AP to Protest U.S. Military Censorship in Afghanistan

American military in Afghanistan provided the Associated Press with an unfortunate, yet easy-to-cover subplot in the aftermath of a battle that led to the death of 16 Afghan civilians.

Amir Shah writes from Kabul:

A freelance photographer working for The Associated Press and a cameraman working for AP Television News said a U.S. soldier deleted their photos and video showing a four-wheel drive vehicle in which three people were shot to death about 100 yards from the suicide bombing. The AP plans to lodge a protest with the American military.

The U.S. military blamed its troops’ unfortunate reaction, in which Afghan civilians were killed, on a “complex ambush” by Taliban militants. The deaths of the 16 civilians will undoubtedly hamper the U.S.’s efforts to redouble their forces while making nice and contributing positively to the rebuilding of Afghanistan.

Carlotta Gall has been delivering the straight gravy from Afghanistan for years for the New York Times:

The shooting sparked demonstrations, with local people blocking the highway, the main road east from the town of Jalalabad to the border with Pakistan. And there were differences in some of the accounts of the incident, with the Americans saying that the civilians were caught in cross-fire between the troops and militants, and Afghan witnesses and some authorities blaming the Americans for indiscriminately shooting at civilian vehicles in anger after the explosion.

No matter whose account you believe, the Taliban’s expected “spring offensive” is on. Two British troops were reported killed in southern Afghanistan yesterday.

troops in Afghanistan 2007 international by country

Graphic of active multinational military force in Afghanistan, 7 feb, 2007, via NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

First Listen: New Wilco — ‘Sky Blue Sky’

wilco sky blue sky album coverWilco’s follow-up to 2004’s A Ghost Is Born is finally wrapped up and set to hit stores May 15. Last night, the band delivered the album in its entirety via their Web site, for anyone who wanted a preview.

I took advantage and was very happy that I did. As was evident in the Thanksgiving concert I attended, the band is moving confidently in a new direction, in which both the key ingredients of Nels Cline on lead and Glenn Kotche on drums tighten up. The songs are less experimental sounding than on the previous two records, but still Kotche and Cline’s wildly unique and at times improvisational styles are allowed to shine. This is very much Tweedy’s record, with several 70’s-style, shorter ballady songs. But nothing to slow. I’d say it’s the most definitive Wilco record to date, reflecting their progression from the rootsy sounds of A.M. through the aurally complex and looser compositions that dot YHF and Ghost.

Listen to “Walken” and “Impossible Germany.”

Hear more of the new stuff on this live recording from last November at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago. Continue reading “First Listen: New Wilco — ‘Sky Blue Sky’”

flickr photostream: lunar eclipse

Unfortunately, we missed out here on the West Coast. Already more than 2,000 photos posted at flickr, though… many of them just spectacular. Also, see this awesome animation by Jonas Thomén (Finland). Click on individual photos in the stream below for more detail.

Thanks, once again, Paul Stamatiou for the original instructions on flickr embedding.

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