An Afghan Army pilot who killed eight US soldiers had no link with the Taliban

An Afghan Army pilot who killed eight US soldiers had no link with the Taliban, Nato said in a statement on Saturday.

"At this point in the investigation, it appears that the gunman was acting alone," Nato said in the statement.

"Beyond that, no Taliban connection with the gunman has been discovered, investigation is still ongoing and we have not conclusively ruled out that possibility."

On Wednesday eight US troops were killed when an Afghan Army pilot opened fire on his foreign trainers at a Kabul Airbase and the attack was killed in the exchange of fire.

Dr Hassan Sahebi, the brother of the pilot had told TOLOnews that his brother, Ahmad Gul, 48, suffered from a mental stress recently because he had faced some economic problems and had even sold his house.

"My brother Ahmad Gul honestly served his country for about 20 years and was never connected to the Taliban or al-Qaeda," Mr Sahebi had said.

The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, saying the shooter was a sleeper agent who used an Afghan army uniform and gained access to the military airport with the cooperation of an insider.

Foreign forces causalities have recently increased in the country.

On Thursday three Nato soldiers were killed in the Afghan violence.

The deaths brought the number of foreign forces killed in Afghanistan to 159 so far this year in the Afghan war.

Nearly 117 US troops, 16 from UK and 26 from other countries have been killed in Afghanistan.

There are around 152,000 foreign forces in Afghanistan and they are expected to hand over security responsibilities to the Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

Kite Flying

Kids in Afghanistan love to fly kites. Thus, the book "The Kite Chaser".

The Taliban declared the beginning of spring season attacks in a statement on Saturday, warning civilians to stay away from government institutions

The Taliban declared the beginning of spring season attacks in a statement on Saturday, warning civilians to stay away from government institutions.

In the statement the Taliban have warned Afghan civilians to stay away from military bases, convoys and as well as government institutions so that they are not hurt during insurgent attacks.

"Operations will focus on attacks against military centres, places of gatherings, airbases, ammunition and logistical military convoys of the foreign invaders in all parts of the country," the Taliban said in the statement.

Washington and commanders of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) have trumpeted successes against a growing insurgency since 30,000 extra US troops were sent to Afghanistan last year.

The targets of an operation "Badar", as it said, would be foreign forces, high-ranking government officials, members of the cabinet and lawmakers, as well as the heads of foreign and local companies working for foreign forces, it said.

"All Afghan people should bear in mind to keep away from gatherings, convoys and centres of the enemy so that they will not become harmed during attacks of Mujaheddin against the enemy," it said.

The statement comes a day after senior military officials and Western officials warned of a surge in militant attacks this year.

Violence has been the worst across nations in recent couple of weeks and as the Taliban declare spring fight it is expected to even worsen with massive casualties still to come this year

Trash Collectors

A lot of people ride on bicycles and go around to trash cans throughout the city and pick through the trash. They ride bicycles with big baskets/bags on the side to carry their loot!

Attack on Supply trucks

Militants attack NATO fuel truck in PakistanFrom Nasir Habib, For CNN
The truck was heading to Afghanistan to supply NATO troops
The attackers managed to escape unhurt
Attacks on supply trucks in the area are frequent
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Armed militants in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province torched a tanker carrying fuel for NATO troops, police said Saturday.

Ali Hassan, a police official, said two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on a tanker near the town of Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) southeast of Quetta.

"After firing, the militants set the tanker on fire," he said.

Hassan said the attackers managed to escape from the spot unhurt. No one was injured in the attack.

The tanker was heading via Balochistan toward neighboring Afghanistan to supply fuel to NATO and U.S. troops fighting the Taliban.

A similar attack occurred in January in Dera Murad Jamali, and in October, elsewhere in Balochistan.

More than half of the supplies for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan travel through Pakistan, and militants have frequently targeted supply trucks traveling from the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi to Afghanistan.

Such attacks on supply trucks in Pakistan have forced U.S. and NATO officials to add supply routes through other countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Officer fires on US troops, kills 9

Officer fires on US troops, kills 9
Officials: Veteran Afghan officer fired the shots
Updated: Wednesday, 27 Apr 2011, 11:24 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 27 Apr 2011, 7:32 AM EDT

RAHIM FAIEZ and LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Eight American troops and a U.S. contractor died Wednesday after an Afghan military pilot opened fire during a meeting at Kabul airport — the deadliest episode to date of an Afghan turning against his coalition partners, officials said.

The Afghan officer, who was a veteran military pilot, fired on the Americans after an argument, the Afghan Defense Ministry said.

All nine killed were American, according to a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been made public.

The shooting occurred in an operations room of the Afghan Air Corps at Kabul airport.

"Suddenly, in the middle of the meeting, shooting started," said Afghan Air Corps spokesman Col. Bahader, who uses only one name. "After the shooting started, we saw a number of Afghan army officers and soldiers running out of the building. Some were even throwing themselves out of the windows to get away."

Five Afghan soldiers were injured. At least one Afghan soldier was shot — in the wrist — but most of the soldiers suffered broken bones and cuts, Bahader said.

An Afghan pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the gunman as Ahmad Gul from Tarakhail district of Kabul province.

Dr. Mohammad Hassan Sahibi, the brother of the shooter, who was killed in the incident, had been battling financial troubles. Sahibi said his brother had no ties to insurgents.

"He was 48 years old," Sahibi told Tolo, a private television station in Kabul, "He served his country for years. He loved his people and his country. He had no link with Taliban or al-Qaida.

"He was under economic pressures and recently he sold his house. He was going through a very difficult period of time in his life."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the shooting and offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims. He said those killed were trainers and advisers for the Afghan air force. The president ordered his defense and security officials to investigate the recent incidents to determine why they occurred.

It was the seventh time so far this year that members of the Afghan security forces, or insurgents impersonating them, have killed coalition soldiers or members of the Afghan security forces.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the gunman was impersonating an army officer and that others at the facility helped him gain access.

However, Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said the gunman was an Afghan military pilot of 20 years.

"An argument happened between him and the foreigners and we have to investigate that," Azimi said.

Taliban insurgents have stepped up their attacks on government and military installations across Afghanistan.

—On April 18, an insurgent managed to sneak past security at the heavily fortified Afghan Defense Ministry compound in the capital and killed two Afghan soldiers and an officer.

—Two days before that, an Afghan soldier walked into a meeting of NATO trainers and Afghan troops at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in Laghman province in eastern Afghanistan and detonated a vest of explosives hidden underneath his uniform. The blast, the worst before Wednesday's shooting, killed six American troops, four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter.

—On April, 15, a suicide bomber dressed as a policeman blew himself up inside the Kandahar police headquarters complex, killing the top law enforcement officer in the restive southern province.

—In northwest Afghanistan, a man wearing an Afghan border police uniform shot and killed two American military personnel on April 4 in Faryab. The gunman was upset over the recent burning of the Quran at a Florida church, according to NATO intelligence officials.

—In February, an Afghan soldier, who felt he had been personally offended by his German partners, shot and killed three German soldiers and wounded six others in the northern province of Baghlan.

—In January, an Afghan solider killed an Italian soldier and wounded another in Badghis province. The two soldiers were cleaning their weapons at a combat outpost when an Afghan soldier approached them with an M16 rifle and asked to use their equipment to clean his gun. The Italians saw that the Afghan soldier's rifle was loaded and asked him to unload it, at which point the Afghan soldier shot the two Italians and escaped from the base.

Before the airport shooting, the coalition had recorded 20 incidents since March 2009 where a member of the Afghan security forces or someone wearing a uniform used by them attacked coalition forces, killing a total of 36. It is not known how many of the 282,000 members of the Afghan security forces have been killed in these type of incidents.

According to information compiled by NATO, half of the 20 incidents involved the impersonation of an Afghan policeman or soldier. The cause of the other 10 incidents were attributed to combat stress or unknown reasons. NATO said that so far, there is no solid evidence — despite Taliban assertions — that any insurgent has joined the Afghan security forces for the sole purpose of conducting attacks on coalition or Afghan forces.

Shooting rampage at Kabul airport leaves 9 dead, including 8 NATO troops

Shooting rampage at Kabul airport leaves 9 dead, including 8 NATO troops
27 APRIL 2011 71 VIEWS NO COMMENT BY: BNO NEWS

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- An Afghan military officer opened fire at an air force base in the Afghan capital on late Wednesday morning, officials said, killing at least nine people and injuring others.

The shooting spree began at around 10:25 a.m. local time at an Afghan air force base at North Kabul International Airport, apparently after some sort of argument between the gunman and others at the base.

"There was some talking and speaking about something" before fighting began, an Afghan Ministry of Defense official said, adding that more information would be released after an investigation. He had no information about Afghan casualties, nor the status of the gunman.

Lt. Col. David Simons, a spokesman for the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan, confirmed there had been an incident but provided few other details. "We can confirm that there were casualties and that an Afghan National Army and coalition force quick-reaction force responded," he said.

A statement from the NATO training mission confirmed that eight coalition service members and one contractor were killed in the shooting, but gave no details of their nationalities. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," it said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was behind the attack, although Afghan and NATO officials rejected the statement and said there was no indication that the Taliban was involved. The Taliban is known to frequently exaggerate their statements.

"[A Taliban fighter went into] the recruiting department where a meeting was underway between the NATO invaders and the local minions," Mujahid said. "[He then] opened fire on those participating in the meeting [and] subsequently, nine NATO invaders and including some top-level officers along with five of the local puppets were killed in the firing."

Mujahid said the gunman, who was identified by some media outlets as a 50-year-old man, was killed during his shooting spree when he ran out of ammunition. "While upon using up his ammo, the brave Mujahid (Muslim fighter) laid down his life when he was shot and martyred in the enemy's subsequent fire."

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years, with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

So far this year, more than 145 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most troops are killed in the country's south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

(Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

Deaths Reported As Afghan Soldier Opens Fire at Afghan Defense Ministry

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry says an Afghan soldier has opened fire inside the ministry compound, killing an unknown number of people.

Spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi says the attacker began shooting at other soldiers Monday inside the ministry. He says the assailant was killed during the shootout and that there were other deaths but he did not know how many.

Azimi did not have any information about whether there was an explosion or suicide attackers involved. Local media have reported a blast at the ministry.

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber attacked inside the Afghan Defense Ministry Monday, killing a bodyguard for the deputy minister and injuring at least two others, in the third major attack inside an Afghan security force compound in four days, local television said.

The attacker got into the building wearing an army uniform and with a Defense Ministry pass, Tolo television said.

The defense ministry's spokesman could not be reached for comment. Hashmat Stanekzai, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, confirmed there had been an "incident" in the ministry, but declined to comment further.

The injured included an assistant to the Defense Minister and secretary of the Army Chief of Staff, the report said, quoting unidentified defense ministry sources.

The attack comes months before the start of transfer of security responsibilities from foreign to Afghan forces, and after NATO-led troops claimed solid progress in efforts to bolster the numbers and quality of the Afghan police and army.

Saturday a suicide bomber in an Afghan army uniform penetrated a sprawling desert base in the east of the country and killed five foreign and four Afghan soldiers, the highest toll of NATO-led troops in a single attack for several months.

Friday, a suicide bomber in police uniform evaded tight security at the police headquarters in Kandahar city and killed Khan Mohammad Mujahid, the provincial police chief.

(Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Two soldiers have been killed and seven people hurt after a man in army uniform opened fire inside the Afghan defence ministry in Kabul, officials have said.

The attacker, who was also wearing an explosive vest, reached the second floor, where the defence minister and the army chief of staff have offices.

He managed to shoot aides to the minister and the chief-of-staff before being killed by bodyguards.

The Taliban said they had intended to kill the "puppet" defence minister.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says this is the fourth deadly attack in the last five days, but the first time a gunman has got so close to an such senior officials.

On Saturday, five Nato soldiers, four Afghan soldiers and an interpreter were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber wearing a military uniform hit an Afghan army base near the eastern city of Jalalabad.

On Friday, a suicide bomber dressed as a policeman blew himself up inside the police headquarters complex in the city of Kandahar, killing the police chief of the southern province, Khan Mohammad Mujahid.

Checkpoints

A senior Afghan security official told the BBC that the attacker was wearing the uniform of a colonel in the Afghan National Army (ANA).

He managed to pass through checkpoints outside and inside the ministry building with a weapon and suicide vest because he had a valid ID.

After reaching the second floor of the building, he was confronted by bodyguards deployed there and a fire-fight erupted.

The assailant was eventually killed, but not before he had shot dead two ANA soldiers and wounded seven others, including the two senior aides.

However, he was not able to detonate his suicide vest, the security official said. Local media have reported that there was an explosion.

A Taliban spokesman said they were behind the attack and had intended to kill Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak. Mr Wardak was not inside the building at the time, the official added.

Separately, the Taliban told the Associated Press that the attack had been planned to coincide with the visit of French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet, who they believed was meeting officials inside the ministry.

Mr Longuet, who met French troops in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, had been scheduled to meet Afghan officials on Monday at an unspecified location, French military spokesman Lt Col Eric de Lapresle said.

Officials in Paris told the AFP news agency that they had seen no evidence that the attack had been an attempt to kill Mr Longuet.

The defence ministry is located in the centre of Kabul, close to the presidential palace and other ministries.

Our correspondent says serious questions will be asked how the attacker got inside one of Afghanistan's most important buildings.

On Sunday, a defence ministry spokesman said it had been able to stop potential suicide bombers and the Taliban infiltrating the army.

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Western Women in Afghanistan

The below statement was taken from the University of West Florida’s Culture Resource Center and is how the majority of Afghan men view Western women:
“Western women may not be treated with the same respect as respectable Muslim/Afghan women.  In fact, Western women may be treated as if they were prostitutes.  This is because Western women are not held to the Islamic and tribal codes of honor and, in the minds of Afghan men, are already believed to be potentially (or likely) promiscuous.  Afghan men may be quite forward in their interaction with Western women. 
Regardless of how a Western woman is dressed, Afghan men may leer, make inappropriate physical contact or even directly proposition a non-Afghan woman for sex — either outright or in exchange for something of value.”

Kabul Air -- Not Healthy

I get respiratory infections a lot because of all the fecal matter in the air here. I am currently suffering from a respiratory infection now. Usually a regime of antibiotics does the trick and I am at it again. It has been raining alot lately so that takes the dust/fecal matter out of the air.

A Little Bribe Will Do Ya!

We go through the same check point with the ANP (Police) every day. The supervisor told my driver we had to give him 2 phone credit cards to pass through. We didn't give them to him so a few days later the guard said you can't go through because you didn't give us the 2 phone credit cards. We had to go around through another check point and when I got to our guards I told them about it and they went down to take care of it. I assume they did as that guy hasn't been there the last few days.

LDS School Project

On April 16 the Kabul Afghanistan Military District Humanitarian Service Committee performed another service project for the people of Afghanistan. The district committee purchased through LDS Charities funds $2000 worth of school supplies for the Khair Khana Afghan Girls School. The school has 500 Afghan girls enrolled. This school does not receive any government funding and operates on donations. During the reign of the Taliban, Afghan girls were prohibited from attending school. Since the creation of a new Afghan government over 1 million girls are now attending schools throughout Afghanistan. There is a critical shortage of teachers, school facilities, and funding for school supplies. Our service and contribution of school supplies will help these 500 girls start a new school year with the supplies that they need. (The Afghan school year begins in March and ends in December).

Brigadier General Abdul Raoufy of the Ministry of Interior (Afghan National Police) served as our sponsor for this project. General Raoufy is the Director of Policy for the Ministry of Interior. I served as his professional mentor from May 2010 to February 2011. His youngest daughter graduated in December from this school. He asked me if we could assist the girls who attend this school. Kenn Eversole, District Council member coordinated the purchase of the supplies and assisted BG Raoufy and me with the distribution of the supplies. The girls receive pens, pencils, notebooks, math study kits, rulers, colored pencils, and colored markers. All of the supplies were purchased in Kabul. The teachers also received supplies to aid them with their instruction.

The girls and the teachers expressed their gratitude for our donations. General Raoufy was most appreciative of our assisting him with this project.

See photos of the service project.


The next project will be the distribution of food and school supplies to 350 girls and boys at the Afghanistan National School for the Deaf and Mute. I will provide you with a report and photos.

NATO Team

See NATO Team.

Blast Near Kabul

Afghan police men and officials stand close to a damaged police vehicle at the scene of a suicide car bomb explosion on the out skirts of Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 14, 2011. A suicide car bomber detonated a truck of explosives covered in wood at a government compound in Musayi district, about 40 miles south of the Afghan capital, according Daud Amin, deputy police chief in Kabul. Six members of the Afghan national security forces were injured, he said. Photo: Musadeq Sadeq / AP

An Afghan police man stands guard, as bloodstains cover part of his clothing, at the scene of a suicide car bomb explosion on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 14, 2011. A suicide car bomber detonated a truck of explosives covered in wood at a government compound in Musayi district, about 40 miles south of the Afghan capital, according Daud Amin, deputy police chief in Kabul. Six members of the Afghan national security forces were injured, he said. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

The Beauty and Ugliness of Afghanistan

You can find both beauty and ugliness in Afghanistan. See pictures from Afghanistan.

Baby With No Shoes

Yesterday when I got off work there were three kids with their mother selling bracelets. I bought some bracelets and then the lady (in a Burka) asked for some shoes for her baby she was carrying. It was 45-50 degrees outside and raining. The baby had no shoes or socks on and it's feet were blue from the cold. I asked why she didn't have shoes on her baby but she didn't understand. I couldn't believe a mother would take he baby out in that weather without shoes or socks. I should have probably given her some money for shoes for the baby. Wasn't sure if it was a scam though to get my sympathy. You never know.

Insurgents Plant Mines to Prevent Destruction of Poppy Fields

Insurgents Plant Mines to Prevent Destruction of Poppy Fields
Monday, 11 April 2011
Written by TOLOnews.com


Officials in Helmand provinces say farmers and Taliban insurgents in the province plant mines to prevent destruction of their poppy fields.

According to local officials 7,000 hectares of land in the southern Helmand province have been cleared of poppy.

The destruction of poppy fields in the provincial capital Lashkargah and 10 other districts is continuing, officials said.

The campaign has started a month ago.

Several soldiers of the counter-narcotics department have so far been killed in mine explosions and insurgent attacks in the province.

Dawood Ahmadi, a spokesman for Governor of Helmand province, said 1,300 hectares of land have been cleared of poppy in Marja district alone.

The people and farmers have also cooperated voluntarily by taking part in the destruction of poppy fields in Marja district.

The campaign is expected to be accomplished in less than a month.

Insurgents are believed to be active in some villages of Helmand.

There are around 10,000 UK troops deployed in the province.

UN Office Assailants Were Taliban Militants Who Had Renounced Violence

UN Office Assailants Were Taliban Militants Who Had Renounced Violence
Sunday, 10 April 2011 21:44
Written by TOLOnews.com


Some of the Taliban militants who had joined the peace process were involved in the attack on the UN office in Mazar-e-Sharif, investigators find.

A delegation that was recently sent to the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif to investigate about the deadly attack on the UN office has said some of those who had apparently renounced violence and joined the peace process were involved in the attack and the murder of the UN workers.

The protest was led by five members of the Clerics Council who had also directed the protesters towards the UN office, the delegation said.

A peaceful protest in reaction to the recent Koran burning by an American pastor was staged in Mazar-e-Sharif on April 1, but it suddenly turned violent with some protesters breaking into the UN office killing 7 foreign workers.

Head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, has said the cause of the protests only staged in Afghanistan has to be analysed eventually.

"One day we will have to analyse why the protests only took place in Afghanistan," Mr de Mistura has said.

According to the delegation visiting Mazar-e-Sharif, the police has arrested 33 and there is evidence against 15 of them being involved in the violence.

"Some of the Taliban militants who had joined the peace process and were residing in a safe house in Mazar were involved in the attack," a member of the delegation, Rohgul Khairzad, said.

Meanwhile, the New York Times has written that the violence has showed a disturbing gauge of Taliban influence in Mazar-e-Sharif.

"Whether the killings were planned or not, the violence has proved to be a disturbing gauge of the depths of Taliban influence in this progressive northern city, and of its potential to foment unrest in the months ahead, the Times has written.

Some of the Afghan senators have blamed the provincial security forces and the governor of Balkh for not being able to control the violence.

Shoes for the Kids

I was waiting for my driver to pick me up Friday after church and two boys came up to me wanting to sell me some bracelets. I negotiated a price and then gave them a pen each and a soda. They said they needed shoes so I told them to be at the same place on Saturday at 5pm and I would take them to get them some shoes. At 5pm sure enough they were there but now there were three boys. So we negotiated our way through rush hour traffic to the "mall" to buy some shoes in the Shari Now area of Kabul. Found the children's shoe store and got them all some tennis shoes. These boys looked like they hadn't had a bath in a month of Sundays. They tried on shoes with dirty bare feet until they found a pair that fit. None of them had any socks on. I guess they can't afford them. So they all left the store as pleased a punch with a new pair of shoes.

Afghanistan to Export Tons of Raisins

Afghanistan will soon start export of 22 tonnes of raisin to Europe and other parts of the world, officials said.

Exports Development Office says the country's high quality raisin has attracted many markets in the world.

Afghan women are in the centre of raisin industry.

Raisin processing in Afghanistan is now done according to international standards.

Afghan raisin is sold at around $2,500 per tonne.

Last year Afghanistan exported only 9,000 tonnes of raisin, officials said.

Minister of Commerce and Industries, Anwarulhaq Ahadi, said Afghan raisin export to Europe and some other countries is increasing.

Canada is also among the countries to which Afghan raisin will be exported, the Ministry said.

"This year 22 tonnes of raisin will be exported and it will hopefully increase," Mr Ahadi said.

Lack of better processing facilities last year was the main reason for a reduction in raisin exports.

ISAF Vehicle Stoned for Killing Afghan Woman

An ISAF vehicle on Wednesday killed one Afghan woman and wounded another woman with a child as they were crossing a road in the Afghan capital Kabul, Police said.

The incident took place around noon in Dar-ul-Aman road in the west of Kabul city.

People in the area got furious and threw stones at ISAF cars.

"Two women and a child were crossing the road when they were hit by an ISAF vehicle," Kabul Police said in a statement.

The ISAf vehicle has stopped near Camp Julien and police investigation has started, the statement added.

ISAF has also released a statement saying that one of its vehicles accidentally struck the civilians.

Witnesses said the first ISAF car prevented them from crossing the road, but the second vehicle hit them.

They said outraged people had stopped the ISAF vehicles but after Afghan police arrived the vehicles left the site of the incident.

"I think foreign forces mistook them for suicide attackers. The first vehicle tried to stop them, but the second one hit them," a person in the site of the incident told TOLOnews.

Police have cordoned off the area.

Kabul city has often witnessed similar car accidents before and the foreign forces have been criticized for not observing traffic rules.

Outside of New Home / Apartment

When is Honesty Not The Best Policy

We have a new topic today — one that increasingly comes into play as our society’s traditional values are in question. Is it possible to be too honest?

But before we get to that, we have a letter from a district president in Afghanistan, who wanted to let Latter-day Saints know how their members are being served in this war-torn area of the world. Let’s see what he has to say:

Greetings from Kabul, Afghanistan. I serve as the district president. I just completed reading your article in the Meridian Magazine, "Military Families Find Solace in the Church." Thank you for a wonderful article and for all those who contributed. I wanted to share with you what is happening on the war front.

By way of background information:

There are more than 1100 members from 16 countries from around the world currently deployed at over 80 locations throughout Afghanistan. There are five military branches (Bagram, Kandahar, Kabul, Salerno and Camp Leatherneck). There are also over 35 service member groups located throughout Afghanistan.

In June 2008 I was called by the First Presidency of the Church to serve as the first District President of Afghanistan. The Kabul Afghanistan Military District was organized on July 1, 2008. I serve as the ecclesiastical leader for the country of Afghanistan. I report directly to Elder Bruce D. Porter and Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy and the Middle East / Africa North Desk at Church headquarters. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve serves as our adviser. I also report to the Church Military Relations Division. I am in daily contact with these brethren as we administer the affairs of the Church in this war torn country.

I reside in Kabul. I am a retired U.S Air Force officer and serve as a deputy program manager for a nationwide support contract to the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense and Afghan National Army. I have been serving in Afghanistan since February 2006. President Trevor Rosenberg serves as the First Counselor. He is an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel currently serving as an advisor to the Deputy Minister of Security for the Afghan Ministry of Interior (Afghan National Police). President Lloyd D. Oaks serves as the Second Counselor. He is an Army Colonel currently serving as the senior legal advisor to the Afghan National Army Judge Advocate General.

Each week the members of the military district receive a weekly devotional message from the district presidency. Our goal is to reach out to every member with a message of hope and inspiration as they serve in harm's way. The district Relief Society presidency also sends a weekly devotional message to every sister serving in Afghanistan. We are a "band of brothers and sisters" united in serving the Lord, our country, and the good people of Afghanistan. Our prayers are for each us to succeed in our mission and to return home with honor. We appreciate the support and prayers from our families and friends on the home front. We pray for peace and for our families at home.

Below is a message with attached photos that I sent to the members of the district last week.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This has been an historic week for the members of the Kabul Afghanistan Military District.

1. The Middle East Military District Conference is being broadcast via the Church website to members of the Kabul Afghanistan Military District, the Baghdad Iraq Military District and to families and friends around the world. The webcast of this historic conference can be viewed now and for the next two months at the Church website link. Elder L. Tom Perry presided at the conference and was the concluding speaker. Elder Perry pronounced an apostolic blessing upon the members and their families. I was invited to speak along with President Gus Checketts of the Baghdad Iraq Military District. The members of the military district will each receive their own DVD of the conference.

2. The Kabul Afghanistan Military District Presidency was reorganized on March 13th. President Winn Noyes, First Counselor in the District Presidency was released. President Noyes was called as the First Counselor when the district was organized on July 1, 2008. He has served faithfully for three years in Afghanistan. He will now return home with honor to Sister Noyes and his family in Mesa, Arizona. President Trevor Rosenberg, Second Counselor (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force) was sustained as the First Counselor. Lloyd Oaks (Colonel, U.S. Army) was sustained as the Second Counselor. (President Oaks is the son of Elder Dallin H. Oaks). Attached is a photo of the new district presidency. We look forward to serving the Lord, the members of the military district and the good people of Afghanistan. President Rosenberg currently serves an advisor to the Deputy Minister of Security for the Afghan National Police and President Oaks serves as the senior legal advisor to the Afghan National Army Judge Advocate General. I currently serve as the Deputy Program Manager for the new nation wide Afghanistan Technical Equipment Maintenance Program.

3. Elder Bruce A. Carlson of the Seventy and retired Air Force General made the historic visit as the first General Authority to Afghanistan on March 16th. During his visit with the senior military leadership military at the Kabul headquarters for the International Security Assistance Forces he set aside time to conduct a special fireside for the members of the Church residing in Kabul. The district presidency and 58 members attended this special fireside at HQ ISAF. We were honored to have Elder Carlson visit with us. Attached is a photo of this historic meeting.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our families on the home front, the good people of Afghanistan, the people of Japan and that peace may prevail in the countries in the region of northern Africa and the Middle East. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Eugene J. Wikle

District President

Kabul Afghanistan Military District

Thanks for telling us what’s going on in Afghanistan, President Wikle. Thanks, too, for sending the picture. I quickly scanned it in hopes of seeing at least one of our friends there. Sure enough, there was a familiar face. Please tell Allen “Tree Killer” Nelson that Clark and Kathy Kidd bid him a fond hello.

Now let’s move on to today’s topic. F.J.R. from Sugarland writes this:

I have always tried to pay attention when checking out of a store to make sure the purchases are recorded accurately. And when errors occur (either overcharges or undercharges), I have always brought them to the attention of the cashier. This honesty used to be met with gratefulness, but more and more I’m finding that it generates indifference (at best) or outright annoyance (at worst). The employees will act surprised and then roll their eyes, and I can almost hear them thinking, “What’s the matter with this clown? Just get out of my line so that I can check the next person out and then go on my break.”

I have also had employees perpetuate outright acts of dishonesty on my behalf, such as scanning coupons for items that I did not buy (in a grocery store), or intentionally not adding items that I ordered to the bill (in a restaurant).

They seem to think that by cheating their employer, they are doing me a big favor and that I will be a more loyal customer.

Usually this has the opposite effect, because I tend to avoid those places in the future because of the awkward situation it causes.

I have been tempted to contact a manager when this happens, but I don’t want to cause problems for the employee, and my experience has usually been that the manager doesn’t care either. In one case I was buying ten large sandwiches for a party, and was charged for ten small sandwiches (a difference of about $40). The clerk didn’t know what to do when I mentioned the error, so she called her manager. The manager just smiled and said, “Well, I guess you got a good deal then!” and walked away. Perhaps I don’t understand the economics of the retail industry. Maybe it is more cost-effective for them to just keep the customers moving and not worry about incorrect charges.

In most cases I just report the error to the employees, and let them decide how to handle it. If they just ignore my comment or say, “Don’t worry about it,” then I feel I have done my best to be honest, and cannot control the actions of another person. But I still feel a minor twinge of guilt, and realize that such dishonesty is not good for the company, its customers, or the character of the cashier.

How do other readers handle these situations where honesty seems to be more of an annoyance than a virtue? Perhaps this is not a problem in areas with a predominance of Latter-day Saints, but here in the “mission field,” it’s a problem we encounter far too often.

F.J.R. in Sugarland

I feel your pain, F.J.R. We no longer go to a popular fondue restaurant because our waiter charged us for two soft drinks and refused to charge us for the actual meal. No amount of protesting on our part convinced him that we actually wanted to pay for the whole thing. He told us that, “’Dan, Dan the Fondue Man’ takes care of his customers,” and he knew we’d be back again to take care of him. We handled the whole thing completely wrong, because in retrospect we realized the only right way we could have done it would have been to call over the guy’s manager and cause a scene, and we were too cowardly to do that. But that was it for us as far as that restaurant was concerned. What a distasteful experience!

Okay, people, what do you think? Have you been accused (either verbally or with rolled eyes) of being too honest? How do you handle it when people undercharge you and don’t want to rectify the situation? If you are a business owner, what do you think should be done when customers face lazy (or downright dishonest) employees? What are your experiences. F.J.R. (and the rest of us) want to hear from you.

I have received fresh reports that letters that are being sent using the reply box in Meridian are not reaching me or are being deleted before being sent. That being the case, I plead once again for you to send your letters to MeridianMagazine@aol.com. Put something in the subject line to let me know your letter isn’t spam. The last thing I want is for you to send your comments and not have them reach me, so please use that AOL address!

Until next time — Kathy

“Honesty is the best policy. If I lose mine honor, I lose myself.”

William Shakespeare

New House / Apartment