AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN ARCHIVE :

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Christian Science Monitor, 31 Dec 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Is power in Afghanistan returning to ethnic fault lines?
'Afghanistan was torn in the 1990s by civil war among ethnic-based warlords, but leaders now avoid directly appealing to ethnicity. Still, voting patterns in the Afghan election closely mirror the country's ethnic lines.'

Reuters, 08 Dec 09
Gates Reassures Afghans U.S. Troops Not Leaving Yet
'U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates told Afghans on Tuesday Washington would not abandon them, describing a withdrawal that would begin in 2011 but be spread over several years to give Afghan troops time to train.'

New York Times, 07 Dec 09, by David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt
Pakistan Told to Ratchet Up Fight Against the Taliban
'The Obama administration is turning up the pressure on Pakistan to fight the Taliban inside its borders, warning that if it does not act more aggressively the United States will use considerably more force on the Pakistani side of the border to shut down Taliban attacks on American forces in Afghanistan, American and Pakistani officials said.'

New York Times, 02 Dec 09, by Sabrina Tavernise and Carlotta Gall
Afghanistan and Pakistan Rattled by Plan for Drawdown
'President Obama’s timetable for American forces in Afghanistan rattled nerves in that country and in Pakistan on Wednesday, as American diplomats worked to convince the two countries at the center of the president’s war strategy that the United States would not cut and run.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Dec 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Obama's Afghanistan speech: How it sounded to Afghans
'Obama’s Afghanistan speech set a timeline for withdrawal, but some Afghans worry that by sending more troops the US aims to occupy their country – a fear the Taliban may use to recruit fighters.'

New York Times, 03 Dec 09, by John F. Burns and Alan Cowell
Bin Laden Not in Pakistan, Prime Minister Says
'Countering demands to intensify the hunt for Osama bin Laden in his country, the Pakistani prime minister said Thursday he did not believe the fugitive Al Qaeda leader was in Pakistan as many Western governments and intelligence agencies assert.'

New York Times, 17 Nov 09, by Sabrina Tavernise and Eric Schmitt
Pakistani Successes May Sway U.S. Troop Decision
'A month after the Pakistani military began its push into the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, militants appear to have been dispersed, not eliminated, with most simply fleeing. That recurring pattern illustrated the problems facing the Obama administration as it enters its final days of a decision on its strategy for Afghanistan.'

Washington Post, 18 Nov 09, by Pamela Constable
Pakistani army shows off captured Taliban posts
'... even though army officials said they had killed 180 Taliban fighters in Sararogha, bringing their reported enemy toll to more than 550 since the Waziristan operation began, they acknowledged that hundreds more had melted away into the vast desert scrub and craggy hills surrounding this outpost, testing the army's will to continue pursuing them.'

Asia Times, 18 Nov 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Militants change tack in Pakistan
'After a month of operations against militants in the South Waziristan tribal area on the border with Afghanistan, Pakistan's military establishment realizes it is chasing shadows; the adversary has simply melted into the vastness of the inhospitable surrounding territory. ... In a major switch, the militants want a long-term insurgency against the security apparatus across the country.'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 Nov 09, by Issam Ahmed
Taliban bomb Peshawar in response to Pakistan offensive
'The Pakistan offensive against the Taliban is making some progress, but the militants have struck back with a series of suicide attacks in the city of Peshawar. Is this the last gasp of encircled Taliban militants – or a continuing counterattack?'

Washington Post, 19 Nov 09, by Joshua Partlow
Karzai pressed for reforms that could bring 'end game' to Afghanistan war
'U.S. hopes to leave the country with a stable government in place'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov 09, by Jay Price, McClatchy Newspapers
Taliban biker militia: Anatomy of a failed Afghanistan ambush
'The Taliban rode Honda motorcycles, but US and Afghanistan troops didn't fall for trap set by hardened, battle-ready insurgents.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov 09, by Hal Bernton, McClatchy Newspapers
Taliban make gains in Afghanistan's forgotten north
'Working with criminal gangs, Taliban are planting roadside bombs and extorting money in Afghanstan's northern provinces.'

New York Times, 17 Nov 09, by Judy Dempsey
Training of Afghan Police by Europe Is Found Lacking
'Two and a half years after it was started, the European Union’s police training mission in Afghanistan is understaffed, lacks adequate security and transportation, and has yet to develop a uniform training program, according to diplomats and security experts involved in the mission.'

BBC News, 18 Nov 09
Afghans 'blame poverty for war'
'Poverty and unemployment are overwhelmingly seen as the main reasons behind conflict in Afghanistan, according to a survey in that country.'

Washington Post, 16 Nov 09, by Joshua Partlow
U.S. gives tour of new Afghan detention center
'Military calls complex an improvement for detainees' conditions'

Washington Post, 11 Nov 09, by Joshua Partlow
In Afghanistan, Taliban surpasses al-Qaeda
'Shifting power dynamic could influence where U.S. focuses firepower'

New York Times, 10 Nov 09, by Dexter Filkins
Bomb Material Cache Uncovered in Afghanistan
'With fertilizer bombs now the most lethal weapons used against American and NATO soldiers in southern Afghanistan, the bomb-making operation in Kandahar was something close to astonishing.'

Washington Post, 12 Nov 09, by Greg Jaffe, Scott Wilson and Karen DeYoung
U.S. envoy resists increase in troops
'Memos voicing concern about government in Kabul illustrate difficulty of president's decision, divisions within national security team.'

New York Times, 11 Nov 09, by Helene Cooper
In Leaning on Karzai, U.S. Has Limited Leverage
'As Mr. Obama nears the end of his review of American strategy in Afghanistan, the issue of how he will prod, cajole or bully Mr. Karzai into taking action on matters he has avoided for the past five years has been catapulted to the center of the discussion.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 Nov 09, by Jay Price, McClatchy News Service
Want to buy US military wares in Afghanistan? Go to Obama Market.
'Afghanistan vendors in the 'Obama Market' in Kabul sell MREs, military cots, and goggles like those used by the American military. It's not clear where they come from, but the Otis Spunkmeyer cookies are popular.'

New York Times, 05 Nov 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
U.N. Relocates Foreign Staff in Afghanistan
'The relocation of its workers here, while temporary, is one more signal of mounting pressure on United Nations operations as security deteriorates around the region.'

New York Times, 01 Nov 09, by David E. Sanger
With Karzai, U.S. Faces Weak Partner in Time of War
'With the White House’s reluctant embrace on Sunday of Hamid Karzai as the winner of Afghanistan’s suddenly moot presidential runoff, President Obama now faces a new complication: enabling a badly tarnished partner to regain enough legitimacy to help the United States find the way out of an eight-year-old war.'

New York Times, 02 Nov 09, by Salman Masood
Blasts in Pakistani Cities as Army Push Continues
'Suicide bombers attacked two major Pakistani cities on Monday — one of the them the garrison city of Rawalpindi — as the army claimed control of one more Taliban stronghold in the northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan, officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Nov 09, by Jonathan Adams
In Pakistan, suicide blast kills 30 near military headquarters
'The suicide attack in Rawalpindi, Pakistan came hours after Pakistan announced a $5 million total bounty for 21 top Talilban leaders wanted "dead or alive."'

New York Times, 03 Nov 09, by Sabrina Tavernise
Pakistanis Seek Blame for Bombing
'People in Peshawar are reluctant to believe their own countrymen were involved, a week after the blast that killed at least 114.'

AP, 29 Oct 09, by Todd Pitman
UN re-evaluates Afghan mission after bloody attack
'The attack underscored the risks facing U.N. and Afghan officials in organizing a runoff election following the fraud-marred first-round vote Aug. 20, and the massive challenge for the U.S.-led military force in curbing the determined Taliban insurgency.'

AP, 29 Oct 09, by Anne Gearan and Matthew Lee
Obama considering scaled-down Afghan war plan
'President Barack Obama is considering a scaled-down version of the war plan advanced by his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials say. Such a narrowed military mission would increase American forces to accomplish the commander's broadest goals of protecting Afghan cities and key infrastructure. But with fewer troops, the strategy likely would cut back on McChrystal's ambitious objectives, amounting to what one official described as "McChrystal Light."'

New York Times, 28 Oct 09, by Sabrina Tavernise and Sangar Rahimi
Attack in Afghan Capital Illustrates Taliban’s Reach
'The attack on the Bakhtar comes at a delicate time, as President Obama ponders a troop increase for an all-out push against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and it underscored the insurgents’ ability to destabilize even major population centers like Kabul.'

New York Times, 28 Oct 09, by Eric Schmitt
U.S. Quietly Speeds Aid for Pakistani Drives on Taliban
'Even as the Pakistani government plays down the American role in its military operations in Taliban-controlled areas along the border with Afghanistan, the United States has quietly rushed hundreds of millions of dollars in arms, equipment and sophisticated sensors to Pakistani forces in recent months, said senior American and Pakistani officials.'

New York Times, 29 Oct 09, by Mark Landler
Clinton Challenges Pakistanis on Al Qaeda
'Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on a visit meant to improve relations with Pakistan, strongly suggested Thursday that some Pakistani officials bore responsibility for allowing terrorists from Al Qaeda to operate from safe havens along this country’s frontier.'

Washington Post, 22 Oct 09, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran
In Helmand, a model for success?
'Influx of Marines and focus on security bring peace to a southern Afghan town -- at least for now.'

Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct 09, by Howard LaFranchi
Runoff a test for Afghanistan: Is Karzai a reliable partner?
'Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to the Nov. 7 election runoff under heavy pressure. With Obama considering sending more troops to Afghanistan, the US will be watching to see if the corrupt government is trustworthy.'

New York Times, 20 Oct 09, by Sabrina Tavernise, Mark Landler and Helene Cooper
With New Afghan Vote, Path to Stability Is Unclear
'President Hamid Karzai’s concession of the need for a runoff election in Afghanistan appears to have prevented his country from slipping into paralysis, but has created a new landscape of risks and uncertainty.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct 09, by Issam Ahmed
US, Pakistan agree to disagree on Waziristan offensive
'Gen. Petraeus and Sen. Kerry met Pakistani leaders Monday as Pakistan launches a massive offensive against the Taliban's base in South Waziristan.'

Deutsche Welle, 22 Oct 09
NATO looks to change course in Afghanistan
'A new strategy for Afghanistan is expected to focuse on more soldiers and better protection for civilians. At a NATO meeting in Bratislava, Europeans will have to decide how much support they're willing to give.'

New York Times, 20 Oct 09, by Jane Perlez
Pakistan Finds Local Allies Against Ferocious Foe
'The Pakistani military won agreements with Taliban commanders who control territory in Waziristan, where the army has begun its push.'

Asia Times, 22 Oct 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Where Pakistan's militants go to ground
'The Pakistani military is taking the fight to militants in the South Waziristan tribal area, even as the United States takes its Afghan fight to Pakistan. This draws Pakistan into an ever-deepening quagmire, one in which militants are carving havens.'

Washington Post, 19 Oct 09, by Craig Whitlock
Flow of terrorist recruits increasing
'Westerners attending camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan despite successful U.S. strikes'

Washington Post, 21 Oct 09, by Pamela Constable
In cultural hub, mixed feelings about army effort
'Political and religious landscape shapes reactions in Pakistan's Punjab province'

New York Times, 01 Oct 09
Troop Levels in Afghanistan Since 2001
How the American and NATO commitment in Afghanistan has evolved since 2001.

Wall Street Journal, 15 Oct 09, by Zahid Hussain
Wave of Deadly Attacks in Pakistan
'Thursday's violence, severe and coordinated even by the deadly standards of recent insurgent attacks in Pakistan, comes as the military is preparing a ground offensive in South Waziristan, a tribal area believed by U.S. and Pakistani officials to be the stronghold of Pakistan's Taliban and al Qaeda. The Taliban has vowed to step up attacks in Pakistan unless the offensive is called off.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Pakistan Taliban bombing spree could spur backlash
'The Pakistan Taliban may have sought to scare the military from launching an offensive against their base in South Waziristan. But the attacks, which killed 112 people in the past week, could harden the Army's resolve.'

PBS NewsHour, 12 Oct 09, with Gwen Ifill
Militant Attacks Renew Questions on Pakistan's Security
'Violence continued in Pakistan on Monday as militants detonated a car bomb in a crowded market in the northwest of the country.'

Reuters, 14 Oct 09
Q+A: Why is Pakistan aiming at South Waziristan?
'The government in June ordered the army to launch an offensive in South Waziristan. Since then the military has been conducting air and artillery strikes to soften up the militants' defenses.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct 09, by David Montero
Pakistani military defectors toughen fight against terrorists
'The weekend attack by Al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan showed the lethal role Pakistani military defectors play in terrorism.'

Wall Street Journal, 13 Oct 09, by C. Christine Fair
Pakistan's Partial War on Terror
'The deadly results of cooperation with terrorists.'

Asia Times, 14 Oct 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Al-Qaeda's guerrilla chief lays out strategy
'The Afghanistan trap, baited on September 11, 2001, has been sprung, says formidable guerrilla leader Ilyas Kashmiri, and events from Gaza to Mumbai should not be seen in isolation but as part of the master plan to bloody the United States and its proxies.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Why Pakistanis would reject $7.5 billion in US aid
'New Gallup poll indicates that the Kerry-Lugar bill, already confronting opposition from Pakistan's political and military establishment, faces a wave of popular distrust of the US as well.'

Washington Post, 08 Oct 09, by Karen DeYoung and Scott Wilson
Pakistanis Balk at U.S. Aid Package
'The Obama administration's strategy for bolstering Pakistan's civilian government was shaken Wednesday when political opposition and military leaders there sharply criticized a new U.S. assistance plan as interfering with the country's sovereignty.'

Reuters, 08 Oct 09, by Kamran Haider and Augustine Anthony
Q+A: Why controversy in Pakistan over U.S. aid bill?
'Pakistan's parliament has begun debate on a U.S. aid bill which critics say contains conditions that amount to a humiliating violation of sovereignty.'

New York Times, 06 Oct 09, by Salman Masood
Pakistan Braces for Taliban Attacks as It Prepares Offensive
'The Pakistani interior minister said Tuesday that the government was expecting more attacks by the Taliban as the military prepared to launch a major offensive in South Waziristan, the rugged northwestern tribal region considered a stronghold of Taliban.'

New York Times, 05 Oct 09, by Jane Perlez
U.S. Push to Expand in Pakistan Meets Resistance
'Steps by the United States to vastly expand its aid to Pakistan, as well as the footprint of its embassy and private security contractors here, are aggravating an already volatile anti-American mood as Washington pushes for greater action by the government against the Taliban.'

New York Times, 05 Oct 09, by Peter Baker
Surgical Strikes Shape Afghanistan Debate
'A string of successful operations recently killing or capturing high-level figures from Al Qaeda, particularly in the tribal areas of Pakistan, has fueled the argument inside the Obama administration about the necessity of a substantial troop buildup in Afghanistan, officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Oct 09, by Issam Ahmed
Suicide bomb on UN breaks Pakistan's lull in major attacks
'A suicide bomber wearing a uniform killed five people Monday after entering the UN's World Food Program office in Islamabad, Pakistan. Major attacks dropped after Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in August. Is the lull over?'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Oct 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Deadly Afghanistan attack: It wasn't just the Taliban
'The Taliban combined with an Al Qaeda-linked militant group and others to kill eight US soldiers in northeastern Afghanistan Sunday. The Taliban's flexibility is a major threat to US forces.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Oct 09, by Kristen Chick
Afghanistan: Deadliest attack on US forces
'Eight American troops and two Afghan soldiers died in Saturday's attack on two remote outposts in Afghanistan. More pressure for a US strategy shift?'

Washington Post, 06 Oct 09, by Greg Jaffe
The Battle of Wanat: After the Fight, Forging a Peace
'The U.S. hopes that Afghans in areas along the Pech River will embrace progress, but much unrest remains.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep 09, by Ben Hancock
NATO chief on Afghanistan: We're not running from the fight
'NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen aims to halt criticism that US allies are not doing their share during a speech in Washington this afternoon.'

Washington Post, 27 Sep 09, by Craig Whitlock
Diverse Sources Fund Insurgency In Afghanistan
'The Taliban-led insurgency has built a fundraising juggernaut that generates cash from such an array of criminal rackets, donations, taxes, shakedowns and other schemes that U.S. and Afghan officials say it may be impossible to choke off the movement's money supply.'

Washington Post, 29 Sep 09, by Pamela Constable
U.S. Says Taliban Has A New Haven in Pakistan
'As American troops move deeper into southern Afghanistan to fight Taliban insurgents, U.S. officials are expressing new concerns about the role of fugitive Taliban leader Mohammad Omar and his council of lieutenants, who reportedly plan and launch cross-border strikes from safe havens around the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta.'

Washington Post, 28 Sep 09, by Karen DeYoung
U.S., Allies Vow Support for Karzai
'NATO Countries Pledge to Help Turn Insurgents Against Taliban'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep 09, by Issam Ahmed
Zazi-Pakistan link: Are terror training camps alive and well?
'The Pakistani military's action in Swat has caused militant training camps elsewhere to become more makeshift – and thus harder to pinpoint and shut down.'

Washington Post, 25 Sep 09, by Karen DeYoung and Pamela Constable
Anti-U.S. Wave Imperiling Efforts in Pakistan, Officials Say
'A new wave of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan has slowed the arrival of hundreds of U.S. civilian and military officials charged with implementing assistance programs, undermined cooperation in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and put American lives at risk, according to officials from both countries.'

New York Times, 23 Sep 09, by Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti
Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan
'Senior Taliban leaders, showing a surprising level of sophistication and organization, are using their sanctuary in Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign of violence in northern and western Afghanistan, senior American military and intelligence officials say.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep 09, by Ben Arnoldy and Julius Cavendish
Afghans on troop surge debate: It's the corruption, stupid.
'Afghan leaders say any effort that doesn't address election fraud and corrupt officials will fail.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Standoff over Karzai win threatens Afghan power vacuum
'Conflict between the two commissions tasked with validating the vote could delay a possible runoff until after the winter snows.'

BBC News, 18 Sep 09
'Time against' Afghanistan forces
'UK and other Nato forces in southern Afghanistan do not have time on their side, the British general soon to take charge of troops in the area has said.'

Washington Post, 14 Sep 09, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran
In Kandahar, a Taliban on the Rise
'U.S., NATO Struggle to Check Insurgents in Key Afghan Area'

Washington Post, 13 Sep 09, by Karen DeYoung and Peter Finn
U.S. Gives New Rights To Afghan Prisoners
'Hundreds of prisoners held by the U.S. military in Afghanistan will for the first time have the right to challenge their indefinite detention and call witnesses in their defense under a new review system being put in place this week, according to administration officials.'

New York Times, 11 Sep 09, by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah
Pakistan Says It Has Seized Senior Taliban Leader
'The Pakistani Army announced Friday that security forces have arrested a senior leader of the Taliban in the troubled area of Swat where the military has largely put down a militant insurgency.'

New York Times, 08 Sep 09, by Mark Landler and Helene Cooper
U.S. in Delicate Spot Over Marred Afghan Vote
'The slim majority tentatively awarded Mr. Karzai in Afghanistan’s fraud-scarred election has put the Obama administration in an awkward spot: trying to balance its professed determination to investigate mounting allegations of corruption and vote-rigging while not utterly alienating the man who seems likely to remain the country’s leader for another five years.'

New York Times, 07 Sep 09, by Eric Schmitt and Scott Shane
Crux of Afghan Debate: Will More Troops Curb Terror?
'Some counterterrorism experts say alternatives to a troop buildup include drone strikes, commando raids and enlisting Afghan warlords in the fight against Al Qaeda.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Sep 09, by Dan Murphy
Raid to free reporters in Afghanistan second guessed
'... the raid is attracting criticism. The International Committee of the Red Cross and others are suggesting that winning Mr. Farrell and Mr. Munadi’s freedom could have been achieved without the loss of life. And some in Britain are saying that soldiers should not have been put in harm’s way to free the journalists.'

The Telegraph, 10 Sep 09, by Ben Farmer
German colonel 'overstepped authority' in deadly Afghan air strike
'The German officer who ordered a deadly air strike on Taliban-hijacked fuel tankers killing dozens of people overstepped his authority and violated rules an inquiry has reportedly found.'

Washington Post, 02 Sep 09, by Pamela Constable
Afghans Brace for Unrest Over Vote Tally
'The atmosphere of fraud and strong-arm behavior surrounding the election has also heightened tensions between Kabul and Washington, just as U.S. officials are scrambling to justify their military commitments here and find new strategies to salvage the faltering and expensive war against Taliban insurgents.'

Washington Post, 02 Sep 09, by Karen DeYoung
Taliban Surprising U.S. Forces With Improved Tactics
'The Taliban has become a much more potent adversary in Afghanistan by improving its own tactics and finding gaps in the U.S. military playbook, according to senior American military officials who acknowledged that the enemy's resurgence this year has taken them by surprise.'

Los Angeles Times, 02 Sep 09, by Julian E. Barnes
U.S. to boost combat force in Afghanistan
'Support units will be replaced by up to 14,000 "trigger-pullers," and noncombat posts will be contracted out, Defense officials say. The swap will allow the U.S. to keep its troop level unchanged.'

Washington Post, 01 Sep 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
General: Afghan Situation 'Serious'
'The top U.S. commander for Afghanistan called the situation there "serious" but salvageable, in a sobering assessment issued Monday that is expected to pave the way for a request for more American troops, funds for Afghan forces and other resources. White House and Pentagon officials, while welcoming the assessment, cautioned that there is no guarantee such requests would be met.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug 09, by Jonathan Adams
Report: McChrystal says US needs new Afghanistan strategy
'The top commander in Afghanistan reportedly likens the US military to a bull charging at a matador and getting weaker with each cut.'

Washington Post, 01 Sep 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
General: Afghan Situation 'Serious'
'The top U.S. commander for Afghanistan called the situation there "serious" but salvageable, in a sobering assessment issued Monday that is expected to pave the way for a request for more American troops, funds for Afghan forces and other resources.'

NewsHour, 01 Sep 09, with Margaret Warner
Security Contractors Under Scrutiny at U.S. Embassy in Kabul
'A nonpartisan watchdog on Tuesday charged that language barriers, overwork, and lewd behavior by U.S. government contractors are undermining security at the American embassy in Kabul.'

New York Times, 01 Sep 09, by Ginger Thompson
Misconduct Claimed at U.S. Embassy in Kabul
'Security at the United States Embassy in Afghanistan has been seriously compromised by mismanagement and misbehavior among civilian guards and their supervisors, according to reports by a Congressional subcommittee and a nonprofit oversight organization.'

New York Times, 01 Sep 09, by James Glanz
Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
'Civilian contractors working for the Pentagon in Afghanistan not only outnumber the uniformed troops, according to a report by a Congressional research group, but also form the highest ratio of contractors to military personnel recorded in any war in the history of the United States.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug 09, by Ben Arnoldy
A high-stakes bid for Afghan hearts
'The US has pledged more than $300 million in development over the next year in Helmand Province. Success could sway farmers at the center of both the insurgency and the opium trade.'

New York Times, 29 Aug 09, by Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger
U.S. Says Pakistan Made Changes to Missiles Sold for Defense
'The United States has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying American-made missiles to expand its capability to strike land targets, a potential threat to India, according to senior administration and Congressional officials.'

Asia Times, 03 Sep 09, by Abubakar Siddique
Kandahar presents critical Afghan test
'The competition and uncertainty in Kandahar province has major implications for the neighboring provinces of Zabul, Helmand, Uruzgan and Farah, and presents a key test both for the incoming Afghan administration and for US General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in the country.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug 09, by Sara Miller Llana and Sibylla Brodzinsky
US applies Colombia antidrug lessons to Afghanistan
'A new strategy in Afghanistan to combat the opium trade draws on US experience curbing cocaine shipments in Latin America.'

Asia Times, 27 Aug 09, by Daniel Luban
Afghan elections expose US war doubts
'... skepticism about the elections is just one symptom of a growing sense of disillusionment in the US about the course of the war in Afghanistan, both in the foreign policy establishment and among the general populace.'

New York Times, 26 Aug 09, by James Risen and Mark Landler
Alleged Drug Ties of Top Afghan Official Worry U.S.
'The challenges posed by corruption in Afghanistan are revealed in President Hamid Karzai's running mate.'

New York Times, 23 Aug 09, by Helene Cooper
U.S. Military Says Its Force in Afghanistan Is Insufficient
'American military commanders with the NATO mission in Afghanistan told President Obama's chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do their job, pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operate across borders.'

New York Times, 22 Aug 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Marines Fight Taliban With Little Aid From Afghans
'In a region the Taliban have lorded over for six years, and where they remain a menacing presence, American officers say their troops alone are not enough to reassure Afghans.'

Wall Street Journal, 24 Aug 09, by Zahid Hussain
Killings Rattle Pakistan Taliban
'Leadership of Militant Group Falls Into Turmoil Amid Reports of Deaths, Infighting'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Aug 09, by Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers
Pakistani Taliban: Two men to replace Baitullah Mehsud
'Hakimullah Mehsud and Waliur Rehman will share control, but analysts say infighting could erupt again.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug 09, by Issam Ahmed
Pakistani Taliban name another new chief
'A council picked Hakimullah Mehsud to head the alliance, two days after another senior figure said he had taken over. The announcements may signal infighting, which in recent weeks has led to bloody clashes.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Afghan elections: What might happen next
'With President Hamid Karzai's rivals crying foul, the incumbent may win by solid margins but lose legitimacy – which could hamper counterinsurgency efforts.'

Asia Times, 22 Aug 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Seven steps to peace in Afghanistan
'The head of the United States Central Command, General David Petraeus, told the BBC this week that "there would have to be talks with insurgents at a local level, though probably not at this stage with senior Taliban leaders". British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also indicated in a recent speech that the government should be prepared to talk to moderate tribal leaders associated with the Taliban.'

The Telegraph, 25 Aug 09
Afghanistan: bloodiest year for international troops since 2001
'The deaths of four US soldiers in Afghanistan means 2009 has become the bloodiest year for international troops since operations began in 2001.'

New York Times, 17 Aug 09, by Carlotta Gall
Peace Talks With Taliban Are a Top Issue in Afghan Vote
'Whether and how to negotiate peace with the Taliban has become the one issue that no candidate in the Afghan presidential election can avoid taking a stand on. There is broad agreement that the war must end, but debate swirls around whether the government of President Hamid Karzai is moving effectively toward persuading the Taliban to end their insurgency.'

New York Times, 16 Aug 09, by Dexter Filkins
Threats by Taliban May Sway Vote in Afghanistan
'Across the Pashtun heartland in eastern and southern Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents hold sway in many villages, people are being warned against going to the polls. In many of those places, conditions have been so chaotic that many Afghans have been unable to register to vote. In many areas, there will not be any polling places to go to.'

Washington Post, 20 Aug 09, by Walter Pincus
High-Tech Balloon to Help Forces Keep Watch
'A state-of-the-art observation balloon with round-the-clock video and sound surveillance capability has been installed several thousand feet above Kabul to monitor Thursday's elections in Afghanistan, according to U.S. and Afghan military officials.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Dostum's return to Afghanistan: a nod to 'warlord politics'
'On eve of presidential vote, the ethnic Uzbek fighter, who's been in exile, rallied his base to support struggling President Hamid Karzai. Some say the move undermines a new, more democratic brand of politics.'

Asia Times, 18 Aug 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
The US has a plan for Afghanistan
'With an unexpected boost from a heavyweight Uzbek warlord, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's chances of winning re-election on Thursday have significantly increased. Pakistan and the United States, though, are looking beyond the polls to the creation of a broad-based administration that would include all the major players - and a sprinkling of Taliban.'

New York Times, 19 Aug 09, by Helene Cooper
U.S. Officials Get a Taste of Pakistanis’ Anger at America
'Beyond the continuation of the battle against militants along the Pakistani-Afghan border, a big part of President Obama’s strategy for the region involves trying to broaden America’s involvement in the country to include nonmilitary areas like infrastructure development, trade, energy, schools and jobs — all aimed at convincing the Pakistani people that the United States is their friend.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug 09, by Daud Khattak
In Pakistan, Taliban tearing apart a culture
'Pashtun residents say militants have imposed extremist views on the population, displacing centuries-old traditions.'

Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug 09, by David Zucchino
Deadly contractor incident sours Afghans
'Four men with the U.S. firm once known as Blackwater are said to be under investigation in the deaths of two Afghans. A U.S. report found serious fault with private security firms in Afghanistan.'

Washington Post, 13 Aug 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
In Afghanistan, A Test of Tactics
'Under strict rules to protect civilians, Marines face more complex missions.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug 09, by Gordon Lubold
More US troops for Afghanistan: Are they inevitable?
'Supporters say it's time to surge, Iraq-style. Opponents say the US should wait to see if the extra 21,000 troops already on the way have an effect.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug 09, by David Montero
Use of drones in Pakistan and Afghanistan: deadly, but legal?
'Unmanned aerial drones have become important weapons in the US counterterrorism effort. But questions are mounting about who controls the drones, and what laws govern their use.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Does US commander's frank assessment of Afghanistan help – or hurt – war effort?
'An attack near Kabul Monday seemed to reinforce Gen. Stanley McChrystal's claim that the Taliban is winning. Some say such comments hurt morale; others say his honesty inspires confidence.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug 09, by Huma Yusuf
Pakistan, Taliban battle over militant chief's death
'Meanwhile, another US airstrike on South Waziristan – like the one that targeted Baitullah Mehsud – killed 10 suspected militants Tuesday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Aug 09, by Tom A. Peter
Taliban power vacuum may benefit Pakistan – or Al Qaeda
'A reported shootout over who will succeed Baitullah Mehsud as chief may have killed one top candidate and critically injured another.'

New York Times, 12 Aug 09, by Carlotta Gall and Ruhullah Khapalwak
As Afghan Vote Nears, Taliban Intimidation Rises
'Until now, the insurgents have refrained from specific violence against the election process and have kept the government and international forces guessing about their real intentions.'

Times of India, 12 Aug 09, by Chidanand Rajghatta
Pak goes ballistic about report on nuclear complex attacks
'American military leaders are "comfortable with the security measures the Pakistani government and the Pakistani military have in place to ensure that their nuclear arsenal is safeguarded," a Pentagon official said on Tuesday even as Islamabad flew into a rage over reports of extremist attacks on its nuclear infrastructure, and questions about its safety and security.'

Reuters, 07 Aug 09, by Simon Cameron-Moore
Q+A: Mehsud probably dead, but will it help win the war?
'As information poured in on Friday that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed two days ago by a U.S. missile strike, a whole series of questions arise over what it would mean for Pakistan, Afghanistan and U.S. policy and Western military forces in the region.'

New York Times, 07 Aug 09, by Pir Zubair Shah and Sabrina Tavernise
Taliban Leader in Pakistan Is Dead, His Aides Say
' Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of Pakistan’s fearsome Taliban militia, was killed Wednesday in a C.I.A. missile strike, two Taliban fighters said on Friday, adding that a meeting was taking place to determine who among his top deputies would replace him.'

New York Times, 05 Aug 09, by Dexter Filkins
Road Bomb Kills Afghans; U.S. Airstrike Is Disputed
'Civilian deaths have been a source of extreme animosity between the American-led coalition and their Afghan hosts, particularly those caused by airstrikes.'

New York Times, 04 Aug 09, by James Dao
Neighbors by Day, Soldiers by Night in Afghanistan
'An American unit is finding that its dual missions of winning friends and rooting out enemies can sometimes clash.'

Asia Times, 04 Aug 09, by Wahidullah Mohammad
Helmand's 'dagger' cuts three ways
'Officials in Helmand province in Afghanistan say that the military's United States-led Operation Khanjar (Dagger) is completely different from previous operations.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jul 09, by Liam Stack
Holbrooke casts doubt on success of Pakistan's Swat Valley offensive
'The US envoy said it was unclear if the military had defeated the Taliban in the region or simply driven them underground.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jul 09, by Ben Arnoldy
In Afghanistan, Taliban kills more civilians than US 'According to a new UN report, the number of civilians killed by both sides in the conflict has risen nearly 50 percent since 2007.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jul 09, by Abdujalil Abdurasulov
Afghan, Pakistani conflicts spilling into Central Asian states?
'Tajikistan blames recent attacks at home on fighters fleeing anti-Taliban offensives. Security was the topic at a regional summit in Dushanbe Thursday.'

New York Times, 29 Jul 09, by Eric Schmitt
Pakistan Injects Precision Into Air War on Taliban
'Pakistan’s Air Force is improving its ability to pinpoint and attack militant targets with precision weapons, adding a new dimension to the country’s fight against violent extremism, according to Pakistani military officials and independent analysts.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Jul 09, by Huma Yusuf
Pakistan says India's nuclear sub threatens regional peace
Pakistani Navy officials warn the submarine, launched on Sunday, could spark an arms race. Two weeks ago the countries agreed to peace talks.

Washington Post, 22 Jul 09, by Ann Scott Tyson and Greg Jaffe
U.S. Deaths Hit A Record High In Afghanistan
'U.S. deaths in Afghanistan have surged to a record high this month and are likely to remain elevated as American and NATO forces settle into outposts in southern Afghan villages and cities where Taliban forces have traditionally been the strongest.'

Washington Post, 23 Jul 09, by Joshua Partlow
Pakistan Seeks More U.S. Military Aid
'Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani on Wednesday called on the United States to provide real-time intelligence, unmanned aircraft technology and other military assistance to help his country combat the Taliban without relying on attacks from U.S. drones.'

Asia Times, 22 Jul 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Pakistan-US plan falls into place
'For Pakistan and its United States ally, the military establishments of the two countries are marching in step, the foundations of the civilian government in Islamabad are being strengthened and closer Pakistani ties with India are planned. The overall objective is an all-out offensive against militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been making some smart moves of their own.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jul 09, by Ben Arnoldy and Daud Khattak
Pakistanis fighting the Taliban press for military backup
'Villagers in northwestern Dir have 250 militants under siege, but say they need help from security forces to prevail. The military has a poor record of aiding these volunteer militias.'

New York Times, 21 Jul 09, by Eric Schmitt and Jane Perlez
Pakistan Objects to U.S. Expansion in Afghan War
'Pakistan is objecting to expanded American combat operations in neighboring Afghanistan, creating new fissures in the alliance with Washington at a critical juncture when thousands of new American forces are arriving in the region.'

Washington Post, 20 Jul 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
Marines Face Stiff Taliban Resistance
'Logistical Difficulties Inhibit Troops During Clashes in Southern Afghan Province'

Asia Times, 22 Jul 09, by Aziz Ahmad Shafe, Mohammad Ilyas Dayee and Aziz Ahmad Tassal
Last chance saloon in Helmand
'More surprising than the Taliban's meek counter-punch in Helmand has been the warm reception for United States troops fighting Operation Dagger Thrust there. For Helmandis, battered by eight years of air strikes, oppression and betrayal, this is the US's last chance to prove itself. Meanwhile, the Taliban say the real fight is yet to come.'

Washington Post, 18 Jul 09, by Pamela Constable
Taliban Pushed Out, U.S. Troops Turn to a More Civil Challenge
'... while U.S. and British officials in Helmand told U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry during a day-long visit that the Khan Neshin operation could be a "model" for Washington's new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, they also cautioned that an equally important element -- the effective establishment of Afghan authority and services in former insurgent strongholds -- is still badly lacking.'

NewsHour, 15 Jul 09, with Gwen Ifill et al
Death Toll Mounts as Coalition Forces Confront Taliban
'As coalition forces attempt to wrest control of southern Afghanistan from Taliban insurgents, they are experiencing their highest casualties in eight years of war. Analysts discuss the rise in violence with Gwen Ifill.'

New York Times, 15 Jul 09, by Eric Schmitt
Warning From General on End to Afghan Combat
'The new American commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that United States Marines had faced less resistance than expected in their operation to clear Taliban safe havens in the south, but that British troops just to the north were running into fiercer fighting than anticipated.'

Fox News, 15 Jul 09, by Matt Sanchez
In the Heat of Afghanistan, Shades of Iraq
'Rising insurgency, rules of engagement, roadside bombs ... there's something about Afghanistan that looks, sounds and feels like Iraq.'

Asia Times, 13 Jul 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Taliban will let guns do their talking
'Against the backdrop of rising anger in Britain over its losses in Afghanistan, the talk is now all about talking to the Taliban. This might have happened a few months ago, but following a reorganization of the Taliban's command structure, Mullah Omar is back in full control of the insurgency, both in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and he is not the slightest bit interested in any peace deals.'

Washington Post, 16 Jul 09, by Greg Jaffe and Julie Tate
At Jail in Bagram, A Detainee Protest
'Indefinite incarceration by U.S. at issue'

New York Times, 14 Jul 09, by James Dao
Afghan War's Buried Bombs Put Risk in Every Step
'... though the Afghan insurgency's improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.'s, are less powerful or complex than those used in Iraq, they are becoming more common and more sophisticated with each week, American military officers say.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jul 09, by Issam Ahmed
Afghan election: Can Karzai's rivals close the gap?
'Top contenders Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani are campaigning outside their traditional bases and attacking the incumbent.'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jul 09, by Anand Gopal
US troops in Afghanistan face a new battle: Implementing a changed strategy
'Soldiers are now following a "clear, hold, build" method of counterinsurgency in the fresh push to defeat the Taliban.'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jul 09, by Anand Gopal
Can the National Police provide security in Afghanistan?
'US soldiers have deep concerns about the force, and say that its members collude with insurgents.'

Voice of America, 08 Jul 09, by Al Pessin
US Marines Clear Key Taliban Stronghold
'The commander of U.S. Marines who have launched a major offensive in southern Afghanistan said his forces have removed Taliban fighters from a large section of one of their main strongholds and that U.S. troops are already working with the Afghan Army and local leaders to begin to establish stability in the region.'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jul 09, by Liam Stack
Fresh drone attacks in Pakistan reignite debate
'Controversy over the suspected US airstrikes on the Taliban is undermining the Pakistani government's ability to maintain public support while battling the militants.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Jul 09, by Ben Arnoldy
As US troops move into south, Taliban strike elsewhere
'NATO forces meet light resistance in Helmand Province, but Afghan insurgents hit back in other parts of the country. Are more US troops needed?'

New York Times, 07 Jul 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Allied Officers Concerned by Lack of Afghan Forces
'One week after several battalions of Marines swept through the Helmand River valley, military commanders appear increasingly concerned about a lack of Afghan forces in the field.'

Telegraph, 09 Jul 09, by Chris Irvine
Troop deaths are a risk worth paying, says Nato leader in Afghanistan
'British troops' lives in Afghanistan are at greater risk as the result of a new strategy designed to reduce civilian casualties, but it is a price worth paying, according to General Stanley McChrystal, the new commander of Nato forces in the country.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Jul 09, by Anand Gopal
In Afghanistan surge, soldiers negotiate complex web of local loyalties
'As forces of the 10th Mountain Division have poured into Wardak Province to combat the Taliban, they've also had to battle a cool reception.'

New York Times, 02 Jul 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
U.S. Marines Try to Retake Afghan Valley From Taliban
'Almost 4,000 United States Marines, backed by helicopter gunships, pushed into the volatile Helmand River valley in southwestern Afghanistan Thursday morning to try to take back the region from Taliban fighters whose control of poppy harvests and opium smuggling in Helmand provides major financing for the Afghan insurgency.'

Washington Post, 01 Jul 09, by Bob Woodward
Key in Afghanistan: Economy, Not Military
'National security adviser James L. Jones told U.S. military commanders here last week that the Obama administration wants to hold troop levels here flat for now, and focus instead on carrying out the previously approved strategy of increased economic development, improved governance and participation by the Afghan military and civilians in the conflict.'

New York Times, 01 Jul 09, by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah
In Refugee Aid, Pakistan’s War Has New Front
'Hard-line Islamist charities are using a refugee crisis to sour public opinion about the United States.'

Human Events, 01 Jul 09, by Rowan Scarborough
Pakistan Nukes At Risk
'Taliban terrorists know where some of Pakistan's nuclear weapons are stored based on information from allies inside the country's national security forces. A military source tells Human Events the Taliban and al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan's western frontier have ties to elements of the Pakistan army and Inter-Services Intelligence.'

New York Times, 30 Jun 09, by Salman Masood
An Accord in Pakistan Is Scrapped by Militants
'A powerful Taliban faction in a northwestern tribal region has said it is withdrawing from a peace deal with the government to protest continuing strikes by American drones, confronting the Pakistani military with a possible two-front campaign against militants ...'

Washington Post, 30 Jun 09, by Joshua Partlow
Deadly Ambush Could Indicate Threat to Pakistan's Army
'The Taliban assault on an army convoy passing through the village of Inzar Kas was one of the deadliest incidents for the military during its two-month-old offensive against the insurgents. But to some analysts, it also served as a warning of a bigger threat -- the possibility that disparate Taliban factions might be closing ranks to battle the army in Pakistan.'

New York Times, 27 Jun 09, by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah
Taliban Losses Are No Sure Gain for Pakistanis
'... the Taliban mostly melted away without a major fight, possibly to return when the military withdraws or to fight elsewhere, military analysts say. ... the Taliban’s decision to scatter leaves the future of Swat, and Pakistan’s overall stability, under continued threat, military analysts and some politicians say.'

BBC News, 25 Jun 09
'Shift needed' in Afghan combat
'The new commander of US and Nato-led troops in Afghanistan has said troops must shift from conventional warfare to protecting Afghan civilians. Gen Stanley McChrystal is expected to release new combat rules aimed at reducing the number of civilian deaths.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jun 09, by Issam Ahmed
Pakistan puts Taliban leader in crosshairs
'As the Army begins attacking South Waziristan, it has targeted hideouts of Baitullah Mehsud. Killing or even dislodging the militant chief could deal a severe blow to the movement, analysts say.'

Washington Post, 24 Jun 09, by Pamela Constable
Pakistan's Plans for New Fight Stir Concern
'Although the U.S. government has strongly endorsed Pakistan's new get-tough policy toward the extremists, American officials are also concerned that the Waziristan campaign could merely drive them into Afghanistan, where tens of thousands of U.S. and NATO forces are waging a grueling and protracted war against Afghan Taliban fighters and other insurgents.'

New York Times, 21 Jun 09, by Dexter Filkins
U.S. Toughens Airstrike Policy in Afghanistan
'The new American commander in Afghanistan said he would sharply restrict the use of airstrikes here, in an effort to reduce the civilian deaths that he said were undermining the American-led mission. ... Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, said the use of airstrikes during firefights would in most cases be allowed only to prevent American and other coalition troops from being overrun.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jun 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Why Afghanistan might gain a CEO
'As race for presidency nears, a new role is eyed for a former US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad: Help Kabul work with the outside world.'

Washington Post, 23 Jun 09, by Keith B. Richburg
Reporters Escape Taliban Captors
'New York Times, Afghan Journalists Were Held 7 Months'

Washington Post, 19 Jun 09, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran
U.S. Pursues a New Way To Rebuild in Afghanistan
'Members of [Obama's] national security team have concluded that the country requires not just more money and personnel for reconstruction but also a fundamental overhaul of the U.S. approach to development.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jun 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Pakistan faces limits as it widens war on Taliban
'The Army is preparing for a new offensive in South Waziristan. ... The military has the momentum of battlefield gains and popular support after pushing back one Taliban faction in northwestern Swat Valley and nearby areas. But South Waziristan is no Swat.'

Washington Post, 17 Jun 09, by Pamela Constable
Cleric's Slaying Signifies a Shift
'Taliban Widens Its Targets in Pakistan'

Washington Post, 17 Jun 09, by Griff Witte
A Karzai Victory Is Just the Ticket for Regional Commanders
'President Hamid Karzai is considered a strong favorite to win reelection when Afghans go to the polls this summer. But here in northern Afghanistan, one of the country's most peaceful regions, there is little doubt who will be in control when the elections are over, and it's not Karzai.'

Washington Post, 16 Jun 09, by Karen DeYoung
Seeking Truth and Trust in Pakistan
'Envoy Tries to Convince Refugees That U.S. Is on Their Side'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Jun 09, by Daud Khattak
Pakistan: Massive hotel bomb further erodes security
'It comes after the Taliban threatened to launch periodic attacks in retaliation for an ongoing Army offensive against militants in the Swat Valley. As the town closest to the battle zone and to Pakistan's tribal areas, a militant stronghold, Peshawar makes for a prime target.'

New York Times, 10 Jun 09, by Sabrina Tavernise and Salman Masood
Bombing Challenges Aid to Pakistan Refugees
'One casualty of the bombing that killed as many as 18 people at a luxury hotel here Tuesday night may be the effort to aid Pakistan's surging population of refugees, who have been displaced by the military campaign against the Taliban.'

American Forces Press Service, 05 Jun 09, by Jim Garamone
Success in Afghanistan, Pakistan requires knowledge of region
'Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan will require an intimate local knowledge of the tribal culture and a small coalition footprint, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said here Friday.'

American Forces Press Service, 03 Jun 09, by John House
Afghan air power growing steadily
'The Afghan National Army Air Corps is a vital and rapidly growing component of Afghanistan's security forces and is building air power to deny terrorists a safe haven in Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force general here said.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Adam B. Ellick
Accounts Differ on Afghan Grenade Attack
'American officials and some Afghan officials blamed an insurgent, but other Afghan officials faulted an American soldier.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 09, by Saeed Shah and Warren P. Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers
US to spend $1 billion on embassy expansions in Pakistan, Afghanistan
'Diplomatic presence on the scale of Iraq prompts concerns in Pakistan about American meddling.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Jun 09, by P.J. Tobia
Afghans fight flow of drugs and guns fueling Taliban insurgency
'But only 200 officers in the south have been trained so far in a US-led program to stem trafficking in and out of Pakistan.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Sabrina Tavernise and Irfan Ashraf
Attacked, Pakistani Villagers Take On Taliban
'Villagers are rising up against the Taliban in a remote corner of northern Pakistan, a grass-roots rebellion that underscores the shift in the public mood against the militants and a growing confidence to confront them.'

Washington Post, 03 Jun 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
New Approach to Afghanistan Likely
'Army Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, President Obama's choice to lead the war in Afghanistan, said yesterday that violence and combat deaths will intensify as more U.S. troops surge into Taliban-held areas, but he vowed to execute a "holistic" strategy in which killing insurgents would be subordinate to safeguarding Afghan civilians.'

New York Times, 02 Jun 09, by Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker
U.S. Report Finds Airstrike Errors in Afghan Deaths
'A military investigation has concluded that American personnel made significant errors in carrying out some of the airstrikes in western Afghanistan on May 4 that killed dozens of Afghan civilians, according to a senior American military official.'

Washington Post, 01 Jun 09, by Karen DeYoung
Al-Qaeda Seen as Shaken in Pakistan
'Drone-launched U.S. missile attacks and Pakistan's ongoing military offensive in and around the Swat Valley have unsettled al-Qaeda and undermined its relative invulnerability in Pakistani mountain sanctuaries, U.S. military and intelligence officials say.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 09, by Anand Gopal
The most deadly US foe in Afghanistan
'The Haqqani network, born of the Russian war and nurtured by the CIA, is behind many spectacular assaults in Afghanistan.'

Washington Post, 28 May 09, by R. Jeffrey Smith and Joby Warrick
Nuclear Aims By Pakistan, India Prompt U.S. Concern
'Sometime next year, at a tightly guarded site south of its capital, Pakistan will be ready to start churning out a new stream of plutonium for its nuclear arsenal, which will eventually include warheads for ballistic missiles and cruise missiles capable of being launched from ships, submarines or aircraft.'

New York Times, 28 May 09, by Salman Masood and Mark Mcdonald
Taliban Claim Pakistan Bomb Attack
'A Pakistani militant commander said the bomb attack on Wednesday was in reaction to military operations against militants in the Swat valley.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 May 09, by Issam Ahmed
In Pakistan's terrorist attacks, who gets the blame?
'Many Pakistanis have previously accused the government of provoking the Taliban. This time, residents directed their anger at both sides.'

New York Times, 22 May 09, by
In Afghanistan, a Constant Battle Against Hidden Dangers
[slide show] 'After a suspected explosive was discovered atop a mountain observation post, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team arrived to eliminate the device.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 May 09, by Huma Yusuf
Pakistan's Taliban rising? Ask the women.
'In a sign of growing militancy, threats against females are swelling in cosmopolitan Karachi.'

New York Times, 13 May 09, by C. J. Chivers
In Bleak Afghan Outpost, Troops Slog On
'Afghanistan is to be President Obama's war, and the Pentagon is retooling its efforts here in ways it hopes will undermine a sprawling insurgency. But as soldiers on the ground await reinforcements, this American operation showed that an old axiom of guerrilla warfare still applied: Where conventional soldiers mass, insurgents usually disperse.'

Washington Post, 13 May 09, by Pamela Constable
Pakistani Commandos Target Taliban Bases
'Army commandos launched aggressive new search-and-destroy operations in the Swat Valley and several surrounding districts in the Taliban-plagued northwest Tuesday, military officials said.'

NewsHour, 12 May 09
Pakistan Asks For More Money to Battle Taliban
'Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was in Washington last week to ask for help fighting the Taliban, the same group that supported the Sept. 11 al-Qaida terrorists and now threatens the stability of Pakistan, one of the world's few nuclear powers.'

New York Times, 13 May 09, by Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti
In a First, U.S. Provides Pakistan With Drone Data
'The United States military for the first time has provided Pakistan with a broad array of surveillance information collected by American drones flying along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, American military officials said Wednesday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 09, by Jason Motlagh
US fights Taliban on another front: public relations
As Afghan insurgents exploit popular anger at civilian deaths, the US is hitting back with its own message.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 09, by David Montero
US 'Afpak' strategy troubles some in US and Pakistan
'American lawmakers say they haven't been briefed on plans, as some in Pakistan describe the administration as "confused."'

New York Times, 12 May 09, by Dexter Filkinshttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/world/asia/13pstan.html?ref=world
Pakistan Says 1.3 Million Flee Fight With Taliban 'Pakistani commandos attacked a large group of Taliban fighters on Tuesday in the contested district of Swat, while the number of civilians fleeing the fighting reached 1.3 million, military officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 09, by Rehmat Mehsud and Ben Arnoldy
Pakistani Taliban under pressure from tribal rival
'A escalating feud could distract Baitullah Mehsud and his 10,000-plus men from fighting Western forces in Afghanistan.'

Washington Post, 07 May 09, by Greg Jaffe
Joint Probe Planned Of Deadly U.S. Strike In West Afghanistan
'The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday he had dispatched a joint U.S.-Afghan team to investigate U.S. airstrikes that killed more than two dozen people in the western part of the country and prompted an outcry from Afghan officials.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Mar 09, by David Montero
Pakistanis flee Swat Valley as military strikes Taliban
'As Army bombs the area, militants are digging in and preparing for ground battle.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 May 09, by Ben Arnoldy and Huma Yusuf
Are Pakistani Taliban finding new foothold in south?
'Analysts say political leaders could strengthen militants' appeal if they do not manage deep ethnic tensions – which resulted in clashes that killed 30 people last week.'

New York Times, 06 May 09, by Salman Masood and Carlotta Gall
Before U.S. Talks, Pakistan Claims Combat Gains
'As the president of Pakistan prepared for talks in Washington on Wednesday, the security forces here, under American pressure to show greater resolve in combating militants, claimed to have killed at least 35 Taliban fighters in hotly contested areas of the country's northwest.'

Asia Times, 07 May 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Al-Qaeda seizes on Taliban's problem
'Taliban operations launched through the Pakistani tribal areas into Afghanistan have been seriously disrupted this year. If more troops are relocated from the border with India to this region, the Taliban will suffer further disruptions. Al-Qaeda sees this as an opportunity.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 May 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Next Taliban conquest? A view from Pakistan's frontline.
'Residents living between the militants and the capital worry their understaffed security forces can't defend their town.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr 09, by Anand Gopal
Taliban announce 'countersurge' in Afghanistan
'The militants have vowed to launch a new offensive against US and its allies, which are preparing to increase troop levels.'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Carlotta Gall and Salman Masood
Civilians Flee as Pakistani Forces Hit Resistance
'The Pakistani forces air-dropped commandos into the main town in Buner on Wednesday and quickly retook control of it from Taliban militants who flooded into the area last week, the military said. But the district was far from recaptured and the military may be in for a hard fight.'

New York Times, 28 Apr 09, by Carlotta Gall and Elisabeth Bumiller
Pakistani Military Moves to Flush Out Taliban
'After a week of strong criticism here and abroad over its inaction, the Pakistani military deployed fighter jets and helicopter gunships to flush out hundreds of Taliban militants who overran the strategic district of Buner last week, the military said Tuesday.'

Washington Post/AP, 28 Apr 09, by Nahal Toosi, AP
Talks With Taliban in Pakistan on Hold After Military Offensive
'A Pakistani military offensive against insurgent hideouts prompted suspension of controversial peace talks with the Taliban on Monday, and the country's president sought additional foreign aid to ensure that its nuclear arms remain in "safe hands."'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Alan Cowell
Britain to Add 700 Troops to Afghan War
'Calling the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan "the crucible of global terrorism," Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirmed Wednesday that Britain would send an additional 700 troops to Afghanistan to fight alongside American and NATO forces battling the Taliban. But he made clear that the deployment — which had been expected and will raise Britain's commitment to 9,000 from 8,300 — would be intended primarily to build security around the coming elections in Afghanistan and that the extra forces would be withdrawn by early 2010.'

New York Times, 28 Apr 09, by Dexter Filkins
Poppies a Target in Fight Against Taliban
'American commanders are planning to cut off the Taliban's main source of money, the country's multimillion-dollar opium crop, by pouring thousands of troops into the three provinces that bankroll much of the group's operations.'

The Guardian, 23 Apr 09, by Declan Walsh
Taliban oust Pakistani authorities in Swat Valley sharia zone
'Fighters force out judiciary, police, politicians and aid agencies.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr 09, by Issam Ahmed
Pakistani Taliban advance beyond Swat
'They have taken control of Buner next door and made forays into two more districts.'

BBC News, 23 Apr 09
Pakistan bid to stop Taleban push
'The Pakistan government has sent troops to tackle Taleban militants who have advanced into a region just 100km (67 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.'

Washington Post, 23 Apr 09, by Glenn Kessler
Clinton: Pakistani Government 'Abdicating' to Extremist Forces
'The Pakistani government "is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Congress yesterday in an unusually blunt statement that reflects the unease within the Obama administration about an agreement authorized by President Asif Ali Zardari last week.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Apr 09, by Anand Gopal
Lessons from Iraq? US creates local militias to fight Taliban
'With echoes of the Anbar Awakening in Iraq, the US is arming, training, and paying Afghans to set up village militias.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by
In Recruiting an Afghan Militia, U.S. Faces a Test
'The hope here is that the militias will come to the aid of the overwhelmed Afghan Army and the police, which take longer to train and equip and number only about 160,000.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by Jane Perlez
Pakistan Rehearses Its Two-Step on Airstrikes
'With two senior American officials at his side, the Pakistani foreign minister unleashed a strong rebuke last week, saying that American drone strikes against militants in Pakistan's tribal areas were eroding trust between the allies.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr 09, by Huma Yusuf
Pakistani Taliban expand influence beyond Swat
'In the same week that the Pakistani Taliban secured their demand for Islamic law in the Swat Valley, they moved into a neighboring district and won the right to preach in mosques there. This success in Buner came with little fighting – unlike in Swat, where they'd battled government forces on and off since 2007. The move suggests that the Taliban, having gained a foothold in Swat, intend to spread their influence more broadly in Pakistan – and may face little resistance in some areas.'

Asia Times, 15 Apr 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Militants open a new front in Pakistan
'When a United States Predator drone recently attacked the tribal headquarters of Baitullah Mehsud it not only missed the Pakistani Taliban leader, it stirred a hornet's nest. Mehsud has vowed to strike back in the urban areas, starting in the port city of Karachi, where the security forces have broken an unwritten agreement and cracked down on Mehsud's supporters.'

New York Times, 12 Apr 09, by C. J. Chivers
In Afghanistan, Soldiers Bridge 2 Stages of War
'... changing expectations have made the soldiers now on the ground a bridge from the older war to a fight that stands to become more invigorated, and hopeful, albeit perhaps more bloody as American units push into longstanding Taliban sanctuaries.'

New York Times, 08 Apr 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Corruption Undercuts U.S. Hope for Afghan Police
'American soldiers say that bribes and swindles undermine Afghans' faith in government and end up strengthening the Taliban.'

New York Times, 06 Apr 09, by Eric Schmitt and Christopher Drew
More Drone Attacks in Pakistan Planned
'Despite threats of retaliation from Pakistani militants, senior administration officials said Monday that the United States intended to step up its use of drones to strike militants in Pakistan's tribal areas and might extend them to a different sanctuary deeper inside the country.'

New York Times, 05 Apr 09, by Jane Perlez
Time Is Short as U.S. Presses a Reluctant Pakistan
'President Obama's strategy of offering Pakistan a partnership to defeat the insurgency here calls for a virtual remaking of this nation's institutions and even of the national psyche, an ambitious agenda that Pakistan's politicians and people appear unprepared to take up.'

Asia Times, 02 Apr 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
US strikes at Taliban's nerve center
'When the chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke arrive in Pakistan on Monday, their meetings with top military officials will be framed by the contentious Predator drone attack on Wednesday in a Pakistan tribal area.'

New York Times, 30 Mar 09, by Sabrina Tavernise, Waqar Gillani And Salman Masood
Rampage in Pakistan Shows Reach of Militants
'“In our country, at our different borders, arms are coming in, Stinger missiles are coming in, rocket launchers are coming in, heavy equipment is coming; it should be stopped,” Mr. Malik said. “Whoever the antistate elements are, they are destabilizing the country.”'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Mar 09, by Issam Ahmed and Ben Arnoldy
Pakistani police a growing target, Lahore attack shows
'Interior minister says the Pakistani Taliban are behind the attack.'

Washington Post, 26 Mar 09, by Karen DeYoung and Rajiv Chandrasekaran
In Afghan War, U.S. Dominance Increasing
'With more American troops and civilians on the way, NATO is likely to lose clout.'

Washington Post, 26 Mar 09, by Alamgir Bitani, Reuters
Pakistan hopes for U.S. re-think on missiles
'Pakistan wants the United States to reconsider its use of pilotless drones to attack militants, a government spokesman said on Thursday, hours after 11 people were killed in two missile attacks.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Mar 09, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt
Afghan strikes by Taliban get Pakistan help, U.S. aides say
'The Taliban's widening military campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan's military intelligence agency, despite Pakistani government promises to sever ties to militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, according to American government officials.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Mar 09, by Jane Perlez
Nawaz Sharif emerges as a Pakistan power broker
'... as the Obama administration completes its review of strategy toward the region this week, the opposition leader's sudden ascent has raised an urgent question: Can Mr. Sharif, 59, a populist politician close to Islamic parties, be a reliable partner? Or will he use his popular support to blunt the military's already fitful campaign against the insurgency of the Taliban and Al Qaeda?'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Mar 09, by Huma Yusuf
Pakistan on edge after two blasts
'Government officials warn that foreign Taliban militants have infiltrated the country and could carry out more attacks.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Mar 09, by Robert Marquand
Holbrooke: western Pakistan key to resolving Afghanistan war
'The US special envoy told allies at the Brussels Forum that the Talibanization of the region was a top concern.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Mar 09, by Mark Mazzetti
U.S. drone strikes may be cementing Pakistani militancy
'Even as the C.I.A. crosses names off its list of Al Qaeda leaders with each successful strike in Pakistan, Washington is struggling to understand the long-term implications of a push-button conflict. One question is whether the robot wars are only a holding action in a far more complex political and ideological war, against an enemy whose resilience America still does not fully understand.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Mar 09, by Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt
U.S. plan would more than double Afghan forces
'A plan awaiting final approval by [President Obama] would set a goal of about 400,000 troops and national police officers, more than twice the forces' current size, and more than three times the size that American officials believed would be adequate for Afghanistan in 2002, when the Taliban and Al Qaeda appeared to have been routed.'

Middle East Times, 19 Mar 09, by Richard Sale
Obama Steps Up and Expands War on Taliban
'The Barack Obama administration is stepping up strikes by U.S. drones against Taliban and al-Qaida targets in Pakistan and intends to spread attacks over a larger geographic area, according to administration officials.'

hristian Science Monitor, 19 Mar 09, by Anand Gopal
Key Afghan insurgents open door to talks
'The Haqqani network has agreed to discuss a peace proposal with government-backed mediators.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Mar 09, by Sangar Rahimi and Carlotta Gall
Officials link Kabul attackers to Pakistan
'The suicide bombers who stormed the Afghan Justice Ministry and a prison department building in the capital last month were trained in Pakistan's lawless border region, according to Afghan intelligence officials.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar 09, by Saeed Shah and Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy Newspapers
Why Pakistan's president gave in
'President Zardari lacked the full backing of the Army and US that his predecessor Musharraf enjoyed, Pakistani and US officials say.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Mar 09, by Jane Perlez
Pakistan turns onto an uncertain path
'It was a signal moment in Pakistan's political development: A huge demonstration forced the restoration of a dismissed chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, a symbol of democracy and the rule of law. The army did not stage a coup, but insisted that the government accept a compromise. The deal between President Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the main opposition party, does not herald a solution to the instability of this nuclear-armed nation. Nor does it ensure the Obama administration's primary objective of tamping down the powerful Islamic insurgency that threatens both Pakistan and Afghanistan.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Mar 09, by Thom Shanker and Elisabeth Bumiller
U.S. seeks new Afghan supply routes, even in Iran
'The United States is seeking new supply routes for the war in Afghanistan that would bypass Russia, and has even had logistics experts review overland roads through Iran that might be used by NATO allies, according to military planners and Pentagon officials.'

Washington Post, 11 Mar 09, by Edward Cody
Biden Asks NATO for Aid in Afghanistan
'Vice President Biden told NATO allies here Tuesday that the Obama administration wants their help building a new strategy in Afghanistan because growing security threats there affect all 26 countries in the alliance and because only by working together can they stop terrorist attacks.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt
Afghan civilian deaths a threat to U.S. mission
'The commander of a secretive branch of U.S. Special Operations forces ordered a halt in February to most commando missions in Afghanistan, reflecting a growing concern that civilian deaths caused by American firepower are jeopardizing broader goals there.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Mar 09, by Jane Perlez
Pakistan titans duel amid crackdown
'The unusually tough actions Wednesday and Thursday deepened the popular discontent with President Asif Ali Zardari, whose six months as leader of Pakistan has been marked by a worsening Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgency, a weak economy and what is widely perceived as rule by an accidental leader.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 09, by Carlotta Gall
Taliban and Afghans are in talks
'Even as President Barack Obama floated the idea of negotiating with moderate elements of the Taliban, Afghan and foreign officials here said that preliminary discussions with the Taliban leadership were already under way and could be developed into more formal talks with the support of the United States.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Ismail Khan
Pakistan strikes deal with border clan to rein in militants
'A major tribe with close ties to the Pakistani Taliban signed an agreement with the Pakistani government to hand over several of the militant group's local leaders, to lay down arms and to stop harboring foreign militants.'

Asia Times, 12 Mar 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Pakistan adds to US's Afghan woes
'The tumult in Pakistan, which is increasingly loosening President Asif Ali Zardari's grip on power, and the next round of fighting in Afghanistan - expected to be the fiercest yet - are inextricably linked and are fast spiraling out of control.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Mar 09, by Sabrina Tavernise
Avoiding Pakistan, new supply route to Afghanistan opens
'A new route to take cargo to American and NATO forces in Afghanistan has opened, American officials said Tuesday, providing an alternative to the primary supply route — through the troubled border with Pakistan — as it comes increasingly under threat.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Mar 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Attack on Sri Lanka cricket team: a sign that Pakistan is unraveling?
'If it is becoming a failed state, Indian officials wonder if they should take a harder – or softer – line with its neighbor.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Mar 09, by Ben Arnoldy
Militant attack on cricket team in Pakistan could backfire
'If militants are home-grown, domestic ambivalence about vilifying such groups could be diminished.'

The Guardian, 04 Mar 09, by Julian Borger
Pakistan poses global security worry, says top US official
'Senior officials in the Foreign Office and the Obama administration have privately expressed concern that Pakistan could prove to be more of a danger to global peace and security in the long run than Afghanistan, because of its nuclear weapons and its highly politicised and Islamicised secret service, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Mar 09, by Anand Gopal
Many in Afghanistan oppose Obama's troop buildup plans
'Frustration and fear is sparking opposition to plans that would nearly double the size of US forces there.'

Washington Post, 05 Mar 09, by Pamela Constable
Dispute Over Timing of Afghan Vote Turns Messy
'Conflict raises concern about prospects for besieged democracy. ... It also leaves unresolved the critical question of who will lead the country during the summer months, when the Islamist Taliban insurgency is expected to intensify its attacks and thousands of American troops will arrive.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Feb 09, by Eric Schmitt and Jane Perlez
Attacks on Al Qaeda concentrate its threat to Pakistan
'American missile strikes and Pakistani military raids have reduced Al Qaeda's global reach but heightened the threat to Pakistan as the group disperses it cells here and fights to maintain its sanctuaries, Pakistani intelligence officials said.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Feb 09, by Elisabeth Bumiller
Afghan civilian deaths show limits of air power
'Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, on the Arabian Sea: Every day from the deck of this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off the coast of Pakistan, two dozen combat planes are catapulted into the sky for the 500-mile trip to southern Afghanistan. There the pilots circle Taliban strongholds like an airborne 911 service and zoom in when American and British troops, spread thin and often panicked, call in airstrikes.'

Voice of America, 25 Feb 09, by Barry Newhouse
Struggle in Swat Valley Highlights Pakistan's Counterinsurgency Troubles
'This week top Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. officials are meeting in Washington to discuss how to counter al-Qaida and Taliban fighters, who now threaten both U.S.-backed governments in the region.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Feb 09, by Issam Ahmed
For Pakistan's Swat residents, uneasy calm
'A tenuous cease-fire has halted Taliban-Army fighting, as negotiations for a permanent deal continue.'

Washington Post, 19 Feb 09, by Pamela Constable, Karen DeYoung and Haq Nawaz Khan
Pakistani Accord Appears Stalled
'A controversial, closely watched peace agreement designed to end Taliban violence in the scenic Swat Valley hung in limbo Wednesday amid criticism in Pakistan and rising concern in Washington.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Feb 09, by Jane Perlez
Pakistan makes a Taliban truce, creating a haven
'The government announced Monday that it would accept a system of Islamic law in the Swat valley and agreed to a truce, effectively conceding the area as a Taliban sanctuary and suspending a faltering effort by the army to crush the insurgents.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb 09, by Anand Gopal
Mini-surge to test out US strategy in Afghanistan
'Some 3,000 US troops recently deployed to insurgent-heavy provinces near Kabul.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb 09, by Anand Gopal
Security up at porous Afghan border
'The US, Pakistan coordinate troops to prevent militants from fleeing to either side.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Feb 09, by Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti
The Taliban in Pakistan are raising U.S. fears
'Even as CIA drone aircraft pound Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal region, there is growing concern among American military and intelligence officials about different militants' havens in Pakistan that they fear could thwart American military efforts in Afghanistan this year.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb 09, by Anand Gopal
Coordinated Kabul assault shows Taliban strength
'Major incidents like this will certainly affect the debate in Washington, says Waliullah Rahmani, an expert on the insurgency with the Kabul Center for Strategic Studies. "If the insurgents can continually strike at the heart of the heavily fortified capital," he says, "it undermines Washington's faith in the Afghan government to provide security and could push them to send many more troops."'

Asia Times, 12 Feb 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Taliban send a bloody warning
'The United States and Britain are working overtime, with help from Russia, in preparation for what they believe will be the biggest-ever offensive against militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Feb 09, by Eric Schmitt
Afghan arms are at risk, report says
'The American military has not properly tracked tens of thousands of weapons the Pentagon bought and shipped to Afghan security forces, leaving the arms at risk of being stolen or sold to militants, according to a federal report that is to be presented at a House panel hearing on Thursday.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Feb 09, by Salman Masood and Alan Cowell
Pakistan says Mumbai attacks partly planned on its soil
'Pakistan acknowledged for the first time in public on Thursday that parts of the murderous Mumbai terror attacks were planned on its soil and said several suspects were being held. ... India has accused the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of responsibility for the attacks, supported by Pakistani intelligence agencies.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Feb 09, by Jane Perlez
In Pakistan, special envoy from U.S. finds discontent
'What [Richard Holbrooke] heard was a familiar list of requests for more money and arms from Pakistan's top leadership, as well as a litany of complaints about American airstrikes in Pakistan's tribal areas using Predator drones.'

Washington Post, 11 Feb 09, by Karen DeYoung
Pakistan Wants More From U.S.
'Inside the warm welcome and promises of a "new beginning" that Pakistan extended U.S. special envoy Richard C. Holbrooke yesterday was a warning that Pakistan expects more from the United States in return for its cooperation against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb 09, by Warren Richey
Next flash point over terror detainees: Bagram prison
'With Guantánamo set to close, more attention is falling on the US military facility in Afghanistan and those in custody there.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Feb 09, by Salman Masood
Taliban hits supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan
'... it was not immediately clear how soon the trucks carrying crucial supplies for NATO forces would be able to travel through the Khyber Pass to Afghanistan. More than 80 percent of the supplies meant for American and coalition forces in Afghanistan flow through Pakistan. Attacks aimed at choking the supply lines have become increasingly frequent and brazen, despite the presence of Pakistani security forces in the area.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan 09, by Issam Ahmed
Pakistan tackles Swat, a key militant area
'The Army launched fresh operations this week, following mounting pressure to retake the onetime tourist idyll now controlled by ultraconservative militants.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Jan 09, by Carlotta Gall
A U.S.-Afghan rift grows as raid accounts differ
'U.S. forces are reluctant to share information about future military raids with local officials, fearing that the information will be passed to the Taliban. Added to all that is a complication for U.S. forces here: Many villagers are armed, in the absence of an effective local police force.'

Asia Times, 28-29 Jan 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
On the Militant Trail
Part 1: A battle before a battle
Part 2: Faceless Taliban rule
'The indications are that a major battle will be fought in Pakistan before the annual spring offensive even begins in Afghanistan this year.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Jan 09, by Dexter Filkins
In Afghan south, Taliban fill NATO's gaps
'While the American-led coalition holds the cities and highways, it appears to have ceded much of the countryside to the Taliban, because it lacks sufficient forces to confront them.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Jan 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
U.S. secures new supply routes to Afghanistan
'The U.S. military obtained permission to transport materials through Russia and Central Asia, the top American commander in the Middle East said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jan 09, by David Montero
Taliban warn Obama: Leave Afghanistan
'Analysts say the war will be one of the new president's toughest challenges.'

Asia Times, 21 Jan 09, by Syed Saleem Shahzad
Pakistan's shift alarms the US
'United States Central Command chief General David Petraeus may have solved one problem by arranging alternative supply routes to the attack-prone ones that currently pass through Pakistan on their way to North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops in Afghanistan. Now he has to deal with Pakistan's military focus on India, at the expense of the troubled tribal areas from where the Taliban draw much of their strength.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan 09, by Shahan Mufti
Pakistan tested by battles with Al Qaeda, Taliban
'The US pursuit of Al Qaeda with airstrikes complicates Pakistan's struggle against the Taliban, who launched their largest attack in months over the weekend.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Jan 09, by Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Pir Zubair Shah
Unusual coordination in Taliban attack on Pakistani soldiers
'In a reversal of usual patterns, the attack involved a large number of Taliban from Afghanistan attacking in Pakistan, signaling coordination among militants on both sides of the border.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan 09, by Danna Harman
How US tries to limit civilian deaths in Afghanistan
'A record number of US troops – and Afghan civilians – died in 2008. Frustration mounts over fighting Taliban insurgents among villagers.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jan 09, by Huma Yusuf
Launch point for Mumbai attacks, Karachi faces rising militancy
'City officials fear Pakistan's commercial capital could be paralyzed if militants become more unified.'

Washington Post, 08 Jan 09, by Pamela Constable and Candace Rondeaux
Pakistan Rejects Indian Accusations, Plays Down Tension
'During a visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan's foreign minister on Wednesday strongly rejected accusations by India that Pakistani government agencies had played a role in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai ... At the same time, Pakistan's powerful intelligence chief said in a rare public interview from Islamabad that his government has no desire to fight a war with India, Pakistan's larger neighbor and longtime rival, and that he views terrorism as the "real enemy" of his country.'

Washington Post, 07 Jan 09, by Pamela Constable
Pakistani, Afghan Leaders Vow Joint Terrorism Fight
'In the past, Afghan and Pakistani officials repeatedly blamed each other for failing to curb Islamist extremism in their respective countries ...'

2008 Afghanistan and Pakistan archive
2007 Afghanistan and Pakistan archive