran has recorded its highest official death rate from coronavirus since the pandemic began. (Picture shows smoke rising as the Taliban attacked parts of the city in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand, Afghanistan on 6 August 2021. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency]

There are also reports of heavy fighting in Kunduz in the north and Lashkar Gah in the south. Violence has escalated across Afghanistan after US and other international forces began to withdraw their troops from the country, following 20 years of military operations. Taliban militants have made rapid advances in recent weeks, capturing large swathes of the countryside, and are now targeting key towns and cities. We get an update from the Afghan Defence Ministry and we hear from US analyst Laurel Miller - former acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. Department of State. Also on the programme: why families of victims of the 9/11 attacks have asked President Biden to stay away from twentieth anniversary memorial events; the Mexican government sues US gun manufacturers for fuelling drugs related violence; and India wins its first ever Olympic gold for athletics. (Photo: An Afghan security official patrol following an intense battle with Taliban militants, in Herat, Afghanistan Credit: EPA/Jalil Rezayee)

A month after the bulk of remaining western forces pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban is on the rise. Fierce fighting has brought cities like Herat and Kandahar to the brink of collapsing to the militants. But the greatest danger is in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand -- where British forces fought against the Taliban for so many years. We hear from those who served in Afghanistan - including the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Richards, who tells Sitrep that the Government must set out what it will do to prevent the fall of the Afghan government. We'll also explore what could happen next after the fatal attack on a tanker off Oman -- blamed by western powers on Iran. And we'll find out about the bizarre case of military ships' positions being faked -- who might be doing it, and why?

Bangladesh: un fulmine uccide 17 persone durante un matrimonio. Iran: dieci anni di prigione a due attivisti con doppia cittadinanza. Bielorussia: cominciato il processo contro l'oppositrice Kolesnikova. Afghanistan: il comandante talebano che guida l'attacco contro Lashkar Gah, venne scarcerato l'anno scorso sotto pressione degli USA. Stati Uniti: L'Isis una minaccia a tempo indeterminato. L'80 per cento della popolazione di Gaza carente di energia elettrica. Tunisia: dov'è il deposto premier? Ascolta il podcast notiziario di Radio Bullets, a cura di Barbara Schiavulli. Musiche di Walter Sguazzin

Bangladesh: un fulmine uccide 17 persone durante un matrimonio. Iran: dieci anni di prigione a due attivisti con doppia cittadinanza. Bielorussia: cominciato il processo contro l'oppositrice Kolesnikova. Afghanistan: il comandante talebano che guida l'attacco contro Lashkar Gah, venne scarcerato l'anno scorso sotto pressione degli USA. Stati Uniti: L'Isis una minaccia a tempo indeterminato. L'80 per cento della popolazione di Gaza carente di energia elettrica. Tunisia: dov'è il deposto premier? Ascolta il podcast notiziario di Radio Bullets, a cura di Barbara Schiavulli. Musiche di Walter Sguazzin

*) UN concerned with safety of Afghan civilians The UN says it's deeply concerned about the safety of tens of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan who are trapped by fighting between govt forces and the Taliban. The insurgents have stepped up attacks in multiple provinces since US and NATO forces began withdrawing from the country. Fighting has been particularly heavy around the city of Herat, near the western border with Iran, and Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south. *) Kashmiris warned not to strike on annexation anniversary Indian police are warning Kashmiri businesses not to take part in a shutdown to mark the second anniversary of India's annexation of the disputed Himalayan region. Syed Ali Geelani, a 91-year-old pro-freedom leader, put the call out for today's mass action. Two years ago, New Delhi unilaterally changed the semi-autonomous status of disputed Kashmir. *) Tunisia's Ghannouchi makes political turnaround In an eyebrow-raising turnaround, Tunisia's Speaker of Parliament and opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi says he and his Ennahda Movement party support reform efforts by President Kais Said. Last week, the president fired the prime minister and dissolved the government. Many, including Ghannouchi, heavily criticised Said's actions, saying it amounted to a coup. Ghannouchi now says he sees this an opportunity for the country. *) Anti-govt protests in Ghana Thousands have protested in Ghana, calling on the govt to improve the country's economy. They're blaming the president for the economy's poor performance. Protesters say rising prices and the coronavirus pandemic is making life very hard for citizens, especially the youth. And finally ... *) Parchment beats Holloway to gold in 110m men's hurdles Jamaican Hansle Parchment has beaten US world champion Grant Holloway to win gold in the men's Olympic 110m hurdles. Parchment clocked 13.04s, with Holloway taking silver and another Jamaican, Ronald Levy, winning bronze. The 31-year-old Jamaican made no mistake as he won the first global medal of his career.

After the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, concerns that the Taliban will move its control to urban centres are increasing. Afghan civilians are being urged to evacuate the besieged capital of Helmand Province ahead of a planned army offensive against the Taliban there. At least 40 civilians were killed in the first 24 hours as the Taliban continued their ground assault against government forces in the southern city of Lashkar Gah. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has blamed the country's deteriorating security situation on what he sees as Washington's sudden decision to withdraw its troops. The declining security in the country is resulting in an increasing number of Afghan refugees and internally displaced people. Guests: Torek Farhadi Former Adviser to the Afghan Government Michael Kugelman Asia Program Deputy Director at The Wilson Centre Ashraf Haidari Afghanistan's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Greg Barton Professor of Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University

Police in Ukraine have opened a murder inquiry into the death of Belarusian opposition activist Vitaly Shishov, after he was found hanged in a park in Kyiv. Bruises and scratches on his face may indicate that he was forced into a noose. Also in the programme: the situation in southern Afghanistan is going from bad to worse for Afghan residents. We hear from one in the besieged city of Lashkar Gah who says the Afghan army's evacuation order to residents is 'not logical'. And ahead of the one-year anniversary of the deadly blast in Beirut, Human Rights Watch has slammed the Lebanese authorities for 'criminal negligence'. We speak to the Lebanese ambassador to the UK. (Image: Vitaly Shishov, head of a Kyiv-based organisation that helps Belarusians fleeing persecution, is seen in Kyiv, Ukraine July 18, 2021. Credit: Reuters)

El ejército regular afgano pidió a los civiles evacuar Lashkar Gah antes de lanzar una ofensiva para desalojar a los talibanes de estas ciudad. Los enfrentamientos se han intensificado desde principios de mayo, cuando los insurgentes aprovecharon la retirada de las fuerzas extranjeras lideradas por Estados Unidos, que deben abandonar Afganistán el 31 de agosto después de casi 20 años de presencia. El ejército afgano instó este martes a los civiles a evacuar la ciudad sitiada de Lashkar Gah antes del lanzamiento de una operación para intentar expulsar a los talibanes. "Les pedimos abandonar sus casas lo antes posible así podemos empezar nuestra operación", dijo el general Sami Sadat a los habitantes de la capital de la provincia de Helmand, en el sur del país, en un mensaje a los medios para que lo difundan. Por lo menos 40 civiles murieron y 118 resultaron heridos en las últimas 24 horas en los combates en esa ciudad, indicó la Misión de Asistencia de las Naciones Unidas en Afganistán (Unama en inglés). Unama indicó su "profunda preocupación por los civiles afganos en Lashkar Gah", donde los enfrentamientos "se intensifican" entre les "talibanes que continúan su ofensiva por tierra y el ejército afgano que intenta rechazarlos". El ultraconservador grupo islámico se hizo con el control de numerosas zonas rurales desde que las fuerzas extranjeras anunciaran su retirada de Afganistán a principios de mayo, pero están encontrando una mayor resistencia en las capitales provinciales. Los enfrentamientos se han intensificado desde principios de mayo, cuando los insurgentes aprovecharon la fase final de la retirada de las fuerzas extranjeras lideradas por Estados Unidos, que deben abandonar Afganistán el 31 de agosto después de casi 20 años que culminan con un fracaso total para Washington. En los últimos meses, los insurgentes islamistas ultraconservadores han consolidado su presencia en buena parte del territorio afgano a tal punto que cerca del 40% de la población vive bajo su yugo. ¿Un retiro demasiado abrupto? Los talibanes asaltaron al menos tres capitales de provincia durante la noche --Lashkar Gah, Kandahar y Herat-- tras un fin de semana de intensos combates en los que miles de civiles huyeron del avance de los insurgentes. En un discurso en el parlamento, el presidente Ashraf Ghani culpó del deterioro de la seguridad a Washington, asegurando que su decisión de sacar las tropas internacionales del país "fue tomada abruptamente". “Lo que el presidente Ghani ha manifestado, es el fracaso de la intervención de EE.UU. En el año 2004-2005 ya se estaban viendo los fallos que había en la estrategia tanto militar como de reconstrucción que se había diseñado para la estabilización de Afganistán”, recuerda José Miguel Calvillo, doctor en Relaciones Internacionales por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y profesor en la Universidad Camilo José Cela. En entrevista con Angélica Pérez de RFI, Calvillo estima que “la administración afgana tiene su parte de responsabilidad porque han tenido tiempo suficiente para poder formar o capacitar unas fuerzas autónomas.” La guerra más larga de EEUU que comenzó hace 20 años contra los talibanes termina con un desastre para Washington ya que todo indica que tras hacerse con porciones significativas del territorio, los talibanes van a retomar el poder central. Incapacidad militar del gobierno afgano La falta de recursos es uno de los factores que explican la incapacidad del gobierno afgano en reconstruir un ejército nacional, según José Miguel Calvillo. “Sí es verdad que Afganistán es un Estado totalmente dependiente de la ayuda internacional para mejorar y capacitar a sus fuerzas armadas y para la reconstrucción del país. Pero creo que la administración afgana se ha acomodado a la idea de que EE.UU. no se iba a retirar nunca desde el teatro de operaciones afgano. Eso ha llevado la administración a una inercia que cuando ha llegado el día del abandono del país, no solamente de Estados Unidos sino del resto de la comunidad internacional, pues las fuerzas afganas no están lo suficientemente preparadas como para contener el avance de los talibanes”, agregó el experto en asuntos internacionales. La Agencia France Presse reporta que, en el sur de Afganistán, el gobierno desplegó cientos de comandos en Lashkar Gah y emplea ataques aéreos para evitar que sea la primera capital provincial en caer en manos de los talibanes. "Hay combates, cortes de electricidad, enfermos en el hospital, las redes de telecomunicaciones no funcionan. No hay medicamentos y las farmacias están cerradas", dijo Hawa Malalai, una residente, citada por AFP. Según el experto en Afganistán Nishank Motwani, "si las ciudades afganas caen (...) la decisión de Estados Unidos de retirarse de Afganistán será recordada como uno de los errores estratégicos más notables de la política exterior estadounidense".

US jets are reported to have conducted more air strikes on suspected Taliban positions in the southern Afghan city of Lashkar Gah, where security forces and the Taliban are involved in heavy battles. We hear from a doctor working in the city. Also in the programme: The Ethiopian government rejects the latest demands of advancing Tigrayan rebels; and what do Russian athletes think about competing under a neutral flag at the Tokyo Olympics? (Image: An Afghan security official stands guard at a check point in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province. Credit: Epa/Watan Yar)

A MSF doctor in the city says there is fighting all around and medical supplies are running low. Also: Belarus sprinter Krystina Tsimanovskaya given Polish humanitarian visa, and a Covid-19 app in England is tweaked to notify fewer contacts.

This episode, I speak with Abdul Jamil, a 75-year-old member of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) originally from Marjah in Helmand province. It's a special and sobering episode, because the 33-year-old Helmandi journalist Aliyas Dayee, with whom I'd worked since 2016 and who assisted with this and the previous two episodes, is no longer with us. On November 12, less than a month after this interview was recorded, Dayee was leaving the provincial hospital in Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah with his brother after dropping their mother off for a routine visit when a bomb exploded beneath his car.  His brother and two other passers-by were injured and Dayee was killed.He had been receiving threats from the Taliban as long as I'd known him. His bosses at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) had flown him to Kabul several times when the threats were deemed particularly serious. They had wanted to do the same in October, before he and I worked together on the interview that follows, but felt he couldn't. After the Taliban moved in on Lashkar Gah from the surrounding districts on October 11, a wave of residents from the same districts moved ahead of them to avoid the fighting. Dayee took ten families -- 50 or 60 people and an assortment of chickens -- into his modest home and didn't want to leave his elderly mother, wife and their infant daughter Mehrabani.And so, unlike previous episodes,  the interview that follows is from the original recording, conducted in a yard on October 18, surrounded by the men from Abdul Jamil's ALP unit. It's Dayee's deep, husky voice; the same voice that told the stories of Helmand and it's people for more than a decade for RFE/RL you'll hear translating  for Jamil and I, with sounds from the frontline peppered throughout. On the day we spoke, October 18, Jamil was commanding a platoon-sized unit who'd occupied a residential compound in Bolan, a couple of kilometres west of Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah.The Taliban had pushed in on Lashkar Gah a week prior but hadn't gotten any further than the row of houses Jamil and his men, as well as units from the Afghan National Army and police were holding. Although the ALP are in the process of being wound down and absorbed into other branches of the security force, Jamil's unit, far from the area it was originally tasked with securing, had been moved from frontline to frontline in the months prior, more like commandos than the lowly paid and trained local, pro-government militia they are. Abdul Jamil had to think back decades to a time he could remember Afghanistan at peace and his outlook for the future was just as bleak.The loss of Aliyas Dayee, too, darkens the horizon for those who knew, loved and listened to him. He was buried the same day he died in a cemetery not far from where our interview was conducted in Bolan. Chahr-i Anjir, where he grew up, and where his father was buried last year was out of the question; the Taliban controlled the area now. He  is survived by his wife and daughter. Rest in Peace Dayee.

This episode, the second from my recent trip to Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, I speak with the most senior Afghan National Army (ANA) officer in the province, the commander of the Afghan National Army's 215th Corps',  Lt. Gen. Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai.I interviewed Gen. Ahmadzai on October 17, where, in the exact same guesthouse on the exact same day, two years earlier, one of his old army comrades, Abdul Jabar Qarahman, who President Ghani had sent to the city to oversee an effort to prevent its fall in 2016, was killed during a meeting by a bomb that had been placed under his chair. Both Ahmadzai and Qarahman were sent to Helmand in late 2016. At that time, the Taliban had virtually surrounded Lashkar Gah. The situation was much the same this October this year, only this time the Taliban had rolled government forces in the districts surrounding Helmand's capital in a matter of days, not months. General Ahmadzai and I spoke about the orders he received following the February signing of the U.S. - Taliban Doha agreement, about how he personally felt about the orders and about how things have played out on the battlefield since then, with Ahmadzai repeatedly raising the Taliban's refusal to adhere to the terms that were supposedly laid out in the Doha agreement.I asked him whether his orders to halt the ANA's offensive operations and stay in their bases since Doha led to situations where his forces retaliated carelessly to Taliban attacks as reportedly happened in one incident in June where 50 civilians were killed or wounded in Sangin district.Gen. Ahmadzai told me about the relationship with the U.S. forces he's worked with since taking command of the 215th corps and the conditions that led to the near-collapse of the province which led to his appointment in 2016. We also talked about what led to the repeat of 2016 last month and about the suspicion that some government outposts and checkpoints whose commanders had been appointed by officials in the government and were beholden to them rather than their military commanders had been surrendered without a fight. I should note that, had I interviewed Ahmadzai a day or two later, after having spoken to more Helmandis who'd been caught up in the government's retreat, such as my guest on Episode 7, I'd have had more questions about the strength of the defence provided by forces under his command.AfterwordWith regards to Gen Ahmadzai's mention of the 125 Order, a representative of the National Security Council told Afghanistan After America there is no such thing, but that the decision to adopt a posture of active defensive after Doha was an Afghan government initiative. The deputy spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not acknowledge the existence of the 125 Order, either, instead, also repeatedly referring to the ANSF's posture of active defense, which, he said, was a demonstration of the government's “will for peace.” With regards to the investigation into the events surrounding the June 29 incident in Sangin, the MOD's deputy spokesperson told me that he would have to look into the matter and is yet to come back to me.Also on the topic of the Sangin incident, General Ahmadzai said in the interview that ANA mortars are incapable of reaching a target 5km away, which he says was the distance from the ANA base in Sangin to the bazaar that was struck. According to the U.S. Army's website, however, and I quote: "81mm [mortar] rounds have a maximum effective range of 5,608 meters… [while] 120mm rounds can reach 7,200 meters…”

On October 11, Taliban fighters in Helmand converged on the districts surrounding the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, capturing huge swathes of government-held territory in a matter of days and raising concern that the city would fall to the insurgents.The offensive was the Taliban's largest, countrywide, since representatives of the group signed an agreement with the U.S. in Doha in February, which both sides said they hoped would pave the way for bringing an end to the war.Although it wasn't specified in the publicly available version of the agreement, U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that a verbal agreement was made to reduce violence thereafter. Since February, U.S., N.A.T.O. and Afghan government officials have lamented on an almost daily basis the Taliban's failure to live up to this supposed part of the agreement. Afghan government forces, for their part, have assumed a defensive posture since February as a gesture of goodwill and the U.S. have halted offensive air and ground operations, resorting to air support for Afghan government forces only when they're under extreme pressure, as was the case last week in Helmand.I flew to Helmand last week to speak with some of those who were caught up in the Taliban's offensive and others who were fighting back against it.This episode, I speak with a school teacher who was forced to leave his home and village in Nad-i Ali district, a place where British and U.S. forces fought at great cost for several years which abuts Lashkar Gah to the northeast.Mohammad Sardar, as I'll refer to him, has lived in the same village, which I won't be naming, all his life. It wasn't, however, the first time he and his family were forced from their home in the face of a military offensive. We spoke in his father's home in Lashkar Gah, where he'd resettled his family after leaving the village  a week prior. Two of his children came in from time to time as we spoke for help with their homework.(The interview was conducted in Pashto, through a translator, and like previous episodes, transcribed and then re-recorded in English).It's the third time since 2008 that Mohammad Sardar has had to leave his home because of Taliban military offensives. Soon after the last time it happened, in 2016, he ended up returning to the school to teach after coming to an agreement with the Taliban.But his profession isn't his only cause for concern when it comes to his relationship with the Taliban. While Helmand is an overwhelming Pashtun province, Mohammad Sardar is among a small Hazara minority living there. With ethnic minorities increasingly worried about the Pashtun-majority Taliban coming to power in the future and the prospect of persecution at their hand, we speak about his experience as part of an ethnic minority in Helmand and whether it affects his dealings with the Taliban, of which he has had many in recent years.But to begin with, we start closer to the present, with Mohammad Sardar explaining what happened in the days and weeks leading up to the Taliban offensive that saw his village fall into the insurgent group's control yet again.

For more than a week, residents of Lashkar Gah city in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, have been on edge.Some have been forced to flee their homes because of fresh fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security forces that erupted suddenly last weekend.Local authorities report that as many as 35,000 people may have been displaced and 200 people have been killed or injured.Photos and videos posted online show residents fleeing the city on motorbikes and in the backs of trucks. Not knowing how long they will be on the move, many can be seen leaving with their belongings — blankets, furniture and other goods — piled high up on car rooftops and trucks.Dr. Lia Harris, a pediatrician with medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said medical centers in the area have been treating casualties with bullet wounds and injuries from improvised explosive devices. Some of the injured are women and children.“Helmand province has been the focus of ongoing conflict for over a decade, but it really escalated on October 11,” Harris told The World over an unstable phone line. The recent attempt by the Taliban to take over Lashkar Gah last weekend — and the Afghan government’s response — comes as officials from the two groups meet in Doha, Qatar, to negotiate a US-brokered peace deal.The Taliban had previously made an agreement with the US in which the Americans agreed to withdraw their troops if the Taliban reduce fighting and sit down with Afghan government representatives.Related: Afghan peace talks set to start despite escalating attacks on politiciansThat agreement was signed in February. But since then, the Taliban have continued to carry out violence across the country, hoping that such provocations could increase their leverage in the negotiations. The group carries out near-daily attacks, killing Afghan forces and civilians.The World reached out to a Taliban spokesman for comment, but he did not respond.In the meantime, the roads and highways in Helmand are currently “dangerously impassable,” said Harris, who took up her post last month. Locals are cut off from life-saving medical care.Related: A newborn survived an attack at a hospital in Afghanistan. Now the long road to recovery begins.“A child or a pregnant woman who is in labor previously would have been able to come to Lashkar Gah and access our resources. At the moment, they can’t come,” Harris said.Marianna Cortesi, hospital coordinator at the MSF-supported Boost provincial hospital in Helmand province, described how one mother, seven months pregnant, lost her unborn child after a stray bullet hit her.Taliban and Afghan security forces face offShortly after the Taliban began their offensive last weekend, the Afghan government deployed its security forces to stop the group.Videos posted online showed security forces moving in during the early hours of the morning. They managed to push back Taliban fighters, but they also suffered painful losses.On Wednesday, two Afghan military helicopters were assigned to drop off new troops and evacuate soldiers who had been wounded. But the helicopters experienced technical issues and crashed, killing nine people.Among them was 31-year-old Captain Obaid Ahmadi.His former classmate, Kahkashan Koofi, told The World that Ahmadi was engaged and was getting ready to plan his wedding.“Every day, in every corner of this country, we watch as our loved ones get killed. Women bury their husbands, mothers are left to mourn and shed tears for their beloved sons.”Kahkashan Koofi, classmate of Afghan security forces Captain Obaid Ahmadi“Every day, in every corner of this country, we watch as our loved ones get killed,” Koofi said, taking a pause to compose herself because she was so distraught at the loss of her friend. “Women bury their husbands, mothers are left to mourn and shed tears for their beloved sons.”Koofi wishes the Taliban and Afghan government would come to an agreement soon.“I want to ask them if taking power is really worth inflicting all this pain on people? To kill so many young Afghans with hopes and dreams?” she said.On Thursday, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted that after several meetings with the Taliban, the group agreed to “re-set actions” by “strictly adhering” to the US-Taliban agreement. “This means reduced numbers of operations. At present too many Afghans are dying. With the re-set, we expect that number to drop significantly,” Khalilzad wrote.Many Afghans are hoping that this time the Taliban are serious about launching fewer attacks.

Da domenica è in corso un'offensiva dei talebani nella provincia afghana dell'Helmand e migliaia di persone sono in fuga dalla città di Lashkar Gah, proprio mentre a Doha proseguono i negoziati di pace e gli Usa prevedono ulteriori smobilitazioni di truppe, fino al ritiro completo. Cosa succederà in Afghanistan? Ne abbiamo discusso con Emanuele Nannini (responsabile dell'area emergenza dell'ufficio programmi umanitari Emergency), Stefano Pontecorvo (Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan per la NATO, già ambasciatore Italiano in Pakistan), Giuliano Battiston (ricercatore e giornalista del Manifesto, esperto di Afghanistan) e Miraq Popal (giornalista del network afghano Tolo News).

Darren ended his military career in 2013 having served with 3 Scots, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. He enlisted into the British Army from South Africa and was a gunner with B Company. He deployed on Herrick 15 taking on multiple roles including GPMG gunner, CSM Driver and PMAG team member in Lashkar Gah. His post military career has seen him making a success within the Utilities industry where he has fantastic opportunities available for veterans within his company. To contact Darren about these Opportunities contact: darren.vdb@glenevin.co.uk You can reach him on Insta @vdboon88 Follow us on Insta @leadwasps If you or anyone you know would be interested in appearing on the podcast contact leadwaspspodcast@gmail.com for consideration.

From Communities Digital News: There are those who take uncertain steps on IED-ridden battlefields, take to contested waterways, and fly unguarded skies as dangerous threats lurk below. Protecting freedom is how over a million active-duty military men and women support their families. These Brothers in Arms fight and die, for each other, and for those who can’t fight for themselves. Since the Global War on Terror began on September 11, 2001, America’s warriors have faced evil on a heightened scale and risked life and limb to quell a hate-filled enemy who does not respect human life. It was the remarkable esprit de corps, the history and its intimacy as an organization that drew Lt. Col. Stephen Mount to the Marine Corps in 1996. Mount, severely wounded in Iraq, 2004, was given command June 30th, 2016, of Wounded Warrior Battalion-West (WWBn-W), located at Camp Pendleton Calif., now in its tenth year of operation. SAN DIEGO, 2017. Lt. Col. Stephen Mount at Wounded Warrior Battalion-West  Headquarters Complex, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Jeanne McKinney for CommDigiNews There, he is committed to the successful recovery of each Marine assigned to his care. “I try to be the kind of guy who absorbs the blows and then just figures it out,” said Mount. He chooses to not make drastic decisions right away and let things kind of simmer. “Let’s just figure this out together and go forward,” he tells his Marines. Absorbing the blows of active-duty service prefaced Mount’s first historic experiences as a UH-1N (Huey) pilot with Helicopter Marine Light Attack Squadron (HMLA)-169. His first deployment in 2001, as part of the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), took him to Darwin, training with the Australians. After the twin towers and the Pentagon were hit and hijacked Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvania field, the 15th MEU was redirected to the Arabian Sea. “It was a very anxious and excitable kind of feeling that we were out in the Arabian Sea and the country had been attacked and more than likely we were going to do something about it.” He was on the flight deck of his ship, watching the first U.S. missile strikes launched in the first round of attacks. The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) conducts strike operations against Syria while in the Mediterranean Sea, April 7, 2017. U.S. Navy Photo Mount’s squadron was flown into the Afghanistan desert and had to scrape out a “pseudo desert airstrip”, that Mount said, “[had] some old abandoned buildings they probably used to run drugs out of.” By end of November 2001, that pseudo desert airstrip had a name: Camp Rhino, the first U.S. Forward Operating Base (FOB) established in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. They went in there with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines under Colonel Brett Bourne. “It wasn’t a Forward Operating Base in the traditional sense. They dug holes in the sand—that was our perimeter. Then we built ourselves fueling points.” Mount called flying into the middle of the desert in a foreign country and doing good things “fun times.” The first night he slept by the skid of his aircraft. “None of our aircraft have any gas. We don’t know what is going to happen. You’re a young man—that’s what you do … it was exciting.” A sense of finality prevailed. “I can’t get back to the ship until someone lands and gives me more gas,” said Mount. There was already fighting in the North which had fallen to the Taliban. Gas arrived on C-130’s and U.S. troops followed Hamid Karzai and his boys into Kandahar and then Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, establishing an airfield at Kandahar. Mount explains, “The big offensive against the Taliban hadn’t started yet; not until we got there and Karzai could have some assurances that America is here to help you.” A future home for wounded warriors would come into play as the Global War on Terrorism kicked off. Operation Iraqi Freedom I, the initial invasion of Iraq, saw U.S. and Coalition Forces quickly defeat Suddam Hussein’s Army. Upheaval and more harrowing times ensued. During Operation Iraqi Freedom II, 2004, the U.S. sent troops in to support the newly-established Provisional Iraqi Government, trying to stabilize the country and protect Iraqi citizens, threatened by growing violence and complexity. The unpreparedness for the number of casualties and pace of operations going forward took a toll on the military healthcare system. For Mount and others deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, there was no centralized operation to care for the numbers of wounded warriors too well to be kept in-patient, but not well enough to go back to their units or deploy. A charismatic yet disenchanted Shiite Muslim cleric, Muqtada al­ Sadr, spread insurrection around Iraq, in opposition to the new government. His die-hard followers formed heavily-armed militias or al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army, who rained bullets and shrapnel on U.S. and Coalition forces. Al-Sadr’s militia was battered. A conditional truce was made with him for An Najaf and al-Kufa (his home territory) that restricted Coalition forces entry. Al-Sadr used fear and oppression to reinforce control and conducted assassinations, kidnappings, and torture of police and government officials. The militia would then hide where Coalition forces could not pursue them. Mount and his flight crew deployed with Colonel Anthony M. Haslam’s 11th MEU and Lt. Col. John L. Mayer’s Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1/4) in the summer of ‘04. The MEU took over the battlespace in and around An Najaf by August, in soaring desert temperatures and volatile instability. “There was an old holy cemetery [Wadi al-Salam],” said Mount, then a Captain. “They [al-Sadr’s militia] would use the crypts and catacombs to build smuggled weapons and launch attacks out to the Iraqi police forces.” Mount and his crew couldn’t fly over or attack the holy burial grounds or the Imam Ali Mosque. “There was a police station in Revolutionary Circle…they would lob mortars and shoot at us [every night]. By the time we’d get to our birds and fly over there, they’d [retreat] back to the cemetery,” said Mount. The night of August 3rd, enough was enough for MEU commanders. A Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and Combined Anti-Armor-Team (CAAT) were summoned to reinforce the police station. American forces came under attack on the main highway that runs by the cemetery, from where al-Sadr’s militia was positioned. Mount’s aircraft section suppressed the threat, allowing our forces to run through. Again, they were called out. “We spun up one Huey and two Cobras,” said Mount, who piloted the lead Huey with Co-pilot Drew Turner, Crew Chief Pat Burgess, and Gunner Lance Corporal Teodro Naranjo. Mount’s section circled, seeking to take out a mortar pit that an ‘observer’ had seen by an old gas station near the cemetery. He missed seeing it on the first “poke your head out, shoot, and get back,” attempt, but on a second circle, further out, the Huey’s number one engine and Mount got a fiery hit. “I clenched and reflexed, bringing our nose way up and lost all our air speed,” remembered Mount, crediting Turner for landing the battered helicopter right-side up instead of upside down, which would have killed them. A rifle round entered Mount’s left temple and went behind the bridge of his nose, in front of an eye through the socket and exited the right temple. “I remember Pat Burgess…dragging me off the skid behind some bricks – waiting there for the guys – a Corpsman ran up and jabbed with morphine.” “Captain Andrew Turner, ran into the [nearby medical] clinic and came out with an Iraqi physician. Mount had been holding a compress to his wound while trying to chamber a round in his pistol with his teeth. His crew chief, Staff Sergeant Patrick O. Burgess, finally gave him a needed hand in loading.”

In the 1950s, US engineers were sent to Afghanistan to build a huge dam.The aim was to irrigate the deserts of Helmand.The town of Lashkar Gah was built to house the workers.Photo: Lashkar Gah from the air, 1957.

Photo: An Afghan National Security Forces serviceman takes position during a military operation in Helmand province. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images.

In Helmand Province, Afghanistan, police have taken a significant step towards regional autonomy by unveiling a police training facility. The Lashkar Gah Training Centre (LTC), opened by the British in 2009, will now see Afghan police trainers teach a variety of courses as they look to take on one of the biggest challenges in Afghanistan – policing Helmand. Also available in high definition

Colour and insight from reporters around the world: the man who'll find you a violin tree in the Jura Mountains; what's going to happen to the man who tends the roses in the Afghan town of Lashkar Gah? Culture clash in Bamako -- how some of the refugees from Mali's north are overstaying their welcome. Why the Mexican president's warning about vigilantes may not be heeded in the mountainous south-west and ominous signs as birds of prey gather in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

In the 1950s, US engineers were sent to Afghanistan to build a huge dam. The aim was to irrigate the deserts of Helmand. The town of Lashkar Gah was built to house the workers. Photo: Lashkar Gah from the air, 1957.

On this episode, the new Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, meets with Marines in Afghanistan, we meet the new Chief of Police in Kandahar, Marines train Afghan security forces in Lashkar Gah, a National Guardsman presses on despite losing his home, and military doctors care for a special patient. Presented in anamorphic 16:9 format.

Will Thursday's eurozone agreement be enough to save the European single currency and the union of European nations? Chris Morris in Brussels considers the deal designed to prevent the debt crisis from spreading. Michael Buchanan was in Helmand province Afghanistan as the city of Lashkar Gah was returned to Afghan control. For the westerners leaving, he says, their job was far from done. Some Ethiopian girls are getting married at the age of five and Claudia Hammond has been finding out about the efforts being made to stamp out the practice of child marriage. Ever wondered what sound a post-coital baboon makes? Wonder no longer. Jake Wallis Simons imitates it as part his extraordinary story about the Australian much more at home in the real jungle than its urban equivalent. And Berlin's a city noted for its counterculture, its anti-establishment stance. Steve Evans is there exploring its more gentle side.

What sort of shape will the UK's army be in after yet more cuts are announced?  And what impact will it have on morale?Why the hand-over of Lashkar Gah is critical to Afghanistan's futureAnd..how instrumental was the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth in securing the base's future?PRESENTER:Kate GerbauSTUDIO GUEST:  BFBS's defence analyst, Christopher Lee.  INTERVIEWS WITH:Lt General Sir Graeme Lamb & MP Patrick Mercer on the cuts to the Army and the increase in reserves.George McIntyre, Convener of Moray Council and part of the 'save Lossiemouth campaign'.BFBS's Rob Olver, in Afghanistan on the handover of Lashkar Gah Kim Sengupta, The Independent's defence correspondent, on Afghanistan.

What sort of shape will the UK's army be in after yet more cuts are announced?  And what impact will it have on morale?Why the hand-over of Lashkar Gah is critical to Afghanistan's futureAnd..how instrumental was the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth in securing the base's future?PRESENTER:Kate GerbauSTUDIO GUEST:  BFBS’s defence analyst, Christopher Lee.  INTERVIEWS WITH:Lt General Sir Graeme Lamb & MP Patrick Mercer on the cuts to the Army and the increase in reserves.George McIntyre, Convener of Moray Council and part of the 'save Lossiemouth campaign'.BFBS's Rob Olver, in Afghanistan on the handover of Lashkar Gah Kim Sengupta, The Independent's defence correspondent, on Afghanistan.