Afghanistan

UN staff killed by Afghan mob enraged over Florida Quran burning

At least 20 UN staff members were killed in northern Afghanistan when a protest over a Quran burning overseen by pastor Terry Jones turned into a violent mob.

US soldier Morlock sentenced to 24 years for killing Afghan civilians

US Army Spc. Jeremy Morlock pleaded guilty to killing three Afghan civilians as part of a renegade 'kill team' made up of soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade.

Why you don't ask about another man's fiancée in Afghanistan

Asking details about another man’s wife or fiancée suggests you might be interested in her, an Afghan friend recently told me. He said a more appropriate question would be: 'Are you marrying your cousin?'

Karzai announces Afghan forces ready to take over some provinces

President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that the people of Afghanistan no longer desire to see international forces defend their country for them.

US image problem grows as Afghanistan casualties mount

While insurgent-caused casualties are up, US-caused civilian casualties are down. Still, it only takes a couple of high profile incidents to negatively turn public opinion.

Women's rights in Afghanistan lose steam

The fall of the Taliban may have brought change for many women in major urban areas, but today women are running into cultural barriers that go beyond Taliban influence.

Why is Robert Gates making a surprise visit to Afghanistan?

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived Monday in Afghanistan. The visit is expected to shape decisions about the gradual US troop drawdown slated to begin this summer.

Top Afghan insurgents tout girls' education, not bombs

Hizb-e-Islami, a key militant group, is increasingly supporting many Afghan government priorities, such as girls' education. Such cooperation could boost peace efforts.

Suicide attack in Afghanistan's north signals broader reach of Taliban

An Afghan Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 31 people today in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz Province. The north has long been devoid of the Taliban's influence.

Kabul suicide attack: does uptick in violence signal a fresh Taliban campaign?

Until the recent suicide attacks in Kabul, coalition officials were holding up the capital's relative peace as a sign of progress in their fight against the Taliban-led insurgency.

Stan McChrystal recounts US roadblocks to Taliban manhunt

Retired Gen. Stan McChrystal relayed story of how US special forces in Afghanistan finally got their man, despite an intelligence blackout from D.C. Now a Yale professor, he spoke this week about that Taliban episode, WikiLeaks, and information-sharing with the public.

After standoff, Karzai opens newly assertive Afghan parliament

Afghanistan's President Karzai had tried to delay convening the new parliament until a special court finished investigating allegations of election fraud. His concession highlights the growing power of the legislative branch.

Afghanistan poppy production could skyrocket due to spike in prices, drought

Afghanistan poppy farmers see 'cash bonanza' due to price spike, says United Nations, forewarning of increased planting of the opium-producing crop that pads insurgents' wallets.

Karzai visits Moscow as Russia eyes greater role in Afghanistan

During President Karzai's visit, Afghanistan and Russia are likely to sign agreements on political, social, economic, and defense cooperation initiatives.

Karzai worried about electoral fraud... really?

The US military is fighting to build... Afghan business culture?

Rush for results in Afghanistan may undermine aid goals

Concern is increasing among the international development specialists that the rush for results in Afghanistan actually encourages cumbersome rules that take a long time to implement.

Congress brings down top auditor of Afghan corruption. Wrong target?

Congress targeted the man responsible for protecting US taxpayer dollars from Afghan corruption, but aid workers say the bigger problem is that the US is sending too much money.

Taliban bomb kills Afghan police chief, 16 civilians in Kandahar bathhouse

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which came only a day after the US announced it was sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Gates announces Afghanistan troop increase only months before drawdown

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan to protect gains as fighting increases with the spring snow melt.

Afghanistan looks to Pakistan for help with Taliban

As Pakistan deals with the fallout from Tuesday's assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani met Wednesday with Pakistan's military chief to help nudge the Taliban to the negotiating table.

The can-do mayor of Kabul: Some see a model for a modern Afghanistan politician

The former civil engineer turned mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan, is winning praise by using his 17-hour work days to promote road repair and provide homes to the poor or homeless.

US deal with Afghan tribe promises to reduce Taliban strikes

The deal, in which a prominent tribe has agreed to help stop Taliban attacks in volatile Helmand Province, is being compared with successful efforts in Iraq to use tribal influence against the insurgency there.

Iraqi civilian deaths down in 2010, but in Afghanistan they're on the rise

The civilian death toll in Iraq this year stands at 3,976, its lowest since 2003. But almost as many Afghan civilians died in the first half of 2010 alone.

How one Afghan village fended off a Taliban advance

Locals who beat back a Taliban advance Saturday now say they fear Taliban retribution and potentially losing control of the area without Afghan government assistance.