Afghanistan

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Army Uniforms Aren't Making the Grade
Army Uniforms Aren't Making the Grade
Nov 27, 2007 12:15 PM CST

Army Uniforms Aren't Making the Grade

Soldiers report 'crotch durability problems'; 1 million repairs on order

(Newser) - Army uniforms have an embarrassing problem—they’re tearing open at the crotch. New uniforms rolled out in 2005 use single stitching at the inseam, and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan report "crotch durability problems" in combat. The troops are “literally sliding down steep hills and mountains,"...

Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma
Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma
Nov 23, 2007 4:37 PM CST

Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma

20K troops omitted from casualty list

(Newser) - More than 20,000 service members not classified as wounded in combat have signs of brain injury, according to an examination of records by USA Today. The actual number of troops with brain trauma suffered in Iraq or Afghanistan was more than five times the official tally, meaning that the...

Taliban Reclaiming Afghanistan
Taliban Reclaiming Afghanistan
Nov 22, 2007 4:49 AM CST

Taliban Reclaiming Afghanistan

Now established in 54% of country and headed for Kabul

(Newser) - The Taliban is rapidly regaining control of Afghanistan, according to a report released by the Senlis Council, an independent think tank. The insurgency has established a permanent presence in 54% of the country, including "important road arteries," and the Taliban's goal of reaching Kabul in 2008 seems "...

Afghanistan Aid Squandered, Charity Says

Despite billions in donations, poverty remains rampant

(Newser) - The US approved another $6.4 billion in aid for Afghanistan this year, but a leading charity says too much development funding is being wasted on short-term quick fixes. An Oxfam assessment attests that "non-Afghan resources" and "high expatriate salaries and living costs" are soaking up aid, leaving...

Bush, Japanese PM Boost Ties
Bush, Japanese PM Boost Ties
Nov 16, 2007 5:25 PM CST

Bush, Japanese PM Boost Ties

Leaders offer assurances on Afghanistan, North Korea

(Newser) - President Bush and new Japanese PM Yasuo Fukuda today vowed to reconcile hot-button issues concerning North Korea and Afghanistan that have strained relations, Reuters reports. In his first visit to the White House, Fukuda pledged to do his "utmost" to renew a refueling mission for coalition forces in Afghanistan,...

Vets' Mental Issues Slow to Surface: Study

Troops more likely to report disorders 3-6 months after return from combat

(Newser) - US troops report worse mental health several months after returning from Iraq than immediately after getting home, an Army study shows. Upon return home, one general said, “you’re almost euphoric,” but later “the stress starts to resurface.” The study also found that National Guard reservists...

Dems: Hidden Costs Double Price of War

$1.5T price tag on Iraq, Afghanistan tallies to $20,000 per family

(Newser) - The costs of waging war in Iraq and Afghanistan is actually $1.5 trillion, Democrats say in a report out today—far above the $802 billion spent or appropriated by Congress. Citing "hidden costs" such as higher oil prices, veterans' care, and interest on war debt, the report estimates...

Breakthrough May Put Japan Back on Board Afghan Mission

Bill would OK fueling US 'terror inspection' ships

(Newser) - A Japanese parliamentary committee has apparently broken a deadlock that halted aid to US ships in the Indian Ocean headed to Afghanistan. The nation's constitution forbids involvement in overseas wars, but Japanese fuel tenders have provided 126 million gallons of fuel to coalition ships. The opposition party blocked the operation...

UK to Pay Opium Producers
UK to Pay Opium Producers
Nov 10, 2007 5:37 PM CST

UK to Pay Opium Producers

Britain wants to pay Afghan farmers to ditch heroin production

(Newser) - Afghanistan’s opium biz is booming, but British PM Gordon Brown says the almighty pound can squash it, the Guardian reports. He now wants to revive the UK's failed anti-opium program by paying Afghan farmers to produce crops other than poppy. So far, the UK has invested $20 million in...

Afghan Ambush Kills 6; 2007 Deadliest Year for US

At least 101 troops have been killed this year

(Newser) - The deaths of 6 American soldiers in an ambush yesterday make 2007 the deadliest year so far for US troops in Afghanistan, the AP reports. This year's toll is at 101. The AP also says that more than 5,800 people, most of them militants, have been killed in the...

Afghan Blast Killed 59 Children
Afghan Blast Killed 59 Children
Nov 9, 2007 5:22 PM CST

Afghan Blast Killed 59 Children

Death toll reaches 75; police have detained two suspects

(Newser) - The death toll from Tuesday's suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan has been revised up to 75, CNN reports, including 59  schoolchildren who had come to greet the visiting dignitaries who were the target of the attack. The blast also claimed five teachers, six lawmakers, and five of their guards. Police...

Karzai Presses Taliban Talks
Karzai Presses Taliban Talks
Nov 9, 2007 11:58 AM CST

Karzai Presses Taliban Talks

Afghan president offers amnesty, roles in government

(Newser) - As bloodshed escalates in Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai is pressing for negotiations with senior members of the Taliban, writes the Los Angeles Times. Foreign diplomats and members of Karzai's own government now believe that peace cannot be achieved by military means, and the president is hoping to achieve some form of...

House to Battle Bush on Troops
House to Battle Bush on Troops
Nov 8, 2007 7:18 PM CST

House to Battle Bush on Troops

Bill will tie war money to withdrawals

(Newser) - The House could vote as soon as tomorrow on a bill that would provide $50 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—a quarter of President Bush's request—and tie the money to a troop-withdrawal timetable. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the money is intended to fund about four month months...

US Urges Japan to Return to Afghanistan

Japanese naval contribution halted by domestic politics

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Japan today to resume a naval support mission for US operations in Afghanistan, Reuters reports. Japan has conducted refueling operations in the region for the past six years at a cost of approximately $195 million. The mission was stopped earlier this month after an opposition...

More Than 50 Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing

Six lawmakers are among the dead; explosion hit villagers, children gathered to greet visiting dignitaries

(Newser) - A suicide bomber killed more than 50 people in northern Afghanistan today, Reuters reports, including five lawmakers, in the worst bombing in the nation’s history. A huge crowd of residents and school children had gathered to greet a delegation of members of parliament, the bomb's apparent target, visiting a...

Japanese Party Scrambles to Keep Boss to Dodge Chaos

Opposition chief to quit amid deadlock mess

(Newser) - Members of Japan's opposition party are pleading with their leader to rethink his announced resignation, fearing the move will break up the party and hurt its chances at the polls. The head of the Democratic Party of Japan said he would resign yesterday after the party leadership resoundingly voted to...

Musharraf's Chaos Leaves US Twisting in Wind

Musharraf power grab a 'big embarrassment' for the White House

(Newser) - Pervez Musharraf is gripping not only Pakistan in a tight state of emergency, but also his allies in Washington, the New York Times reports. American officials are stuck monitoring developments as the US-backed military dictator threatens a shaky democracy and spurs civil unrest. Condoleezza Rice called Musharraf’s decision “...

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...

Panel Rips Army Fraud 'Crisis'
Panel Rips Army Fraud 'Crisis'
Nov 1, 2007 4:51 AM CDT

Panel Rips Army Fraud 'Crisis'

Raps military on wasted contract billions

(Newser) - The Army is under fire for failing to train enough officers to supervise billions of dollars in contracts and allowing waste and fraud to flourish, reports the New York Times.  The problems have "created a crisis," according to an independent six-member panel appointed by Army Secretary Pete...

Japan Backs Off Support of Afghan War

Standoff with domestic opposition leaves PM in hot water with US

(Newser) - Japan's PM is being forced to withdraw the country's support for coalition forces in Afghanistan because the opposition party refuses to back the mission without UN support. Yasuo Fukuda's party could swing the votes for an override, but doing so would probably lead to an early election—which Fukuda might...

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