Ravaged by War, Bitter Afghans Sneak Into Europe

On surprise trip, president says goal of defeating al-Qaeda in reach

(NEWSER) - President Obama wrapped up his surprise trip to Afghanistan —during which he signed an accord with Hamid Karzai on how the US will wind down its presence after 2014—with an address to Americans. He declared that the US has "a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan," but vowed to end war "responsibly," reports CNN and the New York Times . Some excerpts:

• "My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the predawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon."
• “The goal that I set, to defeat al-Qaeda and deny it the chance to rebuild, is now within our reach."

As Hamid Karzai tells NATO to clear out of all rural villages, bases

(NEWSER) - The Afghan Taliban suspended talks with the US "until they show willingness in carrying out their promises instead of wasting time," the group said in a statement today, according to al-Jazeera . The group complained of America's "alternating and ever-changing position" and said it would put off opening a political office in Doha, the Washington Post reports. Al-Jazeera has the full text of the Taliban statement here . More»

Taliban, meanwhile, threatens to behead US soldiers

(NEWSER) - Militants opened fire on a prayer service for the 16 people killed in a US soldier's shooting rampage this weekend, targeting a visiting government delegation that included two of Hamid Karzai's brothers, along with senior defense, intelligence, and interior ministry officials. The militants fired from a distance, killing at least one government soldier and wounding two other people in what turned into a 10-minute firefight, al-Jazeera reports. "Bullets were coming like rain on us," one witness was quoted as saying. More»

Reports vary, but murders could push US-Afghan relations to the brink

(NEWSER) - US and Afghan officials alike are scrambling in the wake of today's rampage that claimed the lives of 16 Afghan civilians , as relations between the two nations threaten to boil over. The latest reactions, along with emerging details:

• Reuters has the most incendiary report, alleging that more than one US servicemember was involved in the shooting spree, and that the Americans were "laughing and appeared drunk." "They were all drunk and shooting all over the place. Their bodies were riddled with bullets," a neighbor says. Adds a father who lost his children, "They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them."

Politics comes second to protecting troops, he says

(NEWSER) - Saying sorry to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the accidental burning of Korans by US troops helped calm tensions, President Obama says. "We're not out of the woods yet," he told ABC . "But my criteria in any decision I make, getting recommendations from folks who are actually on the ground, is what is going to best protect our folks, and make sure that they can accomplish their mission." More»