21 May 2010

Suicide Attack Hits Afghan Police in Paktika, BBC News, 21 May 2010

EXCERPT: "A group of suicide bombers launched an attack on a police base in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika, officials say. At least one policemen and four militants were killed during the raid and the gun battle that ensued in Paktika's Urgun district. It is the latest in a series of attacks on security targets across the country. On Wednesday suspected...

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21 May 2010

US Military Tones Down Rhetoric On Kandahar, NPR, 20 May 2010

EXCERPT: "When President Obama announced a new strategy for Afghanistan, he said an additional 30,000 U.S. troops would be deployed, in part, to take on Taliban militants on their home turf in the southern province of Kandahar. Until a few weeks ago, U.S. and NATO military officials were describing the upcoming operation in Kandahar as a major offensive ? the cornerstone of...

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21 May 2010

Afghan Challenger Abdullah Abdullah to Form Opposition, The Australian, 21 May 2010

EXCERPT: "The man who challenged Afghan President Hamid Karzai in last year's elections and claims the result was 'stolen'" has signalled a further bid for the country's leadership. Abdullah Abdullah, formerly foreign minister in Mr Karzai's government, said yesterday he had started work to form a national political alliance that would be the foundation...

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21 May 2010

Study Finds German Afghanistan Mission Suffering Budget Blowout, Deutsche Welle, 21 May 2010

EXCERPT: "A new study has found that Germany's troop deployment in Afghanistan is costing the country more than three times the yearly mission budget. Maintaining a military presence in Afghanistan is costing Germany roughly three times as much as forecast under the country's Defense Ministry budget, according to a study by the German Institute for...

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