Afghanistan war

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CIA Drones Batter Pakistan Militants

'Fast and furious' drone campaign hits Qaeda, Taliban hard

(Newser) - Stepped-up CIA drone attacks in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan have hit al-Qaeda and the Taliban hard in recent months, forcing many militants to retreat to mountain tunnels and placing the Haqqani leaders under increasing pressure. Bombardment of the militant stronghold has become "fast and furious" this year,...

Petraeus for President: UK Journo

Disaffected voters look to military for credibility, inspiration: Toby Harnden

(Newser) - The American political parties are in shambles, and in the credibility gap that plagues voters and candidates alike, a dark horse is emerging: David Petraeus. The head of Central Command evokes Dwight Eisenhower, because not since Ike's heyday "have the chances of a military man winning the White House...

How We're Failing MLK
 How We're Failing MLK 
opinion

How We're Failing MLK

We've let him down on poverty and war

(Newser) - Forty-two years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the nation has let him down on two important fronts:
  • Poverty: "All these decades later, little has changed when it comes to economic equality," write Bill Moyers and Michael Winship in Salon . "If anything, the recent economic
...

Karzai Becoming a Paranoid, Unreliable Ally

Insiders say Afghan president thinks US wants to stay indefinitely

(Newser) - Tensions are mounting between the US and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who appears to be becoming an increasingly unreliable ally. “Karzai was enraged,” an insider tells the New York Times of Obama's decision to rescind a White House invitation to Karzai over his decision to...

Obama Rallies US Forces in Afghanistan

On surprise visit, president speaks to cheering crowd

(Newser) - Wrapping up his 6-hour surprise visit to Afghanistan with a speech before a crowd of service members, President Obama said today, "There's no visit that I considered more important than this visit that I'm making right now." After spending the early part of his overnight trip pressing Hamid...

Obama Leans on Karzai to Beef Up Cooperation

Surprise visit to Afghanistan spotlights emphasis on civilian cooperation

(Newser) - President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan today is in large part intended to impress upon the Afghan government the necessity of fighting crime and corruption in preparation to govern without American intervention. After meeting with Hamid Karzai, Obama said he was happy with the military accomplishments in the country, "...

U2 Spy Plane Soars Again in Afghanistan
 U2 Spy Plane Soars 
 Again in Afghanistan 
PULLED FROM SCRAP HEAP

U2 Spy Plane Soars Again in Afghanistan

With technology old and new, plane provides valuable intel

(Newser) - A relic of the Cold War era is nothing of the kind, as the US military increasingly uses its aging fleet of high altitude U2 spy planes to conduct real-time surveillance in Afghanistan. Retrofitted with modern electronics, the U2 and its pilot can monitor the battlefield, provide crucial communications to...

Afghanistan Cops Still Bumbling and Corrupt
 Afghanistan Cops Still 
 Bumbling and Corrupt 
$6 Billion and counting

Afghanistan Cops Still Bumbling and Corrupt

America's big investment isn't paying off: ProPublica

(Newser) - America's $6 billion investment to build an Afghan police force is summed up as a "disaster" in a joint report by ProPublica and Newsweek . Not only do Afghan cops remain the gang that couldn't shoot straight—literally—they're prone to selling guns and ammo to the Taliban to make...

Guess Which War Has the Best Movies

 Guess Which War 
 Has the Best 
 Movies 
HINT: it's not WWII

Guess Which War Has the Best Movies

A look at Rotten Tomatoes gives the crown to the Civil War

(Newser) - The new Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks series The Pacific got the folks at New York magazine's the Vulture blog wondering which war has produced the best movies. They looked up every one they could think of at Rotten Tomatoes, then averaged the scores. The winner: the Civil War. Here are the...

Patrick Kennedy Loses It on House Floor
 Patrick Kennedy 
 Loses It on House Floor 
afghanistan coverage 'despicable'

Patrick Kennedy Loses It on House Floor

Rhode Island Congressman blasts media for Afghanistan Coverage

(Newser) - Patrick Kennedy blasted the media on the floor of the House this afternoon, calling the focus on the likes of Eric Massa rather than the war in Afghanistan "despicable." The lame-duck Rhode Island Democrat was speaking—and eventually shouting—in favor of a Dennis Kucinich-sponsored resolution requiring President...

Pilot Shot in Head Still Lands With Afghan Injured

Hangs onto controls with blood in his eyes

(Newser) - A British pilot shot in the head managed to land his aging helicopter full of Afghanistan war wounded in a safe zone. Lt. Ian Fortune, 28, has ferrying wounded on a Chinook chopper last month when it suddenly "shuddered," said reporter Mike Brewer, who was on board doing...

Next Target Taliban Stronghold of Kandahar
Next Target Taliban Stronghold of Kandahar
Gen. McChrystal

Next Target Taliban Stronghold of Kandahar

Meanwhile, Gates arrives in Afghanistan

(Newser) - Preparations have begun for a crucial campaign to assert Afghan government control over Kandahar, spiritual home of the Taliban, Gen. Stanley McChrystal said today. The NATO-led force is growing in districts around Kandahar that are under the Taliban thumb, ahead of an eventual military operation, McChrsytal said, though he added...

Afghans, Allies Split Over Taliban Talks

Karzai's invitation creates confusion

(Newser) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has invited the Taliban to join peace talks this spring, but widespread confusion remains over who'll be doing the talking and what will be on the table. The British—and some senior American commanders—appear keener than the Obama administration to begin substantive talks, the Washington ...

Afghanistan Bans Live Coverage of Militant Attacks

Country says coverage 'emboldens' militants

(Newser) - Afghanistan has banned live coverage of Taliban attacks, saying live images embolden militants at the government's expense. Journalists with permission from the country's spy agency will be allowed to film the aftermath of battle. Human rights groups denounced the move. "The government should not hide their inabilities by barring...

Suicide Bombers Kill 17 in Downtown Kabul

Taliban claims responsibility for attack targeting Indians

(Newser) - At least 17 people were killed when gunmen and five suicide bombers struck in the heart of Kabul today. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted a major shopping center and two guesthouses used mainly by Indian embassy employees and other foreigners working in the Afghan capital....

Afghan Flag Raised in Marjah
 Afghan Flag Raised in Marjah 

Afghan Flag Raised in Marjah

Government aims to win residents' allegiance with jobs, projects

(Newser) - The Afghan flag was raised today in Marjah after a two-week offensive that left at least 10 coalition troops and 150 Taliban fighters dead and set the stage for the Afghan government’s hopeful return to an area it ceded two years ago. The governor of Helmand province was at...

NATO Admits Killing 10 Afghan Kids in Botched Raid

Anger over civilian deaths grows

(Newser) - When a NATO raid killed 10 children and teenagers at a remote mountain compound in Afghanistan last December, troops claimed to be targeting a “known insurgent group responsible for a series of violent attacks.” But after a lengthy investigation by the Times of London, NATO now admits that...

Bomb-Sniffing Dog Given UK's Highest Military Honor

Treo awarded Dickin Medal for twice locating IEDs in Afghanistan

(Newser) - A British military bomb-sniffing dog joined venerable company today when he was awarded the highest honor a war animal can receive for twice detecting IEDs in Afghanistan. The Dickin Medal was established in 1943 by the founder of an animal health organization. Treo’s handler tells the BBC that the...

Afghan War Killing More and More Iraq Veterans
Afghan War Killing More
and More Iraq Veterans
US death toll nears 1K

Afghan War Killing More and More Iraq Veterans

Death toll stands at 996

(Newser) - The American death toll from the war in Afghanistan is nearing 1,000, according to the Pentagon's official death toll and already over it according to unofficial counts. The number of military personnel killed in Operation Enduring Freedom, which stood at 996 as of yesterday, includes a rising number of...

Marines Squeeze Taliban Holdouts in Marjah

(Newser) - Marines and Afghan units converged today on a dangerous western quarter of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, with NATO forces facing "determined resistance" as their assault on the southern town entered its second week. Fighter jets, drones, and attack helicopters flew over Marjah, as Marine and Afghan companies moved...

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