Officials: American troops to be pulled from Afghanistan
The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Thursday, marking a sharp change in the Trump administration’s policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table after more than 17 years of war.
Rise in US deaths in Afghanistan clouds outlook for peace
A rash of American combat deaths in Afghanistan is putting a spotlight on a stalemated 17-year war that is testing President Donald Trump’s commitment to pursuing peace with the Taliban.
New assessment: ‘Little clear progress’ in Afghanistan war
The U.S. and Afghan governments have made “little clear progress” recently in compelling the Taliban to negotiate a peace deal, according to a new U.S. assessment Monday that said military and political signs point toward continued stalemate.
Trump vows continued fight in Afghanistan; reversing stance
Reversing his past calls for a speedy exit, President Donald Trump recommitted the United States to the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, declaring U.S. troops must “fight to win.”
Frustrated with Trump, McCain promotes his own Afghan plan
In a rebuke of President Donald Trump, Republican Sen. John McCain declared Thursday that “America is adrift in Afghanistan” as he promoted a war strategy that would expand the U.S. counterterrorism effort and provide greater support to Afghan security forces.
Attack on American University in Afghanistan leaves 10 dead
A brazen, hours-long militant attack on the American University of Afghanistan ended early this morning after at least 10 people were killed and dozens were wounded, a government spokesman said.
Top US commander: War in Afghanistan is not a lost cause
The top American commander in Afghanistan told lawmakers on Tuesday that the war is not a lost cause and underscored his optimism with a personal story about his son, an Army sergeant preparing for his third deployment to the war-torn country.
Obama forced again to rethink troop numbers in Afghanistan
Fifteen years into the war that few Americans talk about any more, conditions in Afghanistan are getting worse, preventing the clean ending that President Barack Obama hoped to impose before leaving office.
US troops killed near Bagram, Taliban insurgency intensifies
A suicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden motorcycle into a joint NATO-Afghan patrol Monday, killing six American troops in the deadliest attack on international forces since August. Two U.S. troops and an Afghan were wounded.
Military favors keeping troops in Afghanistan past 2016
In a potential major shift in policy, U.S. military commanders want to keep at least a few thousand American troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016.
Afghan president says his nation won’t be ‘lazy Uncle Joe’
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani thanked Congress on Wednesday for billions of American tax dollars and vowed his war-wracked country will be self-reliant within this decade.
“We’re not going to be the lazy Uncle Joe,” he said.
Afghanistan president to embark on landmark Washington visit
As the Afghan president heads to the United States on his first trip to Washington as head of state, the landmark visit offers a chance for both sides to start afresh and wipe the slate clean on the legacy of troubled U.S-Afghan relations.
Officials: US to keep higher level of troops in Afghanistan
The Obama administration is abandoning plans to cut the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 5,500 by year’s end.
Pentagon chief: US considering slowing exit from Afghanistan
The United States is considering slowing its military exit from Afghanistan by keeping a larger-than-planned troop presence this year and next.
Afghan official: General’s killer hid in bathroom
The Afghan soldier who killed a U.S. two-star general and wounded other top officers hid in a bathroom before his assault and used a NATO machine gun in his attack, an Afghan military official said Wednesday.
Unease over Obama Afghanistan plan
Afghanistan’s disputed election and Iraq’s unraveling are giving members of Congress and U.S. allies in the region reason to think President Barack Obama should rethink his decision to withdraw virtually all Americans troops from Afghanistan by the close of 2016.
Peace talks still in limbo despite swap
Despite securing the release of five top detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, there are few indications that the Taliban will head into peace talks with the Afghan government any time soon.
5 troops killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan
Five American troops with a special operations unit were killed by a U.S. airstrike called in to help them after they were ambushed by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, in one of the deadliest friendly fire incidents in nearly 14 years of war, officials said Tuesday.
Officials: Concern for Bergdahl led to secrecy
Fears the Taliban might kill Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl if word leaked that he was being exchanged for five Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainees drove the Obama administration not to notify Congress in advance about the deal, according to congressional and administration officials.
Top military officer: Bergdahl case not closed
The nation’s top military officer said Tuesday the Army could still throw the book at Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the young soldier who walked away from his unit in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan and into five years of captivity by the Taliban.