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NEWS ABOUT: coalition forces

Taliban's Share of Afghan Civilian Deaths Rises

They're behind 85% of civilian deaths, coalition says

(Newser) - Coalition forces in Afghanistan say their efforts to avoid collateral damage are paying off. Insurgents, by their estimates, are now responsible for 85% of civilian deaths and injuries in the war, up from 75% of deaths and 78% of injuries last year. “The vast majority of civilian casualties are... More »

Troops Forced to Play Diplomat in Kandahar

Forces represent Afghan government where it fears to go

(Newser) - After the less-than-successful military offensive in Marjah, NATO forces are taking a different tack in the villages surrounding Kandahar: They’re acting as representatives of the distant, oft-distrusted government. In “Operation Hamkari” (“cooperation”), soldiers are attempting to drive out the Taliban simply by improving government services and... More »

Karzai Doesn't Want McChrystal Fired

Afghan president says general 'is a person of great integrity'

(AP) - Hamid Karzai believes Gen. Stanley McChrystal is the "best commander" of the war and hopes President Obama doesn't decide to replace him, a rep for the Afghan president said today. The leader of American forces in Aghanistan, under fire for his and his staff's indiscreet comments to a Rolling ... More »

Britain to Withdraw Troops From Iraq by June

(Newser) - British troops will begin withdrawing their 4,000 troops from Iraq in March and will have all but a few hundred out by the end of June, the Guardian reports. They will be replaced at their base in Basra not by Iraqis but by Americans, who are worried about keeping... More »

Germany Ups Afghan Force, Debates Talking to Taliban

Negotiation with radicals seems necessary, but Karzai's not the man for the job

(Newser) - Germany’s government decided today to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to keep its forces there for 14 more months, Der Spiegel reports. But as Angela Merkel’s government recommits to the fight, the German press argues over whether a radical change in strategy—including diplomatic engagement... More »

Journalist's Suspected Kidnapper Nabbed in Iraq

US forces grab duo linked to al-Qaeda

(Newser) - The suspected mastermind behind the 2006 abduction of US journalist Jill Carroll and a cohort have been captured by US-led military forces, CNN reports. The pair, nabbed in Baghdad, are suspected of planning numerous kidnappings and suicide bombings in the country. Their capture leaves “few remaining experienced leaders” in... More »

Bombing Outside US Base in Afghanistan Kills 12

Second car bomb thwarted; suicide team repelled in follow-up attacks

(Newser) - A suicide bomber killed 12 workers and wounded 22 others after detonating his vehicle outside a US military base in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, the New York Times reports. No American military personnel were injured or killed. A second suicide car-bomber tried to follow soon after but was turned back, as... More »

8 Afghan Civilians Killed in US-Led Airstrike

Coalition forces called for air backup during firefight

(Newser) - Eight civilians were killed in a coalition airstrike targeting suspected militants in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, Reuters reports. The deaths occurred after American-led forces called for air backup during a roadside firefight Tuesday. A military statement said that officials "deeply regret any occurrence such as this." There... More »

Basra Awash in Violence as It Tests Self-Rule

Militia violence doesn't bode well for rest of the nation

(Newser) - Basra is supposed to be a shining example of Iraqi self-rule, but the city remains riven by violence five months after British forces pulled out and left local leaders in control, the New York Times reports. Dozens of Shia militias are competing for power, and murders and kidnappings of prominent... More »

Torture Room Discovered in Northern Iraq

Bloodstained chamber thought to belong to Iraq Al-Qaeda

(Newser) - Coalition forces in Iraq have unearthed a blood-stained torture chamber north of the city of Muqdadiya, which the military suspects belonged to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Troops stumbled upon a network of buildings comprising the torture room, three detention facilities and a headquarters. Forces also uncovered a mass grave containing 26... More »

250 Taliban Surrounded, Villagers Flee

But Afghan mission loses support of Japanese ships ordered home

(Newser) - Some 250 Taliban fighters are surrounded by coalition troops just 15 miles north of the Taliban’s old power base of Kandahar, the AP reports. Villagers fled as the insurgents took over their homes. “They’re surrounded and in big trouble,” said Kandahar police. But the coalition lost... More »

Karzai Chides NATO on Civilian Casualties

NATO says Taliban uses civilians as shields, kids as suicide bombers

(Newser) - "Extreme use of force" and "reckless operations" are killing Afghan civilians, an indignant President Karzai charged yesterday, saying the failure of NATO and US troops to coordinate with their Afghan counterparts is to blame. Correspondents estimate that more civilians have died this year in actions by foreign allies... More »

Contractors in Iraq Trigger Two Shootings

Two incidents ignited by Blackwater raise questions about quasi-miliary role

(Newser) - Contractors from private security firm Blackwater USA set off two firefights in Baghdad in as many days last week. On Thursday, a Blackwater guard shot and killed an Iraqi driver who trailed a convoy suspiciously, and Wednesday a Blackwater convoy escorting State Department officials was ambushed—sparking a battle between... More »

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