Afghanistan // Current

Indonesians Shoot Afghan Refugee Boat

Indonesian authorities opened fire on a boat crammed full of Afghan asylum seekers,... more

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Gates: Americans Shouldn't See Torture Photos

A new law signed by President Obama last month now allows the US Defense Secretary to... more

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U.S. Expands Secretive Prison in Afghanistan

The controversial Bagram airbase in Afghanistan has been undergoing extensive... more

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U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Troop Escalation

In an unexpected act of dissent at a critical moment, the U.S. ambassador to... more

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Jack Layton Demands Public Inquiry on Torture Allegations

"What Does the Government Got to Hide, Let Colvin Speak." Canadian diplomat Richard... more

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Afghanistan - A Matter of Security

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she is pleased by Afghan President Hamid Karzai's pledge to have the country's security forces take the lead over the next few years.

Speaking to U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan, Clinton said the United States and other contributing nations have to do "everything we can to create the capacity of the Afghan government and the Afghan people to protect themselves."

"I was very pleased to hear today when President Karzai said that he hopes that within three years, the Afghan security forces will have the lead in important areas and within five years -- which is an ambitious goal, but he stated it -- the Afghan security forces would have the lead throughout the country."

Earlier Thursday, Clinton attended Karzai's inauguration to a second term, where he vowed to tackle corruption and drug-trafficking.

The U.S. secretary of state told the troops that she knew serving was difficult, both for them and for their families.

"There are a lot of sacrifices, most particularly, not being able to see your family, friends for long periods of time," she said. "For everybody who serves, there's a family that serves as well."

To the Americans, Clinton noted the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, saying there were many things she was grateful for but that the troops top her list.

"I want to especially wish you a happy Thanksgiving," she said.

Clinton's first visit to Afghanistan as secretary of state comes as President Obama is deciding whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by McChrystal.

The Obama administration has expressed concerns about Karzai's viability and has ratcheted up pressure to end corruption in order to combat an intensifying Taliban insurgency.

Clinton reiterated those concerns in a dinner meeting with Karzai on the eve of his inauguration and encouraged him to seize the "clear window of opportunity" before him at a "critical moment" in Afghanistan's history.

Ahead of speaking to the troops, Clinton attended a Thursday briefing with those involved in development work in Afghanistan.

Personnel from the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development, as well as members of provisional reconstruction teams and military commanders, were present.Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that... more

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Vietnam Vet on Hunger Strike Against Afghanistan War ( Day 9 )

He's starving himself for peace. A Vietnam veteran is fasting in Washington trying to... more

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PUSH-BUTTON WAR

Civilians caught in the crossfire. Unlawful CIA warfare.

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Push-Button War

Update: Suspected drone kills 8 militants in Pakistan
November 20, 2009 3:32 a.m. EST
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/20/pakistan.suspected.drones/index.html

The U.S. government runs two drone programs. The military’s version, which is publicly acknowledged, operates in the recognized war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, and targets enemies of U.S. troops stationed there. As such, it is an extension of conventional warfare. The C.I.A.’s program is aimed at terror suspects around the world, including in countries where U.S. troops are not based. It was initiated by the Bush Administration and, according to Juan Zarate, a counterterrorism adviser in the Bush White House, Obama has left in place virtually all the key personnel. The program is classified as covert, and the intelligence agency declines to provide any information to the public about where it operates, how it selects targets, who is in charge, or how many people have been killed.

Nevertheless, reports of fatal air strikes in Pakistan emerge every few days. Such stories are often secondhand and difficult to confirm, as the Pakistani government and the military have tried to wall off the tribal areas from journalists. But, even if a precise account is elusive, the outlines are clear: the C.I.A. has joined the Pakistani intelligence service in an aggressive campaign to eradicate local and foreign militants, who have taken refuge in some of the most inaccessible parts of the country.

The first two C.I.A. air strikes of the Obama Administration took place on the morning of January 23rd—the President’s third day in office. Within hours, it was clear that the morning’s bombings, in Pakistan, had killed an estimated twenty people. In one strike, four Arabs, all likely affiliated with Al Qaeda, died. But in the second strike a drone targeted the wrong house, hitting the residence of a pro-government tribal leader six miles outside the town of Wana, in South Waziristan. The blast killed the tribal leader’s entire family, including three children, one of them five years old. In keeping with U.S. policy, there was no official acknowledgment of either strike.Update: Suspected drone kills 8 militants in Pakistan November 20, 2009 3:32 a.m. EST... more