Judge the difference for yourself Nov 21, 2009
"As for the whole generalization about "defeating enemies," I think FDR and Truman were pretty liberal and they did a good job defeating the Axis powers in World War II. Meanwhile, George W. Bush failed to accomplish the mission in Afghanistan, leaving -- in the wake of his administration -- a stretched-to-the-max military with no clearly defined goal for victory in either Iraq or Afghanistan. " ... Bill Arthur wrote on Nov 20, 2009 1:31 PM:" The point of this piece was point out that I stand... (Cameron Observer, MO)
Afghans want Obama to pressure Karzai Nov 21, 2009
On Afghanistan's independence day in August, my friends in Kandahar were puzzled ... On Afghanistan's independence day in August, my friends in Kandahar were puzzled ... When my American friends and professors ask me if I think the United States should send additional troops to Afghanistan, I tell them yes, but only if the resources are distributed on the condition that the Afghan government cleans up its act. (Juneau Empire)
Time for Karzai to make good on his promises Nov 21, 2009
KABUL: In dwelling on the need to combat corruption, to talk to the Taliban and to transfer control of policing Afghanistan from foreign troops to the country's own security institutions, Hamid Karzai did enough to appease the US and its allies, who regarded his inauguration speech as a key test of the newly reappointed President. US officials say Karzai has been given six months to clean up his government. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Sunday on 'MTP' Nov 21, 2009
Plus, the politics of Afghanistan, Sarah Palin and President Obama's agenda going forward ... Plus, pressure mounts to articulate the way forward in Afghanistan ... Enhanced video] As the nation continues to struggle at home and abroad, the former president shares his thoughts on the major challenges posed by the economy, health care, Afghanistan and more. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Get more: Politics Nov 21, 2009
The president may be close to deciding on a new strategy for the Afghanistan War. Tags. (KGO, CA)
Obama Seeks to Reset Ties with Karzai Nov 21, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a visit to Afghanistan earlier this week (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) ... Has corruption within Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai's government caused the Taliban to exist ... Afghanistan experts Kimberly Kagan and George Packer talk to Katie Couric about what they think President Obama's war strategy will be for Afghanistan. (CBS News -- US)
Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'Hannity' Nov 21, 2009
And to show that still spine and say, you know what, we're going to do all that we can to win in Afghanistan ... HANNITY: Still no decision on Afghanistan. (Fox News)
The Afghan Speech Obama Should Give Nov 21, 2009
Tom Engelhardt:: Unfortunately, It's Also The Afghanistan Speech He Won't Give ... A CBS News poll shows that only 38 percent of Americans support President Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan ... President Barack Obama meets with his national security team to discuss Afghanistan. (CBS News)
FEC carves loophole for candidate travel Nov 21, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009. By Eric Zimmermann - 11/20/09 01:09 PM ET. (TheHill.com)
Nuclear fallout rocks Pakistan Nov 20, 2009
On Tuesday evening, the Taliban chief in the Malakand Division of North-West Frontier Province, Mullah Fazlullah, showed up in Afghanistan and confirmed a report by Asia Times Online that Pakistani militants from Swat and Malakand - who retreated in the face of military operations earlier this year - were regrouping in the Afghan province of Nuristan. (See Asia Times Online, November 18, 2009. (Asia Times Online)
Being the underdog never deters a driven Brown Nov 20, 2009
A lieutenant colonel and lawyer in the judge advocate general corps, Brown has not been called up for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan but said he spent about 10 days in Paraguay in 2005 and a week in Kazakhstan in 2007 for a disaster and counterterrorism exercise. He is not shy about talking about his abilities and achievements. (Boston Globe)
Romney: Obama Mismanaging Afghan War Nov 20, 2009
President Obama has mismanaged the war in Afghanistan due to inexperience, says former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who ran for president in 2008 and likely will again in 2012 ... With his attention diverted by healthcare reform and the cap-and-trade proposal, Obama has taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan, Romney argues ... So it was that in the first 100 days after his appointment in June of Gen. Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Obama met with the... (Newsmax)
Army to Block Media at Palin Book Signing Nov 20, 2009
She said in an interview with ABC News that Obama should provide more troops to Afghanistan. "It frustrates me and frightens me - and many Americans - that President Obama is dithering around with the decision in Afghanistan," she said ... He also said that reports of such statements taking place on the grounds of "It frustrates me and frightens me - and many Americans - that President Obama is dithering around with the decision in Afghanistan," she said. (CBS News)
Analysis: U.S. works with and around Karzai Nov 20, 2009
Afghanistan in pictures ... Photographer Erin Trieb spends six weeks with the U.S. Army's busiest trauma center in Afghanistan ... Afghanistan's tumultuous history. (MSNBC -- International)
Afghan leader Karzai vows to fight corruption Nov 20, 2009
In a wide-ranging speech, Karzai promised action on a raft of problems that have caused consternation among his Western backers, weary of pouring military and financial aid into Afghanistan with little in return ... "We will call Afghanistan's traditional loya jirga and make every possible effort to ensure peace in our country," he said, calling on Taliban "not directly linked to international terrorism to return to their homeland" ... NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose alliance... (Yahoo! Asia News)
Karzai sets ambitious, reassuring goals in inaugural Nov 20, 2009
He also promised to prosecute people involved in Afghanistan s illicit narcotics industry, which helps fuel both corruption and the Taliban insurgency. Karzai said his administration would negotiate with our friends like the United States who doubt us, security-wise. (Boston Globe)
Is the EU President a good choice? Nov 20, 2009
British troops fighting for democracy in Afghanistan and we cannot even have a vote here. Travs Valar, London. (BBC News)
They were wrong about Medicare, too Nov 20, 2009
Here s a little clue for all of you: Iraq and Afghanistan are bankrupting us too ... The Afghanistan & Iraq wars have cost us about $900,000,000,000 during the last 8 & 7 yrs. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Afghanistan President Karzai inaugural: promises of clean cabinet Nov 20, 2009
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai takes the presidential oath as he is sworn in by Afghanistan's Chief Justice Abdul Salam Azimi during Karzai's inauguration at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday ... Afghanistan Presidsent Hamid Karzai promised to tackle corruption in his inaugural speech on Thursday ... New Delhi - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai promised to crack down on corruption after being sworn in for his second term on Thursday. (Christian Science Monitor)
Karzai makes big promises in inaugural Nov 20, 2009
The West, too, has become resentful, with questions increasingly raised back home why the roughly 103,000 U.S. and other NATO-led troops in Afghanistan are being asked to die for a corrupt and inefficient government. Such concerns are central to the debate inside the Obama administration, which is considering military proposals to send 10,000 to 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan next year ... There was none of the excitement and anticipation of his first inauguration in 2004, when hopes... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Letters to the editor: Nov. 19 edition Nov 20, 2009
Against sending more troops to Afghanistan. For diplomatic and economic containment of Iran until democratic forces there eventually win out. (Lincoln Journal, MA)
Editorial Roundup: Excerpts From Recent Editorials Nov 20, 2009
Two years ago, when Gordon Brown delivered his first foreign policy speech as Prime Minister at the Guildhall in London, he referred only fleetingly to what is now his most pressing preoccupation: the war in Afghanistan ... For many years now, it has been apparent that the most immediate threat to life and limb has been posed by Islamists linked to al-Qaeda, either operating out of Afghanistan and Pakistan or taking their orders from there ... It is also America's; and Mr. Brown seems confident... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
Karzai sworn in as Kabul braces for Taliban raids Nov 20, 2009
A UN official said that only ''a couple of hundred'' foreign employees remained in Afghanistan and yesterday they were in lockdown. Security experts and diplomats said they feared that attacks planned to derail the November 7 presidential run-off - which was abandoned when Dr Abdullah pulled out - could have been deferred to the inauguration ceremony. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Motorbike bomber kills 12 in Afghan town Nov 20, 2009
"I think I would rather have those on the ground in Afghanistan make the judgment call about when a province or a district was ready to be turned over, rather than specific dates," Gates told reporters on Thursday ... His Western backers, frustrated after pouring more than 100,000 troops and billions of US dollars of aid into Afghanistan with little in return, have demanded strong action from Karzai, whose reputation has been tarnished by his fraud-ridden re-election and rampant corruption and... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Clinton Sees Encouraging Karzai Signs as U.S. Plots Afghanistan War Plan Nov 20, 2009
As the most senior U.S. official to go to Afghanistan since the Aug. 20 election was marred by widespread fraud, Clinton used her trip to signal the Obama administrations desire for a fresh start in a partnership that had become contentious. decision on whether to boost U.S. military forces in Afghanistan beyond 68,000 troops has been complicated by worries that Karzai is too weak to sweep away graft and support an expanded effort to quell the insurgency in his country ... Clinton has said... (Bloomberg -- Asia)
* Karzai says he will tackle graft, take over local security Nov 20, 2009
Karzai also called for a loya jirga, a traditional grand assembly, which under Afghanistans Constitution can take precedence over all government institutions including the presidency itself ... Afghanistan wants to lead operations in non-secure areas in the next three years, Karzai said ... US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her first visit to Afghanistan as US secretary of state, said Washington would support the new government, but expected serious results in combating... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Afghan leader 'must show results' Nov 20, 2009
And Mr Abdullah - Mr Karzai's closest rival in the discredited August poll - said he was not optimistic that Mr Karzai could "meet the expectations of the Afghan people and the friends of Afghanistan" ... Are you in Afghanistan. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Analysis: Karzai's 'new season' Nov 20, 2009
BBC News - Karzai's promise of a 'new season' for Afghanistan ... Karzai's promise of a 'new season' for Afghanistan ... In many Western countries, there is growing disenchantment over the mission in Afghanistan. (BBC News -- South Asia)
What we want... Nov 20, 2009
BBC News - Karzai inauguration: Views from Afghanistan ... Karzai inauguration: Views from Afghanistan ... In his inauguration speech, he announced a conference to tackle corruption and a national gathering to help bring peace to Afghanistan. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Queen outlines UK election themes Nov 20, 2009
Internationally, the government pledged to work for security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and Pakistan and for peace in the Middle East. The British government will bring forward legislation to ban cluster munitions and "work towards creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, including addressing the challenges from Iran and North Korea.". (CNN -- World)
Karzai Vows to Improve Afghan Security, Battle Corruption in Second Term Nov 20, 2009
As President considers a request to send as many as 40,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan to root out a stubborn insurgency, the U.S. and NATO allies are pressing Karzai to crack down on graft and insecurity, and appoint officials on merit, not political alliances ... With continued international support, Karzai vowed Afghanistan will build the capacity of its own security forces, and within five years should take the lead in ensuring security and stability across the... (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Afghan president sworn in to second 5-year term Nov 20, 2009
KABUL (AP) -- Afghanistan will control its own security within five years and prosecute corrupt officials, President Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday in an inauguration speech made under intense pressure to shed the cronyism and graft that marked his government's first term ... "I would like to invite all the presidential candidates, including my brother Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, to come together to achieve the important task of national unity, and make our common home, Afghanistan, proud and... (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
Karzai under pressure Nov 20, 2009
His Western backers, frustrated after pouring more than 100000 troops and billions of dollars of aid into Afghanistan with little in return, have demanded strong action from Karzai, whose reputation has been tarnished by his fraud-ridden re-election and rampant corruption and mismanagement. "My feeling is that President Karzai is sincerely committed to implementing his pledges," said Ettore Sequi, the European Union's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan ... " The nature of his... (iAfrica.com)
Iraq struggles over election law dispute Nov 20, 2009
Still, U.S. military officials have said they will begin to draw down combat forces about 60 days after the election, and the possibility of a vote delay could compel commanders to reassess the plan just as Washington is pondering a buildup of forces in Afghanistan. Iraq's political and legal institutions buzzed with debate and some confusion on Thursday, a day after al-Hashemi's veto. (MSNBC -- International)
Obama returns home to gloomy problems Nov 20, 2009
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. We're going to keep on pushing as hard as we can to make that happen," he told Fox News. "It is a big complicated piece of business, and frankly, Congress is not accustomed, lately, to doing big complicated pieces of business like this. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Afghanistan's Karzai under pressure to deliver on promises Nov 20, 2009
The nature of his election win - with almost a million fake votes cast in his favour - highlighted astounding levels of graft in Afghanistan, now billed by Transparency International as the world's second most corrupt country ... Going some way towards healing the wounds that have festered in recent months, he said Kabul would host a conference "to open a new chapter in cooperation and assistance between Afghanistan and the international community" ... "...We're going to, along with the people... (Channelnewsasia.com)
The One Thing Nov 20, 2009
At the same time, he can't even make a decision on what to do for our troops in Afghanistan, even with a request from his general on the ground for more troops, sitting on his desk since August. What we're talking about is the end of our way of life. (Fox News)
Senate candidate walks across Connecticut Nov 20, 2009
Alpert walked Route 1 from Rhode Island to New York last week in an effort to tell Connecticut residents that we should get out of Afghanistan, and, not so incidentally, he, Merrick Alpert, would make a better Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate than Christopher Dodd ... Having been a peacekeeper in a Muslim nation, Bosnia, Alpert said "I can say from firsthand experience that what we're doing is not going to succeed." Alpert said Dodd has never served overseas in the U.S. military, but the... (Fairfield Minuteman, CT)
Senate Embarks on Health Care Battle Nov 20, 2009
The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces. Latest News. (CBS News)
REFILE-Q+A-What is Afghanistan's loya jirga; what does it do? Nov 20, 2009
Reuters AlertNet - REFILE-Q+A-What is Afghanistan's loya jirga; what does it do ... Q+A-What is Afghanistan's loya jirga; what does it do ... It traditionally involves ethnic Pashtun tribal elders -- Afghanistan's largest ethnic group. (AlertNet)
Karazi Pledges Changes In Second Term Nov 19, 2009
Afghanistan, KABUL November 19, 2009 ... Has corruption within Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai's government caused the Taliban to exist ... In Afghanistan, the Government of President Karzai is riddled with corruption. (CBS News)
Afghan minister accused of receiving huge bribe Nov 19, 2009
Afghanistan in pictures ... Photographer Erin Trieb spends six weeks with the U.S. Army's busiest trauma center in Afghanistan ... Afghanistan's tumultuous history. (MSNBC -- International)
Karzai back at helm, but hisimage is tarnished Nov 19, 2009
Karzai back at helm, but image is tarnished - Afghanistan- msnbc ... Murad Sezer / ReutersAfghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is described by one analyst as a man caught in the middle, trapped between the West demanding that he do A, B, and C and the warlords ... Afghanistan in pictures. (MSNBC -- International)
Troubled Afghan leader prepares for new term Nov 19, 2009
15: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses Afghanistan with NBCs David Gregory on Meet the Press ... Afghanistan in pictures ... Photographer Erin Trieb spends six weeks with the U.S. Army's busiest trauma center in Afghanistan. (MSNBC -- International)
Troubled Afghan president readies inaugural speech Nov 19, 2009
The Karzai government unveiled an anti-corruption and major crimes unit this week just as Afghanistan slipped three places to become the world's second most-corrupt country, according to an annual survey by Transparency International ... "We're not seeking to occupy Afghanistan for the undetermined future," she said ... "We don't want bases in Afghanistan. And I think that's an important message.". (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
LETTER: Obama dismantling free-market system Nov 19, 2009
Harry Potter wrote on Nov 11, 2009 8:29 AM:" Why would someone call over half of this country "UnAmerican"? We have no idea of what is going on behind the scenes involving the decisions of what to do with the Afghanistan mess, Leroy. Simply to paint is as timidity on the part of the president points to your ignorance. The strutting little cowboy is gone, and the American public voted for someone who does not bow to the whims of the Military Industrial Complex. Perhaps if Bush had allowed our... (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Dems Feel the Heat over Abortion Nov 19, 2009
The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces. MOST POPULAR. (CBS News)
Analysis: US Works With And Around Afghan Leader Nov 19, 2009
U.S. officials say they are already diverting some development money and decision-making power away from Kabul ministries, taking advantage of Afghanistan's historically decentralized power system to give local leaders more direct control over projects in their backyards. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Obama's announcement about a revamped Afghanistan strategy is still under wraps ... "The U.S. strategy cannot be dependent on Karzai," said Alex Thier, an Afghanistan... (CBS News)
Karzai inaugurated as Afghan leader Nov 19, 2009
Afghanistan's Karzai sworn in to 2nd term - CNN.com ... Afghanistan's Karzai sworn in to 2nd term ... Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Amid intense international pressure for reform, Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed to tackle corruption and drug-trafficking in a speech delivered at his inaugural ceremony Thursday. (CNN -- International)
Poll finds Obama’s support has shrunk below a majority Nov 19, 2009
But 52 percent of those surveyed disapproved of his handling of the economy and 49 percent disapproved of Obama s handling of the Afghanistan war. Increasingly, the president finds himself with two different coalitions, one that backs him on domestic matters and a completely different one that backs him on Afghanistan, Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement. (Boston Globe)
Clinton meets Karzai, demands reforms help Afghans Nov 19, 2009
WASHINGTON - President Obama sent his top diplomat to Afghanistan yesterday to press President Hamid Karzai to deliver measurable results on governance and corruption as the White House prepared specific new demands to accompany an American troop buildup ... I think that there s a very clear understanding, on the part of not only President Karzai but his government, that results of this election have to be seen and felt in the lives of the people of Afghanistan, she said today, sitting in a... (Boston Globe)
Afghanistan runs on well-oiled wheels Nov 19, 2009
KABUL - Every morning, dozens of trucks laden with diesel from Turkmenistan lumber out of the northern Afghan border town of Hairaton on a two-day trek across the Hindu Kush down to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul ... In the early 1980s, Fahim, the older brother, joined the mujahideen forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud in the struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan ... In 1992, three years after the Soviet army withdrew in defeat, Fahim was appointed head of intelligence in Afghanistan by... (Asia Times Online)
Karzai vows to tackle graft, handle security Nov 19, 2009
(For more on the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan click [ID:nAFPAK ... Karzai also called for a "loya jirga", a traditional grand assembly, which under Afghanistan's constitution can take precedence over all government institutions including the presidency itself ... "Afghanistan wants to lead operations in non-secure areas in the next three years," Karzai said. (AlertNet)
Key facts and figures on Afghanistan Nov 19, 2009
Reuters AlertNet - FACTBOX-Key facts and figures for Afghanistan ... FACTBOX-Key facts and figures for Afghanistan 19 Nov 2009 07:34:44 GMT Source: Reuters ... (For more on Afghanistan, click on [ID:nAFPAK]). (AlertNet)
Author: Obama Letting Liberals Run the Show Nov 19, 2009
Obamas Afghanistan policy may play an important role in the 2010 elections, especially if it turns out to appear like a quagmire, Merry said. A war that drags on and doesnt have a clear understandable purpose, as we know from the George W. Bush experience, can really sap the standing of a president. (Newsmax)
McCain Defends Advisers Against Palin Nov 19, 2009
McCain said he did not have the luxury of time to dwell on the campaign, citing the need to work on such issues as the weak economy in his home state of Arizona, healthcare legislation and the war in Afghanistan. 2009 Reuters. (Newsmax)
Afghan Capital Braces for Karzai Inauguration Nov 19, 2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton -- who arrived in Kabul on Wednesday to attend the inauguration -- has said the U.S. will not provide civilian aid to Afghanistan unless it can be sure the government can be accountable for the funds ... Traditionally rocky relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have improved steadily since Pakistan's elected government led by Zardari replaced the military dictatorship of Gen. Pervez Musharraf ... Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of... (Newsmax)
Clinton: U.S. Will Keep Pushing Afghan Gov't Reform Nov 19, 2009
Although he acknowledges his administration faces problems, he has stressed that graft is also pervasive in the international contracting process in Afghanistan and that foreign aid is being wasted before it ever gets to the Afghan people ... In remarks to employees at the heavily secured U.S. Embassy compound in the capital shortly after her arrival, Clinton lauded the U.S. military, then went to meet with the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who has... (Newsmax)
Jobs support for service families Nov 19, 2009
Ms Harman said: "The families of our service personnel have always held things together at home, and their task has become even more demanding with the forces fighting away in Afghanistan. The demands that service in the armed forces place on our people are unique Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth "Service wives must have the chance to get training, work and childcare. But, as I have seen first hand from my visits to military bases, that is hard if they have to move regularly and are located on a... (BBC News -- UK)
Quiz on headlines Nov 19, 2009
It's the "WAD A HERO", which is a story about the son of one of the 45m Lottery winners going to fight in Afghanistan. The second is from the Daily Mirror, the third from the Express. (BBC News -- UK)
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan Nov 19, 2009
Altogether, 98 UK service personnel have been killed in Afghanistan in 2009. A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said ... The total number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 235, with 98 deaths this year alone. (BBC News -- UK)
Poor kit 'did not kill soldier' Nov 19, 2009
An Army report into the death of a soldier in Afghanistan has said that kit shortages were not to blame. Captain James Philippson died in a firefight with the Taleban in 2006, and the coroner at his inquest criticised the "lack of basic equipment". (BBC News -- UK)
Labour denies expenses 'omission' Nov 19, 2009
But he added there had been little mention of issues likely to dominate the campaign such as future spending cuts and the war in Afghanistan. Should a general election be held on 6 May, on the same day as local elections, it is estimated that the Commons would have about 46 days available for legislating before Parliament is dissolved. (BBC News -- UK)
New base to equip Afghan vehicles Nov 19, 2009
The Warthog vehicles have been bought to improve the protection offered to UK troops serving in Afghanistan. More than 100 all-terrain armoured vehicles destined for use by soldiers in Afghanistan are to be equipped at a new base near Llanelli ... The vehicles are due to enter service in Afghanistan next year. (BBC News -- UK)
Cardboard hell Nov 19, 2009
I work in different countries now, such as Afghanistan and Bosnia, always taking one of my keyboards along. Sometimes the keyboard does die, sometimes I leave it behind because I don't have the space in my bag. (BBC News -- UK)
