Topic: International Security Assistance Force

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Focus Is Afghanistan ready to defend itself?

Evidence is mixed as to the readiness of Afghanistan's Army and National Police to assume the lead in planning and fighting – with the summer combat season likely to be the first big test.
Terrorism & Security Afghanistan blast targets NATO convoy, kills at least 6 (+video)

Afghan insurgent group Hizb-e-Islami claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it plans further attacks against foreign troops.
Backchannels Taliban attacks in Afghanistan not down after all

The NATO-led coalition said a data entry error led to a claim last week that Taliban attacks had fallen 7 percent last year. In fact, there's little change. So what did we get for the surge?
Afghan president orders US troops out of volatile province on Kabul's flank

President Hamid Karzai has asked US Special Forces to leave Wardak Province, raising concerns about how security might be affected in Afghanistan's capital city.
Outgoing general predicts an Afghanistan liberated from foreign intrigue

The remarks from Gen. John Allen came at a change-of-command ceremony. American Gen. Joseph Dunford now leads NATO's mission in Afghanistan.
Backchannels Afghan corruption, opium, and the strange case of Kam Air

Kam Air, an airline owned by a politically-connected Afghan businessman, was blacklisted by the US military in Afghanistan for opium smuggling. Then the Afghan government complained.
Widening Petraeus scandal comes at already troublesome time for Pentagon

Gen. John Allen, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, is under investigation by the Department of Defense, as part of the inquiry into David Petraeus's affair. The Pentagon already had big personnel moves planned, and budget questions loom.
Readers Write: US-NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan is complicated; Quran must be better understood

Letters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of November 11, 2012: The US military entered Afghanistan in 2001 in order to bring democracy, gender equality, and security to that nation, but many would argue that they have failed on all counts; The Quran must be discussed with reason and intelligence, as an International Quranic Studies Association would hopefully accomplish.
Progress Watch Neither heat nor gloom ... Afghan post office delivers

As the Afghan government struggles to develop, the post office has quietly managed to become one of the nation's most efficient institutions - and with extremely limited international assistance.
Afghanistan war claims 2,000th US soldier, but pace slowing

The 2,000th US soldier to die may have been the victim of another insider attack. Overall, the conflict has grown less deadly for US troops since 2010.
Joint raids suspended: NATO's Afghanistan strategy hits hurdle

The new policy is likely to put even more distance between NATO and Afghan forces, stressing relations at a time when NATO has been working to hand over security to the Afghans.
Afghanistan: Six killed by insiders, insurgents blow up $180m in jets

Green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan have killed at least 51 international troops this year.
Tweeting jihadists: The next generation of militants

Twitter is an unfiltered space for Islamist extremists. Groups are using the service to provide the jihadist take on current events and conflicts.
5,000 Afghan 'militants' have surrendered - but are they real?

Officials say the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program has brought stability to several areas. But critics say the real anti-government fighters aren't participating.
Keep Calm What the French elections could mean for Afghan security

Newly elected French President François Hollande pledged to withdraw French troops by end of 2012. This will increase the burden on other NATO allies as Taliban fighting season begins.
Latest photo scandal: US soldiers pose with dead Afghan insurgents

An American soldier gave the Los Angeles Times 18 photos of US soldiers posing with dead Afghan insurgents. US Ambassador in Afghanistan Ryan Crocker called the actions of these American soldiers "morally repugnant."
Turkish helicopter crash in Afghanistan comes at tough time for NATO forces

A NATO helicopter crashed into a house on the outskirts of Kabul on Friday, killing 12 Turkish soldiers on board and at least two Afghan civilians on the ground.
Obama, Cameron tout Afghanistan exit plan, but will Afghan troops be ready?

In the Rose Garden, Obama and Cameron say local forces will take 'full responsibility' for Afghanistan's security in 2014, but their readiness is not assured despite years of training.
Six UK soldiers believed killed in Afghanistan blast

Six UK soldiers were believed missing and presumed dead after an explosion hit their armored vehicle in southwestern Afghanistan on Tuesday evening.
The PR challenge in Afghanistan: suicide bombing, Quran burning, and murky data

The US and NATO continue to offer relentlessly optimistic reports. But they aren’t reversing the erosion of public confidence, and attacks like today's suicide bombing don't help.
Quran burning protests rage on, injuring 7 more troops

The US ambassador to Afghanistan admits that 'tensions are running very high here' over the disposal of Qurans in a burn pit at a US military base.
Backchannels NATO decides Afghan ministries too dangerous for its personnel

After what appears to be the latest murder of US personnel by Afghan security services, NATO pulled its people out of Afghan ministries.
Quran burning: Were prisoners hiding extremist messages in books?

The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the Quran burning at a US detention facility in Afghanistan. Prisoners might have used the books to pass secret messages, a spokesman says.
Special Forces in Afghanistan: not just taking out terrorists anymore

As conventional forces withdraw from Afghanistan, US Special Forces will take the lead in training Afghan soldiers and police – a task that takes Special Forces back to their roots.
Bomb Iran? Nearly half of Americans say 'yes' to halt nuclear program.

A new You-Gov poll finds 44 percent of Americans favor, and 35 percent oppose, a strike against Iran. Fewer Europeans favor force, but more are convinced Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.