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Afghanistan

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    Bin Laden Assassination Emboldens Empire Junaid Ahmad May 23, 2011

    Even though weeks have passed since the US raid which killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, details surrounding his death remain murky. The most curious question remains how was he able to “hide” in Abbottabad, a militarized garrison town, eluding Pakistani and US intelligence for so long.

    Apparently, the raid entailed US forces entering bin Laden’s compound, half a mile from the Pakistan Military Academy, and shooting him in the head and chest. The fact that the US altered its initial claim that bin Laden was killed in a fierce firefight to admitting that the Al Qaeda leader was unarmed tends to challenge the jingoistic superman narrative used to describe the assassination.

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    Imperialisms in South Asia Sahar Shafqat April 1, 2010

    In November 2009, the Pakistani Army began a major assault in South Waziristan, believed to be the stronghold of the largest of the Pakistani Taliban factions. In a stroke of genius, the Army dumped thousands of leaflets one day ahead of its assault as part of a public relations effort. The leaflets bore a letter directly from the head of the Pakistani Army, General Kayani, to the Mehsud tribe which lives in South Waziristan. The letter said: “The [military] operation is not meant to target the valiant and patriotic Mehsud tribes but [is] aimed at ridding them of the elements who have destroyed peace in the region.” In order to clear up any confusion as to whom the letter was from, the Army helpfully included a picture of General Kayani on the leaflets.

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    Truth and Consequences: A Review of "Rethink Afghanistan" Eddie Falcon December 1, 2010

    RETHINK AFGHANISTAN
    BY ROBERT GREENWALD

    Brave New Films, 2009

    Rethink Afghanistan is an ambitious six-part documentary by Robert Greenwald, who has previously made films about the Iraq war and other topics. It offers testimonies from officials, NGO-type groups in the US and Afghanistan, and interviews with Afghanis. The film analyzes six topics to try to debunk current myths and rhetoric about the US-led occupation: troops, Pakistan, the cost of war, civilian casualties, Afghan women, and security.

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