Anatomy of an Afghan War Tragedy: Analysis
11 April 2011
"U.S. Predator teams and a special operations unit on the ground studying a suspicious convoy make a series of fateful missteps as they try to distinguish friend from foe. [...] By the U.S. count, 15 or 16 men were killed and 12 people were wounded, including a woman and three children. Elders from the Afghans' home villages said in interviews that 23 had been killed, including two boys, Daoud, 3, and Murtaza, 4. That evening, Army Gen. Stanley A....
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Police Suspect Former Taliban in Attack on UN Employees
11 April 2011
"While it is still too early to say who were the killers of the seven United Nations employees here last week, senior police officials say they suspect current or former Taliban members or other insurgents of leading the violence, aided by sympathizers and hard-line mullahs who whipped up a crowd of thousands angered by a Koran burning in the United States. Whether the killings were planned or not, the violence has proved to be a disturbing gauge...
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Turkey Plans Regional Conference on Afghanistan
11 April 2011
"Amidst the latest upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa, which has recently kept Ankara extremely busy, the Turkish capital hasn’t for a moment lost sight of Afghanistan and preparations are under way for hosting a huge regional conference on Afghanistan in the autumn. 'At such a critical time through which Afghanistan is going, having close contact with third countries and partners involved in assisting Afghanistan is very important,'...
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Training Can Be Dangerous: Report
11 April 2011
"Canada's plan to extend the Afghanistan mission by three years in a training support role carries high risks and a low chance of success, says a report released Monday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced last November that Canadian Forces would act in a safer non-combat training role until 2014. But the report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Rideau Institute says soldiers are likely to be killed or injured attempting...
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Obama's Counterterrorism Policy Shies Away from Detention, Interrogation
11 April 2011
"He's considered one of world's most dangerous terrorism suspects, and the U.S. offered a $1-million reward for his capture in 2005. Intelligence experts say he's a master bomb maker and extremist leader who possesses a wealth of information about Al Qaeda-linked groups in Southeast Asia. Yet the U.S. has made no move to interrogate or seek custody of Indonesian militant Umar Patek since he was apprehended this year by officials in Pakistan with...
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