Fewer Marines Needed in Iraq's Anbar: General

(NEWSER) - Taliban forces in Afghanistan are bolder, better organized, and more tenacious than the deadliest Iraqi insurgents, a war-hardened Marine told the New York Times. “In Iraq, they’d hit you and run,” said Sgt. Jacob Tambunga, who spent three tours fighting in Anbar Province. “But these guys stick around and maneuver on you.” More»

Defense secretary says troops needed in still-volatile Iraq

(NEWSER) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected a proposal to shift Marine Corps soldiers from Iraq to Afghanistan, saying the situation is still too volatile in Iraq, reports the New York Times. The top general of the Marines met with Gates in Washington last week and presented a formal proposal to move his troops from Anbar Province and deploy them in Afghanistan. More»

Commander calls for lead Afghan role instead

(NEWSER) - The US Marine Corps is lobbying to be withdrawn from Iraq and instead be given the lead role in Afghanistan, reports the New York Times. The move would leave the Army with primary responsibility for the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq. Supporters believe it would allow the branches to operate more efficiently in operations that are straining resources. More»

Mayor also held captive following break-in, suicide attack in al-Baghdadi

(NEWSER) - Insurgents have stormed an Iraqi police station and taken police and officials—including the town’s mayor—hostage. Insurgents poured into the western town’s station disguised as police and opened fire; one insurgent detonated a suicide bomb, officials tell the AP . The officials taken hostage were working in offices on the building’s second floor. The Iraqi Army has surrounded the station in al-Baghdadi, a western town in volatile Anbar province, but it was not immediately clear how many people were being held inside or whether the attackers had made any demands. More»

Soldiers honor fallen comrades

(NEWSER) - US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan remembered their fallen comrades in Memorial Day services nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that sparked the Afghanistan war. In that country, dawn flag-raising ceremonies honored the more than 1,400 who have been killed, the AP reports. "We reflect on those who have gone before us. We reflect on their service and their sacrifice on behalf of our great nation," said a Marine commander. "We should also remember those serving today who embody that same commitment of service and sacrifice." More»