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Horrifying video emerges of deadly 747 plane crash outside Afghan air base
Seven Americans died Monday in a plane crash in Afghanistan and horrifying video has emerged of the 747 cargo plane’s apparent final moments in the air.
The video, shot on a vehicle’s dashboard camera, shows the 747 during takeoff before its nose pitches up and it starts to stall, suddenly plummeting to the ground on its belly and exploding into a giant fireball. (YouTube)
Prince Harry is a ‘drunk jackal’ who kills innocent Afghans, feared warlord says
One of Afghanistan’s most feared warlords has made a withering attack on Prince Harry, who has spent Christmas serving in the country, labelling the prince a “jackal” who was “drunk” while hunting innocent Afghans.
In a rare and exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who has been designated a global terrorist by the United States, heaped insults on the Prince and pledged to carry out more attacks before the UK’s withdrawal in 2014.
He said “the British Prince comes to Afghanistan to kill innocent Afghans while he is drunk. He wants to hunt down Mujaheddin with his helicopter rockets without any shame. But he does not understand this simple fact that the hunting of Afghan lions and eagles is not that easy! Jackals cannot hunt lions.” (John Stillwell - Pool/Getty Images)
WE REMEMBER
Each individual dot creating the image below represents a single life lost by each of the 107,162 Canadians killed in both World Wars, the Korean War, peacekeeping operations and the conflict in Afghanistan. The image below attempts to give a visual perspective to all that we have lost, and all that has been given.
The moment U.S. soldiers save Private Ryan (Thomas) in Afghanistan
In this real-life rescue operation, U.S. Army soldiers carry Private Ryan Thomas to safety after he was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) during a patrol in Afghanistan on October 13, 2012.
The 21-year-old from Oklahoma was hit near Baraki Barak base in Logar Province, suffering soft tissue damage. After surgery in Afghanistan, Private Thomas was scheduled to be evacuated to Germany. (MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/GettyImages)
Kandahar Journal: Getting out of Afghanistan
“I’m worried for them.” As the Afghanistan mission winds down, unease lingers (Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Canada’s Special Operations Regiment finds new teaching niche in Afghanistan
These aren’t men you’d describe as approachable. Something about their mix of self-assurance, muscular build, facial hair and abundant tattoos keeps you at bay. Something around their eyes warns you off — the dull clarity in their unflinching gaze, hinting at knowledge of things best left unknown. There’s something in their movements, something calculating, something constantly measuring, something pent up, leashed, held in check. These are not men you’d like the look of, but these are the quiet professionals of Canada’s Special Operations Regiment (CSOR).
(Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Maintaining the Afghan Air Force, by whatever means necessary
The Afghan Air Force (AAF) MI-35 Hind helicopter gunship sits squatting on the runway in the noonday Kabul International Airport (KAIA) heat. The cowlings surrounding the twin engines are open and a mechanic is wrenching – with a wrench – at something that is not properly aligned – yet.
Even with its innards exposed, the Hind still looks threatening. It looks just like the Apache doesn’t. While the Apache looks like a toy, the Hind – even this 30-year-old bird – looks like the grown-up real-deal. It looks like it could take a “young boy’s wish” and crush it.
The look is all illusion though. This Hind is a legacy vehicle of the AAF. It somehow survived the fall of the Soviet Union, the resulting civil war, the abuse and abandonment of the Taliban, and the aerial bombardment by the U.S. in response to 9/11. (Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Just ‘good enough’ for Afghanistan
“It can be hard to swallow for the Canadians. It is hard for them to let go of a soldier when you know he will probably die in the first days of battle, because the training they have received is so limited.” (Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Leading by example in Kabul
“Soldiers are soldiers, once you train them they will know their job. The problem is getting good training in a good time period. We are trying to instill as much as we possibly can. But in the end it has to be an Afghan led training team to build an Afghan Army.”
(Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Canadian mentors have nine weeks to turn new Afghan recruits into soldiers
As for the prospects for Afghanistan when ISAF eventually pulls out, Lt. Buck feels that the men he has trained have a better chance of holding the country together.
“I worry for them. I’m worried that someone else will take over, or that some of the ANA will turn and take over. But I hope that by training ethical leaders, they will remain patriotic for Afghanistan rather than for themselves.” (Illustrations by Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal: Canadian doctors helping the Afghans lead
In an intensive care unit in Afghanistan’s Armed Forces Academy of Medical Sciences in Kabul lie 10 mangled men.
This is the end of the journey for many ANA soldiers. They arrive here after having stepped in the wrong place or having finally run out of luck at bullet dodging. For most of these young men — in truth, they are barely more than boys — their luck ran out in the last 10 days.
Many are missing limbs, others have been filled by shrapnel. Some have bullet wounds to the head, or other massive concussion trauma. The very fact that they are in ICU means that they are on the edge of death or — with a little help — on the edge of life.
“My role here is what my [Canadian military] mission is, but I am here ‘personally’ because I want to help,” says Lieutenant Commander Vincent Trottier. The same thing could be said of every member of Canada’s Medical contingent here in Afghanistan. They are not here for the money, or the prospects of promotion. They are here because they want to help.
(Illustrations: Richard Johnson/National Post)
Kandahar Journal
The National Post’s graphics editor Richard Johnson is on his third tour of Afghanistan. Here are the latest sketches from his dispatches.
Follow his work here nationalpost.com/kandaharjournal
On Twitter at @newsillustrator
Or see more of his work here at newsillustrator.com
Or contact Richard in the field at kandaharartist@gmail.com
Taliban threatens to kidnap and kill recently deployed Prince Harry in Afghanistan
KABUL — The Afghan Taliban said on Monday they were doing everything in their power to try to kidnap or assassinate Britain’s Prince Harry, who arrived in Afghanistan last week to fly attack helicopters.
“We are using all our strength to get rid of him, either by killing or kidnapping,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. (JOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images)
Kandahar Journal: Taliban alley
The mission on the face of it was simple and straightforward for the Afghan National Army’s (ANA) 6th Kandak – drive out to a specific highpoint overlooking the intersection of two rivers and build an outpost on Tur-Muryani hill. Unfortunately, the confluence of the Arghandab and Mizan valleys is home field for Taliban sympathizers, facilitators and the Taliban themselves — and is a main route for the materials of their war. They were likely to be less than happy at the more intense scrutiny from this new outpost, right in their back yard. MORE
(Illustrations: Richard Johnson/Natoinal Post)
The National Post’s Richard Johnson is on his third tour of Afghanistan. Work from his earlier assignments won international awards and a place in the Smithsonian Museum’s permanent collection.
Follow his work here nationalpost.com/kandaharjournal
On Twitter at @newsillustrator
Or see more of his work here at newsillustrator.com
Or contact Richard in the field at kandaharartist@gmail.com
Prince Harry suits up for combat, deploys to Afghanistan to fly Apache helicopters
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan — Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, flew into southern Afghanistan on Friday to begin a four-month combat tour as a gunner for an attack helicopter.
The 27-year-old who has made headlines around the world for his partying is returning to Afghanistan for a second tour. He will start work as an Apache co-pilot and gunner within 10 days in the country’s restive Helmand province, the British military said.
It is a definite shift from last month, when embarrassing naked photos emerged of Harry in a Las Vegas hotel room playing strip billiards. (Photos: AP Photo/John Stillwell)
