Missing Hikers Shot to Death in Afghanistan

Move will appease allies, but be unpopular at home

(NEWSER) - The German military intends to launch a major offensive against Taliban strongholds in northern Afghanistan, in part to appease NATO allies that have criticized the country for being too passive, the Wall Street Journal reports. But the move could spark a political backlash back in Germany, where the unpopular war has long been portrayed almost as a humanitarian mission. More»

Grumbling nations only want to provide half

(NEWSER) - The US is struggling to convince its allies to commit 10,000 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, according to federal sources. Allied leaders are willing to provide only half that figure for an operation increasingly unpopular with their citizens, particularly amid concerns about corruption in the Afghan government. The Obama administration views allied troops as both a tactical benefit and a way to help derail criticism in its own political problems with the war. More»

Gave false info to pilots in Afghan tanker strike

(NEWSER) - Just before 2am on Sept. 4, German Col. Georg Klein gave a two-word command—"Weapons release!"—and US fighter jets bombed a pair of tanker trucks in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 100 Afghans clustered around them, many of them civilians. Although his tour has ended, the officer is still in Afghanistan, facing a NATO investigation. Klein appears to have misled American pilots when he told them his troops had been in contact with the enemy, and the situation posed an immediate threat, Der Spiegel reports. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s election has increased America’s standing in the world, new polling shows. Global attitudes toward the US have been bolstered by Obama’s election to levels not seen since the Clinton administration, the New York Times reports. In Indonesia, for instance, where the president spent part of his childhood, 73% of respondents said their opinion of the US improved with Obama’s election. More»

Negotiation with radicals seems necessary, but Karzai's not the man for the job

(NEWSER) - Germany’s government decided today to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to keep its forces there for 14 more months, Der Spiegel reports. But as Angela Merkel’s government recommits to the fight, the German press argues over whether a radical change in strategy—including diplomatic engagement with the Taliban—is necessary. More»