As Afghan Opium Blight Spreads, Farmers' Lives Wilt
19 May 2010
As Afghan Opium Blight Spreads, Farmers' Lives Wilt, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 19 May 2010
EXCERPT: "Aziz Ahmad is a deeply worried man. With two wives and seven children at home, the 30-year-old farmer depends entirely on his opium-poppy crop to make a living. This year, it's proving to be an increasingly difficult task. First, falling water tables stunted his crop. Then a mysterious blight emerged to destroy most...
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British Afghan Mission to Come Under US Control
19 May 2010
, The Independent, 19 May 2010
EXCERPT: "British troops in Helmand province will move under American control as part of a radical restructuring plan being drawn up in preparation for what is being described as a defining time in the war against the Taliban. The Independent has learnt that command in southern Afghanistan will be split in half, with the UK troops answering to a US general. The...
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German Peace Institutes Criticize NATO Afghan Strategy
19 May 2010
German Peace Institutes Criticize NATO Afghanistan Strategy, Deutsche Welle, 19 May 2010
EXCERPT: "In a 2010 report published in Berlin on Tuesday, Germany's five top think tanks have criticized NATO's new approach to the war in Afghanistan. NATO's recently adopted tactic of launching large-scale counter-insurgency operations in an attempt to create security for the civilian population won't succeed, said Margret Johannsen...
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Taliban Attack American Base Outside Kabul
19 May 2010
, The New York Times, 19 May 2010
EXCERPT: "Taliban insurgents launched a brazen assault on the American base at Bagram on Wednesday morning, sparking a large and confusing gun battle that left at least five American soldiers wounded and seven guerrillas dead. Taliban leaders claimed that seven suicide bombers had blown themselves up at the gates of the base, clearing the way for more than 20 other...
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