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Expanding internet connectivity in Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 4.953 2009-03-23 00:07:57
Named after the Great Silk Road trading route linking Asia and Europe, the NATO Virtual Silk Highway (SILK) provides affordable, high-speed Internet access via satellite to the academic communities of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The SILK project is operational at Kabul University, Afghanistan, since 2006, and is now looking into expanding the network to the provinces. Under the Declaration by NATO and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to maximize the potential of the Virtual Silk Highway, the NATO Public Diplomacy Division (PDD) Science for Peace and Security (SPS) programme is assisting the Afghan authorities in paving the way for developing their educational system. Kabul area In 2008, the NATO-PDD SPS programme connected all 14 faculties of Kabul University and the Ministry of Higher Education to a campus network, as well as setting up a video teleconferencing facility. Work is in progress to provide high-speed Internet access through the Virtual Silk Highway to other higher education institutions in Kabul, including the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. Linking the provinces In March 2008, the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) was tasked by NATO-PDD SPS to conduct a feasibility study on the potential provision of internet connectivity for universities outside of Kabul. The tender process for this expanded SILK project is currently underway, and implementation could start end 2009. In the meantime, the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education has identified six universities as the first beneficiaries of the expansion: Herat University; Jawzjan University in Sheberghan; Kandahar University, Sheikh Zaid University, Khost Province, Balkh University in Mazar-e-Sharif; and Nangarhar University in Jalalabad.
Military locations in Afghanistan supported by TS2 Satellite Provider
Relevance Score: 3.880 2008-06-01 11:48:22
TS2 was among the first telecommunications operators in the satellite technology in the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan and as such we have enjoyed a successful cooperation with the US Department of Defense, DoD contractors, Contracting Officers and U.S. Military Personnel from Afghanistan. Airfields Bagram Air base Chagcharan Chapman Airfield Bamian / Bamiyan Fayzabad / Faizabad Herat Jalalabad Kabul International Kandahar / Qandahar Khowst Mazar-e Sharif, AF Meymanah / Maimana Pul-i-Kandahar, AF Rhino FOB Shindand Air base Taloqan / Talulqan US Army Camps Kabul Compound Gardez Compound Camp Albert Camp Bagram Camp Barber Camp Black Horse Camp Blackjack Camp Bastion Camp Bulldog Camp Civilian Camp Cunningham Camp Dogan Camp Eggers Camp Gecko Camp Gibraltar Camp Hadrian Camp Holland Camp Harriman Camp Invicta Camp Julien Camp Kabul Camp Kandahar Camp Kearney Camp Lightning Camp Leatherneck Camp Marmal Camp Morehead Camp Nathan Smith Camp Phoenix Camp Rhino Camp Salerno Camp Souter Camp Spann Camp Tombstone Camp Vianini Camp Warehouse Camp Wilson Camp Wright FOB's FOB ABAD FOB Asadabad FOB Bermel FOB Blessing FOB Bostick FOB Cobra FOB Delhi FOB Dwyer FOB Fenty FOB Freia FOB Gereshk FOB Ghazni FOB Indianhead FOB Keating FOB Lagman FOB Lonestar FOB Lwara FOB Martello FOB Maimaneh FOB Mehtar Lam FOB Mizan FOB Naray FOB Orgun-e FOB Payne FOB Qalat FOB Rhino FOB Ripley FOB Salerno FOB Scorpion FOB Shank FOB Sharana FOB Sweeney FOB Tillman FOB Terrett FOB Thunder FOB Tiger FOB Zormat Fire Bases Fire Base Anaconda Fire Base Asadabad Fire Base California Fire Base Cobra Strike Fire Base Cobra Fire Base Gardez Fire Base Lagman Fire Base Maholic Fire Base Nixon Fire Base Orgun-E Fire Base Oulet Fire Base Phoenix Fire Base Shkin Fire Base Waza Khwa Fire Base Wilderness Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) PRT Asadabad - ISAF US PRT Baglan - ISAF PRT Bagram - ISAF US PRT Bamian (Bamyan) ISAF NZ PRT Chaghcharan - ISAF Lithuania PRT Farah - ISAF US PRT Feyzabad - ISAF Germany PRT Gardez - ISAF US PRT Ghazni - ISAFUS PRT Herat - ISAF Italy PRT Jalalabad - ISAF US PRT Kabul PRT Khandahar - ISAF Canada PRT Khowst / Khost - ISAF US PRT Konduz - ISAF Germany PRT Lashkar-Gah - ISAF UK PRT Mazar-E-Sharif - ISAF Sweden PRT Mehtar Lam - ISAF US PRT Meymaneh - ISAF Norway PRT Nurestan - ISAF US PRT Parwan – ROK/US PRT Panjshir - ISAF US PRT Pol-E-Khomri - ISAF Netherlands PRT Qalat - ISAF US PRT Qala-e-Naw - ISAF Spain PRT Sharana - ISAF US PRT Tarin Kowt - ISAF Netherlands/Australia PRT Wardak - ISAF Turkey
70 Mbps of satellite broadband services for Troops in Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 3.195 2009-06-29 00:42:42
SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES has announced that IoGlobal has signed a multiyear agreement to create a new DVB IP platform on the NSS-11 satellite to keep NATO troops in Afghanistan connected with friends and family back home. New Asia 9 platform on the China beam of SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES' NSS-11 satellite provides more than 70 Mbps of satellite-delivered streaming voice, data and video services to soldiers stationed in and around Kabul, Afghanistan. The solution expands on the growing, long-term relationship between IoGlobal and SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES across three satellites and delivers a broad offering of mission-critical satellite-based services ranging from broadband to video streaming into the South Asian region. "This latest agreement between IoGlobal and SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES reinforces our service commitment to the Middle East and regions around the world, as the two companies deliver multiple SCPC, VSAT and DVB service platforms over our NSS-703, NSS-6, and NSS-11 spacecraft," said Deepak Mathur, Vice President of South Asia and the Middle East for SES AMERICOM-NEW SKIES.
AFGHANISTAN: NATO Treads SILK For Cyber Defence
Relevance Score: 3.097 2009-12-29 11:54:06
NATO has been treading safely the Virtual Silk Highway (SILK). Named after the Great Silk Road trading route linking Asia and Europe, the cyber network was initiated in 2002 under the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme that NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division (NATO-PDD) is managing. “Experts are discussing plans for using the SILK-established networks for applications such as cyber defence and earthquake response,” says a report posted on NATO website. A critical role for the purpose has been assigned to VIZADA Networks of Norway and the Turkish Computer Emergency Response Team as well as the Geological Research Centre in Potsdam, Germany. The NATO C3 Agency and the Public Diplomacy Division of NATO have completed the signature process of the Letter of Agreement in support of the ‘SILK-Afghanistan’ project, another NATO report said on Dec. 21. “This is a significant step towards expanding broadband Internet connectivity for higher education throughout the provinces in Afghanistan.” While the Caucasus and Central Asia sites are migrating to terrestrial connectivity with support by the European Union, the new NATO project ‘SILK-Afghanistan’ will extend the connectivity to initially seven provinces of Afghanistan. An expansion of the SILK network to Afghanistan has brought connectivity to 15 academic and governmental institutions in Kabul and will soon incorporate universities in seven Afghan provinces. NATO has invited IT experts from Afghan universities to participate in discussions on future steps, including the formation of a new supervisory board for the expansion project ‘SILK-Afghanistan’, says the report. NATO-PDD, through its Science for Peace and Security Programme, is assisting the Afghan authorities in paving the way for developing their educational system. In early 2009 NATO-PDD tasked the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) to prepare an Invitation For Bids to the Industry for expanding Internet connectivity for universities and higher education institutes in Afghanistan. The signature of the Letter of Agreement between NC3A and NATO-PDD concludes the tender process which took place in spring/summer 2009 and authorizes the ‘SILK-Afghanistan’ project to be run for three years. NC3A will act as Procurement Agent and manage the new contract with the selected service provider to maximize the potential of the “SILK-Afghanistan” project for universities in Afghanistan, the NATO official website reported. "NC3A is committed to support NATO’s Comprehensive Approach through Information and Communications Technologies. The SILK-Afghanistan project is a good example of how far NATO members could go together -- International Staff, NC3A, Industry and Nations -- and benefit from cooperation initiatives. We are looking forward to successfully achieving the full operational capability for this academic network and to supporting other projects bringing stability to Afghanistan and empowering Afghani people to improve their lives", declared Velizar Shalamanov, NC3A Directorate Support Account (DSA) NATO Nations (NN). Seven universities have been identified as the first beneficiaries of this expansion project: Bamiyan, Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost, Mazar-e-Sharif and Sheberghan, in addition to the already serviced Kabul University and the Government Media and Information Centre in Kabul, enabling them to access the public Internet network and the GEANT network (multi-Gigabit Pan-European data communications network) dedicated to use in research and education. The selected provider, VIZADA Networks in Norway, will ensure connectivity to the nine sites via satellite resources. VIZADA will install satellite ground terminals at each site. Traffic will be anchored at VIZADA’s teleport in Bratislava, Slovakia and will connect from there to the European network. As the project comes to an end in June 2010, discussions have been under way for the transfer of connectivity in Central Asia on July 1 next year to the Central Asian Research and Educational Network (CAREN) project, supported by the European Commission (EC). The EC’s Black Sea Interconnection (BSI) project has already taken over from the SILK project in the Caucasus, where connectivity provision has been switched from satellite to fibre. Under the Declaration by NATO and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to maximize the potential of the Virtual Silk Highway, the NATO Public Diplomacy Division (PDD) Science for Peace and Security (SPS) programme is assisting the Afghan authorities in paving the way for developing their educational system. In 2008, the NATO-PDD SPS programme connected all 14 faculties of Kabul University and the Ministry of Higher Education to a campus network, as well as setting up a video teleconferencing facility. Work is in progress to provide high-speed Internet access through the Virtual Silk Highway to other higher education institutions in Kabul, including the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. In March 2008, the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) was tasked by NATO-PDD SPS to conduct a feasibility study on the potential provision of internet connectivity for universities outside of Kabul. The tender process for this expanded SILK project is currently underway, and implementation could start end 2009.
Satellite Broadband Internet in Iraq and Afghanistan for U.S. Troops
Relevance Score: 3.076 2009-06-28 22:04:20
WARSAW, Poland, Jan. 22 /Reuters/ -- TS2 Satellite Technologies' network in Iraq and Afghanistan has over 15,000 military users of local broadband satellite connections. "We were among the first telecommunications operators in the satellite technology in the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan, and as such we have enjoyed a successful cooperation with the U.S. Army for several years now," says Marcin Frackiewicz, CEO of the TS2 Satellite Technologies. TS2 Satellite Technologies offers two-way high-speed Internet access with no phone lines, no cable and no dial-up modem. It's always on, available virtually anywhere, and affordable. The laptop or Wi-Fi network can receive Internet signal through a special satellite VSAT modem, which was usually set up in a building or tent when deployed. The one VSAT access point provides the following services for soldiers: -- Broadband access to the Internet (WWW, E-mail, FTP etc.) -- Data transfer to many other users simultaneously -- Telephone connections including VoIP, IP phone -- Video-conference connections Advantages of the system: -- Short set-up time -- Fast and easy upgrades -- Possibility of guaranteed CIR -- Transmission in almost all weather conditions The communication among the bases is possible thanks to the simultaneous lease of bands on the Intelsat 10-02, Intelsat 901 and Eutelsat W6 satellites whose coverage enables configuration of connections between any place in Europe, Middle East and Southwest Asia. TS2's satellite military networks are located in Al Taqaddum Air Base, Bahgram AF, Balad Base, Baquba Airfield, Brassfield-Mora, Cob Adder, Cob Speicher, Camp Al Asad Airbase, Camp Bucca Basra City, Camp Buehring, Camp Charlie Basra, Camp Eggers, Camp Fallujah, Camp Grizzly, Camp Korean Village, Camp Liberty, Camp Mejid, Camp Ramadi, Camp Slayer, Camp Stryker, Camp Taji, Camp Victory, Fob Bagram, Fob Brassfield Mora, Fob Delta Al Kut, Fob Diamondback, Fob Falcon, Fob Garryowen, Fob Gardez, Fob Ghazni, Fob Kalagush, Fob Kandahar, Fob Lagman, Fob Mchenry, Fob Marez, Fob Normandy, Fob Rustamiyah, Fob Summerall, Fob Sykes, Fob Salerno, Fob Torkham, Fob Warhorse, Fob Warrior, Herat RTC, Jallahabad Air Base, Kabul Airport, Kabul Camp Eggers, Kandahar Air Base, Lsa Anaconda Balad, Q-West Base Complex and Tallil Ab Lsa Adder. Especially for U.S. Military Personnel, Contracting Officers and DoD Contractors, TS2 delivers satellite equipment to most of all military addresses in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, within maximum of 7 days. Supported military locations in Iraq - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Iraq-for-US-Army-Soldiers Supported military locations in Afghanistan - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Afghanistan-for-US-Army-Soldiers Contact: Piotr Kubiak and Michal Skrok TS2 Satellite Technologies phone +48 22 630 70 70 fax +48 22 630 70 71 http://www.ts2.pl
Military Seeks $1.3 Billion For Projects in Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 2.617 2009-10-18 11:13:57
While the Obama administration weighs whether to send additional troops to Afghanistan, the U.S. military is spending billions of dollars on construction projects to ensure the country's infrastructure can support American and coalition personnel in 2010 and years beyond. The military has already spent roughly $2.7 billion on construction over the past three fiscal years. Now, if its request is approved as part of the fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill, it would spend another $1.3 billion on more than 100 projects at 40 sites across the country, according to a Senate report on the legislation. At the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, Bagram, the military is planning to build a $30 million passenger terminal and adjacent cargo facility to handle the flow of troops, many of whom arrive at the base north of Kabul before moving onto other sites. Under the proposed schedule, those facilities will not be completed until late 2010 and go into operation early in 2011, according to military sources. Officials say such projects are absolutely essential given the inadequate and dilapidated nature of the existing infrastructure. Bagram is far from the only U.S. base being upgraded. The military is also spending hundreds of millions of dollars constructing facilities for the Afghan army and police. The U.S.-led coalition recently announced the opening of a $68 million, U.S.-financed forward operating base near Farah, in the western part of the country bordering on Iran. The base will house 2,000 Afghan soldiers and an American mentoring team. Such bases can take a long time to build. The original solicitation for contractors on the Farah garrison project was dated Dec. 29, 2007. A proposal for an additional phase was offered in March 2008, and 18 months later, almost two years after it was first solicited, the garrison at Farah was opened. Col. Thomas E. O'Donovan, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District, told reporters last March that his multibillion-dollar construction program is providing "underpinnings" for efforts at establishing security and stability across Afghanistan.
Canada Diplomat Leaves Afghanistan Confident Of Success.
Relevance Score: 2.445 2009-07-15 02:41:06
Ron Hoffman considers the bombs, danger, political intrigue and stress of being the highest-ranking Canadian in the world's most volatile area hard to beat. For Hoffmann, who on Friday ends his history-packed two-year term as the Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, he admits it'll be hard to leave his diplomat's job in the high-profile war zone. ``On a personal level, there is no diplomatic experience that could be as rewarding as this one,'' Hoffmann informed recently at his smartly appointed official Kabul residence along embassy row, barricaded behind ultraheavy security. ``My career can only go downhill after this. ``To be given the privilege of being the senior Canadian in a country which is our top development priority, our top diplomatic priority, and our top military priority is an extraordinary experience.'' The 48-year-old diplomat, originally from Winnipeg, acknowledges that Afghanistan is still a powder keg in many ways. Forty three coalition troops have died in the first half of July alone - four Canadians, one Italian, 15 Brits, 23 Americans. ``There is no doubt that the security situation has become more difficult over the last month,'' Hoffmann said. ``But there are a number of factors involved. One, it's the traditional fighting season, with the opium harvest having ended. Two, the military operations in Pakistan have moved some insurgents into Afghanistan.'' An American troop surge is also upping the ante with fighting. Hoffmann said the Aug. 20 election, only the second in Afghanistan's history and the first fully organized by Afghans themselves, adds to the tension but represents a significant step. He also believes Canada has done a wonderful job helping Afghans move toward democracy, in particular with training police and soldiers, helping shape Afghan debate, and contributing almost $100 million to education alone. ``Canada has done really well in Afghanistan,'' Hoffmann said, noting how much Ottawa supports the efforts with resources, people and even attitude. ``This country has challenges and a long way to go to overcome its security issues and institution building. ``But I'm also confident as I leave that Afghanistan will succeed because we have seen solid progress.'' The Canadian Embassy is in the process of doubling, with more than 100 staff. The chic, modern residence will be replaced by an even newer one. The sprawling Canadian grounds will soon encompass several large buildings. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada's military mission in Afghanistan will end in 2011. By then, Canada will have contributed $1.9 billion in civilian spending, among the largest of any country. Hoffmann's next posting is in Bangkok, as the Canadian ambassador for Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Seasoned diplomat William Crosbie will take over in Afghanistan. He has lived apart from his wife and two teenage children during his stint in Afghanistan. So the Asian posting comes with a bonus. ``I leave with very mixed feelings,'' he said. ``I would have loved to stay longer, and had I been single, I would have. ``But it's time to get our family back together.''
Running Out of Options, Afghans Decide To Leave Home.
Relevance Score: 2.262 2009-07-10 22:06:03
KABUL, Afghanistan — Through twenty years of war, Abdul Ahad never considered leaving Afghanistan. But as his country started to deteriorate rapidly in 2007, so did his life. He was laid off from his full-time driving job and forced to take the only work he could find: a once-a-week driving gig through Taliban territory. On a recent day at the Kabul airport, 30 young deportees from England returned home for the first time in several years. A 20-year-old man expressed no regrets and vowed to try again. In the past eight months, a suicide bomb and a firefight nearly took killed him. Now, Mr. Ahad, 26, has had enough. He has begun scouting potential smugglers to take him to Europe, he said, looking to join the surge of young Afghans who are leaving their country, frustrated by endless war, a lack of prospects and the slow pace of change. While foreign diplomats hold out hope that the August presidential elections and President Obama’s new troop deployments could change things here, Afghans are voting with their feet. Last year about 18,000 Afghans applied for asylum in Europe, a figure nearly double the 2007 total. The spike was the highest increase for any major country in 2008, according to the United Nations. By comparison, applications from Iraqis fell 10 percent. “People can’t find jobs here,” Mr. Ahad said. “And if you go to a place where there’s work, you’ll be killed in a week. “I’m desperate,” he added. “It’s not a big dream. I just want to finish my studies and live normally.” Willing to gamble on the risks, young men like him are turning over their savings — up to $25,000 in some cases — and their lives to smugglers, who arrange routes over seas to Australia or over land to Europe, where the Afghans then try to seek asylum. Finding a smuggler is not as difficult as it might seem. In interviews in the capital, Kabul, several smugglers, all of whom requested anonymity because their work is illegal, estimated that business was up 60 percent over last year. One said he was turning away customers for the first time in his 11-year career. “It’s out of my power to deal with the demand,” he said. “I never imagined it would get like this.” The country’s dire situation has even prompted some privileged Afghans to leave. They include the host of “Afghan Star,” an “American Idol”-style television series, who disappeared after a documentary based on the show won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival; as well as a media officer who worked for President Hamid Karzai and deserted his delegation during an official visit to the United States in September. Just a few years ago optimism abounded here, as the American-led invasion seemed to have ousted the Taliban, and wooed more than 3.5 million Afghan refugees back home while setting off a series of promising reconstruction projects. But since 2006, waves of Afghans have fled the Taliban resurgence, endemic corruption and the government’s inability to provide basic services like electricity. They are turning up in perilous waters near Australia, in Turkish prisons, at Rome’s main railway station and in Le Petit Kabul in Paris, or Little Kabul. In Calais, France, an immigration detention complex dubbed the Jungle is keeping about 600 Afghans in conditions that are “very, very bad compared to two years ago,” said Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental agency based in Geneva, who visited the camp in May. French officials have vowed to close the center by the end of 2009. Migration officials and recent deportees said many other Afghans abroad just disappear, are sexually exploited by truck drivers or are forced into labor. Applications for asylum often fail, too. “It’s death or destination,” said Shuja Halimi, who expressed no regrets after he was deported back to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom, after a two-month journey across 12 countries, including Bulgaria, where he says he eluded gunfire at the border. He said living conditions in Europe were awful “but not as bad as Afghanistan.” Now in Kabul, Mr. Halimi, who has three children, has not found a job. “We’ve got a president called Hamid Karzai who has done nothing for Afghan people,” he said, echoing the sentiment of many young Afghans. On a recent day at the Kabul airport, 30 young deportees from England returned home for the first time in several years. Equipped with only a plaid canvas bag, Akbar Khan, 20, vowed to try again. “We’ll try to go back in about a month after we save some money,” he said. In an attempt to curb the migration, the International Organization for Migration ran a media campaign here warning against the hazards of smuggling. The Italian government, which noted a 202 percent rise in Afghan asylum applications last year, financed the initiative. Pakistan and other neighboring countries historically offered Afghans refuge during crises like the Soviet occupation. But today Pakistan faces an internal refugee crisis of its own. Iran, too, is cracking down, now deeming the Afghans economic migrants rather than victims of war and deporting about 700,000 last year. As other avenues close, Afghans are now engaged in “what has become an intercontinental migration,” said Mr. Chauzy of the International Office of Migration. The most common route out for Afghans, then, is by road — from Iran via Turkey to Greece — and costs around $16,000, the smugglers said. They said that for about $25,000, they could guarantee an air journey eased by forged documents or prepaid bribes to immigration officials. Once in Europe, Afghans apply for asylum most often in the United Kingdom, Turkey, Greece and Italy. Scandinavian countries and Switzerland receive far fewer applicants but accept a significantly higher rate of Afghans, according to data from the European Commission. Migration experts say the widening and tight-knit Afghan diaspora in Europe has encouraged the trend, anchoring new arrivals and providing increasingly sophisticated advice on the asylum process. European officials trying to curb illegal migration have broken up several high-profile smuggling operations recently. In June, British officials convicted an Afghan man calling himself “the smuggler of Europe,” who claimed his multimillion-dollar operation served thousands of young men, according to phone conversations recorded by authorities. Some men were forced to work at a chain of pizza restaurants to pay off their debt. But officials in Afghanistan have been slower to crack down on smugglers. One smuggler chuckled when asked if he feared being arrested, saying his business operated much like a travel agency, and almost as openly. “In this government, three things work very well: relations, money and acquaintances,” the smuggler said. “When these three exist, anyone can get what they want.” Noor Haidiri, an adviser to the Minister of Refugees, placed some of the blame on Afghanistan’s regional neighbors. Many Afghans, he said, leave legally and hire smugglers in Iran or Dubai. As for the networks that exist here, he said, “only five years ago we had our first elected government, and it goes slowly.” But many Afghan youths feel that, given the danger in the country, legality is a secondary concern. “I love this country, but it’s totally going in the wrong direction,” said a teary-eyed 26-year-old man, who did not want to give his name because he was planning to leave. “I want to live like a normal person: wake up, go to work, and be with a wife — or a girlfriend, preferably.”
In Afghan Desert Marines Confront An Invisible Enemy.
Relevance Score: 2.176 2009-07-08 01:08:12
A scorching desert littered with bombs, little contact, an invisible enemy: the Marines that descended on Taliban bastions in southern Afghanistan will have to confront guerrilla tactics proven against the Soviets, an analyst informed. "Nawa is quiet, too quiet," commanding officer of the operation, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, claimed of the town where some of the 4,000 Marines involved had deployed Thursday at the start of the assault in Helmand province. "The enemy has gone to ground," he said. By Sunday, four days into the first military test of President Barack Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan, the Marines had confronted resistance except in Mian Poshteh where a US officer said 200 battled about 40 Taliban. This was even though they had pushed into locations where the government in Kabul had little or no control, and where the Taliban had in some cases established a parallel administration. Dutch Major General Mart de Kruif, commander of about 30,000 NATO-led troops in the region, estimates there are 10,000 to 18,000 Taliban fighters in volatile southern Afghanistan. "When guerrilla fighters see that the enemy is bigger in number and facilities, have an upper hand on the ground and in the air, all they do is let the enemy take over," said Afghan analyst Waheed Mujda. "The tactic behind guerrilla war is simply to exhaust the powerful enemy, make it time-consuming and expensive for them to carry on." The Taliban militia itself said that it cannot take on so many men in direct combat. "We are trying not to engage with them too soon because there are a lot of them and they would use air force in which case there will be civilian casualties," spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP. The fighters were using "guerrilla clashes," he said. "Our men are among the people." "Significant resistance is not being seen," interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters in Kabul Sunday. However, mines were a threat and had already killed two policemen on Saturday, he said. Homemade bombs -- improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in security jargon -- have killed three British soldiers in a similar operation further north since Wednesday. A U.S. Marine and another British soldier were killed in insurgent fire, the military said. None of the forces involved in the massive operation issued casualty tolls for the insurgents. "We don't know," Bashary said. "The Taliban do not have the ability to face such a big force and power," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP, adding the security forces were being slowed down by the militants' roadside bombs and mines. Azimi said there was always the risk that militants would merely hide their weapons and melt into the community as ordinary villagers, while resorting to bomb attacks and other guerrilla tactics. But by taking control of their strongholds, "we basically break their chain of command and control, we disrupt their supply routes, we deny them the opportunity to gather and group together," Azimi said. "The bottom line is we will take the secure ground they have from them and break their network." The joint forces had a three-phase security plan to keep insurgents out of areas they take, he said. International troops would help the Afghan forces hold these areas; they would withdraw when the Afghan army and police were strong enough; and the army would gradually pull out, leaving police in place. "This will take some five to six months after the end of the operation," Azimi said. Anlayst Mujda believed the Tailban still would be able to continue with their guerrilla methods which have been seen in previous Afghan conflicts. "They attack the isolated security posts, the district headquarters and others, take control of them briefly, take weapons and money and food, and whatever they can," the analyst said. "They basically feed off the expenses of the enemy and go away." The Afghan mujahideen who fought off the Soviet invaders in the 1980s did the same, he said. "They only resisted and fought when they were surprised by the enemy and they had no choice and most of the time they were carrying out attack-and-escape tactics," he said. But even before the Marines are able to hold these militant areas, they will have a difficult time in Helmand, Mujda said. "It is terribly hot, the foreign soldiers move heavily, they carry food, water, heavy uniform and protection. They cannot survive in that heat for long." At least two Marines have been evacuated suffering chronic heat exhaustion, the force has said.
TS2 Satellite Technologies
Relevance Score: 2.019 2008-06-29 00:52:58
TS 2 is the prime Internet Provider for US Army soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of all active customers are Polish and US Army soldiers, but TS 2 solutions have been implemented also for private companies and organizations. TS 2' network in Iraq and Afghanistan has over 15 thousand military users of local broadband satellite connections. TS 2 specializes in providing global satellite access services. They core business is broadband access to the Internet in areas with poor telecommunications infrastructure and mobile satellite phones communication. The main medium of used transmission is a two-way satellite transfer system, which provides good access to the satellite network in even the least accessible areas. It not only provides a broadband connection but also a wide range of additional data and voice services. TS2’s satellite networks are available in Al Taqaddum Air Base, Bagram AF, Balad Base, Baquba Airfield, Brassfield-Mora, Cob Adder, Cob Speicher, Camp Al Asad Airbase, Camp Bucca Basra City, Camp Buehring, Camp Charlie Basra, Camp Eggers, Camp Fallujah, Camp Grizzly, Camp Korean Village, Camp Liberty, Camp Mejid, Camp Ramadi, Camp Slayer, Camp Stryker, Camp Taji, Camp Victory, Fob Bagram, Fob Brassfield Mora, Fob Delta Al Kut, Fob Diamondback, Fob Falcon, Fob Garryowen, Fob Gardez, Fob Ghazni, Fob Kalagush, Fob Kandahar, Fob Lagman, Fob Mchenry, Fob Marez, Fob Normandy, Fob Rustamiyah, Fob Summerall, Fob Sykes, Fob Salerno, Fob Torkham, Fob Warhorse, Fob Warrior, Herat RTC, Jallaabad Air Base, Kabul Airport, Kabul Camp Eggers, Kandahar Air Base, Lsa Anaconda Balad, Sather Air Base, Q-West Base Complex and Tallil Ab Lsa Adder. [2] TS2 delivers telecommunication services also for Police Transition Teams in following locations: West Ramadi, Warrar, Tal-Aswad, Saqlawiyah / Saqlawiah, Rutbah, Rumanah, Ramadi District HQ, Qatanna, Mulaab, Kubaisa, Khaladiah, Karmah, Jazeera, Hit, Haqlaniyah, Hamdiyah, Habbaniyah, Forsan, Ferris, East Ramadi, Barwannah, Anah, Ameriayah and Al Qaim. [3] Military customers in Iraq and Afghanistan Before end of 2007 year, the TS 2 solutions have been implemented for e.g. US Marine Corps (USMC), US Army Corps of Engineers, Australian Defence Force (ADF), Command of Polish Navy, Special Military Formation GROM, 1st Special Commando Regiment, Polish National Police, Polish National Headquarters of the State Fire Services, Border Guard (Poland), World Bank Group, Lockheed Martin Information Technology, Halliburton Energy Services, KBR, General Dynamics Information Technology, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, US Naval Research Laboratory, ITT Corporation Aerospace / Communications Division, Technest Holdings / EOIR Technologies, North Eastern Aeronautical Company (Neany), EchoStorm Worldwide, Jorge Scientific Corporation, Erinys International, Aegis Iraq, American Heart of Poland and more others. TS2's military services are used by soldiers from 1 BCT 101 ABN DIV, 1-151 CAV HHT, 1-161st FA A-BTRY, 1-206 Field Artillery Battalion, 1-25 SBCT, 1-5 INF B Co, 1-61 CAV SQDN, 1-76 FA, 1/402nd AFSB STRYKER LNO, 1038th HCC, 10TH MTN DIV, 1710 Transpotation company, 184th Ordnance Battalion, 189 CSSB, 18th EN BDE, 1AD 2BCT / TF 1-35 AR, 1AD STB/Datapath, 1BCT, 1STB 1BCT 4ID, 1st BCT 101st Airborne Div., 1st Intel Bn P&A Co AFP, 1st PLT C Co 3-21 IN, 1st Space BDE / MNC-I, 2 BCT 1ID JSS H2, 2/25 DET 1 WPNS CO MAP 3, 2/25 Det 1 H&S Comm Plt, 201st Engineer Bn., 215th ASMC Phipps Clinic, 259 CSSB 155 ICTC, 25th Signal BN, 269 TH MP CO, 269th MP CO, 27th BCT, 3/10 MPCO, 3/4 WPNS CAAT-2, 324 NSC, 330th Military Police Detachment, 345th MI BN, 351st MP CO, 368th Finance DET 4, 370th En Co 54th En Bn, 3ACR, 3D RADIO BN, 401st AFSB MRAP, 41st Fires BDE, 455 EOG/ Spawar/ ATM, 4ID, 4SB 1BCT 4ID, 4th BAT. 101st AB, 4th BCT, 504th MP BN, 527th MP CO, 527th Military Police Company, 542nd SMC, 55th EN CO, 561 MT company, 589th BSB, 58th mp co 1st plt, 5th ANGLICO HQ Det/1st BDE, 5th EN BN, 5th Eng Bn, 6-17 CAV 1-1 ARB, 715th MP CO, 752nd OD CO, 772 Military Police Company, 776 Maintenance Co., 812th MP CO, 836th Engineer Company Sapper, 84th EN BN 643 EN CO, 84th Eng Bn 643rd En Bn, 87th Eng Co, 926th EN BDE, 937th Engineer Company, 97th Trans Det 3, A 2-20 FA, A CO 1-5 IN REGT, A TRP 1-152 CAV, A co. 4SB, A-4/320th, A-BRTY 2-44 ADA, A-CO 1-21 INF, A/2-211 AVIATION, A/CO 1/21, ACO TF 1/35 AR, ALPHA TROOP 1-152, Aco 1-153 INF, Alpha Company, B 4-320th FA, B Btry 3-4 AMD Battalion, B CO Task Force Odin, B CO. Bldg 3455/CH, B Co 1-6 IN, B Co 2-112th, B Co 2-4 GSAB, B Co. Bldg 3455 / CH, B Co. Bldg 3510 / CH, B Company 1-18 Infantry, B co 1-35AR, B co 2-6 IN, B co 563D ASB, B co. 404 ASB CAB 4ID, Bco 1-184 IN L, Bco 1-21, Bco. 2-4 GSAB CAB 4ID, Bco.404 ASB, Bravo Co. 1-184th, Bravo co. 3-159 ARB, C 1/158 fa bn, C BTRY 2-5 FA, C Btry 2-8 FA 1/25 SBCT, C Co 1-12 CAV 1CD, C Co 1-24 IN, C Co. 1/168th GSAB, C Co. 4-4 ARB, C co. 4-4 ARB CAB 4ID, C trp 1-303d Cav 81st hbct, C-Btry 1/158 FA, C/Trp 6-17 CAV, CAB 4ID, CAB 4th ID, CAFFT TAJI, CAV. 2nd PLATOON, CJTF-101 CJ3 Biometrics, CSTC-A CJ6 CSC, Co. B 146 ESB, D Co 2-27 IN/ 3rd PLT, D Co. 2-327 Inf., D. Co. 1/114th INF, D/123 AVN 6-17 CAV, Delta Company 1-151, Delta Company 1-151 Warlords, Delta Troop 7-17 CAV, E CO 3-1 AVN REGT, E Co. 1-161IN, E. CO 1-66 AR, E/FSC 1-22IN 1BCT 4ID, EOD Company 1/3, F Co. 2-10 AVN, GLS/L-3/Titan, HHB 1/6 FA, HHB 2-20 FA BN, HHC 1-24 IN, HHC 1-87 INF, HHC 2-7 CAV 4 BCT 1 CD, HHC 2/327 INF Olsen Medics, HHC 25th STB 25ID G2, HHC 3-103 AR, HHC 3/2 SCR LST, HHC 51st Signal Battalion, HHC 56 SBCT, HHC 5th Engineer Battalion, HHC 710 BSB 3BCT, HHC 783rd MP BN, HHC 84th Engineers Battalion, HHC 949 BSB, HHC BTB, HQs/ 561st MP Company, HSC 834TH ASB, JCCS-1, JTF Paladin / COIC, KAF NSE Force Protection 1 Platoon, KAIA ISAF Kabul Afghanistan, KBR B4 Services, KBR/LSI C7A McHenry, L-3 Communications Iraq, L3 Vertex Aerospace Iraq, L3/GSI, NSWLOGDET TQ US NAVY, PM BIOMETRICS FWD/BAT, TF 5-09 Canadian Forces, TF Centaur, TF Fighting, TF Phoenix, Task Force 1-6 S6, Task Force ODIN, Task Force Wings and USAF FET in FOB Salerno. [5] TS2 will provide satellite services for the Marines new bases in Afghanistan in first months of 2009 year. The government contract concerns establishing and maintaining full communication in new locations for two years for all soldiers stationed there. The USA are going to transfer 4.5 thousand Marines from Iraq to Afghanistan as early as at the beginning of 2009.