- Asadabad, Afghanistan
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Asadabad
اسدآباد
Chagha SarayAfghan soldier on guard near Asadabad.
Nickname(s): Abad - US soldiers use it referencing Asadabad and nearby FOB Location in Afghanistan
AsadabadCoordinates: 34°52′27″N 71°9′10″E / 34.87417°N 71.15278°ECoordinates: 34°52′27″N 71°9′10″E / 34.87417°N 71.15278°E Country 
AfghanistanProvince Kunar Province Government - Type Islamic republic Elevation 2,713 _ft ft (827_m m) Population [1] - Total 48,400 Time zone + 4.30 Some detailed information has been withheld due to the sensitivity of operations still ongoing in the area. Asadabad or Asad Abad (Pashto: اسدآباد - Asadābād) is the capital city of Kunar Province in Afghanistan. It is located in the eastern portion of the country adjacent to Pakistan. The city is located within a valley at the confluence of the Pech River and Kunar River between two mountain ridgelines running along both sides of the valley from Northeast to Southwest.
Asadabad is in a mountainous region of the Hindu Kush mountains about eight miles northwest of the Pakistani border and 50 miles northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Asadabad deals with a moderate amount of trade goods. Nawa Pass, that lies about 10 miles south of Asadabad, is the next major border crossing point North of the Khyber Pass for the region.[2] The pass is under constant observation due to its relative ease to cross for commerce and its potential usage for smuggling and Taliban insurgents.[3] About 10% - 15% of the valley surrounding Asadabad is used for agriculture by using an ancient land development technique called terracing. However, flooding and erosion have been an issue in the past. The primary crops are wheat, rice, sugarcane and vegetables. Multiple international agencies are assisting with these issues and other issues throughout the province. As of Jan 2009, growth around Asadabad has been substantial. Examples of development are:
- Kunar province's main marketplace now has more than 600 stores, up from 100 just three years ago.
- Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) have constructed 16 schools, 20 medical clinics, and 8 district centers.
- PRTs completed construction on 13 roads and 11 bridges.
- Agribusiness Developmental Teams (ADTs) have several evolving projects and over 10 demonstration farms.
- Jalalabad-Asmar and Pech River roads have cut travel times in half and connected Asadabad centers of commerce with Jalabad. [4]
Kunar Province has some of the highest levels of military activity in the country and the city of Asadabad and its nearby Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wright, which overwatches the city and the river, holds a critical military security and support role for the all operations in the area. Forces that have been operating from the FOB, past and present, include Afghan and US Special Operations Forces, Afghan National Army (ANA), US Army Airborne,[5] Air Assault,[6] Light Infantry units [7] and Marines.[8] Additional specialized units and groups working the area include US Army Civil Affairs Teams (CATs),[9]Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)[10] and Agribusiness Development Teams (ADTs)[11] as well as numerous Government and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) i.e. United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).[12]
Notable residents and incidents
- Asadabad is claimed to be the birth place of Jamal-al-Din Afghani.[13][14] The town hall in Asadabad is named after him.[15]
- American Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor for his actions during Operation Red Wing, which took place in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad.
- The Battle of Maravar Pass - The Afghan Mujahideen killed over 100 Soviet Spetsnaz in a 1985 ambush.
- 34 Americans killed when an MH-47 was shot down with an RPG-7 near Asadabad[16]
- US Operations: "Big East Wind" and "Mountain Lion"[17]
References
- ^ http://www.silobreaker.com/asadabad-afghanistan-11_166105
- ^ http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl
- ^ http://www.disam.dsca.mil/pubs/Indexes/Vol%2031_3/Moeller.pdf
- ^ http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/afghanistan/
- ^ http://www.stripes.com/news/troops-stage-assaults-on-insurgents-in-afghanistan-1.25112
- ^ http://www.dvidshub.net/image/363710/kunar-prt-medics-help-healing-asadabad-hospital
- ^ http://www.zimbio.com/Afghanistan/articles/vbh09pksAQm/10th+Mountain+Division+Asadabad+City+Kunar
- ^ http://www.stripes.com/news/troops-stage-assaults-on-insurgents-in-afghanistan-1.25112
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_affairs
- ^ http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entries/prt_afghanistan/
- ^ http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/tag/734th-agribusiness-development-team/
- ^ http://afghanistan-analyst.org/ngo.aspx
- ^ From Reform to Revolution, Louay Safi, Intellectual Discourse 1995, Vol. 3, No. 1 LINK
- ^ Historia, Le vent de la révolte souffle au Caire, Baudouin Eschapasse, LINK
- ^ Karzai seeks end to war on Afghan soil
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-08-07-naval-special-warfare-reaction-afghanistan_n.htm
- ^ complexoperations.org/cowiki/Kunar_Province
External links
Categories:- Populated places in Kunar Province
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