ISAF, ANA Halting Offensive Ops for UN Peace Day

[The Bread Guy]

ISAF to support GIRoA on UNAMA Peace Day
NATO news release PR# 2008-492, 29 Sept 08
News release link

Following President Karzai’s announcement that in honour of the UNAMA Peace day, he has ordered the Afghan National Army to refrain from offensive operations against insurgents, General David McKiernan, Commander ISAF, has also instructed all ISAF forces in Afghanistan to do the same.

ISAF is working in support of the Government of Afghanistan under a United Nations mandate to help bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and the Afghan people. In support of the UNAMA Peace day ISAF forces will not engage in offensive operations from midnight on Saturday 20 Sept. until midnight on 21 Sept. 08.

In order to meet the intent of the mandate granting body, the United Nations, ISAF Commanders and units will maintain appropriate force protection to safeguard personnel and installations. The constraint on offensive operations in no way effects force protection measures. Commanders are approved to conduct normal framework operation patrolling to maintain security presence and key leader engagement throughout their areas of operation.

The insurgents must be in no doubt that ISAF will defend itself and the people of Afghanistan from offensive action by the enemies of Afghanistan. This has been agreed by the Government of Afghanistan and ISAF as a show of their mutual intent to bring peace to Afghanistan and an end to the insurgency that threatens to undermine the future peace and prosperity of the Afghan nation.



- edited to add link to Peace Day page -

 

[gun runner]

I wonder if Timmie the Talifuk will respect the days meaning, or use it as a chance to attack us in greater numbers and intensity? Ubique

 

[forcerecon85]

I wonder if Timmie the Talifuk will respect the days meaning, or use it as a chance to attack us in greater numbers and intensity? Ubique

I always wonder why this has to be made public since it clearly opens the chance of enemy attacks. We know TB pay attention to the Canadian media so why let them know? Unless this is false hoping for a big attack leaving them in the open and we clean them out but I doubt it.

 

[Greymatters]

Its always nice when the opposition lets you know what they're up to - if only it was always like that, eh?

 

[The Bread Guy]

I always wonder why this has to be made public since it clearly opens the chance of enemy attacks.

I don't know who developed the communications strategy, but based on this...

Following President Karzai’s announcement that in honour of the UNAMA Peace day, he has ordered the Afghan National Army to refrain from offensive operations against insurgents, General David McKiernan, Commander ISAF, has also instructed all ISAF forces in Afghanistan to do the same....

NATO is following the lead of the AFG government.

 

[vonGarvin]

Open Source Media are reporting that the Taliban have already announced that they are going to respect international peace day.


So, no "extra" chance of attack.  Business as usual, except, I guess, for any offensive operations.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The only Taliban quote I can find so far, from Associated Press:

....A Taliban spokesman identifying himself as Qari Yousef Ahmadi told The Associated Press on Saturday that the Taliban supports the idea of Peace Day. Ahmadi said Taliban attacks are only a means of self-defense.  "We wanted peace in the past, we want peace now and we want peace in the future," he said. "We are defending ourselves. The invaders are in our country, launching operations against us. Now that the Afghan government and their foreign allies are requesting peace for one day, that is nothing, one day, but of course we are respecting it."

Here's the Taliban's English statement o' the week referring to this:

.... As the enemies of mankind and the anti-human plans are well known, in this day they call themselves as the human protectors, so it perhaps that the International Peace Day is a cheating plan of 0ppressed nations.  In spite of this, if NATO and US forces and their Afghan Allies aspire stop the war without any cheating plan and respect the International Peace Day. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will also declare order of defance position.

We'll see....

- edited to add ref to Taliban weekly statement -

 

[The Bread Guy]

I guess not EVERYBODY in RC-South got the Taliban's memo - shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Police find explosives in car's wheel arch
Suicide bomber wanted to carry out attack on world peace day, governor says
Noorullah Rahmani, quqnoos.com (AFG), 21 Sept 08
Article link

POLICE have discovered explosives packed into the wheel arch of a vehicle in the south-western province of Nimroz.

Nimroz Governor Ghulam Dastagir Azad said the driver of the car wanted to carry out a suicide attack in the provincial capital Zaranj during Tuesday's global day of peace.

The vehicle’s driver failed to obey police stop signs on Saturday, sparking a police chase and fire-fight that left one police officer dead and the suspected suicide bomber’s car disabled.

The driver escaped but police discovered large amounts of explosives packed inside the vehicle, Azad said.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Indeed, it appears a number of Taliban didn't read the memo.....

"Insurgents fail to observe UN Day of Peace" (ISAF):  "....Regrettably but not unsurprisingly, the criminal insurgents did not honour their own declaration of support for the Day of Peace, given in a statement on Friday September, 19 and instead chose to show their contempt for peace by attacking and killing ANP and ANA members, and kidnapping innocent Afghan civilians.  From shortly after midnight on Saturday there were 28 recorded incidents across the country during the Peace Day, to many of which the ANSF and ISAF were forced to respond to maintain the safety of the civilian population...."

"Four Afghans killed in Peace Day attacks: security forces" (Agence France-Presse):  "Four Afghan security workers were killed in attacks over the weekend and rebels held about 100 civilians hostage for hours, authorities said Monday, accusing the Taliban of breaking a Peace Day truce...."

"Even one day of peace is hard to find" (National Post):  "....At least one Afghan soldier and Afghan police officer were killed in the fighting, and unconfirmed reports suggest up to 131 civilians were kidnapped in Farah by insurgents...."

"NATO condemns insurgents for failing to observe UN Day of Peace in Afghanistan" (Xinhua):  "....A police officer was killed by small arms fire in Dahana-i-Ghuri district of northern Afghanistan's Baghlan province on Sunday while a soldier with Afghan National Army was shot dead in Sangin district of Helmand province in the south, it said.  Moreover, it noted that there was an as yet unconfirmed report that as many as 131 innocent civilians had been kidnapped in Bala Buluk district of western Afghanistan's Farah province...."

 

[gun runner]

I wonder why the insurgents would want to kidnap the very people that they need to win back support from? Ubique

 

[The Bread Guy]

I'm guessing:

1) to scare them enough not to work for the Coalition if/when they get released, and/or
2) to serve as an example if killed.