February 7, 2012 8:34 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A "full battle event recreation" recounts the events of the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009 in Kunar province, Afghanistan. The simulation was created by the Training Brain Operations Center Systems Integration Modeling and Simulation (TBOC SIMS), a US Army organization "that transforms actual combat events into unclassified 3d visualizations and gaming products within 96 hours."

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February 3, 2012 3:54 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Al Jazeera English covers the fluctuating US government rhetoric and policy regarding the Taliban, including the consideration of the release of five Taliban officials from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility as a precondition for negotiation.

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February 1, 2012 1:26 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Raw video released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan of their execution of 15 Pakistani Frontier Constabulary troops in NW Pakistan. A Reuters report includes translation of one of the executioner's words:

"Twelve of our comrades were besieged and mercilessly martyred in the Khyber Agency (area)," said the militant.

"Our pious women were also targeted. To avenge those comrades, we will kill these men. We warn the government of Pakistan that if the killing of our friends is not halted, this will be the fate of you all."

Before death, one of the men described how dozens of Taliban fighters stormed their fort in the northwestern Tank district and kidnapped the soldiers.

"They attacked us with rockets, killed a sentry. One ran away. The Taliban entered the fort and captured us with our weapons," he said, sitting in rows with other soldiers with their arms folded and legs crossed in front of Taliban banners.

"They tied our hands, put us in a Datsun and took us away."

The video then shows the men standing quietly. Taliban chanting can be heard. "We will cross all limits to avenge your blood," it said, referring to fighters killed by Pakistani security forces.

One of the men shoves a clip into his assault rifle and fires a few rounds into the back of the heads of a few of the soldiers. "God is greatest," the Taliban yell.

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January 25, 2012 1:16 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

BBC News reports on increasing political instability and al Qaeda influence in Yemen.

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January 23, 2012 2:16 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The Times of India reports on and features a clip from a video released by the Taliban showing the execution of 15 captured Pakistani soldiers. A Reuters report includes a translation and description of the video:

"Twelve of our comrades were besieged and mercilessly martyred in the Khyber Agency (area)," said the militant.

"Our pious women were also targeted. To avenge those comrades, we will kill these men. We warn the government of Pakistan that if the killing of our friends is not halted, this will be the fate of you all."

Before death, one of the men described how dozens of Taliban fighters stormed their fort in the northwestern Tank district and kidnapped the soldiers.

"They attacked us with rockets, killed a sentry. One ran away. The Taliban entered the fort and captured us with our weapons," he said, sitting in rows with other soldiers with their arms folded and legs crossed in front of Taliban banners.

"They tied our hands, put us in a Datsun and took us away."

The video then shows the men standing quietly. Taliban chanting can be heard. "We will cross all limits to avenge your blood," it said, referring to fighters killed by Pakistani security forces.

One of the men shoves a clip into his assault rifle and fires a few rounds into the back of the heads of a few of the soldiers. "God is greatest," the Taliban yell.

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January 19, 2012 2:57 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

British Forces News covers recent developments in the Musa Qala district, northern Helmand province, Afghanistan. Previous Long War Journal coverage of the area, including reports from a summer 2010 embed with the US Marines, can be found below:

The checkered history of Musa Qala

US Marines battle the Taliban for control of Musa Qala

Prospects for stability in Musa Qala: challenges and possible solutions

'Foreign Taliban' direct the insurgency in Musa Qala: Deputy district governor

A chronology of the Musa Qala dilemma

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January 17, 2012 3:33 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Al Jazeera reports:

The government of Thailand says its capital Bangkok is safe, after a bomb threat caused several foreign embassies to issue travel warnings.

The police say they have seized a large quantity of bomb-making material, with the help of a suspect linked to Hezbollah.

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January 12, 2012 4:07 PM ET
By Bill Roggio

The US Marine Corps is attempting to authenticate and investigate the above video, purportedly showing Marine scout snipers urinating on Taliban corpses. The video has sparked condemnation from US and Afghan officials. The Associated Press reports:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday condemned as "utterly deplorable" a video that purports to depict four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. He said such behavior is "entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military" and those responsible will be held accountable.

Panetta said he had ordered the Marine Corps and Marine Gen. John Allen, the top commander of the NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, to fully investigate.

The Commandant of the US Marines Corp also released a statement announcing an investigation:

I want to be clear and unambiguous, the behavior depicted in the video is wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos that we have demonstrated throughout our history. Accordingly, late yesterday I requested that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service pull together a team of their very best agents and immediately assign them responsibility to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the filmed event. Additionally, I am assigning a Marine General Officer and senior attorney, both with extensive combat experience, to head up an internal Preliminary Inquiry into the matter. Once the investigation and Preliminary Inquiry are complete and the facts have been determined, then the Marine Corps will take the appropriate next steps. Rest assured that the institution of the Marine Corps will not rest until the allegations and the events surrounding them have been resolved. We remain fully committed to upholding the Geneva Convention, the Laws of War, and our own core values."

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January 12, 2012 2:40 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Raw video of Taliban training from the Associated Press:

AP reporter, photographer and videographer Ishtiaq Mahsud spent six days with fighters from the Pakistani Taliban close to the Afghan border. His account of their travels through South Waziristan offers a look at an area that the Pakistani military claimed had been brought under control after an army offensive two years ago.

A report by Mahsud can be found here.

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January 9, 2012 1:30 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Al Jazeera interviews Faqir Mohammad, a senior Pakistani Taliban commander, who denies his faction is in negotiations with the Pakistani government.

"They [the Pakistani government] wage war against us when they get money [from the US], but talk peace when they have problems with the Americans," said Mohammad.

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January 5, 2012 1:42 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Undated video of US Marines and British personnel in a firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan. The clip includes clear footage of accurate 60 mm mortar fire beginning at approximately the 2:00 mark.

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January 2, 2012 4:44 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The National Geographic Channel's "Inside the Iraq War" documents the timeline of American involvement in Iraq.

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December 28, 2011 2:44 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A France 24 roundtable discusses the recent political crisis in Iraq. Part two is below:

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December 26, 2011 5:11 PM ET
By Bill Roggio

Boko Haram, which has declared its support for al Qaeda and has received support from affiliates al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Shabaab, killed dozens of people in attacks on churches in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

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December 19, 2011 4:58 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A UK Channel 4 news report includes video of a patrol with Syrian Army defectors fighting the government.

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December 16, 2011 8:30 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

CBS News reports on the impact made by Captain Travis Patriquin on the course of America's involvement in Iraq.

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December 13, 2011 2:38 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

US Marines with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines respond to a Taliban attack on Patrol Base Georgetown in Kajaki, northern Helmand province, Afghanistan on Nov. 22. USMC motion imagery by Lance Corporal Jacob M. Lagoze.

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December 7, 2011 6:05 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The BBC reports from Combat Outpost Margah in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

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December 5, 2011 2:08 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

USMC Combat Camera documents the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines deployment to Sangin, Afghanistan from April to October, 2011. The piece combines still imagery with video clips and interviews. Produced by 1/5 Combat Camera, Sergeant Logan Pierce, Corporal Nathan McCord, Lance Corporal Kowshon Ye, Private First Class Jason Morrison.

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December 1, 2011 4:15 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Reuters features raw video released by the Pakistani military of the aftermath of a NATO strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

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November 29, 2011 4:45 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

CBS News summarizes the official narratives presented by US and Pakistani officials regarding the cross-border strike by American helicopters.

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November 22, 2011 2:59 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

An excerpt from British journalist Ross Kemp's documentary on Helmand province in late 2011.

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November 18, 2011 6:36 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A clip from the BBC documentary "Secret Pakistan," covering evidence of Pakistan's "double game" in support of Afghan insurgents.

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November 15, 2011 4:48 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A BBC News report features interviews with teachers and students who say that life in Kabul is better without Taliban rule or renewed influence.

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November 10, 2011 2:12 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

An undated video depicts US Marines and Afghan soldiers countering a Taliban ambush "near Kandahar," Afghanistan.

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November 3, 2011 2:14 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The first of a seven-part NPR audio series on the men of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and their tour in bloody Sangin district, Helmand province, Afghanistan from September 2010 to April 2011.

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October 28, 2011 6:25 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The BBC covers allegations that elements of the Pakistani government support the Afghan insurgency, including claims by an insurgent that he was trained by members of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence agency, evidence that the Pakistani military and intelligence services supported the terror attacks in Mumbai, and testimony from a former CIA officer that the Pakistanis tipped off the intended targets of drone strikes.

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October 24, 2011 6:49 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The BBC reports on a 61% increase in Afghan opium production in 2011 vs. 2010.

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October 21, 2011 1:44 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

2011 video of US soldiers from 2nd Platoon, C Company, 2nd of the 502nd, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne division and Afghan soldiers from the 205 Corps engaging insurgents in Zahri district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

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October 17, 2011 3:23 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

A CBS News correspondent speaks with US Army Colonel Patrick Frank about counterinsurgency operations in Sangsar, Afghanistan, the hometown of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

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October 13, 2011 3:04 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

The Associated Press reports on the official US Government response to the Iranian plot to kill a Saudi ambassador in Washington, DC.

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October 10, 2011 2:06 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

First-person helmet camera footage appears to show a Marine being hit with an IED inside a qalat on a foot patrol in Afghanistan. According to the description of the video on Liveleak, the Marine survived the blast. This video starkly illustrates the difficulty of spotting Remote-Control or Pressure-Plate IEDs, either buried or mounted within qalat walls, for dismounted patrols.

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October 7, 2011 4:15 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Former British Ambassador to Afghanistan Sherard Cowper-Coles offers a bleak assessment of ISAF efforts in Afghanistan, and outlines scenarios for the country's future in an interview with ITV News.

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October 4, 2011 1:48 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

NBC News summarizes the recent arrest of senior Haqqani Network leader Haji Mali Khan, as well as recent rhetoric from senior US and Afghan officials implicating Pakistan in supporting the Afghan insurgency.

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September 28, 2011 2:31 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

In a 2009 recording, McClatchy News reporter Jonathan Landay describes the Taliban ambush in the village of Ganjgal in Kunar province, Afghanistan on Sept. 8, 2009. The incident has recently come under renewed scrutiny after President Barack Obama awarded US Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15, 2011 for his actions in the battle. Another participant, US Army Captain Will Swenson, has recently been nominated for the Medal of Honor as well.

"[T]wo of the insurgents actually came down a hill and started shouting for them [US soldiers and Marines] to surrender," said Landay. "And he [Captain Swenson] answered that by throwing a grenade at them."

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September 26, 2011 2:34 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

*Click the image to watch*

A clip of a British counter-IED unit defusing a buried bomb from the BBC One documentary, The Bomb Squad.

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September 21, 2011 1:36 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Members of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment in contact in southern Helmand province during 2009. The clip is from Danfung Dennis's documentary, "Hell and Back Again."

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September 19, 2011 1:48 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

60 Minutes features Medal of Honor awardee Dakota Meyer, including his actions during the firefight in Ganjgal village in eastern Afghanistan, and new details of the investigation that led to the Army issuing two letters of reprimand to officers who failed to honor requests for indirect fire.

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September 14, 2011 3:03 PM ET
By Bill Roggio

A clip of Osama bin Laden from al Qaeda's videotape on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

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September 13, 2011 6:43 PM ET
By Bill Ardolino

Videos of ISAF and Afghan personnel fighting insurgents during today's attack against the US Embassy compound and ISAF headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

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