Afghanistan war

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It's Time to Negotiate With the Taliban: Brit Army Boss

We're winning battles, but not the war

(Newser) - It's time to negotiate with the Taliban, because NATO forces will not defeat them in battle in Afghanistan, the head of the British army said yesterday. General Sir David Richards said that while allied forces can continue to "punish" the Taliban in individual battles, overall victory is now looking...

'Permanent War' Threatens US Democracy
 'Permanent War' 
 Threatens US 
 Democracy 

OPINION: AFGHANISTAN

'Permanent War' Threatens US Democracy

Mounting Disrespect Should Trigger Alarms

(Newser) - An age-old truth is rearing its ugly head in the US Afghanistan command: long wars and democracy don't mix, Andrew Bacevich writes in the Washington Post . Finding itself in a state of endless war—that folks back home can and do ignore—the military has adopted a "culture of...

Troops Glad McChrystal's Gone: Rolling Stone Writer

Reporter 'very surprised' by 'unfireable' general's ouster

(Newser) - The journalist whose Rolling Stone exposé got Stanley McChrystal fired says troops in Afghanistan are thanking him. "Over here, soldiers were happy that he got fired," Michael Hastings, who's embedded in Afghanistan, tells the Huffington Post . "I've had a number of people come up to me, I...

Taliban: McChrystal Firing a Victory
 Taliban: McChrystal 
 Firing a Victory 
Interview

Taliban: McChrystal Firing a Victory

Terrorist group say sacking gives it more time

(Newser) - The Afghan Taliban likes to say, “Americans may own the watches. But we’ve got the time.” That’s why the terror group is thrilled to see Stanley McChrystal exit, commander Sirajuddin Haqqani tells the Daily Beast —it gives the Taliban even more time. American generals talk...

Forget About That 2011 Withdrawal Date

 Forget About 
 That 2011 
 Withdrawal 
 Date 
andrew sullivan

Forget About That 2011 Withdrawal Date

Petraeus won't let the US draw down, even though he should

(Newser) - With David Petraeus running the show in Afghanistan, you can forget about US troops beginning to withdraw as promised in July of next year, writes Andrew Sullivan. Obama's pledge is "now kaput," he writes at his Daily Dish blog at the Atlantic. "It won't happen. I doubt...

Lawmakers, Afghan Leaders Welcome Petraeus

McChrystal replacement likely to have 'fastest confirmation in history'

(Newser) - President Obama's choice of David Petraeus to replace Stanley McChrystal has met near-universal praise in Washington and Kabul. Democrats and Republicans alike say the general is guaranteed a swift Senate confirmation to take charge of the Afghanistan war, Politico reports. The general's confirmation "may be the fastest in the...

Smart Move, Mr. President
 Smart Move, Mr. President 
opinion roundup

Smart Move, Mr. President

Replacing McChrystal with Petraeus wins over critics

(Newser) - President Obama's decision to replace McChrystal with Petraeus is playing well among pundits on the left and right:
  • Victor Davis Hanson, National Review : "Obama had no choice but to do what he did, and the wise Petraeus move was obviously a mitigating factor. Obama’s speech, despite the customarily
...

Top Choices for McChrystal's Job

Mattis, Rodriguez, Allen head candidate pack

(Newser) - With Gen. Stanley McChrystal looking like a goner, attention has turned to the Afghanistan commander's possible replacements. Marine Gen. James Mattis and Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen appear to be frontrunners, though Thomas Ricks notes in Foreign Policy that Mattis, ironically, "has a reputation... for speaking a little too...

Report: McChrystal Offers to Resign
Report: McChrystal Offers
to Resign

Report: McChrystal Offers to Resign

But his White House fate is far from settled

(Newser) - Gen. Stanley McChrystal has offered to resign in the wake of his unfortunate interview with Rolling Stone, reports Time. (The magazine's Joe Klein initially told CNN that McChrystal had actually submitted his resignation, but Time clarified with this Tweet .) Either way, it doesn't mean much at this point, notes...

McChrystal's a Bonehead
 McChrystal's a Bonehead 
OPINION Roundup

McChrystal's a Bonehead

Pundits can't understand how the general let this happen

(Newser) - Stanley McChrystal’s Rolling Stone stunner has pundits baffled—no one can understand how he let this happen. Here’s what they’re saying:
  • Joe Klein of Time defends the “McChrystal I know” as “an extraordinary man” who, unfortunately, has no PR skills and is “incapable of
...

Karzai Doesn't Want McChrystal Fired
Karzai Doesn't Want McChrystal Fired

Karzai Doesn't Want McChrystal Fired

Afghan president says general 'is a person of great integrity'

(Newser) - Hamid Karzai believes Gen. Stanley McChrystal is the "best commander" of the war and hopes President Obama doesn't decide to replace him, a rep for the Afghan president said today. The leader of American forces in Aghanistan, under fire for his and his staff's indiscreet comments to a Rolling ...

McChrystal Trashes White House in R olling Stone
 McChrystal Trashes 
 White House in Rolling Stone 
apologizes for poor judgment

McChrystal Trashes White House in Rolling Stone

Top general and aides slam Biden, Holbrooke, Jones, Eikenberry—and Obama

(Newser) - America's top commander in Afghanistan has apologized for a Rolling Stone profile that depicts him as a "lone wolf" at odds with the Obama administration and his own troops. In the profile—which hits newsstands Friday—Gen. Stanley McChrystal says he felt "betrayed" by US ambassador to Afghanistan...

US 'Funding Taliban Protection Racket'

Congressional report slams corruption in Afghan supply chain

(Newser) - Tens of millions of dollars are flowing from the Pentagon to Afghan warlords and Taliban leaders because of military outsourcing in Afghanistan, congressional investigators said in a report yesterday. Investigators say contractors trucking supplies to the US military pay whoever they have to ensure safe passage for their convoys, pouring...

Villagers' Revolt Against Taliban Raises US Hopes
Villagers' Revolt Against Taliban Raises US Hopes
afghan war

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...

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...

Democrats Confront Pentagon on Afghan War

Violence is up, and so is lawmaker anxiety

(Newser) - 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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