Middle East Security briefing – Jan 29
January 29, 2010
Move One is expanding its operations in Afghanistan, while maintaining its presence in Iraq. The specific situation in these countries necessitates paying a lot of attention to local security.
Afghanistan
Over the last week, Afghanistan saw a series of incidents and terrorist attacks targeting civilians, Afghan police and foreign military. This comes only to highlight that the insurgency in the country still poses serious challenge to international reconstruction efforts. Locals and foreigners alike share security risks on a daily basis, which makes business operations costly and challenging.
Last weekend, at least 17 people were killed in a series of 4 attacks around the country. Late on Sunday, 24 Jan, the military airbase in Kandahar was attacked with rockets, injuring a number of military personnel. The Taliban claimed the target was a defense minister who was visiting on that day. Move One’s staff and facilities were not harmed, but increased security measures after the attack slowed work down. On the following day, three explosives were found attached under a vehicle entering the base and the security levels remained high.
On Monday, 25 Jan, four policemen were found dead near a checkpoint in Lashar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. The tense situation in the south was exacerbated by heavy gun fire between police and armed militants later in the week. Helmand is the largest province in the country and is still controlled by the Taliban. British and NATO forces are currently preparing an offensive to assert Kabul’s control over the area. At the same time, the UN has taken several moderate Taliban leaders off its black list and called for more reconciliation efforts. This news came a day before the Afghan President announced a strategy for reintegrating insurgents into Afghan society. The strategy is currently discussed at a 60-nation conference, taking place in London, and is strongly backed by the international community.
Nevertheless, situation in Afghanistan remains difficult both in distant provinces and in Kabul. On 27 Jan, a car bomb hit the entrance of US Camp Phoenix in the capital, injuring eight soldiers and six civilian bystanders. Two days later, a cleric was mistaken for a hostile and shot dead in his car while passing near the base.
Iraq
Iraq’s security continues to experience ups and downs. In the last few days, there have been a renewed wave of terrorist activity. Most incidents are considered to be provoked by political rivalry in the country. The coming parliamentary elections in March will start a new page in post-war Iraq’s history, but at the same time are likely to be accompanied by deterioration of security conditions.
Saturday 23 Jan, was the last day for US marines in Iraq. They ended their nearly seven-year presence in the country, leaving it to Iraqi security, army and police, as well as US army soldiers.
Later that week, suicide bombers attacked three hotels frequented by foreigners in the heart of Baghdad, killing at least 36 people. Another attack on Tuesday left 17 people dead and wounded 80 near an Iraqi Interior Ministry building in central Baghdad, ministry officials said.
Move One has extensive experience coping with the fluid conditions in these regions. The company’s personnel are skilled in dealing with the administrative and logistical procedures and challenges that freight transportation in Iraq and Afghanistan involves. Move One is present in nine locations in Afghanistan and three in Iraq, with additional operations covering all countries in the Middle East.
Related posts:
