Afghan Ideas from Great Britain
24 November 2009 Adam Holloway, a British Member of Parliament, sent this PDF yesterday evening.  Mr. Holloway is definitely worth reading and considering. I will land in Dubai on Thanksgiving evening, and from there push to Afghanistan. Happy Holidays, Michael Please click here to view the entire document.   {loadposition user8}

FYI: Paperwork for Afghanistan Media Embed
17 November 2009 There has been much curiosity about the procedures involved during the embed process.  The process is constantly changing, and is different for Iraq than for Afghanistan.  A Philippines embed is different still, and requires embassy approval because, am told, the State department is worried about what one might say.  In Afghanistan, the process with the British and Lithuanians also varies.  The process can be dramatically different for powerful media outlets, who often come in on "junkets."  In Iraq, in 2005, saw CNN have two helicopters dedicated to it for a day in Diyala Province.  (I went with them.) The process can be simple a

Hostages
Michael Yon16 November 2009 When New York Times journalist David Rohde was kidnapped last year in Afghanistan, the company engaged in a painstaking effort to squash the story. They succeeded in persuading major media who learned of the kidnapping to keep quiet. The cover-up was so good that a New York Times reporter I spoke with in December 2008, while she and I joined Secretary Gates on a trip through Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq and back to the United States, had not heard about the David Rohde kidnapping. The New York Times openly agrees that

Japanese Aid to Afghanistan II
12 November 2009 I asked General David Petraeus, General (ret.) Barry McCaffrey, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, about the Japanese decisions on Afghanistan.  (The Japanese plan to recall their refueling capacity but to add $5 billion dollars in development aid over five years.)  All three responded.  This from Geoff Morrell, who is the spokesman for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. "We welcome Japan's additional contribution and its continued partnership in the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan." Answers from Generals Petraeus and McCaffrey are

Japanese Aid to Afghanistan
Published: 12 November 2009By Michael Yon Kathmandu, Nepal — The Japanese are pulling naval assets from the fight in Afghanistan, but they are adding assets in another category. I asked Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (who has not responded), Gen. David Petraeus, and Gen. (ret.) Barry McCaffrey to comment on this report: Japan plans additional $5 billion for AfghanistanBy JAY ALABASTER (AP) TOKYO — Japan on Tuesday announced $5 billion in fresh aid to Afghanistan even as it pl