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In the face of death threats and accusations that they are dishonouring their families by daring to perform, the women of Afghanistans first all-female orchestra are charting a new destiny for themselves through music.

The group is set to be catapulted onto the world stage with a performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Some of them are poor/orphans

Zohra, an ensemble of 35 young musicians aged 13 to 20, some orphans or from poor families, will be performing before 3,000 CEOs and heads of state during a session on Thursday and at the closing concert on Friday.

Led by Negina Khpalwak, who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on the return flight from Europe, the girls have overcome death threats and discrimination in this deeply conservative war-torn country to play together.

With their hair hastily knotted, eyes focused on their instruments, the musicians performed in unison under Ms. Khpalwaks baton earlier this month at one of their last rehearsals in Kabul before the concert.

She is Afghanistans first female conductor, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the musicologist who founded Afghanistans National Institute of Music (Anim) and the Zohra orchestra, says proudly of Ms. Khpalwak.

Taliban danger

Dr. Sarmast understands the risk facing women in Afghanistan who pursue music, which was banned during the Talibans repressive 1996-2001 rule and is still frowned upon in the tightly gender-segregated conservative society.

Zohra, he says, is very symbolic for Afghanistan.

Its so hard for Afghan girls. Some fathers do not even let their daughters go to school, not to speak about music school, Ms. Khpalwak said. For them, women are to stay at home and clean up. Her parents, she said, stood against her entire family to allow her to attend music lessons. My grandmother told my dad: If you let Negina leave to music school, you wont be my son any more.

Since then, her family members have left their native Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, and moved to Kabul.

This uncle vowed to kill niece

Life is hard in the capital city, jobs are scarce, but it is better than being dead, Ms. Khpalwak said, recalling what her uncle promised her: Wherever I see you, Ill kill you. You are a shame for us.

Ms. Khpalwaks goal is to win a scholarship to study outside of the country, and study, and study. Then, she says, she will return to her country and and become the conductor of the National Orchestra.

Fifteen years after the end of Taliban regime, gender parity remains a distant dream in Afghanistan despite claims of progress.

More:
Afghanistan's first female orchestra set to take Davos by storm - The Hindu

The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Robert Neller, said Thursday that the troops have "no delusions about the difficulty and the challenges they're going to face."

The Marines will be tasked with training and advising Afghan soldiers and police in the volatile opium-rich province. Afghan security forces there have been locked in constant clashes with Taliban insurgents, who have managed to reestablish a significant presence.

Helmand sits in the country's southwest. While geographically large, it is very rural and contains only about 3% of the Afghan population.

"The enemy has fought hard for Helmand," Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon last month.

Nicholson said the Taliban "receive much of their funding from the narcotics trafficking that occurs out of Helmand," adding that "there's a nexus here between the insurgency and criminal networks that's occurring in Helmand that makes Helmand such a difficult fight."

"This is a mission we've always been ready for," Lt. Gen. William Beydler, who oversees Marines in the region, told reporters last week.

The contingent of Marines will replace US Army advisers currently carrying out the mission, forming "Task Force Southwest," to be commanded by Brig. Gen. Roger Turner Jr.

"They continue to need international support," Turner said of the Afghan troops, noting that US personnel would be focusing on intelligence and logistics advice.

Some of the troops will be operating in the vicinity of Camp Leatherneck, the one-time home of thousands of Marines in Afghanistan.

"The Marine Corps has a deep operational history in Afghanistan, particularly Helmand Province," Turner said, with Beydler noting that Marines first deployed to the province in 2001 and later fought battles against insurgents in Sangin and Marjah, where Marines took some of their heaviest casualties.

But the two officers were quick to downplay any symbolism in returning to a region that the Marines left after the end of formal combat operations in 2014.

"I wouldn't read into this from a symbolic standpoint," Beydler said. "It just so happened that it turned up now and we're ready and we're going."

Neller struck a similar tone, saying, "The simple reason why we're going back is because someone asked us if we could do this and I said, 'yes.' "

Turner noted that there would be some advantages to going back, particularly when it came to rekindling relationships with America's partners in the Afghan army.

"These are folks who we fought alongside and who we fought with and we bled with, and we think there'll be a real synergy in reestablishing relationships," Turner said.

"We have a lot of blood, sweat and tears invested in Helmand, and so I think a lot of the Marines are really excited about this opportunity to go back and work again with our Afghan partners," Turner added.

Read the original:
Afghanistan: US Marines headed back to Helmand

Travel to all areas of Afghanistan remains unsafe due to the ongoing risk of kidnapping, hostage taking, military combat operations, landmines, banditry, armed rivalry between political and tribal groups, militant attacks, direct and indirect fire, suicide bombings, and insurgent attacks, including attacks using vehicle-borne or other improvised explosive devices (IED). Attacks may also target official Afghan and U.S. government convoys and compounds, foreign embassies, military installations, commercial entities, non-governmental organization (NGO) offices, restaurants, hotels, airports, and educational centers.

Extremists associated with various Taliban networks, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Khorasan Province (ISKP), and members of other armed opposition groups are active throughout the country. ISKP has shown its operational capability, having attacked both Afghan and foreign government facilities. The Taliban and its affiliates routinely attack Afghan, Coalition and U.S. targets with little regard for civilian casualties. In April 2016, insurgents conducted a complex attack targeting the Afghan Department of High Protection headquarters in Kabul, killing 47 people and wounding over 200. In July 2016, two ISKP suicide bombers detonated explosives during a peaceful public march, killing 81 people. In August 2016 insurgents attacked the American University in Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul, killing 12 and trapping students, faculty, and staff on campus for hours. Also in August, an American and an Australian professor at AUAF were reported to be kidnapped at gunpoint. In September, Taliban insurgents killed over 40 people in a combined improvised explosive device (IED) and suicide bomber attack near the Afghan Ministry of Defense. That same day, Taliban insurgents later carried out a complex attack in the vicinity of NGO offices in Kabul.

There have been attacks on Coalition convoys in Kabul using vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) targeting U.S. citizens, such as the May 25, 2016, attack on a NATO convoy and the kidnapping of an Australian NGO worker in Jalalabad in April. Additionally, a U.S citizen journalist working for National Public Radio and his translator were killed when the Afghan army unit they were traveling with came under attack in Helmand Province in June 2016, and in August 2016, insurgents fired a rocket at a bus reportedly carrying EU and U.S. citizen tourists in Herat Province, injuring 6 people.

Due to security concerns, unofficial travel to Afghanistan by U.S. government employees and their family members is restricted and requires prior approval from the Department of State. Furthermore, U.S. Embassy personnel are restricted from traveling to all locations in Kabul except the U.S. Embassy and other U.S. government facilities unless there is a compelling government interest in permitting such travel that outweighs the risk.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Afghanistan, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For further background information regarding FAA flight advisories and prohibitions for U.S. civil aviation, U.S. citizens should consult Federal Aviation Administrations Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices.

The U.S. Embassy's ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is severely limited, particularly outside of Kabul. U.S. citizens are encouraged to defer non-essential travel within Afghanistan and note that evacuation options from Afghanistan are extremely limited due to the lack of infrastructure, geographic constraints, and other security concerns.

For further information:

See the Department of States Consular Affairs website where the Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings can be found for the latest security information.

See the article here:
Afghanistan Travel Warning

Two of those killed were service members, and two were contractors, he said, adding he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

The explosion also wounded 16 other US service members and one Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission, Carter said in a statement.

The Taliban claimed responsibility in a tweet praising the "strong attack" on Bagram Airfield.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a suicide bomber had targeted "a sports ground where more than 100 military officers, important people and soldiers were busy exercising."

The attack on the airfield had been planned for four months, he said.

A NATO coalition official told CNN that the bomber, who is presumed dead, detonated the suicide bomb vest on a sidewalk near where people were preparing for a run.

The base was under lockdown, and additional security measures were instituted at all other locations in Afghanistan for the United States and coalition allies, the official said.

The US Embassy in Kabul will be closed Sunday, except for emergency consular services, as a precautionary measure, the State Department said. In a tweet, the department cited the "serious threat violence, kidnapping and hostage taking."

Carter offered his condolences to the families of those killed and said the injured were getting the best possible care.

"Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it," he said.

"For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offered his support on Twitter to those affected by the attack.

"NATO remains committed to our mission to train and support the Afghan forces. We all stand united in the fight against terrorism," he said in a statement.

The airfield is next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province. Bagram is more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement Saturday, calling it a "cowardly" act by terrorists "who have no regard for Islam, human life or the future of Afghanistan." He reiterated his intention to "destroy the enemies" of his country and its allies, and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Urgent investigations are being carried out at the base, and security has been tightened, according to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. The military will want to ensure that anyone tied to the blast is found before people are allowed to leave the base.

"The question now is, how did someone get inside?" she said. "There's very strict security at these bases. ... If you come in a vehicle, you are stopped well before the outside gate. Vehicles are searched, people are searched, people must have ID -- so it's very difficult to understand right now how this happened."

There are about 14,000 people on the Bagram base, with about 60% contractors, according to Starr. Locals move on and off the base in some contractor roles, she said.

Security breaches at coalition bases in Afghanistan have occurred but are rare, she added.

Saturday's blast follows a spate of recent attacks.

Monir Ahmad Farhad, a provincial spokesman, said four people were killed and more 100 people were injured in the attack in Mazar-e-Sharif, the provincial capital. No German diplomats were hurt. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Those deaths happened the same day Taliban mortars killed at least seven people at a wedding party in Faryab province in northern Afghanistan, police spokesman Kareem Youresh said. At least 13 people were wounded.

CNN's Ehsan Popalzai reported from Kabul. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark reported and wrote from London and Joe Sterling from Atlanta. CNN's Kevin Bohn and Andreena Narayan contributed to this report.

Link:
Bagram Airfield: 4 dead in blast at US base in Afghanistan ...

Two U.S. service members were killed Thursday during a joint raid by U.S. special operations forces and Afghan troops targeting senior Taliban commanders -- rare combat deaths for Western forces who handed over the task of securing Afghanistan to local troops some two years ago.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he was "deeply saddened" to learn of the American deaths, adding that four U.S. service members suffered injuries. More than30 Afghan civilians were killed in the fighting as well, according to local reports.

The American service members came under fire alongside Afghan troops while attempting to clear a Taliban position in Kunduz province, military officials said.

AMERICAN AIRSTRIKE IN SYRIA KILLS AL QAEDA LEADER LINKED TO BIN LADEN, PENTAGON REPORTS

U.S. airstrikes were called in during the firefight but Afghan forces were leadingthe assault, Fox News has learned.

At least five Americans have been killed in action in Afghanistan since early October.

"Today's loss is heartbreaking and we offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of our service members who lost their lives today," Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in a statement.

A U.S. defense official told Fox News that the incident occurred last night local time, but declined to give any more details.

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER CRITICIZES TRUMP, CLINTON

The target of the raid appeared to be two senior Taliban commanders killed in the fighting among 65 insurgents, Kunduz police chief Gen. Qasim Jangalbagh said. He said Afghan special forces carried out the raid and that he did not have any information about NATO involvement in the assault.

U.S. officials did not immediately identify the service members who died. The Pentagon reported it would investigate some Afghans' accusations the U.S. military killed innocent people in the airstrikes.

The news came days after the Pentagon announced it targeted top Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan on Oct. 23, Faruq al Qatani and Bilal al Utabi.

The U.S. military has not confirmed the deaths of Qatani and Utabi, though officials say they were likely killed in drone strikes which involved multiple Hellfire missiles launched at separate compounds housing the terrorist leaders.

Officials say Al Qaeda continues to plan attacks against the United States from the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

There are roughly 10,000 U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan 15 years after the 9/11 attacks.NATO's combat operations ended in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, a move that put Afghan forces in charge of the country's security.

The number is supposed to go down to 8,400 by the time President Obama leaves office in January. When Obama announced the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2024, the original plan was to leave 1,000 troops to guard the U.S. embassy in Kabul.

Kunduz has been the scene of many Taliban attacks in the past year. A year ago, a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship mistakenly attacked a Doctor's Without Borders hospital in the city of Kunduz killing at least 42 and injuring dozens more while battling the Taliban for control of the city.

The Taliban and Afghan government recently held secret talks to see if they could start peace negotiations to end the fighting, though questions remain over which faction of the insurgency is doing the talking.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Two US service members killed fighting Taliban in Afghanistan