A World of Troubles

The Syrian Strategy- Idlib Province, Syria

2012-04-15T19:01:00.001+04:30

Mohamed from Benghazi

2012-03-05T01:57:00.002+04:30

TRIPOLI- This is Mohamed from Benghazi. The last time I saw him was in Al Jdaida prison on May 10 or so. He was the first guy I met in Jdiaida. We were shuffled into the same crowded cell on the same day. We always seemed to be on the same prison bus to the courthouse because of this timing. He taught me to time my steps up the court house stairs in leg chains. One time some young guys who

War crimes alleged in loyalist town Bani Walid

2012-02-26T00:55:00.001+04:30

BANI WALID- This tribal city of approximately 100,000 captured the world's attention in September 2011 when it was reported that loyalists here were harboring Saif Islam Gaddafi, who fled to the mountainous region after the fall of Tripoli. Thousands of rebel groups from western Libya descended in heavily armed trucks to smash the loyalist hold outs and capture Saif. They didn't get him. Bani

February 17 in Tripoli: paper lanterns over gunfire

2012-02-23T15:00:00.000+04:30

February 17th, anniversary of the start of the Libyan revolution. The square where Gaddafi once held massive rallies was filled with tricolored flags and fireworks. Instead of the usual celebratory gunfire thousands of paper lanterns filled the night sky.

"They were souvenirs for my kids"

2011-12-24T22:28:00.002+04:30

We crossed from Tunsia into Libya in two battered mini vans, cases of potable water, cans of tuna and a few gallons of gasoline in back. It was a little over three months since I’d been released from Tripoli captivity. Now I was headed back in with six other journalists for the capital that had fallen days before. We got our passports stamped with a new Libyan visa inside a container on

Sirte: the final battle of the Libyan revolution

2011-12-09T20:49:00.002+04:30

Battle for Sirte from Sept. -Oct. 2011

Occupy Wall Street protests Nov. 17

2011-11-25T07:50:00.001+04:30

The following Occupy Wall Street events occurred in chronological order on Nov. 17 in New York City.

In the assault on Sirte, Gaddafi's last position

2011-09-23T03:29:00.003+04:30

Inside Libya's most notorious prison

2011-08-14T04:59:00.000+04:30

TRIPOLI, Libya — “Welcome to hell,” a Libyan prison guard told several new inmates. “This is Abu Salim.”The words sent chills through Dr. Ahmed’s already badly beaten body. He had been helping an Al Jazeera reporting team in March, during the early days of the Libya uprising, when forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi surrounded the western city of Zawiya, capturing him and his colleagues.After days

The perils of seeing your reporting used in Taliban propaganda video

2011-08-03T18:56:00.002+04:30

How news video becomes propaganda video Most jihadist propaganda videos out of Afghanistan and Pakistan have similar tropes — the blessings to Allah, prayerful music followed by shaky video and a long-distance explosion on what is claimed to be a U.S. convoy that kills many "infidels."These videos have recently become more and more more sophisticated, complete with higher quality production

Libyan rebels attempt to retake Brega

2011-07-18T05:24:00.005+04:30

(Photo: Rebels fire outside Brega, Anton Hammerl. See Hammerl's Libyan photos at FP.) The last time I was in Brega was the worst day of my life.I and two other journalists were captured in Brega and our dear friend and colleague, Anton Hammerl, was senselessly cut down by Gaddafi troops' gunfire.Our loss had an additional senselessness because since April 5, the day we were captured, not much

Ahmed Wali Karzai is dead. Really?

2011-07-14T07:20:00.003+04:30

A family confidant killed Ahmed Wali Karzai, the half brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, inside his house in central Kandahar on Tuesday. For those of us who've been to Kandahar, and heard the tales of the size of shadow he cast, it's hard to believe the ex-Chicago restaurant owner, paid C.I.A. asset — and oh yeah — the man considered to be one of the most corrupt men in Afghanistan, is

James Foley Currently Detained in Tripoli

2011-04-24T20:58:00.000+04:30

On April 5th, 2011 James Foley (A World of Troubles) was detained by Libyan forces. To find out more information about James' captivity you may visit www.freefoley.org. There is also an online petition you can sign to express your support for the immediate release of James. The petition can be accessed through www.freefoley.org or you can use this link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/

A young rebel army struggles to fight back

2011-03-25T02:49:00.000+04:30

(A rebel tries to catch his breath after running from tank shelling just outside Ajdabiya.) BENGHAZI, Libya — While a ragtag force of Libyan rebels has managed to gain some ground in the embattled cities of Misurata and Ajdabiya, their lack of formal training and clear leadership structure has so far prevented any significant success in fighting back the army controlled by Libyan leader Muammar

Benghazi under fire

2011-03-20T01:21:00.006+04:30

Gaddafi's forces bombed Benghazi today, despite promises of a cease-fire.

The Last Rebel Stronghold

2011-03-18T04:44:00.006+04:30

Streets of Benghazi, the last rebel strong hold are tense, as both Gaddafi and the UN prepare for a fight.

Despite string of defeats, rebels remain defiant

2011-03-17T00:23:00.002+04:30

(A fighter carries an RPG launcher on the road outside of Brega. (Nichole Sobecki/GlobalPost)BENGHAZI, Libya — Explosions punctured the noise of city traffic here for most of last night, but it was only fisherman. Apparently they use dynamite.In Benghazi, at the moment, even an ordinary job appears fraught with danger.There was an increasing volume of small arms fire

M-ATV new armored vehicle banned by Calvary unit for not being safe enough in eastern Afghanistan

2011-03-11T13:55:00.023+04:30

In the western, bomb-laden region of Nangarhar province, the 1-61 Calvary Squadron has banned its soldiers from using M-ATV (Mine-resistant, ambush-protected, all-terrain) vehicles designed specially for Afghan terrain, according to several soldiers and a medical specialist. After at least four soldiers died in M-ATV's in 2010, the Squadron's Army Explosive Ordinance Demolition specialists,

R.I.P. Spc. Brian Tabada- Another light fades in Pech Valley

2011-03-09T16:37:00.038+04:30

Spc. Brian Tabada, 21, eating dinner in a guard tower on COP Michigan, Pech Valley last September. I just learned Spc. Brian Tabada, 21, was killed in the Pech Valley over a week ago. When I arrived at Combat Outpost Michigan last fall he was one of the first guys I met. Spc. Tabada was a bright, extremely cheerful soldier who's interests ranged from literature to Japanese Anime. We talked

Troops often left to decide whether suspicious activity warrants detention

2011-02-22T14:40:00.002+04:30

HAYBATI, Afghanistan- Two D-cell battery packs wrapped in yellow tape with wires sticking from one end lay on the the melting snow amid the goat droppings. They'd been found along with a can of mortar charges, inside a rough shelter adjoining a family home. An Afghan stooped against the clay wall of his qalat, waiting for the American and Afghan soldiers to decide what to do with him. It was

Kandahar- The Fog of War

2011-01-25T02:50:00.005+04:30

KANDAHAR- The 101st Airborne Division has lost more than 50 soldiers in Afghanistan since Labor Day of 2010. This Platoon of 1-75 Calvary soldiers faced almost daily firefights in Zhari district during the fall surge into Taliban territory. During one of these skirmishes an Afghan villager was killed. The unit says he was a Taliban spotter, and for good reason. They were attacked while he

Afghanistan Pull Out- Is the U.S. giving up the violent northeast?

2011-01-05T07:11:00.006+04:30

PECH VALLEY- In May of last year, military officials decided to leave the Korengal Valley in northeastern Afghanistan because they didn't thing the small gains they were making were worth the lives of U.S. troops. Now they are giving the same debate about the neighboring Pech Valley. The soldiers stationed in the Pech were nearly as divided as everyone else. Some felt the U.S. presence in

Schooling with the Enemy

2010-12-01T09:50:00.002+04:30

KANDAHAR- U.S. forces have been trying to re-open Pierre Mohammed School in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar since 2009. They faced near daily attacks this summer and a population reluctant to choose sides. Lt. Cory Donohoo and Lt. Christopher Kinzel of Alpha Co. 1-502nd Batt. explain the challenges of trying to win over the locals and whether the Afghans really want the school.

Afghan Interpreters worked in most dangerous areas for no pay

2010-11-29T23:12:00.023+04:30

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan- Muhib hasn’t been paid in four months, but he hasn’t stopped working as a U.S. Army interpreter in Afghanistan. He has little choice. The 21-year old from Kabul spends long days trudging through grape and marijuana fields assigned to a platoon in one of the most dangerous areas of Kandahar province. A few weeks ago he saw one of his friend interpreters step on an IED,

People making a difference

2010-11-26T10:39:00.027+04:30

(photo: Soldiers celebrate making a fire in Pech Valley, Afghanistan.) Thanksgiving has a way of making you feel thankful. As I'm able to be at home eating leftover turkey, watching football, I think about soldiers freezing up in the mountains and stuck out on outposts from Kunar to Kandahar, so far from home, looking out in the night, wondering about how their families are, wishing they could