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In Afghanistan, 'I Feel Like a Divorced Woman Is Up for Grabs' New York Times As women in Afghanistan, particularly in urban centers, have increasingly asserted their rights over the past 15 years, many husbands have not caught up or never get on board with the changes. The slow pace of shedding entrenched misogyny has led to a ...

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In Afghanistan, 'I Feel Like a Divorced Woman Is Up for Grabs' - New York Times

People take part in the Colour Run 2017 's edition in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Colour Run is a five kilometres paint race without winners nor prizes, while runners are showered with coloured powder at stations along the run

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A woman pours coloured powder on a man as they take part in the Colour Run 2017 's edition, in Paris

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A Somali soldier patrols next to the burnt-out wreckage of a car that was used by suspected al-shabab fighters

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Rescuers of the Malta-based NGO Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) place a dead migrant on their rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) into a body bag before transferring it to their ship Phoenix, after some 20 migrants drowned in the central Mediterranean in international waters off the coast of Libya

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Some 662 people dressed as Charlie Chaplin pose for a group photo in front of the Manoir de Ban during an attempt of the world's largest gathering of people dressed as 'The Tramp' on the occasion of Charlie Chaplin's birthday, and to celebrate the first year of the museum "Chaplin's World by Grevin", in Corsier, above Vevey, Switzerland

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Some 662 people dressed as Charlie Chaplin pose for a group photo in front of the Manoir de Ban during an attempt of the world's largest gathering of people dressed as 'The Tramp' on the occasion of Charlie Chaplin's birthday, and to celebrate the first year of the museum "Chaplin's World by Grevin", in Corsier, above Vevey, Switzerland

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A damaged bus is seen after an explosion yesterday at insurgent-held al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria

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Girls enjoy ice cream in a zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea

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A child looks through the rear window of a bus in Pyongyang, North Korea

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Members of Acapulco tourist police attend injured tourists after a shootout in Acapulco, Mexico. A shootout in the tourist area of the resort left one dead and seven wounded on Saturday night, local authorities reported

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Members of Acapulco tourist police attend injured tourists after a shootout in Acapulco, Mexico

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A bald eagle rests on a perch at Eagle Beach State Recreation Area in Juneau, Alaska

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Competitors take part in Stage 6 of the 32nd edition of the Marathon des Sables In the dunes of Merzouga in the southern Moroccan Sahara desert

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Competitors take part in Stage 6 of the 32nd edition of the Marathon des Sables In the dunes of Merzouga in the southern Moroccan Sahara desert. The 32nd edition of the marathon is a live stage 250 kilometre race through a formidable landscape in one of the world's most inhospitable climates

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A Trump supporter holds on to another man for support after being pepper sprayed by protesters at a 'Patriots Day' free speech rally on April 15, 2017 in Berkeley, California

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More than a dozen people were arrested after fist fights broke out at a park where supporters and opponents of President Trump had gathered

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Hundreds of people with opposing opinions on President Donald Trump threw stones, lit fires, tossed explosives and tear gas and attacked each other with makeshift weapons as police stood by

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A conservative protestor squares off with a anti-fascist protestor during the Patriots Day Free Speech Rally in Berkeley, California

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An anti-fascist protestor is detained by law enforcement during the Patriots Day Free Speech Rally in Berkeley, California

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Smoke billowing following a suicide car bombing in Rashidin, west of Aleppo, that targeted buses carrying Syrians evacuated from two besieged government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya

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Female bodybuilders prepare themselves for judging backstage during the 2017 NABBA WFF Asia Seoul Open Championship in Seoul, South Korea

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Female bodybuilders prepare themselves for judging backstage during the 2017 NABBA WFF Asia Seoul Open Championship in Seoul, South Korea

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waving to people after the military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung

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Korean People's Army ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung

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Tory Lanez performs on the Sahara Stage during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival

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Pope Francis kisses the feet of an inmate after washing it, at Paliano prison, to celebrate the Mass in Coena Domini, with the rite of the washing of the feet of some detainees, south of Rome, Italy

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This aerial photo shows solar photovoltaic modules on a hillside in a village in Chuzhou, in eastern China's Anhui province

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cuts the ribbon for an opening ceremony of a new residential housing project on Ryo Myong street in Pyongyang, North Korea

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Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., arrives for his trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea. The scion of South Korea's Samsung business empire Lee appeared in court on trial for bribery and other charges

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Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong is escorted by Malaysian police for a court appearance with Indonesian national Siti Aisyah (not pictured) at the magistrates' court in Sepang, for their alleged role in the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

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Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who was detained in connection with the death of Kim Jong-Nam, is escorted by Malaysian police for a court appearance at magistrates' court in Sepang, Malaysia

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Iraqi federal police fire a mortar at an Islamic State position during the battle to recapture west Mosul

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A member of the Iraqi Federal Police takes his rifle to hang it on his shoulder in an area controlled by Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State in western Mosul, Iraq

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A gaucho rides an unbroken or untamed horse during Creole week celebrations in Montevideo, Uruguay

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A woman consumes an 'Ooho' plastic-less water container in Londo

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A worker picks up an 'Ooho' plastic-less water container in London

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The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) transits the South China Sea

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Artist Michael Davis with his interactive musical installation 'Illumaphonium', on show during the Brocken Spectre light and sound event at Rievaulx Abbey on the North York Moors

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Illuminations on parts of the ruins during the Brocken Spectre light and sound event at Rievaulx Abbey on the North York Moors

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A shadow is pictured with the Brocken Spectre - a naturally occurring phenomenon where people appear to see a halo effect around the head of their shadow when it is projected onto mist - during the Brocken Spectre light and sound event at Rievaulx Abbey in the North Yorks Moors National Park

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People dancing to celebrate the fifth anniversary of respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's assumption of the top posts of the Workers' Party of Korea and the state in Pyongyang

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Supporters and members of the Palestinian and Syrian communities attend a rally calling for peace in Syria, in Valparaiso, Chile

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Supporters and members of the Palestinian and Syrian communities attend a rally calling for peace in Syria, in Valparaiso, Chile

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the 'Kestrels' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137 takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transiting the South China Sea

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A boy runs inside a station of the cable car system which is no longer running over the Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The six-station mass transit gondola system spanning the Complexo de Alemao favela or shantytown in Rio de Janeiro began to operate in the summer of 2011, connecting local residents and tourists to the city's railway network. But it ground to a halt just after the 2016 Olympics in Rio, due to the local financial crisis

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The cable car over the Alemao favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, seen here, is no longer running

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Denmark 'to deport 70-year-old woman with dementia to Afghanistan' - The Independent

The U.S. militarys dropping of its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS positions in Afghanistan last week was the correct action to take, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, who was in the Middle East at the time of the strike.

Gen. John Nicholson made the decision tactically that was the best ammunition to utilize, Stefanik said in a telephone interview on Monday about a congressional delegation she led to the Middle East last week.

Stefanik said she learned about the attack the next day.

I learned about it on the news as I was in Kuwait, she said.

Stefanik and the delegation of House Defense Committee members had met Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the previous day.

Nicholson did not inform them of the pending attack, but briefed them on the challenges of terrorists operating from underground tunnels and caves in the eastern section of Afghanistan.

We were not given any specific information about the MOAB, Stefanik said, referring to the acronym for the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb.

The GPS-guided bomb is also commonly known as the Mother of All Bombs.

Stefanik said rank-and-file military personnel she spoke with after the strike seemed supportive of it.

Much of the discussion was the fact that there are over 20 organizations who were making inroads in that region of Afghanistan, and Afghan forces are continuing to work to take back those regions, she said. Its of concern to me that Afghanistan is still the country with the highest number of terrorist organizations around the world. And I believe that it is our role to continue to work with the Afghans in a support and advise and assist role.

Stefanik led the delegation in her new role as chairwoman of the House Defense Committee Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-Long Island, Anthony Brown, D-Md., and Keith Roffus, R-Pa., were also part of the delegation.

I thought it was an important opportunity for some of the newer members who are on my subcommittee to get an assessment of what is happening on the ground, she said.

The six-day trip included visits to three regions of Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan.

In Kuwait, the delegation met with the Marine Corps unit focused on countering terrorism in Iraq and Syria, Stefanik said.

They also visited U.S. military units in various locations of the four countries.

I had the opportunity to visit and have lunches and dinners with numerous constituents from South Glens Falls, from Saratoga, from Saranac Lake, from Massena, from all over the district, she said. One of the biggest takeaways is the professionalism and the extensive service and sense of mission of the men and women in uniform.

Follow staff writer Maury Thompson at All Politics is Local blog, at PS_Politics on Twitter and at Maury Thompson Post-Star on Facebook.

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Stefanik, back from Afghanistan, supports MOAB strike - Glens Falls Post-Star

(KABUL, Afghanistan) Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that the U.S. is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people."

Last week, U.S. forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb in eastern Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. Karzai, in an interview with The Associated Press, objected to the decision, saying that his country "was used very disrespectfully by the U.S. to test its weapons of mass destruction."

The office of President Ashraf Ghani said following the bomb's usage that there was "close coordination" between the U.S. military and the Afghan government over the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties.

But Karzai harshly criticized the Afghan government for allowing the use of the bomb.

"How could a government of a country allow the use of a weapon of mass destruction on its own territory? Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, how could they allow that? It just unimaginable," he said.

The strike was carried out Thursday morning against an Islamic State group tunnel complex, carved into a mountain that Afghan forces had tried to assault repeatedly in recent weeks, according to Afghan officials.

U.S. and Afghan forces have been battling the Taliban for more than 15 years. But the U.S. military unveiled the largest conventional bomb in its arsenal against the Islamic State group, which has a far smaller but growing presence in Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly vowed to aggressively confront IS.

Trump called the operation a "very, very successful mission" but Karzai had harsh words for the new U.S. leader.

"My message to President Trump today is that he has committed an immense atrocity against the Afghan people, against fellow human beings," he said. "If the American government sees us as human beings, then they have committed a crime against fellow human beings, but if they treat us as less than human beings, well, of course they can do whatever they want."

Karzai added that one of the fundamental reasons that he refused to sign the bilateral security agreement with the United States when he was the president was specifically to prevent such actions.

"I told the people of Afghanistan in the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) we must not sign the BSA with the U.S., that we must not give them bases till the day they bring peace to Afghanistan," he said. "Why would the Afghan people want to give the U.S. bases? For what? To continue the war in Afghanistan, to become more insecure, to lose peace forever, to suffer, to receive more bombs, to receive a weapon of mass destruction? Or for security, for peace and for a better life?"

The U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster met with President Ghani during a visit to Afghanistan on Sunday. According to statement from the office of the president, the pair discussed mutual counterterrorism efforts, security and economic development.

The U.S. estimates 600-800 IS fighters are in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. American forces have concentrated on fighting them while also supporting Afghan forces against the Taliban. The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan, training local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.

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The Former President of Afghanistan Called the Recent US Bombing 'an Immense Atrocity' - TIME

To the editor: While I can sympathize with the plight of women in Afghanistan, Najia Karimis op-ed article fails to place the blame for this disaster where it belongs. (What's the most dangerous country in the world to be female? I know firsthand, Opinion, April 11)

Not once in her piece does she mention the hardline practitioners of Islam who are responsible for these atrocities against women. In reality, U.S. troops in Afghanistan present little or no danger to women unless they happen to wander into an ongoing battle. They should not be held responsible for making it the worst country for women.

In the end, whether peace comes to Afghanistan or the country continues with its downward spiral, many of the women there will still be subjected to Sharia law and its gruesome consequences. Quite frankly, Im surprised that Karimi has been able to keep her womens shelter in Kabul in operation. Im sure that shes already made many enemies by doing so.

Charles Reilly, Manhattan Beach

..

To the editor: Im lucky enough to be a woman who hasnt been beaten or raped.

But I still understand what Karimi means when she quotes author Valerie Hudson, who says, The greatest predictor of whether a nation goes to war is the level of violence against women in that country. After all, I had just read the sickening story of an angry man killing a woman and an innocent child in a school.

To be a woman is always to know that a man may want to hurt you because he can. And you have to be on guard for that.

And now our president is attacking other countries already after a few months in office. Its pretty scary to be a woman in this country too.

Cheryl Clark OBrien, Long Beach

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There's a reason women are mistreated in Afghanistan radical Islam - Los Angeles Times