Britain to Send 500 More Troops to Afghanistan

(NEWSER) - Eight British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan last week within just 24 hours, the worst day of casualties the UK had seen in 30 years. After 15 fatalities in July alone, Gordon Brown is facing severe criticism for underfinancing the war effort, particularly for not providing enough helicopters to troops, reports the New York Times. Washington is watching the debate closely—it relies on Britain to oversee Helmand, Afghanistan's most violent province and the world's largest opium producer. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama has sent 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan so far, and he’s not sending more anytime soon, writes Bob Woodward, who accompanied national security adviser James Jones as he visited commanders last week, delivering the unwelcome news. They repeatedly told him their troops are spread too thin, but Jones said Obama wouldn’t approve every request, the way President Bush did in Iraq. “We are not going to build that empire again,” he said. More»

Could be largest loss of life for British forces since 2006

(AP) - Six British soldiers were believed killed after an explosion hit their armored vehicle in southwestern Afghanistan, Britain's Ministry of Defense said today. If confirmed, it would be the biggest loss of life for British forces in the country since a plane crash in 2006 killed 14. The soldiers were on patrol in Helmand province at the time of the blast last night, and a spokesperson for the British Task Force said they were missing and believed killed. In London, PM David Cameron called it "a desperately sad day for our country." More»

Father refused to give militants a police vehicle

(NEWSER) - The Taliban has hanged an 8-year-old boy, in tragic retribution after the boy's cop father refused to give militants a police vehicle, reports CNN. The child was kidnapped Friday in the southern province of Helmand, and killed at an unknown point after that. President Hamid Karzai condemned the boy's execution, calling it an action "not permitted in any culture or any religions," and calling for the immediate arrest of those responsible. This is the latest in increasing Taliban attacks as Afghan troops begin taking over security. More»

Sarkozy has 4,000 troops there

(NEWSER) - A mere 12 hours after President Obama spoke on his Afghanistan drawdown, France offered its support for the plan. It will also begin a pullout of its 4,000 troops next month, “in a proportional manner and in a timeframe similar to the pullback of the American reinforcements,” the Élysée Palace said. The decision came after a phone conversation between Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, the New York Times reports. More»