Saturday, December 04, 2010

DTN News: Afghanistan Top Stories / Headlines News Dated December 4, 2010

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The New York Times
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 4, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to Afghanistan for the world of TODAY.
*Comprehensive daily news related to Afghanistan Top Stories / Headlines News for the world of TODAY
The New York Times

THE LATEST:

Confidential diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and released in December 2010 offered a fresh sense of the pervasive nature, overwhelming scale, and dispiriting challenge that corruption, fueled by a booming illicit narcotics industry, poses to American officials who have made shoring up support for the Afghan government a cornerstone of America’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan.

Following months of secret talks between Afghan and Taliban leaders to end the war, a participant believed to be Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, one of the most senior commanders in the Taliban movement, was unmasked as an impostor in November. The high-level discussions conducted with the assistance of NATOappeared to have achieved little.

The Obama administration is increasingly emphasizing the idea that the United States will have forces in Afghanistan until at least the end of 2014, a change in tone aimed at persuading the Afghans and the Taliban that there will be no significant American troop withdrawals in the summer of 2011. The message shift is effectively a victory for the military, which has long said the July 2011 deadline undermined its mission by making Afghans reluctant to work with troops perceived to be leaving shortly.

In October 2010, new details emerged about talks between that Afghan government and the Taliban that could possibly lead to a settlement of the nine-year conflict. The talks involve extensive, face-to-face discussions with Taliban commanders from the highest levels of the group’s leadership, who have secretly leaving their sanctuaries in Pakistan with the help of NATO troops. Part of the overall American strategy is to wear down the Taliban with ground offensives, in the hope that they will become more receptive to a deal.

OVERVIEW

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country north and west of Pakistan and east of Iran. Its strategic location has long granted it a pivotal role in the region, while its terrain and population have stymied would-be conquerors for centuries. The country's population is 34 million. Its capital is Kabul.

The United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda. The group had been given safe haven in the country by theTaliban, the extremist Islamic group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war. The 2001 invasion succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power, but not in eradicating either group. Fueled by profits from the opium trade and dissatisfaction with the weak and often corrupt new Afghan government, the Taliban has made a steady comeback, particularly in the Pashtun regions of the south and east where the group originated.

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Articles

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Obama Makes Unannounced Visit to Afghanistan

President Obama made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday as he sought to smooth over a troubled relationship with President Hamid Karzai.

December 3, 2010
    How Rescue of Aid Worker in Afghanistan Failed

    An American soldier taking part in a rescue attempt for an aid worker being held in Afghanistan threw a hand grenade that killed her, officials said.

    December 2, 2010
      WikiLeaks Archive - Afghan Corruption Undercuts U.S.
      WikiLeaks Archive - Afghan Corruption Undercuts U.S.

      American officials trying to build support for the Afghan government are dispirited by its corruption.

      December 2, 2010
        WikiLeaks Archive - Hamid Karzai Baffles the West

        Reports show the trajectory of the Afghan president from a leader anointed by the West to an embattled one.

        December 2, 2010
          In Afghan Shootings Case, Soldier Agrees to Plea Deal

          An Army staff sergeant charged with shooting at unarmed Afghans has pleaded guilty in a deal that requires him to testify against other defendants.

          December 1, 2010
            Contrary to Hopes, Afghan Vote Disappoints
            Contrary to Hopes, Afghan Vote Disappoints

            The results of parliamentary elections in Afghanistan have ushered in uncertainty, deepened skepticism of the government and stirred volatile ethnic fault lines.

            December 1, 2010
              Afghan Who Killed 6 Americans Was Trusted Police Officer

              The Afghan officer who shot and killed six American soldiers Monday had been in the border police since 2008.

              November 30, 2010
                In Afghanistan, Quick Rescue Saved Wounded Photographer
                In Afghanistan, Quick Rescue Saved Wounded Photographer

                An account of how a photographer was wounded by a mine illustrates the risks that soldiers and journalists face on even the most careful patrols for explosives.

                November 29, 2010
                  U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

                  The Department of Defense has identified 1,390 American service members who have died as a part of the Afghan war and related operations.

                  November 29, 2010
                    Afghan Police Officer Kills Six Americans

                    It was at least the fifth time in 13 months that Afghan soldiers or police have turned their weapons on their NATO partners. Many of the previous cases appeared to be Taliban infiltration.

                    November 29, 2010
                      In Afghanistan, Hoping to Avoid Bombs and Win Minds
                      In Afghanistan, Hoping to Avoid Bombs and Win Minds

                      For American troops in a heavily mined village, avoiding improvised explosive devices is the most difficult task.

                      November 29, 2010
                        Britain Keeps Silent on Afghan Impostor Claim

                        Britain withheld a formal response to a reported Afghan accusation that the British introduced an impostor posing as a high Taliban leader to meet the Afghan president.

                        November 27, 2010
                        MORE ON AFGHANISTAN AND: ESPIONAGE, GREAT BRITAIN, TALIBAN
                          In Afghanistan, Bombers Dressed as Officers

                          Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the police headquarters of Paktika Province killing at least 10 policemen, according to a physician on duty and NATO officials.

                          November 27, 2010
                            The Man Who Would Be Taliban

                            It turns out that a key figure in the Afghan peace negotiations was really a shopkeeper. What does that say about talking to the Taliban?

                            November 26, 2010
                              Afghan Government of Karzai Arrests Election Officials

                              The actions intensified pressure from the government on election officials a day after the election commission released final results.

                              November 26, 2010
                              MORE ON AFGHANISTAN AND: BRIBERY AND KICKBACKS, ELECTIONS
                                The Taliban Impostor, and Our Mission in Afghanistan

                                A response to an article about a fake Taliban leader who was a key figure in the talks with American and Afghan officials.

                                November 25, 2010
                                  Karzai Government Challenges Election Results
                                  Karzai Government Challenges Election Results

                                  President Hamid Karzai’s government vowed to challenge parliamentary results endorsed by international officials.

                                  November 25, 2010
                                    Afghanistan Threatens to Indict Election Officials
                                    Afghanistan Threatens to Indict Election Officials

                                    The threat against two officials with the elections commissions, whose work has won international praise, came as final results were about to be announced in September’s parliamentary voting.

                                    November 24, 2010
                                      The Great Game Imposter
                                      The Great Game Imposter

                                      The Great Game is now about conning the Americans who have come to help.

                                      November 24, 2010
                                        Pentagon Report Cites Gains in Afghanistan

                                        The report’s cautious findings of progress, especially in southern areas where the American and NATO presence is strongest, are balanced against those of a strong, expanding insurgency.

                                        November 24, 2010
                                          NATO Official Calls Kabul’s Children Safer Than New York’s
                                          NATO Official Calls Kabul’s Children Safer Than New York’s

                                          The senior civilian representative of NATO in Afghanistan provoked critics after saying that Kabul is safer for children than major Western cities.

                                          November 23, 2010
                                            Taliban Leader in Peace Talks Was an Impostor

                                            A man purporting to be a key figure in the talks was faking, American and Afghan officials say.

                                            November 23, 2010
                                              Afghan Voting Fraud Caught on Tape
                                              Afghan Voting Fraud Caught on Tape

                                              An audiotape of conversations between an election worker and a cabinet member is under investigation, as officials disqualified 21 more parliamentary candidates for fraud.

                                              November 22, 2010
                                                iCasualties.org Keeps Tally in Iraq and Afghanistan
                                                iCasualties.org Keeps Tally in Iraq and Afghanistan

                                                The Web site iCasualties.org has had a decline in traffic and donations as public interest in the wars has waned.

                                                November 22, 2010
                                                  Sending Tanks to Afghanistan, Part I

                                                  A lot of the old mujaheddin leaders who fought against the Soviets were dubious about sending American tanks to Afghanistan.

                                                  November 22, 2010

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                                                    At War

                                                    Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era.

                                                    The Engines of Every Mission
                                                    December 3, 2010 4:34pm
                                                    Veterans' Group Backs Repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
                                                    December 3, 2010 1:18pm

                                                    Follow the latest Afghanistan updates on The Times’s news blog.

                                                    U.S. Rescuers May Have Killed British Captive in Afghanistan
                                                    October 11, 2010
                                                    New Video Game Changed to Prevent Players Taking on Role of Taliban Militants
                                                    October 1, 2010 6:04pm

                                                    More posts about Afghanistan »

                                                    Multimedia

                                                    On the Set of “Eagle Four”

                                                    “Eagle Four” is a popular new police show on Afghanistan’s Tolo TV.

                                                    On Patrol in Kandahar

                                                    Soldiers patrolled Arghandab District of Kandahar Province, one of the most heavily mined areas of southern Afghanistan.

                                                    Destroying to Save Lives

                                                    NATO forces in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, have been blasting their way through homes and other structures booby-trapped by the retreating Taliban, in the wake of a troop surge by the American-led troops.

                                                    Burning Desperation

                                                    Self-immolation has become a common form of suicide for Afghan women. Photographer Lynsey Addario speaks with women who survived their suicide attempts.

                                                    Suicide in Herat

                                                    Even the poorest families in Afghanistan have matches and cooking fuel. The combination usually nourishes. But it also can be the makings of a combustible escape: from poverty, from forced marriages, from the abuse and despondency that can be the fate of Afghan women.

                                                    More Multimedia »

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