Afghanistan
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Five countries where the GOP victory could make a difference
Foreign policy is typically the executive branch’s domain because that is the branch that decides who the US negotiates with and what gets offered in those negotiations. However, Tuesday’s Republican victory, particularly the GOP takeover of the House and leadership of some key committees, has the ability to affect the US's dialogue, and in some cases policy, on a few key US relationships with other countries.
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Global News Blog
Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan
France denies any connection between its decision to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2011 and Osama bin Laden's pledge to attack French troops.
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A changing of the guard for Afghanistan's warlords
Preliminary results from Afghanistan's parliamentary election indicate that warlords who built their reputations fighting the Soviets are being dumped for a younger generation.
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Terrorism & Security
NATO campaign having little impact on Taliban, say US intelligence agencies
The CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly say that insurgents are weathering NATO efforts by hiding in Pakistan.
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The 8 worst countries on Transparency International's list
Nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the annual Corruption Perceptions Index has a ranking below five, meaning that not just the following five countries have a corruption problem.
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Karzai's acknowledgement of bags of Iranian cash: Why now?
Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s admission that his office has taken 'bags of money' from Iran are part of an effort to undermine Tehran’s role in negotiations with the Taliban, argues a regional analyst.
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Why Karzai readily admits receiving bags of Iranian cash
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he accepts bags of cash from Iran. What do the Iranians want in return?
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What another $2 billion in US military aid means for Pakistan
Despite recent tensions between Islamabad and Washington, Pakistan is set to receive another $2 billion in US military assistance over the next five years.
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Want to know how the war in Afghanistan is going? Watch Kandahar.
Progress on firming up security in Afghanistan depends on how US and Afghan troops secure Kandahar province – the nucleus of Taliban resistance.
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Nearly a quarter of Afghanistan election votes disqualified
The Afghanistan election commission said it tossed out almost a quarter of the votes case in Septembers parliamentary election, a sign that fraud remains a major problem.
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What Pakistan wants: US aid
Flow of US aid and presence of its troops serve Pakistan's long-range aim of thwarting its archenemy, India.
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Are the Taliban really ready for peace talks in Afghanistan?
Despite the Afghan government’s declaration that the Taliban is ready for official peace talks, Taliban statements have indicated otherwise, underscoring the difficulty of dealing with a multifaceted insurgency.
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End of 'don't ask don't tell' would bring US military in line with NATO allies
A federal judge's ruling suspending DADT and allowing gays to openly serve brings the US military – at least temporarily – in line with all of the NATO militaries fighting alongside the US in Afghanistan.
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Terrorism & Security
Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai says he's talking to the Taliban
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai confirmed that he's talking to the Taliban, seeking a political settlement with the group that harbored Al Qaeda prior to and just after 9/11.
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Terrorism & Security
NATO says Pakistan border closure not affecting Afghanistan operations
Pakistan is keeping the Torkham border crossing, a key supply route for US forces in Afghanistan, closed in apparent retaliation for a NATO attack on a Pakistani border post.
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Taliban in secret talks with Afghan President Karzai
In a significant shift, Taliban representatives and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai have begun backroom high-level talks to aimed at negotiating the end of the war.
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Pakistan keeps Khyber Pass closed as US strikes drone on
Pakistan said it will keep the Khyber Pass - a crucial supply line for the US war effort in Afghanistan - closed because of security concerns, as a US drone strike pounded alleged militants inside Pakistan.
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NATO tankers torched in Pakistan, but alternative routes to Afghanistan limited
The incident encapsulates many of the challenges for NATO tankers and supply lines, including militant attacks, disastrous floods, and mercurial Pakistan-US relations.
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Was a Mumbai-style terror attack really 'foiled'?
Public evidence out so far of a Mumbai-style terror attack contains claims that a group of men was hoping to kill people in London, but had no operatives in place, no weapons, and little in the way of logistics.
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Afghanistan opium crop blight sends drug prices soaring
The Afghanistan opium harvest dropped 48 percent this year, the United Nations announced. But analysts say the resulting higher prices could draw more farmers into the business.
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NATO helicopter strike on Pakistan shows new strategy of 'hot pursuit'
NATO claims the helicopter strike was on the Afghanistan side of the border, but Pakistani officials say three Pakistani troops were killed in Kurram tribal agency.
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Terrorism & Security
Pakistan seals off NATO supply line to Afghanistan after US air attack
A US air attack that mistakenly killed three Pakistani border troops sparked the government to close the Torkham border post, a vital NATO supply line into Afghanistan.
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Tearful Karzai warns of youth exodus from Afghanistan. Here's why.
A young judge's woes symbolize a rising generation's dismay over widespread corruption – and their commitment to building Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan's President Karzai names Taliban outreach group
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai announced the creation of a council that he hopes will successfully convince members of the Taliban to lay down their arms.
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NATO attack in Pakistan was 'self-defense,' says US
The Pakistani government strongly condemned a series of manned airstrikes on Pakistani soil, including two NATO attacks that officials say killed about 55 suspected insurgents over the weekend.
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