UN Urges Steps to Prevent Child Deaths in Conflict
24 February 2010
UN Urges Steps to Prevent Child Deaths in Conflict, UN News Centre, 24 February 2010
EXCERPT: "A senior United Nations human rights official today called on international troops fighting militants in Afghanistan to follow directives designed to guard against civilian deaths, drawing particular attention to the plight of children caught up in the conflict. Last year, some 346 children were killed by warring factions in Afghanistan, the...
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Blackwater Workers Took Afghan Police Assault Rifles
24 February 2010
Blackwater Workers Took Police Assault Rifles, Hearing Told, The Guardian, 24 February 2010
EXCERPT: "Employees of American defence contractor Blackwater took more than 500 assault rifles that were intended for the Afghan police force and routinely carried weapons without permission, it emerged in a hearing of the Senate armed services committee today. It also emerged that to shed its sullied reputation and win contracting business...
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NATO Falls Short in Push for New Trainers
24 February 2010
NATO Falls Short in Push for New Trainers, Reuters, 24 February 2010
EXCERPT: "A NATO spokesman said a force generation conference on Tuesday involving the 28 NATO countries and partners in the 44-nation NATO-led mission in Afghanistan had brought offers of 600 more trainers, on top of 1,000 already committed this year. The contributions took NATO 'about halfway to the total increase in trainers we will need by the end of 2010,' spokesman...
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Karzai Takes Over Election Agency
24 February 2010
Karzai Takes Over Election Agency, The Wall Street Journal, 23 February 2010
EXCERPT: "President Hamid Karzai took control of Afghanistan's independent election-watchdog agency, a move that drew scorn from opposition politicians and appeared to consolidate his hold on power ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for later this year. The watchdog, the Election Complaints Commission, decided to throw out nearly a million fraudulent ballots...
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