WATCH THE WHOLE SERIES AT: http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1834405271 This series is about 24 hours in Helmand, Afghanistan's most violent province. I was with the Queen's Company- British soldiers who normally guard Buckingham Palace. Their job was to train the Afghan National Army, whilst fighting the Taliban, an almost impossible combination. On this day we were ambushed late in the morning, then surrounded in a small house belonging to a terrified Afghan family. The battle to get out of the house lasted eight hours. The two most senior soldiers there, both veterans of Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, agreed that it was the most intense day they had ever experienced. One of them has since been awarded a Military Cross. I spent two months in Afghanistan, and I'm sure that what I saw in Helmand is going on in many other parts of the country. We could be there for decades. - Ben Anderson [ More Detail ]
Thousands of Pakistanis are fleeing their homeland and escaping into Afghanistan. Fighting between Taliban and Pakistani forces began in August. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports on the people caught in the crossfire. [ More Detail ]
According to a British military officer the war in Afghanistan can not be won unless political negotiations with the Taliban take place. [ More Detail ]
Freelance Journalist Doug Grindle was embedded with the U.S. Marines in Kapisa Province in Afghanistan, about an hour and a half north of Kabul. U.S. troops are working with the Afghan National Army on security, road construction, and medical missions. [ More Detail ]
An Afghan women has accussed her government of pardoning three men convicted of gang-raping her.Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Afghanistan where several cases have sparked controversy in a country that views rape as a taboo subject. [ More Detail ]
Nato operations in Afghanistan could be jeopardised if Russia follows through on a threat to cut co-operation.Moscow accuses the West of having "hostile policies" towards Russia, and says it might ban Nato from entering Russian airspace.From Kabul, Zeina Khodr reports on what effect Russia's resistance might have. [ More Detail ]
EXCLUSIVE: Just days before their unit suffered heavy losses in Afghanistan, FRANCE 24’s Matthieu Mabin accompanied troops from France’s 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment as they faced off with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Watch the 1st part of the show. [ More Detail ]
August 2008Can America really beat the Taliban using a textbook? We take a look at the practice behind the theory, as Charlie Company attempt to follow the instructions laid out in the Counterinsurgency Field Manual.Seen as "a modern military textbook for winning hearts and minds and outwitting the enemy" the book also known as the COIN Manual, was written by some of America's finest military minds. So can the Americans really win by the book? The Manual states: "Counterinsurgents often achieve the most meaningful success in garnering public support...with activities that do not include killing insurgents". Yet for all the activities that exclude killing, this is a war. The American troops are at their best when under attack and the other side of war is reveling in the death of your enemies. "It's like the Superbowl; or like Manchester United and Chelsea, we're cheering for our team," claims one soldier laughing and celebrating with his comrades as Taliban are killed. The Manual also states: "Executing COIN operations is complex, demanding and tedious. There are no quick solutions." Few know this better than the soldiers who have been here for over a year and those forced to chop down trees with axes after their chainsaws fail to work. "It's almost like all of this stuff that we're doing is worthless." America expects its soldiers to be nation builders as well as warriors but are they simply asking too much? [ More Detail ]
July 2008The war for Afghanistan is increasingly being staged from across the Pakistani border. Although Pakistan's government claims to support the US, it is reluctant to take on the Taliban in tribal areas. [ More Detail ]
June 2008Internationally acclaimed Photographer Stephen Dupont narrowly escaped a suicide blast in Afghanistan. After 20 years of recording the plight of others, he was now turning the lens on himself.Just after the explosion, Dupont pulled out his camera and began capturing the chaos. He filmed himself, blood running down his face, as he searched for his lost colleague, not knowing if he was dead or alive. With such media-targeted attacks increasing, what will happen if journalists stop covering conflict-zones? "We wont be able to bring back the message or tell both sides of the story...there'll be no story to cover". [ More Detail ]
Thousands of children as young as four are being forced to work in brick factories in Afghanistan.Some of them work up to 12 hours a day, to help pay off debts owed by their families.Al Jazeera' s Teresa Bo went to the town of Sokhrod to meet some of the children, who are losing their childhood to pay off their families' debts. [ More Detail ]
France has committed more troops to Afghanistan, although it disagrees with George Bush about NATO expansion. The additional French soldiers partially meet demands by Canada, which had threatened to withdraw forces if NATO allies did not send reinforcements.Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall spent some time with Canadians soldiers in Kandahar to get an idea of the challenges on the ground. [ More Detail ]
As part of its series on veterans from some of the world's most brutal and forgotten conflicts Al Jazeera travelled to Russia.Despite being the Soviet Union's largest military operation since the second world war, the decade-long war in Afghanistan is regarded by many as a humiliation and the Soviet 'Vietnam'.However many veterans are still physically and psychologically damaged by their time in Afghanistan and say they do not receive adequate support upon their return. [ More Detail ]
As part of its series on veterans from some of the world's most brutal and forgotten conflicts Al Jazeera travelled to Russia.Despite being the Soviet Union's largest military operation since the second world war, the decade-long war in Afghanistan is regarded by many as a humiliation and the Soviet 'Vietnam'.However many veterans are still physically and psychologically damaged by their time in Afghanistan and say they do not receive adequate support upon their return. [ More Detail ]
January 2008While the world has focused on Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has slowly deteriorated. As this embed report reveals, soldiers constantly come under attack. "We take direct fire every day but our story always gets put on the backburner to Iraq", states Sgt Collins. "I know most of the soldiers feel forgotten". Charlie Company is tasked with stopping the flow of insurgents into Afghanistan. But without the support of locals, it's a virtually impossible task. [ More Detail ]
Dec 2007The tradition of dog fighting thrives in Afghanistan's capital.Having been banned under the Taliban, it is currently undergoing resurgence in popularity for the thousands of men looking for some form of entertainment and escapism from the constant war."For us dog fighting is a celebration," exclaims one of the fight organisers. [ More Detail ]
Aug 2005One controversial TV show is doing what's never before been done in Afghanistan -- discussing taboo subjects like paedophilia. A heady mix of investigative journalism and entertainment has made Tolo TV a revolutionary force in today's Afghanistan. "Our country needs programmes like this," reasons host Masoud Keram. "It's about facilitating social change." While Tolo has won plaudits for its news coverage, it is music programmes presented by women that have been the most controversial. "It's deviating from morality, Afghan values, Islamic principles." laments Afghan's chief justice. "Other cultures are prevailing over us." The influence of Tolo TV ensures that alternative viewpoints are heard. As owner Saaf Mohseni states: "The presenters are breaking down barriers. They're changing this country more than anyone else." [ More Detail ]
Dec 2003Under the Taliban, Afghan women risked everything to be beautiful. Now the US fashion industry is helping them open their own beauty parlours and achieve financial independence. Sima Calkin has not seen her home country of Afghanistan for 23 years. Now she is returning to advise local women about running their own beauty salons. It's all thanks to a new scheme aimed at restoring dignity and self respect to the women of Afghanistan. But the war ravaged country she flies into bears no resemblance to the lush paradise of her childhood. "I am in shock ... it's mind boggling to see what has happened," she despairs. She is also racked by guilt for having abandoned her country in its hour of need. By teaching the women to become beauticians, she hopes she can make amends. And there are plenty of women desperate to be taught these valuable new skills. Beauticians in Kabul earn much more than doctors or labourers. In a country where 60% of women are widows and many are the main breadwinners, working as beauticians offers a real opportunity to improve their lives. [ More Detail ]
See full film here:http://www.booserver.com/projects.php?ProjectID=1917Under the Taliban, Kabul's football stadium was a place of fear and execution. Football was discouraged and spectators banned from cheering. But through all the years of oppression, love of the beautiful game remained. Now, in a symbol of the country's rebirth, Afghanistan is rebuilding its national team. We follow football legend Ali Askar Lali as he returns from exile in Germany to select and train the new players. Working in farcical conditions, he tries to prepare the men for their first symbolic international match. Will the team be ready? And do they stand any chance of success? [ More Detail ]