Afghanistan war

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Party Leaders in House Reach Deal on War Funds

Bipartisan agreement allocates $163B for Iraq, Afghanistan through early 2009

(Newser) - A two-year fight between the White House and Democrats over war funding has been resolved, the New York Times reports. House leaders reached a deal to allocate $163 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through early next year. The measure, expected to be approved by the full House...

Afghans Launch Assault on Taliban

Kandahar is next militant target

(Newser) - Afghan and NATO troops launched a huge offensive against the Taliban today, Reuters reports, starting with an air and ground assault on a valley in southern Afghanistan. Bolstered with hundreds of fighters freed in last week’s prison break, the Taliban has taken several villages in Arghandab, and has its...

Robot Drones Have 'Changed War' in Iraq, Afghanistan

Unmanned vehicles help troops target trouble spots, keep casualties down

(Newser) - At the outset of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were little more than nifty, if sometimes helpful toys. They’ve since cemented a key role in US operations, Newsweek reports. Now hundreds of drones, some as small as model airplanes, keep an unblinking eye on militant...

US 'Learning as We Go' in Iraq, Says Bush

President compares war on terrorism to war on fascism and communism

(Newser) - President Bush said today the US is "learning as we go" in trying to bring democracy to Iraq and urged Americans not to lose faith. Delivering the commencement address at the Air Force Academy, Bush likened today's campaign against Islamic extremism to the fight against fascism of last century,...

Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year

(Newser) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army.

General on Funeral Duty: 'Grief Is the Crushing Load'

Officer reflects on sacrifice, survivors

(Newser) - At every funeral for a soldier killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, an Army officer attends, to represent the service and oversee the military rituals involved. Maj. Gen. William Troy has drawn funeral duty 23 times, and for Memorial Day, he writes in the Washington Post about an always-wrenching experience: "...

House Rejects $162.5B Bill to Fund Wars

Republicans abstain in protest, leading to surprise defeat

(Newser) - The House today shot down a $162.5 billion bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year after a surprise tactic by angry Republicans, the Washington Post reports. The bill failed by a vote of 148-141 after 132 members of the GOP abstained. By doing so,...

Bush Sacrificed Golf to 'Honor War Dead'

Says he did it for moms who lost their sons

(Newser) - President Bush gave up playing golf five years ago because he felt it was inappropriate to play while families mourned loved ones killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, he revealed in an interview with Politico. Bush was lampooned for playing golf while discussing terrorism in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911.

Taliban Bombs Afghan Opium Task Force, Killing 18

41 wounded in attack as authorities target skyrocketing drug production

(Newser) - A suicide bomber struck a meeting today of an Afghan poppy-eradication team, CNN reports, killing at least 18, including 11 police officers and seven civilians. Another 41 were injured in the attack in the eastern Nangarhar province; authorities said the incident was further proof of the rebel Taliban's involvement with...

For Britain's Young Princes, a Role Reversal

Harry's Afghan tour, Wills' chopper antics flop public perception

(Newser) - It seems like only yesterday that William was Britain's standup prince, brother Harry the misled stoner in an SS uniform. But after revelations that William landed his RAF helicopter on his girlfriend’s lawn, and that the younger Harry served actual combat in Afghanistan, the tables have turned, the AP...

Mental Disorders Huge Issue for US Troops

300K have depression or stress from combat, and half don't seek help

(Newser) - 300,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have either post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, and another 320,000 suffered brain injuries, the AP reports. RAND Corporation, in the first private evaluation of mental injury from the conflicts, found 18.5% of combat troops suffered from major depression...

Ahmadinejad Calls 9/11 'Suspicious Event'

Says attack was pretext to invade Middle East

(Newser) - The September 11 attacks were a simple pretext to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today, expressing doubt as to the cause and death toll of the attacks. “Four or five years ago, a suspicious event occurred in New York,” he said. “A building collapsed and...

Osama Bin Laden 'Alive &amp; Well'
 Osama Bin Laden 'Alive & Well' 

Osama Bin Laden 'Alive & Well'

Deputy touts his health on internet

(Newser) - Seven years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is alive and well, according to his deputy. "Sheik Osama bin Laden is in good health. The ill-intentioned always try to circulate false reports about him being sick," said Ayman al-Zawahiri in a 104-minute recording posted on the internet. The comments...

Military Death Payments Trouble Families

$500,000 windfalls for next of kin can cause confusion, discord

(Newser) - The military pays $500,000 to the next of kin of every soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, but the sudden injection of cash during a time of grief often throws survivors off balance. Young military spouses can struggle with money management and long-lost friends and relatives sometimes appear asking...

Va. Senator Not the Firebrand Many Expected

Mr. Webb goes to Washington and plays nice

(Newser) - Virginia Sen. James Webb hasn’t played the part of hot-tempered agitator many expected in his freshman term, the Washington Post reports. Making friends and taking legislative strides, Webb “has vaulted to a position of influence,” said one colleague. But "the job of getting out and speaking...

Stories 1081 - 1095 | << Prev