13 chapters across the catalog
Reports emerge that a US drone strike in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including six children, rather than the intended ISIS-K targets. Meanwhile, the Taliban held a military parade in Kandahar featuring looted US equipment, including Humvees and Black Hawk helicopters. Technical experts from Qatar have reportedly arrived to help the Taliban restore operations at the Kabul airport.
The sudden abandonment of Bagram Airfield is criticized as a strategic failure that left massive amounts of infrastructure to the Taliban. Comparisons are made to the Kandahar base, described as an overbuilt, modern facility representing wasted military spending. The decision to leave equipment behind is framed as a benefit to the military-industrial complex, necessitating new purchases for future conflicts.
Western Intelligence Failures, Bin Laden's 1999 Kandahar Visits
The Bin Laden family reportedly visited Osama twice in 1999 at a base in Kandahar, a year after the U.S. embassy bombings. This revelation highlights a significant failure of Western intelligence, as the family was able to locate the world's most wanted man while intelligence agencies claimed he was untraceable.
Al Franken Groping Allegations and Afghanistan Broadcast Plans
A fifth woman, Army veteran Stephanie Kemplin, has accused Senator Al Franken of inappropriate touching during a 2003 USO tour in Kuwait. Amidst this news, Adam Curry discusses plans for a potential "boots on the ground" broadcast from Kandahar, Afghanistan. The logistics of performing a live show from a military base are briefly explored.
President Barack Obama announced a change in military strategy for Afghanistan, maintaining 9,800 troops through 2016 and 5,500 thereafter at bases in Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. The decision marks a significant delay in the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region.
UNODC Report, Afghanistan Opium Production and Record Harvests
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached a record high in 2013. Cultivation increased by 36% over the previous year, with the farm-gate value reaching nearly $1 billion. The hosts note that the largest increases occurred in provinces where international military bases are located.
Assassination of Ahmed Wali Karzai in Afghanistan
Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a suspected major drug trafficker, was assassinated by his own bodyguard in Kandahar. The hosts speculate that the CIA orchestrated the killing because Karzai had become too powerful or outspoken. They note the symbolic message sent by having a trusted bodyguard perform the execution.
Nearly 500 Taliban insurgents escaped from Sarpoza prison in Kandahar through a 360-meter handmade tunnel. The Governor of Kandahar, Tooryalai Wessa, claimed in a CBC interview that the escape was a "new technique" involving a tunnel dug through "weak cement." The hosts express extreme skepticism, suggesting the escape was likely facilitated by internal collusion or that the tunnel story was fabricated to cover a mass release.
A detailed report by Graham Smith of the Globe and Mail examines the security failures at Sarpoza prison following the mass Taliban escape. Despite $5 million in Canadian funding for prison upgrades and staff training, prisoners were able to escape over a four-hour period without detection. The report suggests that the escape serves as a failure of the "hearts and minds" counterinsurgency strategy in the region.
Afghanistan Marijuana Fields, Military Patrol Photos
Photos from Afghanistan show Canadian and U.S. soldiers patrolling through massive fields of shoulder-high marijuana. The hosts contrast these images with reports of the military destroying narcotics, suggesting a contradictory or complicit policy regarding the local drug trade. They question the intended message of propagating these images to the public.
Generals Stanley McChrystal and David Petraeus are criticized for a "staged" anecdote about buying bread for peasants in Kandahar. The discussion also covers a new "courageous restraint" medal for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which would reward soldiers for not using lethal force, a concept the hosts find confusing and potentially dangerous for military morale.
General Petraeus on Charlie Rose and 9/11 Narrative
General David Petraeus appeared on Charlie Rose to discuss the transition of tasks to Afghan security forces. The hosts analyze the interview for "neuro-linguistic programming" (NLP) and criticize Petraeus' highly decorated uniform. They specifically highlight Petraeus' claim that the 9/11 attacks were planned in Kandahar as a shift in the official narrative.
High-resolution photos from the Boston Globe show US military supplies being dropped into Afghan poppy fields, with Marines promising to compensate farmers for damaged crops. The hosts argue this proves the US military is in Afghanistan to protect the opium harvest rather than eradicate it. They highlight the irony of the military paying for the destruction of an "illicit" crop they are supposedly fighting.
