October 13, 2008 2:18:22 PM CDT
(Newser) – Calling the situation in Afghanistan "precarious and urgent," Barack Obama today urged the Bush administration to make Afghanistan—rather than Iraq—"the central front in our battle against terrorism." In his first interview since arriving in the country yesterday, the Democratic candidate told Lara Logan on Face the Nation that an additional two brigades were needed to combat insurgents and the drug trade that finances them, USA Today reports.
Following a meeting in which he pledged aid to Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Obama told the talk show that "mission accomplished" would mean a politically stable country where insurgents can no longer plan attacks. He also dismissed detractors who call him a foreign affairs rookie, saying he's "never" doubted his abilities—noting that many foreign policy experts voice confidence in him.
Source USA Today
Oct 9, 08 2:47 AM CDT A soon-to-be released classified report on Afghanistan paints a grim picture of a nation sliding into chaos, the New York Times reports. The report—the most detailed from American intelligence services in years—reveals that rampant corruption and the booming heroin trade has seriously destabilized the country as militants based in Pakistan step up assaults. The US plans to ask NATO allies today to send more troops to shore up security, reports Reuters. More »
Oct 6, 08 1:56 PM CDT Members of the US military and their families are looking to the November election to address the hardships of military life, but opinions vary as to which candidate will serve them best, the Boston Globe reports. John McCain’s vows to honor service—and promise of higher pay—have clear appeal, but so do Barack Obama’s goals of ending the Iraq war and reuniting families. More »
Sep 12, 08 5:59 AM CDT A US missile attack killed at least 10 people today in northwest Pakistan, where many al-Qaeda and Taliban militants are based, Reuters reports. Drones fired missiles at a former government school that housed militants and their families in the latest move in a heated US-Pakistan disagreement over militants in the border region as Afghanistan’s insurgency grows. Pakistan condemned a US troop assault last week inside its borders, the first since 2001. More »
Sep 11, 08 3:54 AM CDT President Bush green-lighted orders allowing American special forces to conduct raids inside Pakistan without the approval of the Pakistani government, senior US officials told the New York Times. One raid took place last week and more are expected as the US steps up its actions against al-Qaeda militants—despite the stern objections of Pakistan's military. More »
Sep 5, 08 8:00 AM CDT A suspected US airstrike on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan killed at least 5 people today, part of a stepped-up effort against militants in the region, the AP reports. The victims' identities remained unclear. Conflicting intelligence reports called them either al-Qaeda operatives or innocent women and children, AFP notes. US drones reportedly killed 4 low-level militants in a similar drone strike yesterday. More »
Barack Obama • Iraq war • Pakistan • Afghanistan • al-Qaeda • Taliban • US military • Hamid Karzai • Afghanistan war • Kabul
