S&S - Afghan militants increase attacks on contractors

From my archive of press clippings:

Stars and Stripes


Afghan militants increase attacks on contractors


By Joshua Partlow, The Washington Post

Online Edition, Saturday, April 17, 2010


KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Taliban has begun regularly targeting U.S. government contractors in southern Afghanistan, stepping up use of a tactic that is rattling participating firms and could undermine development projects intended to stem the insurgency, according to U.S. officials.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Within the past month, there have been at least five attacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces against employees of U.S. Agency for International Development contract companies who run agricultural projects, build roads, maintain power plants and work with local officials.

The USAID implementing partners, as the contract companies are known, employ mainly Afghans, who are overseen by foreigners. The their role is becoming increasingly important as more aid money floods into southern Afghanistan as part of a dual effort to generate goodwill and bolster the Kabul government.

A suicide car bomb that exploded Thursday evening outside a compound used by Western contractors in Kandahar was the latest and deadliest attack. The Associated Press reported that the blast killed at least six people wounded 16 other people, including at least two Americans, along with South African and Nepalese employees."

"At least one company working in Kandahar, Bethesda, Md.-based DAI, evacuated some employees to Kabul after the attack, the officials said."

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"Thursday’s attack came two days after Hosiy Sahibzada, 24, an Afghan who worked for DAI, was gunned down in Kandahar City. On Tuesday, an Afghan employee of Arlington-based International Relief & Development, was shot and killed in Helmand province’s Garmsir area.

The U.S. official in Kandahar said it would be foolish to think that the attacks were independent of one another. “This can’t be coincidental,” he said. “This is what they’re doing now.”"

BDC - New travel regs looming

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

New travel regs looming


published on Monday, April 13, 2009 10:05 PM MDT

By Chronicle Staff

Getting in and out of the country, even just over the border into Canada, is about to get more complicated.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Beginning June 1, border-crossing requirements will change for travelers age 16 and older and a birth certificate and driver's license will no longer be sufficient to get back into the United States.

Instead, travelers will have to have a document approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to cross the border.The so-called “passport cards” will only be valid for land or sea crossings between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda.

Old-fashioned passports will still be valid for travel by land, air or sea and for all destinations.

U.S. citizens under 16 will still be able to cross the borders by land or sea with their birth certificate, naturalization certificate or citizenship card, but they must have a passport to travel by air."