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NEWS ABOUT: Afghanistan war

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Villagers' Revolt Against Taliban Raises US Hopes

Gizab villagers won town back from insurgents

(Newser) - In late April, a remote village in southern Afghanistan became the unlikely site of a major milestone in the 9-year-long war here: For the first time, ordinary Afghans rose up against the Taliban on their own, in a local revolt that succeeded in winning the town of Gizab back from... More »

US Buys Russian to Beef Up Afghan Forces

Pentagon has spent $650 million on Moscow's helicopters

(Newser) - Funny how the geopolitical world turns. Back in the day, the CIA gave Afghan rebels missiles to shoot down Soviet helicopters, notes the Washington Post . Now that the US is fighting its own war there, the Pentagon is beefing up the Afghan air corps—by buying Russian helicopters. The US... More »

Democrats Confront Pentagon on Afghan War

Violence is up, and so is lawmaker anxiety

(AP) - A schism deepened yesterday between US war leaders and Congress as top Democrats challenged Pentagon assertions that progress is picking up in Afghanistan. "I wouldn't call it eroding," Carl Levin said of support for the war. "But there's a lot of fair concern." That was especially... More »

Karzai Doesn't Think US Can Win

Afghan leader doubts West will defeat the Taliban

(Newser) - This doesn't bode well for the mission in Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai doubts that the US and NATO can defeat the Taliban, reports Dexter Filkins of the New York Times . While the West is pressing ahead with its military push against insurgents, Karzai is reportedly reaching out to the Taliban in... More »

We Can't Take Kandahar Yet: McChrystal

NATO delays operation because locals don't want them there

(Newser) - The military push to secure Kandahar is being delayed, because the hearts-and-minds part of the operation isn’t going so well, General Stanley McChrystal revealed at a NATO meeting in Brussels today. The massive operation to take back the birthplace of the Taliban was supposed to begin this month, the... More »

Suicide Attack Kills 40 at Afghan Wedding Party

Taliban blamed for Kandahar blast

(Newser) - Officials in Kandahar say they have no doubt that the Taliban was behind a suicide attack that killed at least 40 people at a wedding party last night. Dozens more were injured, although the bride and groom survived. The groom's brother and two of his cousins were police officers, and... More »

1000th US Serviceman Killed Was On Second Tour

Marine nearly lost his leg on first Afghanistan tour

(Newser) - Here's a name to think about on Memorial Day: Jacob Leicht. This week, the Marine became the 1,000th US serviceman killed in Afghanistan by AP's count. But his story goes beyond that: He was on his second tour of duty when he stepped on an explosive and was killed... More »

US Troop Count in Afghanistan Overtakes Iraq

100K US troops to be in Afghanistan by this summer

(Newser) - The number of US troops in Afghanistan has hit 94,000, for the first time surpassing the 92,000 currently deployed in Iraq. The milestone comes as the US prepares to reduce its number of personnel in Iraq to 50,000 by the end of August, the BBC reports. But... More »

US Troops Wooing Taliban Foot Soldiers

What Washington still debates, soldiers are implementing

(Newser) - As Washington debates reconciling with Taliban commanders, US Marines on the ground in Afghanistan are already welcoming Taliban foot soldiers back into the fold. Reintegration, a process in which militants swear before their tribal elders to renounce the Taliban, is playing a growing role in American efforts to win over... More »

Taliban Attack NATO's Bagram Base

Military: Bagram security 'not breached'

(Newser) - Seven US soldiers were wounded this morning as the Taliban staged a bold pre-dawn attack at one of the largest US bases in Afghanistan that also killed 10 insurgents. Though details are still murky, an American official told the New York Times that as many as 30 insurgents fought their... More »

US Deaths in Afghanistan Reach 1,000

Suicide bomber's attack in Kabul kills 5

(Newser) - A suicide attack in Kabul that killed five US troops today has brought the American death toll in the war to 1,000, reports the New York Times . In an extended look at the unwanted milestone, the Times notes that it took 7 years to reach the first 500 deaths... More »

Afghans Flee as Marjah Offensive Sours

US hasn't done a good job clearing or holding

(Newser) - Remember the big American military “clear and hold” operation in Marjah, Afghanistan? It ain't going so well. More than 150 families have fled the area, and some refugees tell the New York Times the Taliban is still running rampant, and the US is unable to protect the local population.... More »

McChrystal: No One's Winning in Afghanistan

Taliban have lost momentum, says top US commanders

(Newser) - The good news is, the Taliban aren't winning in Afghanistan. The bad news is, nobody else is winning either, according to the top US commander in Afghanistan. The US has made some progress, however, and the insurgency has lost the momentum many believed it had gained a year ago, Gen.... More »

Military May Give Medal for Avoiding Combat

Honor for not shooting would be unique

(Newser) - The US military is considering a medal for soldiers who show restraint in order to save civilian lives. The honor would celebrate "courageous restraint" in the line of duty—incidences in which soldiers hold their fire. While the idea of an award for not shooting might seem paradoxical, "... More »

Obama Open to Taliban Peace Talks

Karzai plan wins tentative support

(Newser) - Hamid Karzai has won some very tentative support from President Obama for his plan to try to make peace with Taliban leaders. At a joint press conference yesterday, Obama said when Karzai holds talks this summer, reintegration into Afghan society chould be on the table, the Los Angeles Times reports.... More »

White House Rolls Out Red Carpet for Karzai

Afghan leader comes to DC for (likely strained) talks

(Newser) - When Hamid Karzai arrives in Washington today, he'll be met with smiles (through gritted teeth, perhaps) from Barack Obama. The administration has had a rocky relationship with Karzai—the trip was almost canceled after he publicly contemplated joining the Taliban—but Obama has ordered his aides to roll out the... More »

The New Addiction: War Porn

Is watching the carnage a creepy pleasure, or a civic duty?

(Newser) - Combat footage from Iraq and Afghanistan has generated a new form of online porn, Newsweek reports, with tens of thousands of spliced-together clips—soundtracks added—drawing millions of views on YouTube, and enthusiasts creating sites with names like GotWarPorn.com. "Like sexual porn," writes Jessica Ramirez, "they... More »

The Military's Enemy Within: PowerPoint

It 'makes us stupid' one general charges

(Newser) - There's an enemy lurking inside the US military, and it's called PowerPoint. The presentation software has become more and more central to military procedure in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pentagon, the New York Times reports and the effect has not been salutary. Junior officers are often referred to as “... More »

Karzai, White House Mend Fences; Visit On

Afghan president will travel to Washington next month as scheduled

(Newser) - The Obama administration and Hamid Karzai have buried the hatchet, and the Afghan president will visit Washington next month as scheduled, reports the Washington Post . The White House had threatened to call off the visit because of Karzai's recent shenanigans—including a vow to join the Taliban if Afghanistan's Western... More »

Taliban Leader Edges Closer to Peace Talks

Omar apparently no longer interested in ruling Afghanistan

(Newser) - Peace talks with the Taliban? The Times of London thinks it's a possibility after an interview with two liaisons of supreme leader Mullar Omar. The language is iffy—the story says Omar "indicated" that he "may be willing" to talk with western politicians—but an unnamed US military... More »

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