QResear.ch

#14183403 at 2021-07-23 20:44:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17943: TRUMP Rally in Arizona Tomorrow Edition

US Launches Airstrikes Against the Taliban

The Pentagon says the US bombed Afghanistan in support of the Afghan government over 'the last several days'

The US launched several airstrikes in Afghanistan against the Taliban this week, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The airstrikes were carried out in support of the Afghan government, which has been losing significant ground to the Taliban since the US started pulling troops out back in May.

"In the last several days we have acted, through airstrikes, to support the ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces]," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. He was asked about alleged airstrikes in Kandahar, but said, "I won't get into technical details of those strikes."

Since the US-Taliban peace deal was signed in February 2020, US airstrikes on the Taliban have declined, but they do happen. The US usually frames the airstrikes as being carried out in the "defense" of the Afghan government. For their part, the Taliban has refrained from attacking the US or other foreign troops since the agreement was signed.

This week's airstrikes mark the first that the US admitted to since Gen. Scott Miller, the former top US commander in Afghanistan, handed his authority to Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command. It's also a sign that the US will continue bombing Afghanistan until at least August 31st, when President Biden said the withdrawal will be complete.

US airstrikes in Afghanistan are now being launched from outside the country, what the Pentagon has dubbed "over the horizon capability." The US will maintain this capability after the withdrawal, so it's possible that the US will continue bombing Afghanistan beyond September. The US also has plans to leave about 600 troops in the country that will be in Kabul to guard the embassy and the international airport.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/07/22/us-launches-airstrikes-against-the-taliban/

#14115444 at 2021-07-13 21:03:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17859: ⚔⛨ Save The World Edition

Top US General in Afghanistan Hands Command to CENTCOM

CENTCOM now has the authority to carry out airstrikes in Afghanistan

Gen. Scott Miller, who served as the top US commander in Afghanistan since 2018, transferred his authorities on Monday to Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM).

McKenzie now has the authority to bomb Afghanistan. Future airstrikes in the country will be launched from outside Afghanistan, either from bases or aircraft carriers in the Gulf region, what the Pentagon calls "over the horizon capabilities."

The transfer of authority is part of the US withdrawal that President Biden said will be completed by August 31st, although the US plans to keep a troop presence at its embassy and at the international airport in Kabul.

The Pentagon has established an embassy-based military command structure called Forces Afghanistan-Forward that will be headed by Navy Rear Admiral Peter Vasely. The embassy command will be supported by a new Afghanistan-focused office based in Qatar.

The handover ceremony took place at the former headquarters for the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The headquarters are now part of the US embassy complex, which is a sprawling 36-acre facility. Most NATO countries have pulled all of their troops out of Afghanistan. According to Stars and Stripes, the only flags flying during Monday's ceremony were that of the US, the UK, and Turkey.

Turkey is playing a vital role in Washington's post-withdrawal plans. The US and Turkey worked out a deal that will leave Turkish troops in Afghanistan to secure the Kabul airport. The Taliban opposes a continued Turkish presence since the Doha agreement called for all foreign troops to leave the country.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/07/12/top-us-general-in-afghanistan-hands-command-to-centcom/

#14048346 at 2021-07-04 03:31:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17777: Patriots Rally with Trump, Happy 4th America! Edition

Pentagon Approves New Embassy-Based Military Command for Afghanistan

The Pentagon expects the 'withdrawal' to be completed by the end of August

On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has approved a new military command structure that will be based out of the US embassy in Kabul, which will oversee Afghanistan operations after most US combat troops leave the country.

The new embassy-based military office, dubbed Forces Afghanistan-Forward, will be headed by Navy Rear Admiral Peter Vasely. The US has tried to portray its plans to keep troops at its embassy in Kabul as only for security purposes. But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby described what sort of operations the new office will oversee, which goes beyond guarding the embassy.

"That presence will remain focused on four things over the course of the coming period. One, protecting our diplomatic presence in the country. Two, supporting security requirements at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Three, continued advice and assistance to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces as appropriate. And four, supporting our counterterrorism efforts," Kirby said.

Kirby said the embassy office would be supported by another Afghanistan office that will be established in Qatar. Under the plan, the authority to bomb Afghanistan will be transferred from the top US commander in the country, Gen. Scott Miller, to Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command. Airstrikes in Afghanistan will be carried out by warplanes based outside of the country, mostly in the Gulf region, what the Pentagon has dubbed "over the horizon capability."

Although nothing has been confirmed, reports say the US plans to leave 650 troops at the embassy. The US embassy in Kabul is a sprawling 36-acre compound and has the room to host thousands of people. That means besides troops, there could also be CIA or civilian contractors that don't need to have a declared presence.

The US might also leave some troops to help Turkey control the Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is also in Kabul. The US sees control of the airport as key to its post-withdrawal plans, and Washington and Ankara are working out an agreement that would keep the approximately 500 Turkish troops at the airport that are currently guarding it.

Recent media reports said the bulk of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan would be completed by July 4th. But both the Pentagon and the White House said on Friday the drawdown would probably be done by the end of August.

"We currently expect it to be completed by the end of August. So, as you know, the president decided to withdraw remaining US troops from Afghanistan and finally end the US war there after 20 years," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.

While Psaki said President Biden wants to remove all "remaining troops," it's clear based on the fact that Austin approved a new military command for Afghanistan that troops will stay. The plan will fuel more violence since the Taliban will view it as a clear violation of the Doha agreement that called for all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/07/02/pentagon-approves-new-embassy-based-military-command-for-afghanistan/

#14041141 at 2021-07-03 04:38:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17768: Sarasota, Florida rally Tomorrow Night 8pmE Edition

Pentagon to switch over US military roles in Afghanistan

The Pentagon has announced that the top general commanding American military operations in Afghanistan will transfer his role to the head of US Central Command "effective later this month," as US troops prepare to leave the country following twenty years of war.

"As part of our ongoing drawdown process [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] approved a plan today to transfer command authority over our mission in Afghanistan from Gen. Scott Miller to Gen. Frank McKenzie. We expect that transfer to be effective later this month," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a news conference on Friday.

He added that Miller will remain in charge "for a number of weeks" to complete the turnover to McKenzie, and will keep travelling to Afghanistan during this time.

The Pentagon spokesman described the change in command structure and the handover of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan earlier on Friday to Afghan forces as "key milestones in our drawdown process reflecting a smaller US force presence" in the country.

However, Kirby said that McKenzie will "continue to exercise authority over the conduct of any and all counterterrorism operations needed to protect the homeland from threats emanating out of Afghanistan."

The moves effectively end the US war in Afghanistan which began nearly 20 years ago following the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, DC, in which about 3000 Americans lost their lives. No Afghan was involved in the attacks.

Earlier on Friday, US-led coalition troops vacated the largest military base in the war-torn country, located in the ancient city of Bagram, about 45 miles north of Kabul.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/07/03/661393/pentagon-us-afghanistan-

#13625206 at 2021-05-10 05:57:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17254: Quo Warranto Edition

2021-04-29 PN120 Department of State
Victoria Nuland, of Virginia, to be an Under Secretary of State (Political Affairs).


2021-04-29 PN130 Department of Veterans Affairs
Richard A. Sauber, of the District of Columbia, to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.


2021-04-29 PN255 National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Bill Nelson, of Florida, to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.


2021-04-29 PN267 Appalachian Regional Commission
Gayle C. Manchin, of West Virginia, to be Federal Cochairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission.


2021-04-28 PN114 United States Agency for International Development
Samantha Power, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.


2021-04-27 PN79-6 Department of Defense
Colin Hackett Kahl, of California, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.


2021-04-27 PN79-8 Environmental Protection Agency
Janet Garvin McCabe, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.


2021-04-27 PN79-9 Executive Office of the President
Jason Scott Miller, of Maryland, to be Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget.


2021-04-22 PN129 Department of Homeland Security
Deanne Bennett Criswell, of New York, to be Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.


2021-04-21 PN79-4 Department of Justice
Vanita Gupta, of Virginia, to be Associate Attorney General.


2021-04-20 PN79-10 Department of Justice
Lisa O. Monaco, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Attorney General.


2021-04-20 PN81 Securities and Exchange Commission
Gary Gensler, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for a term expiring June 5, 2026.


2021-04-14 PN79-7 Executive Office of the President
Brenda Mallory, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality.


2021-04-14 PN80 Securities and Exchange Commission
Gary Gensler, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 5, 2021.


2021-04-13 PN79-12 Department of State
Wendy Ruth Sherman, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of State.


2021-04-13 PN117 Department of Transportation
Polly Ellen Trottenberg, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation.


2021-03-25 PN79-1 Department of the Treasury
Adewale O. Adeyemo, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.


2021-03-24 PN118 Department of Energy
David Turk, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy.

#13511915 at 2021-04-25 23:25:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #17113: They Will Fight But You Are Ready Edition

US and NATO Begin Troop Withdrawal From Several Bases in Afghanistan

Last week, the alliance announced that an orderly pullout from Afghanistan would begin by 1 May and is expected to be complete within a few months. The US aims to complete the withdrawal by 11 September.

The United States and NATO have begun withdrawing their troops from a number of bases in Afghanistan, Commander of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, Austin Scott Miller said at a press conference on Sunday. Miller added that the military will eventuall hand over all their bases to Afghan forces.

"We have started withdrawing from a number of bases … Even if Afghanistan has access to a peace agreement, we have been told to leave", Miller said at the press conference.

The announcement comes as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg revealed the bloc's plans to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by 1 May. The alliance intends to complete the withdrawal within several months.

US President Joe Biden, in turn, vowed to withdraw US troops by 11 September, on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Under the terms of the previous US-Taliban agreement, signed in Doha by then-President Donald Trump, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, in exchange for the Taliban's commitment not to host terrorist forces in the country that could threaten US national security, was supposed to be effectuated on 1 May. However, new President Biden admitted that meeting the original deadline could be "tough".

Despite the the launch of peace talks between the movement and Kabul in Qatar's Doha last September, clashes between Taliban insurgents and the Afghan military still continue to rock the country.

https://sputniknews.com/asia/202104251082718244-us-and-nato-begin-troop-withdrawal-from-several-bases-in-afghanistan/

#13296460 at 2021-03-25 18:45:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16844: POTATUS' Big Press Conference Edition

Biden To Stay In Afghanistan Beyond May 1st Agreement Despite Pentagon Saying "We're Ready"

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said that the Biden administration plans to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond the May 1st deadline set by the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed last year.

"It's a general feeling that May 1 is too soon, just logistically," Smith said at a panel on Wednesday, according to Responsible Statecraft. Smith cited conversations he had with administration officials. "You cannot pull out ten thousand plus troops in any sort of reasonable way in just six weeks," he said.

Smith said the Biden administration wants to "negotiate past May 1" with the Taliban. "Job one is to try to get back in to talk to the Taliban about at least giving us more time," he said. Smith said the argument for staying is "purely logistical."

While Smith claims May 1st is "too soon," the Pentagon said on Tuesday that they are ready to meet the deadline if President Biden orders the withdrawal.

When asked by reporters on Tuesday if it is "logistically" possible to meet the May 1st deadline, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is confident that General Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, could get it done.

"I would point you back to what Secretary Austin said when we were in Kabul, which is that - that he's confident that Generals McKenzie and General Miller, if a decision is made, to completely withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, that they will get it done in a safe, orderly, and effective way," Kirby said.

February 8th marked the first full year since the war started in 2001 that no US troops died in combat in Afghanistan.

However, the Taliban are expected to start targeting US soldiers again if President Biden chooses to stay beyond May 1st.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/03/24/top-house-democrat-says-biden-plans-to-stay-in-afghanistan-beyond-may-1st/

Forever war and heroin

#13268602 at 2021-03-21 16:56:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16808: Maricopa ballots Handcount 2 Gorillian, GO! Edition

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Afghanistan as troop withdrawal deadline looms
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday as a May 1 deadline looms for the possible withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the country. The deadline was part of last year's peace agreement with the Taliban.

President Joe Biden has not yet decided whether to pull out the 2,500 U.S. troops and is considering whether they should remain in Afghanistan for another six months, according to a U.S. official.

In his first visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary, Austin met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and with Gen. Scott Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Austin's visit was carried out under tight security restrictions and reporters accompanying Austin were asked not to report the visit until after he had left the country.

The visit comes as Biden has to decide soon whether all American troops will leave Afghanistan as laid out in the peace agreement the Trump administration reached with the Taliban last year.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-visits-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal/story?id=76557517&cid=social_twitter_abcn

#12655251 at 2021-01-21 22:11:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16157: God Is Not Just The Spare Tire Edition

>>12655125
>>12655234
>Biden Team not getting much traction at muh Pentagram. cont


But people with the transition said the outgoing team's conduct went far beyond the norm and pointed to loyalists installed by the White House as the main reason for the obstruction. Pentagon officials under President Donald Trump refused to provide information about current operations, particularly in the special operations realm, because they are "predecisional." That means the Biden team now has limited visibility into key operational issues, including what counterterrorism missions are in the works.

In one incident, the Pentagon abruptly canceled the transition team's meeting with Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, which had been scheduled for just before Christmas. At the time, the acting defense secretary said both teams had agreed to reschedule all non-Covid related meetings until after the new year, but Biden officials publicly denied that claim.

The drawdown in Afghanistan, where American troops are expected to leave the country this spring under a deal between the Trump administration and the Taliban, is one of the most pressing issues Biden's national security team will have to confront in his young presidency.

The team was eventually able to speak with the general in January. But with the Trump administration down to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and on a path to reach zero by May, "having a multiple-week delay in gaining access to Gen. Miller was not good," the first transition official said.

Another area where the transition felt they did not have adequate access was Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's effort to develop and distribute Covid-19 vaccines. The Pentagon initially rebuffed the transition's request to meet with Gen. Gustave Perna, Warp Speed's chief operating officer.

Perna was present at a meeting between the Pentagon and Health and Human Services transition teams in mid-December, but he did not answer any questions. It wasn't until last week that the DoD transition team got to meet with Perna in a smaller setting.

Transition officials said the delay in getting answers about Warp Speed will hamper the Biden administration's plan to dramatically scale up the nation's vaccination distribution effort over the next three months.

Gough pushed back on the characterization that DoD did not cooperate on Warp Speed, noting that the department has held 64 interviews or briefings with the Biden transition team where Covid-19 was on the agenda or a was major discussion point, and completed 59 Covid-related requests for information.

Overall, Gough said the department as of Tuesday had sent the Biden team 277 responses to requests for information.
But across the department, even when the transition team did meet with DoD officials, both civilian and military, they were often tight-lipped, as if they were given explicit guidance about what they could and could not talk about. Those suspicions were confirmed when the first transition official bumped into a "very high-ranking" military official a week after their meeting, and the officer apologized for his clipped answers.

"We were alone, and he told me 'I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you more, but I was given very strict instructions,'" the transition official said.

In another interview with a combatant commander, the Biden team asked detailed questions about pressing national security matters, and received "very vanilla answers."

Some of this reticence may have been due to the fact that in nearly every transition meeting, "minders" from the Defense Department General Counsel's office were present and frequently cut off the civilian Pentagon officials, citing "predecisional operational matters."

cont

#12068118 at 2020-12-17 20:23:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #15407: The Storm Cometh Edition

US Joint Chiefs chairman meets with Taliban on peace talks

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The top U.S. general held unannounced talks with Taliban peace negotiators in the Persian Gulf to urge a reduction in violence across Afghanistan, even as senior American officials in Kabul warned that stepped-up Taliban attacks endanger the militant group's nascent peace negotiations with the Afghan government.

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met for about two hours with Taliban negotiators in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday and flew Wednesday to Kabul to discuss the peace process with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Milley's meetings came amid a new drawdown of U.S. troops, although under current U.S. policy a complete pullout hinges on the Taliban reducing attacks nationwide.

"The most important part of the discussions that I had with both the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan was the need for an immediate reduction in violence," Milley told three reporters, including one from The Associated Press, who accompanied him to Qatar and Afghanistan. "Everything else hinges on that."

Under ground rules set by Milley for security reasons, the journalists traveling with him agreed not to report on either set of talks until he had departed the region. It was Milley's second unannounced meeting with the Taliban's negotiating team; the first, in June, also in Doha, had not been reported until now.

Although Milley reported no breakthrough, his Taliban meetings represent a remarkable milestone - America's top general coming face-to-face with representatives of the group that ruled Afghanistan until it was ousted 19 years ago this month in the early stages of what became America's longest war. Milley served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, the first in 2003 and the last in 2013-14.

Army Gen. Scott Miller, the top commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, said in an interview at his military headquarters in Kabul on Wednesday that the Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan forces, particularly in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, and against roadways and other infrastructure.

"My assessment is, it puts the peace process at risk - the higher the violence, the higher the risk," Miller said. Miller meets at least once a month with Taliban negotiators as part of Washington's effort to advance a peace process.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/12/17/us-joint-chiefs-chairman-meets-with-taliban-on-peace-talks/

#11315714 at 2020-10-28 03:15:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14454: 3 Year Delta Edition

lb
>>11315565
https://archive.bidenfoundation.org/2018/05/21/biden-foundation-ymca-usa-announce-joint-effort-foster-lgbtq-inclusion-equity-nationwide/
The Biden Foundation and YMCA of the USA announce joint effort to foster LGBTQ inclusion and equity nationwide

New initiative will develop and implement local strategies to support LGBTQ individuals and families

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Biden Foundation and YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) today announced a joint three-year effort to foster LGBTQ inclusion and equity at YMCA locations nationwide. Driven by a shared commitment to ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect, this collaboration will first establish a pilot cohort of Ys that will develop and implement locally focused strategies designed to engage and support LGBTQ individuals and their families. These strategies may include staff training; member outreach and engagement; program innovation for LGBTQ youth, adults, seniors and families; and community collaborations. In following years, the best practices and tools developed by the cohort will be scaled to reach Ys nationwide.

This new initiative is made possible thanks to generous funding by the Gill Foundation and the David Bohnett Foundation. The Biden Foundation and Y-USA will provide technical support and strategic guidance to Ys, and the initiative will be supported by a Biden Fellow and a new Y-USA staff position dedicated to LGBTQ inclusion.

"The Biden Foundation is committed to changing our culture so that everyone, including LGBTQ people, feel supported and affirmed," said Louisa Terrell, Executive Director of the Biden Foundation. "We could not ask for better partners in this work than YMCA of the USA, with its history, reach, and impact in communities across America. The Gill Foundation, which has supported innovative strategies to advance LGBTQ equal treatment for decades; and the David Bohnett Foundation, which has invested significant resources in supporting and empowering local LGBTQ communities are equally powerful partners in this work."

"The Y is committed to addressing critical social issues and helping all people reach their full potential with dignity and respect," said Kevin Washington, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. "Our commitment is rooted in our inclusive mission and our belief that communities are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Supporting the well-being and safety of LGBTQ youth and adults is an important need in our communities, and we are proud to partner with the Biden Foundation, Gill Foundation and David Bohnett Foundation to support it."

"Despite tremendous progress over the last decade, LGBTQ individuals and families continue to face discrimination and challenges at work, in their communities and schools, and even within their own families," said Scott Miller, Co-Chair of the Gill Foundation. "We are grateful for Vice President and Dr. Biden's leadership to promote inclusion through their foundation and to have the opportunity to work closely with YMCA of the USA."

"The most direct way to support families and members of the LGBTQ communities is by being on the ground with them," said David Bohnett, Founder and Chair of the David Bohnett Foundation. "We are proud to support this historic effort to ensure all our young people, families, and seniors are supported and affirmed where they live."

This effort is part of the Y's longstanding commitment to engage and serve all segments of society, build bridges between communities and advance social inclusion and equity for all. Y-USA is the national resource office for the 2,700 YMCAs serving more than 13 million adults and 9 million children annually in 10,000 communities nationwide.

Despite tremendous progress over the last several years in the fight for equality, significant challenges remain for LGBTQ people today. No federal law explicitly protects LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, healthcare, or public accommodations - and 31 states still lack full statewide nondiscrimination protections. LGBTQ youth struggle with family rejection, bullying in the classroom, and harassment in their communities. And LGBTQ people and families continue to experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, uninsurance, food insecurity and hate violence.

###

About the Biden Foundation
Building on Vice President and Dr. Biden's commitment to equality, the Biden Foundation is working to leverage existing networks and institutions to support, serve, and advocate for LGBTQ communities. The Biden Foundation is dedicated to working toward a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect, including LGBTQ people. archive.bidenfoundation.org

more in link

#11199750 at 2020-10-22 02:40:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14314: Helping Hands Edition

Top US general in Afghanistan says he's holding back to give Taliban peace deal a chance

U.S. forces in Afghanistan are doing their best to keep to an agreement to reduce violence, their commander told the BBC in a segment that aired Wednesday, including opting not to go on the offensive in some cases.

Troops are reining it in, Army Gen. Scott Miller said, in the interest of marshaling a peace agreement along, despite the Taliban's persistent attacks on Afghan troops.

"We've shown a great deal of restraint because we're trying to make this peace process work," Miller said. "At the same time, we'll defend our forces."

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/10/21/top-us-general-in-afghanistan-says-hes-holding-back-to-give-taliban-peace-deal-a-chance/

#11105204 at 2020-10-16 20:03:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14203: The Beginning of Their End Edition

US, Taliban Agree to Reduce Operations After Increase in Violence

Agreement comes after heavy fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

The US and the Taliban agreed to 're-set' and work towards implementing the Doha peace agreement, according to the US envoy for the Afghan peace process.

"Following several meetings General Miller and I had with the Taliban, we agreed to re-set actions by strictly adhering to implementation of all elements of the US-Taliban Agreement and all commitments made," US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said, referring to Gen. Scott Miller, the head of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

"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 said.

The statement comes after heavy fighting between the Taliban and the US-backed government in Afghanistan's Helmand Province prompted US airstrikes against the Taliban, a rare action since the peace deal was signed in February.

The fighting in Helmand was based around Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. The Taliban failed to take the city, and the Afghan government launched counter-attacks against the group along the 601 highway. The clashes displaced thousands, and government officials said at least 70 Taliban fighters were killed.

The US-Taliban peace deal calls for a total withdrawal of US forces by 2021. The withdrawal hinges on a reduction in violence, success of the intra-Afghan talks that are ongoing in Doha, and a guarantee from the Taliban not to allow ISIS and al-Qaeda to gain a foothold in the country.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/10/15/us-taliban-agree-to-reduce-operations-after-increase-in-violence/

#8994355 at 2020-05-02 03:05:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11512: Wheels Up For Camp David Edition

Tim Gill/The Gill Foundation are a footnote of a BIG DIG about the US Food Supply Chain. Does it look like he has the Bezos EYE? MKUltra?

Gay megadonor on going after Christians: 'We're going to punish the wicked'

"the Gill Foundation rallied more than 100 corporations, including Coca-Cola, Google and Marriott, behind a front group called Georgia Prospers. Threatening to pull business out of the state, the coalition successfully lobbied Republican Gov. Nathan Deal into vetoing a Religious Freedom Restoration Act."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/19/gay-megadonor-going-after-christians-punish-wicked/

More pics at sites:
"Scott Miller, $310,000 and Timothy Gill, $344,400: LGBTQ activists based in Colorado. Gill made his Billions in the software industry and now runs the Gill foundation for LGBTQ rights. His husband Scott Miller is on the Board of the Gill Foundation."
https://wcmcoop.com/2016/04/07/meet-the-clinton-campaign-money-makers/

https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/people/2015/02/12/14-insanely-wealthy-lgbt-people?page=full

The EYE is an aside. The Food Supply Chain is the focus.

Much more coming.

#8787481 at 2020-04-14 10:00:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11250: That Which Doesn't Kill Us...... Edition

>>8787459
>>8787453
https://twitter.com/USPacificFleet/status/1118253924429910016

Command of #USSNewOrleans changed hands recently with Capt. P. Scott Miller relieving Capt. Kenneth A. Strong: http://go.usa.gov/xmbnM #LPD18
4:44 PM · Apr 16, 2019·Twitter Web Client

https://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/110715

#8756906 at 2020-04-11 10:54:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11211: No Anon Left Behind Despite the Lag Edition

U.S. commander in Afghanistan and Taliban discuss violence
reduction in Doha meeting
APRIL 11, 2020 / 4:47 AM

"KABUL (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan met Taliban leadership in Doha to discuss the need to reduce violence in the war-torn country, spokesmen for both sides said on Saturday, as continued clashes threaten to derail a fragile peace process.

The meeting between Taliban leaders and General Scott Miller, commander of U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolution Support mission in Afghanistan, took place on Friday night. It came as the insurgent group accuses U.S. forces of breaching an agreement signed between the two sides in February.

"General Miller met with Taliban leadership last night as part of the military channel established in the agreement," a spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan told Reuters. "The meeting was about the need to reduce the violence," he said.

The February pact between the United States and the Taliban, under which international forces will withdraw in phases in exchange for Taliban security guarantees, is the best chance yet of ending the 18-year U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan."

moar:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-taliban/u-s-commander-in-afghanistan-and-taliban-discuss-violence-reduction-in-doha-meeting-idUSKCN21T0B2

#8561708 at 2020-03-25 19:56:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10962: Polls Are In, Potus Solid Edition

Ghani: Afghan Govt Prepared for $1 Billion US Aid Cut

US general assures Afghan forces of support, diplomats threaten more cuts

The US decision to cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan, threats to cut another $1 billion in 2021, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declaring Ghani and Abdullah's power struggle as harmful to US interests are a big change, and seemingly represent a break in US-Afghan ties.

President Ghani was quick to reject this idea in his comments on Tuesday, saying the government was already prepared to cope with the cut, and will find alternative resources. He added that he will continue negotiations to try to resolve the power struggle, in which he and Abdullah both claimed the election win and were both inaugurated as president.

The Afghan election's inconclusive result was materially identical to the last vote, in which the same two candidates claimed victory, only for the US to quickly come forward with a negotiation. This time, the US was late to the show for talks, and clearly the Afghans' inability to sort it out didn't sit well with the US.

The US seems to be of multiple voices on this topic though, as while the State Department warns them, Gen. Scott Miller reiterated coalition support for Afghan security forces. The general downplayed the political situation in Afghanistan, and said the military will accomplish its goals.

This assurance of support from at least part of the US venture in Afghanistan would be more substantial were the US military not one foot out the door from Afghanistan and in the process of a peace deal. Indeed, anger at Ghani is primary that his power struggle threatens this peace.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/03/24/ghani-afghan-govt-prepared-for-1-billion-us-aid-cut/

#8316920 at 2020-03-04 19:17:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10647: WWF Presents Biden Burnie SmackDown Edition

And so it begins, U.S. troops start to withdraw from Afghanistan

Hardly a week has passed since the conditional peace treaty between the U.S. and the Taliban, and American troops are already leaving the country.

Despite evidence that the Taliban have resumed attacks on Afghan government forces, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has given the order for the United States to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.s.

Esper, speaking to the media on Monday, said that the troop withdrawal order to Army Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Kabul, is in keeping with the peace deal with the Taliban. The peace deal calls for an American troop reduction to begin within 10 days of the deal's signing.

"My instructions to the commander [were]: 'Let's get moving, let's show our full faith and effort to do that,'" Esper said in Washington with the Joint Chiefs General Milley also in attendance. "I've said on many occasions that I'm comfortable we can still conduct all the missions we need to conduct [with] 8,600 [troops]."

The Americans are to cut 4,000 troops in Afghanistan within the first 135 days according to the terms of the deal. There are currently 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan; the remaining 8,600 would leave within 14 months.

https://sofrep.com/news/and-so-it-begins-u-s-troops-start-to-withdraw-from-afghanistan/

#8303018 at 2020-03-03 00:48:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10629: CDC Fear Spreaders Edition

US troops to begin Afghanistan withdrawal within 10 days, Esper says
Defense Secretary Mark Esper notified the first U.S. commander in Afghanistan that his forces can proceed with plans to withdraw from the country on Monday.

Esper announced he had notified Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, that Miller has Esper's approval to begin pulling troops from the county. Esper described the order as a good-faith measure towards a U.S.-Taliban peace agreement during a Pentagon press conference.

#8240003 at 2020-02-25 04:16:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10549 The "Listen Carefully" Edition

Trump To Personally Sign Capitulation To Taliban

US President Donald Trump said that he would personally sign the peace deal with the Taliban group if it were to happen.

"Time to come home," he said. "They want to stop. You know, they've been fighting a long time. They're tough people. We're tough people. But after 19 years, that's a long time."

The US and the Taliban announced the truce earlier in February.

It all depends on a 7-day reduction in violence, that started on midnight February 22nd against 23rd, Afghanistan time.

If the truce proves a success, it will be followed by the signing of the peace accord on February 29th.

"We think they want to make a deal. We want to make a deal. I think it's going to work out. We'll see," Trump said.

Trump expressed cautious optimism about reaching a peace deal.

"You know we have a certain period of nonviolence. It's been holding up, it's a day and a half so we'll see what happens. But people want to make a deal, and I think the Taliban wants to make a deal too, they're tired of fighting."

There is hope of reaching a peace deal.

"In general, we do see (a reduction in violence)," acting Afghan interior minister Masood Andrabi told AFP.

It should be noted that the "reduction in violence" is not a "ceasefire." The United States, the Taliban and Afghan government forces are expected to largely end all offensive operations throughout the country.

No details have been released to measure the success of the reduction in violence period, though a senior administration official told reporters in Germany this month that the terms were "very specific."

For the Taliban, that reportedly includes ending roadside bombings, suicide attacks and rocket strikes.

U.S. and Afghan forces, meanwhile, are expected to continue carrying out counterterrorism operations against ISIS and al Qaeda.

At a Pentagon briefing this past week, Rear Adm. William Byrne Jr. of the Joint Staff said Gen. Scott Miller, who leads U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, will oversee a "continual evaluative process" on whether the reduction in violence is holding.

The Pentagon hasn't said whether the United States agreed to withdraw all troops, but officials have talked about keeping a counterterrorism force there for the time being.

Some US Senators are skeptical of the deal, such as Lindsey Graham.

He said said he was "willing to give" the Trump administration's plan "a try." But he also ticked off a list of conditions he would consider an "honorable resolution," including a deal that protects human rights and women's rights and allows the United States to continue to "protect the American homeland from international terrorists."

Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, questioned how the United States would verify whether intra-Afghan talks are "real" or "a fig leaf."

Lawmakers also noted the Trump administration was previously close to signing a deal with the Taliban before it fell apart at the last minute.

Furthermore, regardless of what the US calls it, and claims that the Taliban want it more than ever, the fact is that Washington is admitting that it lost the war, after nearly two decades of the intervention. The US has essentially said that it couldn't deal with the Taliban group.

Trump will not only sign the US capitulation against the Taliban, he also boasts with it.

https://southfront.org/trump-says-he-will-personally-sign-peace-deal-with-taliban/

#8140241 at 2020-02-15 02:37:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10420: The [slam-dunk] Edition

Official says US, Taliban reach Afghanistan truce agreement

MUNICH - A senior U.S. official said Friday the United States and the Taliban have reached a truce agreement that will take effect "very soon" and could lead to withdrawals of American troops from Afghanistan. The official said the agreement for a seven-day "reduction in violence" to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is "very specific" and covers the entire country, including Afghan government forces. There were indications a formal announcement could come as early as the weekend. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban had committed to a halt in roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks. The official said the U.S. would monitor the truce and determine if there were any violations.

Should the Taliban comply, the "reduction in violence" agreement would be followed by the signing of an agreement that would initiate peace negotiations that include all Afghan sides. A Taliban official familiar with the deal said that the second agreement would be signed on Feb. 29 and that the inter-Afghan dialogue would begin on March 10. The officials said Germany and Norway have offered to host the talks but there has been no decision on the venue. That Taliban official added that the withdrawal of foreign troops would start gradually and would be phased over 18 months.

President Donald Trump previously called off the peace talks because of an attack that killed two Americans. U.S. officials have not publicly spelled out their timetable for an initial drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but the expectation is that a reduction from the current total of about 12,000 to approximately 8,600 will begin after the signing of a U.S.-Taliban deal. That initial reduction is likely to stretch out over a period of weeks or months. The new developments came as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. They spoke on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich. A truce had been widely anticipated, and Trump agreed in principle to the deal, according to U.S. officials. The final details were hammered out in recent days by U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. Khalilzad was in Munich and attended Pompeo and Esper's meeting as did Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan.

#8135553 at 2020-02-14 19:18:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #10414: Watch What Happens Next! Edition

When Will US Troops Leave Afghanistan? Deal With Taliban Reported

Peace negotiations began in July 2018
The agreement could open the way for the U.S. to begin withdrawing troops, which have been in the country since October 2001
President Trump has agreed to the pact in principle

The United States and Taliban reportedly reached a truce Friday that could lead to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A senior U.S. official at the Munich Security Conference told the Associated Press the seven-day agreement would take effect "very soon" and be followed by peace talks covering the entire country to set its political future.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper are attending the conference and met Friday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the security forum. U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. Scott Miller, who heads the international military force in Afghanistan, also attended the meeting.

The official said President Trump has agreed to the deal in principle. Final details were worked out in Doha, Qatar, by Khalilzad, Taliban negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The Taliban earlier this week issued an ultimatum, threatening to walk away from the negotiating table if the U.S. did not respond to its offer of a seven-day pause to hostilities rather than a full ceasefire that would blunt their battlefield progress should the U.S. or Kabul renege on any deal. U.S. officials denied the ultimatum had forced their hand.

U.S. troops have been in Afghanistan since Oct. 7, 2001, sent in the wake of the 9/11 al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people. Then-President George W. Bush blamed Osama bin Laden for orchestrating the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and targeted the Taliban, which had been in control of the Afghan government since 1996, for harboring bin Laden and his followers.

Direct peace talks began in July 2018 without the Afghan government's involvement. A peace summit set for Sept. 11, the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, at Camp David was canceled following the death of a U.S. soldier in a car bombing in Kabul.

https://www.ibtimes.com/when-will-us-troops-leave-afghanistan-deal-taliban-reported-2922497

#7473767 at 2019-12-10 19:45:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9559: What say it's RoundUp time!! Edition

>>7473664
Whelp. Bohemian Foundation was founded by the Stryker family,
The daughter of Homer Stryker, who was a medical technology inventory/busienssman, is a member of the Democracy Alliance.
So is George Soros!
So right away we have biden to soros.
What about the Masimo Foundation or Scott Miller & Tim Gill?

#7391230 at 2019-11-29 01:24:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9452: POTUS Chillin With the Troops Chattin with Taliban for T-Day Edition

US is 'substantially' reducing troop numbers in Afghanistan - Trump

President Donald Trump has said that the United States is "substantially" reducing its presence in Afghanistan, and claimed that a peace deal with the Taliban is close at hand.

Speaking while on an unannounced Thanksgiving and his first visit to US troops in the country, where they have been fighting for 18 years, Trump said that his long-promised withdrawal from the country is underway. The president did not provide any specific numbers, or a timeframe for the drawdown.

The withdrawal has, however, been underway for some time, according to the Pentagon. In October, Gen. Scott Miller, head of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told reporters that 2,000 of the roughly 14,000 troops there had already been pulled out. In August, Trump said that he wished to reduce troop numbers in the country to 8,600, with those remaining to focus on counterterrorism operations.

The Pentagon's top brass see a US contingent, however small, remaining in Afghanistan for "several more years," as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told ABC News earlier this month. The US' "mission is not yet complete," he added, noting that Afghan forces are "going to have to be able to sustain their own internal security" before the US would uproot itself entirely.

Afghanistan's security depends largely on the outcome of peace talks between its US-backed government and the Taliban, which controls more territory now than at any point since the US invasion in 2001.

Speaking to troops at Bagram Airfield on Thursday, Trump said that the militants "want to make a deal" with the US and Afghan governments. Talks between the US and the Taliban collapsed in September, when Trump called off a planned meeting with the jihadists on US soil.

Although Taliban leaders released a pair of American and Australian hostages earlier this month, the group's official line remains that it will not engage with the "illegitimate" US-backed government in Kabul.

https://www.rt.com/usa/474596-trump-withdraw-troops-afghanistan/

#6125148 at 2019-04-10 23:04:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #7833: Winning Wednesday Edition

>>6125042
CSIS
>Tillerson's here, and many moar.
National security
- Henry A. Kissinger, Counselor and Trustee, CSIS and former United States Secretary of State and United States National Security Advisor
- Zbigniew Brzezinski, Counselor and Trustee, CSIS and former United States National Security Advisor
- Richard L. Armitage, President, Armitage International and former United States Deputy Secretary of State
- Brent Scowcroft, President, the Scowcroft Group, United States Air Force Lieutenant General (ret.) and former United States National Security Advisor
- James L. Jones, United States Marine Corps General (ret.) and former United States National Security Advisor
- James R. Schlesinger, former Director of Central Intelligence, United States Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy
Business & non-profit
- Rex W. Tillerson, Chairman and CEO, Exxon Mobil Corporation
- John B. Hess, Chairman and CEO, Hess Corporation
- James McNerney, Chairman and CEO, The Boeing Company
- Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
- E. Neville Isdell, Former Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
- Reginald K. Brack, Former Chairman and CEO of Time, Inc.
- Kazuo Inamori, Founder, Kyocera Corporation and KDDI Corporation, Chairman, Japan Airlines
- Maurice R. Greenberg, Former Chairman and CEO, American International Group
- Felix Rohatyn, Former Managing Director, Lazard and former United States Ambassador to France
- Lester Crown, Chairman, Henry Crown and Company, Investor in General Dynamics
- Thomas Pritzker, The Pritzker Organization and Executive Chairman, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
- George Argyros, Chairman and CEO, Arnel & Affiliates and former United States Ambassador to Spain
- Othman Benjelloun, BMCE Bank
- Carlos Bulgheroni, CEO Bridas
- Dr. Helene D. Gaye, President and CEO, CARE USA
- Ray Lee Hunt, Hunt Consolidated Energy
- Donald B. Marron, Founder, Lightyear Capital and Data Resources Inc.
- Romesh Wadhwani, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Symphony Technology Group (STG)
- Andreas C. Dracopoulos, Co-President, Stavros Niarchos Foundation
- Michael P. Galvin, Cofounder and Vice Chairman, Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, LLC
- Dr. Charles Sanders, Former chairman and CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
- Frederick B. Whittemore, Advisory Director, Morgan Stanley
- William T. Keevan, Director of DeVry
- Fred Khosravi, Founder, Incept LLC
Academia
- Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Benjamin W. Heineman, Senior Fellow, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Harvard Law School
Notable scholars
Current
- Jon B. Alterman, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy and Director, Middle East Program
- Arnaud de Borchgrave, Director and Senior Adviser, Transnational Threats Project
- Ernie Z. Bower, Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies
- David Berteau, Director of National Security Program on Industry and Security Program
- Robert D. Lamb, Director and Senior Fellow, Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation (C3)
- Walter Laqueur, Distinguished Scholar
- Maren Leed, Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies and Ground Forces Dialogue
- James Andrew Lewis, Director and Senior Fellow, Technology and Public Policy Program
- Edward Luttwak, CSIS senior associate
- Theodore Edgar McCarrick, CSIS Counselor
- Scott Miller, Scholl Chair in International Business
- Carl Meacham, Director, Americas Program
- J. Stephen Morrison, Director, Global Health Policy Center
- Clark A. Murdock, Director, Project on Nuclear Issues
- Johanna Nesseth Tuttle, Director, CSIS Global Food Security Project
- Sean O'Keefe, Distinguished Senior Adviser
- David Pumphrey, Co-Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program
- Daniel F. Runde, William A. Schreyer Chair and Director, Project on Prosperity and Development
- Frank A. Verrastro, James R. Schlesinger Chair for Energy & Geopolitics
- Michael Wallace, Director and Senior Adviser, Nuclear Energy Program
- Juan Zarate, Senior Adviser, Transnational Threats Project and Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program
Past
- Ehud Barak
- Mary DeRosa
- Tony Blinken
- Fred Ikle
- Michael Ledeen
- Robert Mosbacher
- Madeleine Albright
- Kurt M. Campbell
- Michele Flournoy
https://infogalactic.com/info/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies

#4847638 at 2019-01-21 18:20:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6188: Ghost Protocol Edition

Over 100 security killed in Taliban attack on Afghan military training center

Taliban militants killed over 100 members of the Afghan security forces in an attack on a military compound in the central province of Maidan Wardak, Reuters reported citing a source in the military.

"We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center," an official told Reuters. The government said earlier that 12 people had been killed, but declined to comment further.

A Taliban suicide bomber drove a car bomb into the base following a firefight between the militants and security forces, Afghanistan's Pajhwok News reported. The attack took place shortly after 8am local time on Monday.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, also claiming on Twitter that the explosives-laden vehicle destroyed "the entire base" and trapped people under rubble.

Video footage, purportedly of the aftermath, shows buildings in the compound collapsed and charred.

US President Trump announced a partial withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan last month, to take place on an indeterminate timeline. US forces have been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2001, and the conflict has tipped in favor of the militants in recent months.

The group control or influence around half of the country's districts, with that number fluctuating month-by-month. NATO's commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin Scott Miller, said late last year that the Taliban will likely not be defeated, and that the country needs a "political solution."

Meanwhile, Taliban militants have continued their campaign of attacks and suicide bombings against US and Afghan government forces. A Taliban car bomb targeted a convoy carrying the governor of Logar province on Sunday, killing eight security officers but leaving the governor unharmed.

One week earlier, another car bomb killed at least four people and wounded 90 in Kabul. At the beginning of the month, more than 30 Afghan forces and civilians were killed in coordinated raids in the northwestern province of Badghis and a marketplace bombing in Paktika province.

The Taliban rejected peace talks with the US earlier this month, refusing to include the Afghan government, which they call a "puppet" government, in the discussions. However, hours after the Maidan Wardak attack on Monday, the militants announced on Twitter that talks with US officials in Qatar had restarted.

https://www.rt.com/news/449335-afghanistan-taliban-attack-killed/

#4793078 at 2019-01-17 19:54:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #6117: Opportunistic Pneumonia Knocks Edition

WORLD NEWS JANUARY 17, 2019 / 4:43 AM / UPDATED 23 MINUTES AGO
U.S. special envoy in Pakistan for talks on Afghan peace

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the top NATO commander in Afghanistan met Pakistani officials on Thursday as they pursued diplomatic efforts to push forward talks with the Afghan Taliban.

Khalilzad, who has been leading efforts to broker an agreement with the Taliban, met the chief of the Pakistan army staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa along with Gen. Scott Miller, commander of the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, and Lisa Curtis, senior director for South and Central Asia at the U.S. National Security Council.

Afghanistan's frequently hostile relations with Pakistan, which it has regularly accused of supporting the Taliban, have warmed somewhat as regional countries have joined the effort to push the insurgents to open talks with Kabul.

On Thursday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and "expressed his gratitude for Pakistan's sincere facilitation of these efforts", according to a statement from the Pakistan government spokesman's office.

The two leaders also issued invitations to visit their respective countries and agreed "to remain engaged and create an environment for resolving all outstanding issues", it said.

Pakistani officials deny supporting the Taliban and say Islamabad is strongly in favor of a settlement that would maintain stability in Afghanistan and prevent a disastrous economic collapse of its neighbor.

Taliban officials said this week that Pakistan was putting pressure on its leaders to accept talks with the Afghan government, detaining a senior leader in the city of Peshawar before releasing him a few days later.

Taliban representatives have met Khalilzad on at least three occasions but have so far refused to talk directly to the internationally recognized Afghan government, which they consider an illegitimate regime put in place by foreign powers.

The date of Khalilzad's next meeting with Taliban officials remains unclear after the insurgents threatened to stall the process over disagreements about plans to withdraw international forces from Afghanistan.

#4580825 at 2019-01-03 19:42:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5843: Happy Birthday Brad Edition

Afghan forces open fire on NATO advisors at base in Herat

Two Afghan border guards opened fire on NATO Resolute Support mission advisors at the military base in Herat province in western Afghanistan, according to reports.

An Afghan service member was killed and another wounded, Noorullah Qaderi, Commander of the 207 Zafar Military Corps told Pajwok.

The Resolute Support members were visiting the Fifth Border Security Forces battalion in Islam Qala, a town at the Afghanistan-Iran border.

None of the foreign troops, who were traveling in a vehicle at the base, were injured. One of the attackers was killed and another taken into custody, Tolo News reported Qaderi as saying.

"Today, an insurgent acting as a member of the Afghan security forces fired on Coalition members, the Coalition members returned fire and killed the attacker. No Coalition members were injured in the attack," Resolute Support told The Defense Post in an emailed statement.

On October 22, a Czech service member with the NATO mission in Afghanistan was killed in an insider attack at the Shindand airbase in Herat. It was the second "green on blue" attack in Afghanistan in less than week. Four days earlier, a bodyguard for Kandahar governor Zalmay Wesa opened fire on Afghan and U.S. officials following a high-level security meeting.

Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq and National Security Directorate provincial chief Abdulmomin Hassankhail were killed. Wesa and U.S. Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Smiley were injured.

General Scott Miller, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, attended the meeting but was not injured.

https://thedefensepost.com/2019/01/02/afghanistan-guards-open-fire-nato-advisors-herat/

#4553183 at 2019-01-01 20:08:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5807: New Year Justice

Regional players pressing for peace in Afghanistan: US commander

The commander of US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan has pronounced the prospects of peace with the Taliban while the Pentagon orders the deployment of fresh heavy-lift aviation forces to the region.

"Peace talks (are) out there, regional players pressing for peace, the Taliban talking about peace, the Afghan government is talking about peace," General Scott Miller, who commands the US-led NATO Resolution Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan, said during a New Year celebration at the RS headquarters in Kabul on Tuesday.

General Miller was apparently referring to Iran whose officials have recently expressed their willingness to help establish peace in Afghanistan.

The top US commander in Afghanistan emphasized that in order to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan there needed to be a political settlement.

He told the soldiers present at the session to be ready for either "positive processes or negative consequences."

"Are (the RS) able to adapt? Are we able to adjust? Are we able to be in the right place to support positive processes and negative consequences, that's what I ask you guys to think about in 2019," Miller said.

Meanwhile, peace talks between the US and the Taliban have gained momentum in past months.

Despite the "positive processes" in the peace talks, there were some negative developments in the processes.

Miller was present at a meeting in October when the most important power broker in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar police chief General Abdul Razeq, was shot dead by the Taliban.

In recent weeks, Pakistan also announced its plans to facilitate negotiations between the Taliban and the United States.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/01/01/584599/Afghanistan-US-Military-Taliban-Peace-Talks-Miller

#4550649 at 2019-01-01 16:05:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5804: Vaginal Steaming Edition

Top U.S. commander in Afghanistan sees peace opportunity in 2019

KABUL (Reuters) - The top U.S general in Afghanistan told NATO troops on Tuesday to prepare themselves to deal with "positive processes or negative consequences" as peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban to end a 17-year war gain momentum.

General Scott Miller, who commands U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolution Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan reiterated the need for a political settlement to end the conflict.

"Peace talks (are) out there, regional players pressing for peace, the Taliban talking about peace, the Afghan government is talking about peace," Miller told dozens of NATO soldiers who had gathered at RS headquarters in Kabul for an exercise session.

http://www.foreigndesknews.com/news/politics/top-u-s-commander-in/

#4441932 at 2018-12-23 21:57:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #5663: Anons can play this game all day long Edition

Miller 'Has No Orders' On Troop Reduction In Afghanistan

The US and NATO Forces Commander in Afghanistan Gen. Scott Miller in a meeting with Nangarhar governor on Sunday assured that they will continue to support the Afghan forces even if they get an order about troop withdrawal - an issue which Miller says is rumors by "newspapers".

"I have seen the same rumors I have from the newspapers but all I would assure you is first of all I have no orders, so nothing changed," he said in the meeting.

Miller said their support to Afghan forces will continue in the same level.

"But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you to know that we are still with the security forces. Even if I have get a little bit smaller, we will be okay," he said.

Meanwhile, Miller insisted on a political solution for Afghanistan and said that "political settlement will only happen through Afghans talking to Afghans".

The US general said much has been said about Afghan forces casualties but "Taliban casualties have been very dire as well".

"What I think is important is – I have talked often about – a political solution, not a military solution to this conflict. It is time for the hostilities to end and it will only happen through Afghans talking to Afghans," Miller said. "It is the time to end those hostilities to start talking to one another."

This comes as Miller visited Farah province on Thursday, where he said they are here in Afghanistan to support peace and stability and ensure a continued support to the Afghan people.

Miller said the foreign forces are in Afghanistan to help maintain peace and safeguard the country's national interests.

"We are here in Afghanistan to first and foremost to see peace, at some point, unity across Afghanistan and protect the national interests," Miller said.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs meanwhile said Washington so far has not made an official comment about troop reduction in Afghanistan, adding that in case there is such a plan under discussion, those forces will be withdrawn from the country who have advisory role, but not those forces who have the fighting role such as US air force.

"Afghan forces are handling the operations for several years now. We are having only the logistical and air cooperation by our international colleagues," said MoI spokesman Najib Danish.

This comes a day after Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed US President Donald Trump's decision on withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan and said it will help move forward the ongoing efforts for peace talks in Afghanistan.

https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/Miller-has-no-orders%E2%80%99-troop-reduction-afghanistan

#3919892 at 2018-11-16 02:14:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4985: Will the Real Shill Shady Please Stand Up Edition

What's the damage? War on terror price-tag about to top $6 TRILLION, and it's only the beginning

With the longest war in US history now dragging into its 17th year, Americans are looking at a massive bill. Total costs of the War on Terror now approach $6 trillion, according to a new report - to say nothing of the human costs.

To arrive at this mind-boggling sum, Brown University's Cost of War reportincluded not only Defense Department spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, which at $1.9 trillion is already nothing to sneeze at, but associated expenses from the State and Homeland Security Departments, an increase in the Department of Defense budget, and - perhaps the most significant hidden cost of the war - long-term healthcare costs for veterans. All told, the "check" comes to $5.9 trillion.

And will that be cash, or credit? The US has been financing these wars through deficit spending and borrowing, meaning there are hefty interest payments to be made. A 2011 calculation that capped total war appropriations at a fraction of their current level yielded a cumulative interest figure of $7.9 trillion. Given that the Trump administration has shown no sign of winding down the fighting - indeed, his cabinet has expanded its saber-rattling beyond Iran and Venezuela into outer space - there is no telling how long we will continue to borrow against the inevitable to fund our war habit.

The report meticulously breaks down the conflict's human toll, explaining that while officially 6,800 US soldiers have died in combat, that number doesn't include private contractors, whose casualty numbers are just as high. Nor does it include Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi forces fighting alongside the US, whose death toll is far higher. Civilian deaths are similarly difficult to calculate, though the report suggests 244,000 violent deaths can be directly attributed to American military actions in those three countries - with an estimated 870,000 more dead of secondary causes. Those numbers don't include the injured and disabled, nor the 10.1 million people displaced by conflict.

Study author Neta Crawford took President Trump to task for continuing the unchecked war spending of the previous two administrations. "The public would be better served by increased transparency and by the development of a comprehensive strategy to end the wars and deal with other urgent national security priorities."

As if to prove that Americans no longer understand irony, a Veterans Day ceremony last week saw George W. Bush - who launched the War on Terror during his presidency - honored for his "commitment to veterans" by Joe Biden - who oversaw that war's expansion during his vice presidency. Certainly, between the two of them, they've created more veterans than any other politicians in history, but commitment?

Perhaps most ironically of all, even the soldiers who fought in Afghanistan no longer believe in their war. A poll conducted last month found 73 percent of veterans believe the war has not been a success for the US, and 69 percent support full troop withdrawal. Even General Austin Scott Miller, who leads US and NATO operations in Afghanistan, has admittedthe war cannot be won militarily.

https://www.rt.com/usa/444019-war-terror-six-trillion/

#3722270 at 2018-11-04 04:29:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4727: #TakeBackControl #FactsMatter #SheepNoMore Edition

The U.S. "Cannot Win Militarily" In Afghanistan, Says Top Commander In Shocking Interview

Historians of the now seventeen-year old U.S. war in Afghanistan will take note of this past week when the newly-appointed American general in charge of US and NATO operations in the country made a bombshell, historic admission. He conceded that the United States cannot win in Afghanistan.

Speaking to NBC News last week, Gen. Austin Scott Miller made his first public statements after taking charge of American operations, and shocked with his frank assessment that that the Afghan war cannot be won militarily and peace will only be achieved through direct engagement and negotiations with the Taliban - the very terror group which US forces sought to defeat when it first invaded in 2001.

"This is not going to be won militarily," Gen. Miller said. "This is going to a political solution."

Miller explained to NBC:

My assessment is the Taliban also realizes they cannot win militarily. So if you realize you can't win militarily at some point, fighting is just, people start asking why. So you do not necessarily wait us out, but I think now is the time to start working through the political piece of this conflict.

He gave the interview from the Resolute Support headquarters building in Kabul. "We are more in an offensive mindset and don't wait for the Taliban to come and hit [us]," he said. "So that was an adjustment that we made early on. We needed to because of the amount of casualties that were being absorbed."

Starting last summer it was revealed that US State Department officials began meeting with Taliban leaders in Qatar to discuss local and regional ceasefires and an end to the war. It was reported at the time that the request of the Taliban, the US-backed Afghan government was not invited; however, there doesn't appear to have been any significant fruit out of the talks as the Taliban now controls more territory than ever before in recent years.

Such controversial and shaky negotiations come as in total the United States has spent well over $840 billion fighting the Taliban insurgency while also paying for relief and reconstruction in a seventeen-year long war that has become more expensive, in current dollars, than the Marshall Plan, which was the reconstruction effort to rebuild Europe after World War II.

Even the New York Times recently chronicled the flat out deception of official Pentagon statements vs. the reality in terms of the massive spending that has gone into the now-approaching two decade long "endless war" which began in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-03/us-cannot-win-militarily-afghanistan-says-top-commander-shocking-interview

#3561997 at 2018-10-22 17:10:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4518: I Love The Smell Of Salt In The Morning Edition

Brother appointed to succeed killed Afghan commander

KABUL (Reuters) - The brother of the powerful police commander of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar assassinated last week was named as his successor on Monday in move that underlines the pressures facing President Ashraf Ghani's government.

General Abdul Razeq, one of Afghanistan's most feared anti-Taliban commanders, was shot dead when a member of the provincial governor's bodyguard opened fire on officials leaving a meeting with NATO forces commander General Scott Miller.

Razeq, nominally the Kandahar police chief, was one of the most powerful figures in the whole of southern Afghanistan.

He had a range of business interests and was accused of extracting millions of dollars from the border crossing into Pakistan at Spin Boldak, his home region and power base.

A member of the powerful Pashtun Achakzai tribe and a skillful operator in the region's complex tribal politics, he regularly clashed with Ghani's government in Kabul but enjoyed wide support and was impossible to remove.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-security/brother-appointed-to-succeed-killed-afghan-commander-idUSKCN1MW1XF

#3521195 at 2018-10-18 18:44:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4465: I Will Call Up the US Mil Edition

Top US General in Afghanistan narrowly avoids assassination by Taliban in NATO meeting ambush; 2 Americans shot, other top Afghan officials killed

The Taliban was behind a deadly shooting took place in Kandahar, Afghanistan during a NATO meeting on Thursday, and a Taliban spokesperson told the Associated Press that the intended target was U.S. Gen. Scott Miller.

Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the group was responsible for the attack, which was intended to target General Miller, Commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press.

"Actually we planned this attack to kill [the] U.S. military commander and his team members," Ahmadi told NBC News.

Miller had just concluded a meeting with Gen. Abdul Razeq, Commander of Police in Kandahar, before the shots rang out. Razeq was shot in the back and killed, but Miller escaped without injury.

BREAKING: Top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller, escapes injury during shooting incident Thursday but police commander of Kandahar, Gen. Abdul Razeq, has been killed, and two other American citizens have been wounded https://t.co/8I58cXFKPg - @NBCNewsWorld

- NBC News (@NBCNews) October 18, 2018


https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/10/top-us-general-in-afghanistan-narrowly-avoids-assassination-by-taliban-in-nato-meeting-ambush-2-americans-shot-other-top-afghan-officials-killed/

#3520685 at 2018-10-18 17:40:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4465: I Will Call Up the US Mil Edition

Insider Attack: Afghan guards ambush NATO meeting, shoot two US soldiers and kill top Afghan police Chief

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.

A shooting took place in Kandahar, Afghanistan during a NATO meeting with U.S. forces present. The reported insider attack by at Afghan guards killed an Afghan police chief and injured two American soldiers.

Shots rang out at the high-level security meeting held at the compound of the Afghan governor, where Gen. Scott Miller, Commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, was present but escaped without injury, NBC News reported Thursday.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/10/insider-attack-afghan-guards-ambush-nato-meeting-shoot-two-us-soldiers-and-kill-top-afghan-police-chief/

#3520198 at 2018-10-18 16:30:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4464: In the Strongest of Terms Edition

Insider Attack: Afghan guards ambush NATO meeting, shoot two US soldiers and kill top Afghan police Chief

A shooting took place in Kandahar, Afghanistan during a NATO meeting with U.S. forces present. The reported insider attack by at Afghan guards killed an Afghan police chief and injured two American soldiers.

Shots rang out at the high-level security meeting held at the compound of the Afghan governor, where Gen. Scott Miller, Commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, was present but escaped without injury, NBC News reported Thursday.

BREAKING: Top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller, escapes injury during shooting incident Thursday but police commander of Kandahar, Gen. Abdul Razeq, has been killed, and two other American citizens have been wounded https://t.co/8I58cXFKPg - @NBCNewsWorld

- NBC News (@NBCNews) October 18, 2018

Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the group was responsible for the attack, which intended to target Gen. Miller, according to the Associated Press.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/10/insider-attack-afghan-guards-ambush-nato-meeting-shoot-two-us-soldiers-and-kill-top-afghan-police-chief/

#3520070 at 2018-10-18 16:14:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4464: In the Strongest of Terms Edition

Top US general escapes injury in shooting at Afghanistan palace; 2 Americans wounded

Gen. Scott Miller, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, escaped injury during a shooting that wounded two other Americans at Kandahar Palace, a spokesman for Operation Resolute support said Thursday.

"Initial reports indicate this was an Afghan-on-Afghan incident," said Col. Knut Peters, a U.S. military spokesman in an email.

"Two Americans were wounded in the crossfire and they have been medically evacuated," he said. "General Miller is uninjured. We are being told the area is secure."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/top-us-general-escapes-injury-in-shooting-at-afghanistan-palace-2-americans-wounded?

#3519922 at 2018-10-18 15:54:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4464: In the Strongest of Terms Edition

Sara A. Carter

Verified account

@SaraCarterDC
5m5 minutes ago
More
BREAKING: #Afghanistan Several sources confirmed- Afghan security officer shot and Killed #Khandahar Chief of Police Raziq as he was walking with U.S. Commander Gen. Scott Miller. Miller is apparently not harmed but uncertain about other casualties-area on lockdown

https://twitter.com/SaraCarterDC/status/1052919295913721856

#3519921 at 2018-10-18 15:54:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4464: In the Strongest of Terms Edition

BREAKING: #Afghanistan Several sources confirmed- Afghan security officer shot and Killed #Khandahar Chief of Police Raziq as he was walking with U.S. Commander Gen. Scott Miller. Miller is apparently not harmed but uncertain about other casualties-area on lockdown
cst

plus 1 bonus twat

#3519891 at 2018-10-18 15:50:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4464: In the Strongest of Terms Edition

BREAKING: #Afghanistan Several sources confirmed- Afghan security officer shot and Killed #Khandahar Chief of Police Raziq as he was walking with U.S. Commander Gen. Scott Miller. Miller is apparently not harmed but uncertain about other casualties-area on lockdown

https://twitter.com/SaraCarterDC/status/1052919295913721856

#2885087 at 2018-09-05 12:43:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3648: Bewbs and Ancient History Edition

US: Killing of US Soldier Monday Was by Afghan Policeman
Tuesday, 04 September 2018 09:50 PM

An attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan that killed one American was carried out by a member of the Afghan national police who is now in Afghan government custody, a U.S. official said Tuesday. It was the second so-called insider attack there this summer.
Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Kabul, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that the American was killed in eastern Afghanistan by an Afghan policeman. Another U.S. service member was wounded; O'Donnell said that person's wounds are not life-threatening.
On Tuesday evening the Pentagon said the soldier killed was Army Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy A. Bolyard, 42, of Thornton, West Virginia. It said he died of wounds sustained from small arms fire in Logar Province, but it provided no other details about the incident.
Bolyard was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, based at Fort Benning, Georgia. His brigade was sent to Afghanistan early this year as part of a revamped American strategy to bolster the Afghan security forces by placing U.S. military advisers with Afghan troops closer to the front lines.

When the Monday attack was announced, the coalition termed it an apparent insider attack. The new U.S. commander of coalition forces, Army Gen. Scott Miller, called the death "a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him."

O'Donnell said in a telephone interview Tuesday that it now has been "definitely" determined that the attacker was an Afghan policeman. The shooter fled the scene but was apprehended by Afghans, he added.

Separately, the U.S.-led coalition in Kabul announced that a U.S. service member died in a "non-combat incident" Tuesday, also in eastern Afghanistan. That service member's name has not yet been released.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/us-united-states-afghanistan/2018/09/04/id/880229/

#2870366 at 2018-09-04 11:21:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3629: Just Do Not Edition

A U.S. service member was killed and another was wounded during an apparent "insider attack" in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, according to a statement from U.S. Forces Afghanistan.

It's the second time in two months that a U.S. service member was killed apparently by the very same Afghan forces he was there to train. Six U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

"The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him," Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan Commanding General Scott Miller said in a statement. "Our duty now is to honor him, care for his family and continue our mission."

The service member who was wounded in the attack is in stable condition, U.S. Forces Afghanistan said. The name of the fallen service member will be released "24 hours after next of kin notification," officials added.

The death came one day after a new U.S. commander for all American and allied forces in Afghanistan took over. The commander, Gen. Scott Miller, is the former head of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), responsible for leading elite commando units such as the Army's Delta Force, SEAL Team Six and the 75th Ranger Regiment.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/09/03/us-service-member-in-afghanistan-dead-in-apparent-insider-attack-on-monday.html

#2861825 at 2018-09-03 22:37:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3618: Hammertime Edition

'Insider Attack': US Soldier Killed in Afghanistan on Monday, Sixth This Year

A US soldier was killed and another wounded on Monday in what appears to be the continuation of a series of insider attacks against Pentagon forces deployed in Afghanistan, announced a spokesperson for the US military command.

The name and rank - as well as the details of the tragic incident - of the US soldier was not released, although the Pentagon reports that this is the sixth American killed in Afghanistan in 2018, cited by Reuters.

Monday's killing follows the insider killing of a US service-member in July in the southern province of Uruzgan; shot dead by an armed member of the Afghan military.

"The sacrifice of our service member [...] is a tragic loss," remarked US General Scott Miller, cited by Reuters.

Miller had taken over the reins of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on the previous day.

Commonly referred to as 'green on blue' attacks, insider attacks by armed Afghan soldiers on American soldiers and officers have remained a fixture of the 17-year US war in the Middle Eastern nation.

The US military command in Afghanistan reported that the wounded soldier was stable but withheld name and rank.

https://sputniknews.com/military/201809031067721652-sixth-US-Soldier-Killed-in-Afghanistan-this-year/

#2859092 at 2018-09-03 18:27:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3614 So Much to Dig, so Little Time Edition

>>2858980
moar
KABUL (Reuters) - A U.S. service member was killed and another wounded in an apparent insider attack in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

The service member, who has not been identified, was the sixth American to be killed in Afghanistan this year.

The incident came two months after a member of a U.S. army training unit was shot dead by an Afghan soldier in the southern province of Uruzgan.

"The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him," said Gen. Scott Miller, who assumed command of NATO forces in Afghanistan on Sunday.

Insider attacks, often known as "green on blue" attacks in which Afghan service members or attackers wearing Afghan uniforms fire on U.S. or coalition troops, have been a regular feature of the conflict in Afghanistan, although their frequency has diminished in recent years.

https://
www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-casualty/u-s-service-member-killed-in-afghanistan-statement-idUSKCN1LJ1MT?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

#2859028 at 2018-09-03 18:21:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3614 So Much to Dig, so Little Time Edition

US service member killed, another wounded in Afghanistan

https://www.wnct.com/news/national/us-service-member-killed-another-wounded-in-afghanistan/1415028467

Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Commanding General Scott Miller says "the sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him."


Thank you Commanding General Scott Miller, we will forever be indebted to your service. God Speed and God Bless. o7

My thoughts, prayers, and gratitude are with the Miller family ??

#2849148 at 2018-09-02 22:35:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3601: [DARPA] Edition

>>2848924
General Austin Scott Miller of the U.S. Army is taking over
17th US Commander Takes Over America's Longest War
https://www.voanews.com/a/new-u-s-general-takes-command-in-afghanistan/4554388.html

#2673805 at 2018-08-20 05:33:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3375 CA Gun Control Edition

So a lot of important Military positions are getting new people since a lot are retiring…

Trump preparing to nominate key military personnel: report
By Megan Keller - 08/19/18 05:28 PM EDT

President Trump is expected to switch out commanders across the Middle East and Europe in the administration's most dramatic change to the US military leadership so far, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal reported that the personnel shifts will affect officers fighting in the Middle East, as well as those working to counter Russia, overseeing Guantanamo Bay and engaging in stealth operations around the world.
Officials told the Journal that Army Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke is anticipated to be formally appointed to U.S. Special Operations Command, in Tampa, Fla. He would succeed Army Gen. Tony Thomas, who will retire next year. The Special Operations Command oversees the specialized forces of all military branches.
As of now, Clarke serves as the director of strategic plans and policy for the Pentagon's Joint Staff. He also served as operation officer at Joint Special Operations Command when the Pentagon initiated the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. At that post, Clarke played a key role in the mission, participating in the planning, training and execution of the raid.
Trump will likely nominate two other commanders to replace retiring heads of regional combatant commands, several U.S. officials told the Journal.
Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters is anticipated to be chosen to head the U.S. European Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.
In the past, Wolters has served as the operations officer on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Wolters currently runs Air Force Europe, Air Force Africa, and Allied Air Command, all of which are based in Germany. He has especially focused on combating Russia in recent years.
Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr. is expected to take on U.S. Central Command, after Army Gen. Joseph Votel, according to the Journal. That position is also out of Tampa and is thought of as the most prominent in the military. The post is responsible for all operations in the Middle East.
McKenzie is currently the director of the Joint Staff, which often situates officers well for top commands. He has years of experience in the nation's capital as well as in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Journal reports that forces under the Special Operations Command have become increasingly important to the U.S. as it tries to lower its military presence across the world. Following from this emphasis, Trump nominated then commander of the Joint Special Operations Command Army Gen. Scott Miller to head up U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
McKenzie and Clarke's nominations will both require Senate confirmation, though it is rare for Senators to move to block military promotions.
The Pentagon and the speculated nominees declined to comment to the Journal.
In addition, two other high-ranking military posts are set to open next year, with the retirement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joe Dunford and the vice chairman Air Force Gen. Paul Selva.
Several names have surfaced for the positions, including current Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein, Army chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley, and the head of U.S. strategic command Air Force Gen. John Hyten.
There may be two more additional openings, with the possible retirement of top U.S. commander in Afghanistan Army. Gen. John Nicholson and current commander of U.S. Forces, Korea Army Gen. Vince Brooks, officials told the Journal.

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1031376798867763200

#2670657 at 2018-08-20 00:55:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3371: The Digg Defines the Bot Edition

President Trump is expected to switch out commanders across the Middle East and Europe in the administration's most dramatic change to the US military leadership so far, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported that the personnel shifts will affect officers fighting in the Middle East, as well as those working to counter Russia, overseeing Guantanamo Bay and engaging in stealth operations around the world.

Officials told the Journal that Army Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke is anticipated to be formally appointed to U.S. Special Operations Command, in Tampa, Fla. He would succeed Army Gen. Tony Thomas, who will retire next year. The Special Operations Command oversees the specialized forces of all military branches.

As of now, Clarke serves as the director of strategic plans and policy for the Pentagon's Joint Staff. He also served as operation officer at Joint Special Operations Command when the Pentagon initiated the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. At that post, Clarke played a key role in the mission, participating in the planning, training and execution of the raid.

Trump will likely nominate two other commanders to replace retiring heads of regional combatant commands, several U.S. officials told the Journal.

Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters is anticipated to be chosen to head the U.S. European Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

In the past, Wolters has served as the operations officer on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Wolters currently runs Air Force Europe, Air Force Africa, and Allied Air Command, all of which are based in Germany. He has especially focused on combating Russia in recent years.

Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr. is expected to take on U.S. Central Command, after Army Gen. Joseph Votel, according to the Journal. That position is also out of Tampa and is thought of as the most prominent in the military. The post is responsible for all operations in the Middle East.

McKenzie is currently the director of the Joint Staff, which often situates officers well for top commands. He has years of experience in the nation's capital as well as in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Journal reports that forces under the Special Operations Command have become increasingly important to the U.S. as it tries to lower its military presence across the world. Following from this emphasis, Trump nominated then commander of the Joint Special Operations Command Army Gen. Scott Miller to head up U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

McKenzie and Clarke's nominations will both require Senate confirmation, though it is rare for Senators to move to block military promotions.

The Pentagon and the speculated nominees declined to comment to the Journal.

In addition, two other high-ranking military posts are set to open next year, with the retirement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joe Dunford and the vice chairman Air Force Gen. Paul Selva.

Several names have surfaced for the positions, including current Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein, Army chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley, and the head of U.S. strategic command Air Force Gen. John Hyten.

There may be two more additional openings, with the possible retirement of top U.S. commander in Afghanistan Army. Gen. John Nicholson and current commander of U.S. Forces, Korea Army Gen. Vince Brooks, officials told the Journal.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/402566-trump-to-shake-up-military-leadership-with-new-nominations-report

#1917708 at 2018-06-27 04:40:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2416 Rejoicing About the Return of Q Edition

>>1917672
I've said it like 4 times. Best I can come up with so far is
General Scott Miller.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/30/gen-austin-Scott-Miller-lead-afghanistan-war-under/

#1917446 at 2018-06-27 04:28:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2416 Rejoicing About the Return of Q Edition

>>1917427
POSSIBLY…

GENERAL Scott Miller

SPEC OPS COMMANDER

#1917282 at 2018-06-27 04:18:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2415: It Has Begun

GENERAL Scott Miller SPECIAL FORCES

VIP??

#1917268 at 2018-06-27 04:17:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2415: It Has Begun

>>1917038
Who is Scott Miller? does she mean stephen Miller?

#1917186 at 2018-06-27 04:12:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2415: It Has Begun

Scott Miller VIP???

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/30/gen-austin-Scott-Miller-lead-afghanistan-war-under/

#1917146 at 2018-06-27 04:10:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2415: It Has Begun

>>1917061
Major General Scott Miller?

#1917061 at 2018-06-27 04:05:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2415: It Has Begun

>>1917038
Scott Miller? Maybe?
VIP on Plane

#1599041 at 2018-05-31 20:50:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2011: Populism In Italia Edition

https://www.obama.org/contributors/

$1,000,000+
Aphorism Foundation
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$750,001 to $999,999
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Robert and Jane Clark
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Prudential Foundation *

$250,001 to $500,000
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$100,001 to $250,000
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#1462008 at 2018-05-19 01:38:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #1835: Baker died on dialupEdition

>>1461692
Project Monarch

From .nytimes.com!

Probing the Enigma of Multiple Personality

If the mind can do this in tearing down body tissue, I think it suggests the same potential for healing, said Dr. Braun, who directs a 10-bed psychiatric unit that uses psychotherapy, hypnosis and drugs to treat people with multiple personalities. He said he believed that the drastic physical changes seen in patients going from personality to personality could be duplicated for emotionally normal people under hypnosis.

In people with multiple personalities, there is a strong psychological separation between each sub-personality; each will have his own name and age, and often some specific memories and abilities. Frequently, for example, personalities will differ in handwriting, artistic talent or even in knowledge of foreign languages.

Multiple personalities typically develop in people who were severely and repeatedly abused as children, apparently as a means to protect themselves against the pain of the abuse. Often only one or two of the sub-personalities will be conscious of the abuse, while others will have no memory or experience of the pain. It is unclear why some abused children develop the syndrome while others do not.

For more than a century clinicians have occasionally reported isolated cases of dramatic biological changes in people with multiple personalities as they switched from one to another. These include the abrupt appearance and disappearance of rashes, welts, scars and other tissue wounds; switches in handwriting and handedness; epilepsy, allergies and color blindness that strike only when a given personality is in control of the body.

Some of the recent findings on such changes will be reported at an international conference on multiple personalities that Dr. Braun will convene next October in Chicago. The reports will include other physical differences from personality to personality, such as seizures, eating disorders, and different neurological and sensory profiles. Optical Differences

One of those reports will be on a study by Scott Miller, a psychologist at the University of Utah, of optical differences in people with multiple personality. Dr. Miller had an opthalmologist give a battery of standard optical tests to 10 patients and a control group of nonpatients. After each battery, the opthalmologist would leave the room while the patient switched personalties, sometimes at will and sometimes with prompting, then return and repeat the test.

The study included a control group of another 10 people who feigned switching personalties, unknown to the examiner, to remove a potential source of bias.

The study, which will be published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, found that there were significant changes in visual acuity, in the shape and curvature of the eye and in refraction from personality to personality in the real patients, but hardly any among the others tested.

The opthalmic exam also found some clinical differences apart from the standard tests. One woman had three personalities, aged 5, 17 and 35. When the five-year-old was examined, she had a condition, common in childhood, known as lazy eye, in which one eye turns in toward the nose. The condition was not present in the 17-year-old or the 35-year-old.

Similar differences were found in other patients. One patient had had his left eye injured in a fight, so that it turned out, said Dr. Miller. But the condition only appeared in one of his personalities. It disappeared in the others, nor was there any evidence of muscle imbalance.

The study corroborates an observation of vision differences that had often been made by those treating multiple-personality cases. Many patients have told me they have a drawer full of eyeglasses at home, and they never are quite sure which to bring when they go out, Dr. Braun said. How Mind Regulates Biology

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/28/science/probing-the-enigma-of-multiple-personality.html

#1460861 at 2018-05-19 00:12:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #1834: "BOMB(S) ABOUT TO BLOW" Edition

BOMBSHELL HAS EXPLOSED

BOARD MODERATORS, BOARD OWNERS TAKE-OVER OF Q-ACCOUNT CONFIRMED

See the attached image for evidence of Baruch the scribe take-over of Q account in the move from 4chan to 8chan until January 5th, went pamphlet anon took over the Q account together with Corsi.

Patriot Soap Box admits to being Qanon have a great day!

https://twitter.com/0H0UR1/status/997226655209984001

Scott Miller:

CORSI AND PAMPHLET ANON TOOK CONTROL OF Q ACCOUNT AFTER JANUARY 5TH:

@jamessaberhawk

Follow Follow @jamessaberhawk

Replying to @0H0UR1

Q is debunked...Pam and his wife have been Q for a while now.

#QANONGATE

3:20 PM - 17 May 2018

https://twitter.com/jamessaberhawk/status/997240570677481472

This explains why Barauch the scribe fervently defends that Q is fake after January 05th (because he is no longer in control).

This explains who is running the phone APP making thousands on this fake Q they created, in hijacking the original Q created by CICADA 3301 and others from which they drew ideas (including me).

Then, the CIA took over and after this MOSSAD, with the help of George Webb and Tracy Beanz most likely (this would explain the bank transfer between GW and Tracy, which allowed her to purchase new computer equipment).

Corsi and Tracy took over the Q account after January 05th.

When some new Mossad player took over, Corsi and Beanz no longer had control over the Q account, so they abandoned Q.

Current Q says to be careful who you follow and be careful about those making money on it, to cover-up the assets he has making money on this. We know this because the phone APP exposed by Titus Frost controls the Q trip-codes and changes them as needed. Whoever is running the phone APP (which we know is Obama and Hillary Clinton most likely, as it is being controlled from the state where the Clintons live) are making hundreds of thousands on this Ponzi scheme, as Titus and others have proven.


See these links here for further info:

>>>/bannedfromqresearch/1009
>>>/bannedfromqresearch/1086

AIM EXPOSED HERE.

Please save off-line as moderators are removing this so you will not see it.

Shills will start attacking this in a few minutes saying we are clowns.
The shills who say this are clowns and Mossad agents and do not want to be exposed. Now you know.

#577276 at 2018-03-07 14:47:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #711: Open 24 Hours Edition

>>577266
Obama Foundation donors.

$1,000,000+
Aphorism Foundation *
Lynne and Marc R. Benioff *
Blum-Kovler Foundation/Peter and Judy Kovler *
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation *
Sonya and Tom Campion
Stephen Cloobeck
The Crown Family *
Ann & John Doerr
Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund *
Exelon Corporation *
Fred Eychaner
The Ford Foundation *
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation *
The Goldberg Family Foundation *
Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund *
Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Gift Fund *
Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine
Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin & Daniel Levin *
The Hauptman Family Foundation
Mel Heifetz *
Reid Hoffman *
Hutchins Family Foundation *
The Joyce Foundation
The George Lucas Family Foundation *
Joe and Rika Mansueto *
Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare *
Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation *
Microsoft Corporation *
New York Community Trust *
Scott Miller & Tim Gill
Todd Y. Park
Linda and Richard Price Family Fund *
Pritzker Traubert Foundation *
Rhimes Family Foundation *
Victoria & John Rogers *
Rosenthal Family Foundation *
Amy & Kirk Rudy *
Cari & Michael J. Sacks
Beth & David Shaw
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Ian Simmons through ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund
Marilyn and Jim Simons
Evan Williams & Sara Morishige
Robert and Carol Wolf Family Foundation *
Leo Smith & Heather Steans *
Mary and Jeffrey Zients *

$750,001 to $999,999
$500,001 to $750,000
Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney *
Prudential Foundation

$250,001 to $500,000
Robert G. Clark *
Tim Collins
Jewish Communal Fund
Jill & Avram Glazer *
The John & Marcia Goldman Foundation
Nicholas Logothetis
Alison and Mark Pincus
Mrs. Marjorie Susman & Ambassador Louis B. Susman *
The Brin Wojcicki Foundation *

#572285 at 2018-03-07 01:08:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #705: General Flynn Edition

>>572040
Obama Foundation Donors.

$1,000,000+
Aphorism Foundation *
Lynne and Marc R. Benioff *
Blum-Kovler Foundation/Peter and Judy Kovler *
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation *
Sonya and Tom Campion
Stephen Cloobeck
The Crown Family *
Ann & John Doerr
Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund *
Exelon Corporation *
Fred Eychaner
The Ford Foundation *
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation *
The Goldberg Family Foundation *
Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund *
Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Gift Fund *
Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine
Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin & Daniel Levin *
The Hauptman Family Foundation
Mel Heifetz *
Reid Hoffman *
Hutchins Family Foundation *
The Joyce Foundation
The George Lucas Family Foundation *
Joe and Rika Mansueto *
Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare *
Katie McGrath & J.J. Abrams Family Foundation *
Microsoft Corporation *
New York Community Trust *
Scott Miller & Tim Gill
Todd Y. Park
Linda and Richard Price Family Fund *
Pritzker Traubert Foundation *
Rhimes Family Foundation *
Victoria & John Rogers *
Rosenthal Family Foundation *
Amy & Kirk Rudy *
Cari & Michael J. Sacks
Beth & David Shaw
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Ian Simmons through ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund
Marilyn and Jim Simons
Evan Williams & Sara Morishige
Robert and Carol Wolf Family Foundation *
Leo Smith & Heather Steans *
Mary and Jeffrey Zients *

$750,001 to $999,999
$500,001 to $750,000
Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney *
Prudential Foundation

$250,001 to $500,000
Robert G. Clark *
Tim Collins
Jewish Communal Fund
Jill & Avram Glazer *
The John & Marcia Goldman Foundation
Nicholas Logothetis
Alison and Mark Pincus
Mrs. Marjorie Susman & Ambassador Louis B. Susman *
The Brin Wojcicki Foundation *

$100,001 to $250,000
The Goolsbee Family *
The Tony James Charitable Foundation
The Kresge Foundation

$10,000 to $100,000
Marcie and Nick Alexos
The Apatow-Mann Family Foundation, Inc. *
Priya V. Balakrishnan *
Dr. Anita Blanchard and Martin Nesbitt
John Boiler
Andrew & Ellen Bradley *
Douglas & Teresa Brown
Jedd Canty
Susan Sher & Neil Cohen Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation *
Jesse Crowe
Judith Estrin
Franklin and Marshall College *
Eiichi Fukushima
Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag
Seth Rosen *
Hamlin Kurihara Fund
Estate of Nancy Hom
Jack & Jill of America Foundation, Inc.
The MJK Family Foundation
Jane A. Lehman and Alan G. Lehman Foundation *
Revada Foundation *
Chuck Lorre Family Foundation *
Joseph Macari
Jane and Richard Mescon
Diane Meyer Simon *
Minow Family Foundation *
Penny Norman Trust
Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling
Peter Orzsag
Carol and David Pensky *
Jeanne and John Kevin Poorman through JKP Family Foundation *
Robert Rivkin and Cindy Moelis
The Lostand Foundation *
Georgina T. Russo
Margaret Schink
Segal Family Foundation *
The Fine and Greenwald Foundation *
Lawrence Z. & Jaqueline A. Stern Foundation
Anne and Bruce Strohm Family Charitable Fund *
Andrew Tobias *
Craig Troyer
Aaron and Ana Zamost *

#293684 at 2018-02-07 13:51:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #359: Early Bird (anything other than Pelican) Edition

>>293680

" Scott Miller - who helps direct GM's efforts in autonomous driving - isn't buying a key Tesla claim. Musk & Co have said all Tesla vehicles produced since October 2016, including the $35,000 Model 3 sedan, contain "the hardware needed for full self-driving capability," though such features aren't currently enabled. That implies the vehicles are what the industry calls "Level 5" autonomous cars.

"I think he's full of crap," said Miller, according to multiple reports. "To be what an SAE Level 5 full autonomous system is, I don't think he has the content to do that."

Miller said he did not believe full-autonomous driving could be implemented at the Model 3's price point, according to a Sydney Morning Herald story. It's "irresponsible" to say a car has fully autonomous capability at this point, GM's director of autonomous vehicle integration added, according to an Australian article.

"To be deeply integrated into Level 5, you should have some redundancies," said Miller, whose slams came during a briefing to Aussie media in Detroit. "Do you really want to trust one sensor measuring the speed of a car coming into an intersection before you pull out? I think you need some confirmation."

GM says Musk is full of crap.