Smoke And Mirrors In The Khyber Valley
30 June 2008
Syed Saleem Shahzad, '', Asia Times Online, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "After a 10-hour operation at the weekend, Pakistan said that paramilitary forces had reclaimed the strategic Khyber Agency from Taliban militants, at the same time implying to Washington that the country is serious about going after the Taliban. The Khyber Agency borders Afghanistan and is a vital transit point for North Atlantic Treaty...
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EU Actions In Afghanistan Seen As A Test Case
30 June 2008
'EU Actions In Afghanistan Seen As A Test Case', New Europe, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "International reconstruction work in Afghanistan must be much more closely harmonised among all institutions involved, said the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in a report it adopted. It called for a much larger political role for the EU in Afghanistan and stressed the need to maintain the distinction between military and civilian actions...
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Czechs Donate Three More Helicopters To Afghanistan
30 June 2008
'Czechs Donate Three More Helicopters To Afghanistan', Ceske Noviny, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The Czech military donated to Afghanistan in June three more surplus Mi-17 transport helicopters designed to help modernise the Afghan air force, the Defence Ministry said. Last November the Afghan army received the first three Mi-17s from the Czech military. In addition, the Czech Republic will donate to Afghanistan another six combat Mi-24...
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"British Troops Making Progress In Afghanistan"
30 June 2008
'British Troops Making Progress In Afghanistan, Says Douglas Alexander', The Telegraph, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "Speaking from Lashkar Gar during a visit to inspect development projects, Mr Alexander said he was 'extraordinarily proud' of British forces and what they have achieved. His comments come shortly after the 110th service person was killed in the wartorn country since the US-led invasion in 2001, the 13th in just 10 days. The...
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No Timeline For Withdrawal Of "Stressed" Troops
30 June 2008
'No Timeline For Withdrawal Of "Stressed" Troops', ABC News, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The Defence Minister says Australia's commitment to Afghanistan is taking a toll on personnel and equipment, however he still will not put a timeline on Australia's military role in the country. Joel Fitzgibbon welcomed home soldiers from the 5th Aviation regiment in Townsville yesterday [29 June 2008]. He also used the visit to outline Federal...
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Amid Policy Disputes, Qaeda Grows in Pakistan
30 June 2008
'', The New York Times, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "Late last year, top Bush administration officials decided to take a step they had long resisted. They drafted a secret plan to make it easer for the Pentagon's Special Operations forces to launch missions into the snow-capped mountains of Pakistan to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda. Intelligence reports for more than a year had been streaming...
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Report on Progress Toward Security And Stability In Afghanistan
30 June 2008
'', United States Department of Defense, June 2008
EXCERPT: "After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States and our international partners toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, ending years of brutal misrule and denying al Qaeda a safe haven...
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Bush Signs Iraq And Afghanistan War-Funding
30 June 2008
'', Agence France Presse, 30 June 2008
EXCERPT: "US President George W. Bush on Monday signed into law a 162-billion-dollar spending bill funding the Afghanistan and Iraq wars well into 2009 -- roughly six months into his successor's term. 'With this legislation, we send a clear message to all that are serving on the front line that our nation continues to support them,' he said after signing...
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UN Official: Afghan Civilian Deaths Up 60 Percent
30 June 2008
'', Yahoo! News / The Associated Press, 29 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The number of civilians killed in fighting between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan has soared by two-thirds in the first half of this year, to almost 700 people, a senior U.N. official said Sunday [29 June 2008]. The figures are a grim reminder of how the nearly seven-year war has failed to stabilize the country...
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