That said, when people vote with their feet, it really means something profound about conditions on the ground. Afghanistan likely still ahs lots of internally displaced persons, but folks are streaming back to somewhere in the country that used to be, as Transoxiana and under other iterations, the center of a wealthy and vibrant Greco-Budhist Culture at the center of the world, back in the day.

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Latest press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2006

Release# 060718-05

Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan Statement

Col. Thomas Collins, CFC-A spokesman

Good Afternoon and thank you for coming today. We plan on having these briefs every day except Wednesday and Friday to better inform the Afghan people on Coalition activities. These statements will provide a short overview on Coalition activities in the last 24 hours and highlight the day’s key topics of interest.

Afghan and Coalition forces continue to disrupt Taliban leadership, facilitators and rank and file fighters throughout southern Afghanistan , but particularly in the Sangin, Musa Qala and Baghran District of Helmand Province.

Media have called us today to ask our opinion on Taliban claims of success in the south and I’d like to briefly address those requests.

We continue to monitor the security situation in all the provinces. We are seeing the growing capability of the ANA and the ANP in all the provinces. We are pushing the Taliban extremists out of their safe havens, out of places the government has never been before. They are failing.

The districts the Taliban have noted are in the further most southern regions of Afghanistan . It is true: the Taliban have reconstituted and dispersed. But this is certainly not about the Taliban being strong. The reality is that the government has not yet extended to the far-reaching areas of the country.

The Taliban extremists have taken control of the areas of Garmser and Nawayi Barakazayi, however, Coalition forces do have them under observation. Decisive operations will begin soon; I cannot tell you when for security reasons, but we will re-establish government authority in those areas soon.

I assure you that the Coalition and Afghan National Security Forces are on the offensive and we will not rest until the extremists are defeated.

Ultimately the Taliban extremists will fail because all they have is a very dark vision. A vision that includes murder, burning down schools, taking advantage of the desperate and the poor, and suicide bombers dressed up as women in burkas.

Some recent news of note:

· Afghan and Coalition forces in the last week have killed numerous lower and mid-level commanders that the senior Taliban leadership rely on to intimidate villages, threaten elders and lead small bands of extremists to conduct attacks on Afghan and Coalition forces.

· In the Tarin Kowt District of Uruzgan Province yesterday, Coalition forces attacked and destroyed a truck that extremists were loading with mortar equipment. A heavy engagement followed with the extremists. One Coalition Soldier was killed and 11 Coalition Soldiers were wounded in that battle and brought to a Coalition medical facility for treatment.

I would now like to highlight for you a few of the Taliban extremists more egregious actions in the last couple of days.

· 16 July – Burned a school in Parwan Province .

· 16 July – Tossed a grenade into a wedding party in Khost, killing one and injuring 16 innocent people.

· 16 July – a suicide bomber killed one ANA Soldier and four Afghan civilians in Gardez. Two ANA were wounded and approximately 20 civilians were wounded in the attack.

· 17 July – Launched four to five RPG rounds into a girl’s school in Lahgman Province .

· Today, 18 July – Detonated an IED under a bridge in Khost Province .

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