Reservist: Obama's Not a Citizen, Can't Send Me to War

(NEWSER) - The Taliban says it will execute a captured American soldier if the US does not withdraw from two districts in southeastern Afghanistan, the Voice of America reports. A Taliban rep said today the soldier is healthy but will be killed if operations in Paktika and Ghazni continue. The fate of the soldier, whom the military has classified as "believed captured," will be decided by Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the AP adds. More»

Soldier also had marital trouble before deployment

(NEWSER) - The lone US soldier suspected of fatally shooting 16 Afghan civilians in a berserk weekend rampage suffered a traumatic brain injury during a recent tour of war duty, sources tell ABC News . The 38-year-old unidentified Army staff sergeant was treated for traumatic brain injury after some kind of vehicle accident, and was deemed fit for duty, according to an official. But the father of two had serious marital problems at home before he was assigned to Afghanistan, following three tours of duty in Iraq within 10 years. He also had other unspecified problems "reintegrating," said authorities. But officials determined that he had "worked through" the problems before he was deployed to Afghanistan, notes ABC. More»

Fort Polk hosts role-played shuras for US Army soldiers

(NEWSER) - With the war in Afghanistan winding down , US troops are learning new techniques in an Afghan village far from the real battlefield—far as in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Mock villages there replete with brick buildings and domed mosques give Army soldiers a chance to role-play scenarios in which they help Afghans resume control, NPR reports. During village meetings, or shuras, soldiers learn to hang back and listen to role-players acting as Afghans, and speak up only to give occasional advice. More»

Troop withdrawal could lead to instability, some fear

(NEWSER) - Political leaders in Afghanistan are concerned that President Obama's decision to start withdrawing US forces could lead to a repeat of the US withdrawal in 1989, when Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was allowed to gain major influence. "We don't want to go back 20 years when [ISI was] making the decisions about Afghanistan," one mayor tells the Wall Street Journal . Adding to the concern is the fact that billions of dollars in aid cuts will likely accompany the withdrawal, Reuters reports. For his part, Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared supportive of Obama's speech. More»

'We shouldn't let up on the gas,' Gates warns

(NEWSER) - The military is digging in its heels against the idea of a swift withdrawal from Afghanistan. “I think we shouldn’t let up on the gas too much, at least for the next few months,” Robert Gates told troops yesterday, as he finished his final trip to Afghanistan as defense secretary. Gates' comments come after a meeting with General Petraeus, who is working on a suggested withdrawal plan, the New York Times reports. More»