Afghanistan

Mullen: 16,000 troops have orders to Afghan war
AP – Thu Dec 10, 3:28 pm ET

AP

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon's top military officer says 16,000 troops have received their orders for Afghanistan since President Barack Obama announced his new war strategy. Full Story »
Gates, Clinton to testify on cost of Afghan surge
Reuters – Thu Dec 10, 2:14 pm ET

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates will face questioning next week from lawmakers who control government spending about the cost of the Obama administration's surge of troops into Afghanistan, congressional aides said on Thursday. Full Story »
Obama: Afghanistan troop drawdown won't be steep
AP – Thu Dec 10, 12:23 pm ET

OSLO - President Barack Obama said Thursday that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, set to start in 19 months, will be gradual and U.S. aid to that nation will last for years. Full Story »
US lawmaker pushes withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan
AFP – Thu Dec 10, 10:18 am ET

AFP/Getty Images/File

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US lawmaker sharply opposed to the war in Afghanistan plans to offer twin resolutions come January aiming to force President Barack Obama to bring home any US forces there and in Pakistan. Full Story »
Obama 'unambiguous' on 2011 Afghan drawdown
AFP – Thu Dec 10, 6:09 am ET

AFP

OSLO (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said on Thursday he was "unambiguous" about his July 2011 date for the start of a US drawdown in Afghanistan, adding there should be no debate about his decision. Full Story »
SKorea vows to go ahead with Afghan troop dispatch
AP – Thu Dec 10, 6:07 am ET

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea vowed Thursday to press ahead with plans to send troops back to Afghanistan despite a Taliban threat of retaliation. Full Story »
Taliban warns SKorea after 'breaking promise'
AFP – Thu Dec 10, 3:04 am ET

AFP/File

KABUL (AFP) - The Taliban on Thursday accused South Korea of breaking a promise not to send troops to Afghanistan after it released 19 Korean hostages two years ago, warning its forces to face the consequences. Full Story »
Gates: US to be Afghan partner for long time
AP – Thu Dec 10, 2:38 am ET

AFP/ISAF/HO

KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday told about a dozen of Afghanistan's senior military officials that the U.S. will be their partner for a long time despite plans to begin pulling troops out in 2011. Full Story »
Afghanistan no worse than Iraq in 2007: US general
AFP – Thu Dec 10, 1:31 am ET

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US general who masterminded a troop surge in Iraq said that Afghanistan was "no more hopeless" than Iraq before the 2007 campaign there. Full Story »
Petraeus reveals boost in US counterterror effort
AP – Wed Dec 9, 9:34 pm ET

AP

WASHINGTON - The rapid U.S. build up in the Afghan war will include more terrorist-hunting forces to chase down militants deemed too extreme to change sides, a top U.S. general revealed on Wednesday. Full Story »
Petraeus sees short-term rise in Afghan violence
Reuters – Wed Dec 9, 8:14 pm ET

Reuters

WASHINGTON/KABUL (Reuters) - Violence in Afghanistan and turmoil within the Karzai government are likely to rise in the short term, General David Petraeus said on Wednesday, calling on U.S. lawmakers to reserve judgment on President Barack Obama's new war strategy for a full year. Full Story »
Pakistani military has 'degraded' Taliban groups: US general
AFP – Wed Dec 9, 3:36 pm ET

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Pakistan's military operations have "significantly degraded" Taliban militants but Islamabad has yet to go after the Taliban's Afghan leadership, a top US general said on Wednesday. Full Story »
Gates warned over Afghan army problems
AFP – Wed Dec 9, 3:13 pm ET

AFP/Pool

KABUL (AFP) - NATO commanders on Wednesday warned US Defence Secretary Robert Gates of the challenges involved in recruiting Afghan soldiers and police, which the US military hopes will number 287,000 by July 2011. Full Story »
NATO sees pick-up in Afghan combat, warns on deaths
Reuters – Wed Dec 9, 1:26 pm ET

AFP/File

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will step up fighting in Afghanistan next year as 37,000 more troops join the conflict, and is aware that increased civilian casualties may be the result, a military spokesman said on Wednesday. The United States is sending 30,000 more troops to the war, and NATO allies this week promised a further 6,800 from 36 countries, lifting the total foreign force in Afghanistan to about 140,000 once all are on the ground next year. Full Story »
Pay hike fosters uptick in Afghan army recruits
AP – Wed Dec 9, 12:33 pm ET

KABUL - U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are reporting a sudden surge in Afghan army recruits this month, a much-needed boost after Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his security forces may not be able to take over from U.S. troops for up to five more years. Full Story »
US Afghan allies pledge 6,800 new troops this week
AFP – Wed Dec 9, 11:54 am ET

AFP/File

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Thirty-six US allies pledged some 6,800 troops this week to help implement a new strategy to break the momentum of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked fighters in Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman said Wednesday. Full Story »
Lawmakers slam office overseeing Afghan rebuilding
AP – Wed Dec 9, 11:44 am ET

AP

WASHINGTON - The U.S. office overseeing Afghanistan's rebuilding has failed to hire enough staff and issued too few audits and investigative reports, three senators are telling President Barack Obama. Full Story »
Petraeus says progress will be slow in Afghanistan
AP – Wed Dec 9, 10:57 am ET

AP

WASHINGTON - A top-ranking American warned Congress Wednesday that the military situation in Afghanistan likely will "get harder before it gets easier." Full Story »