Afghanistan

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US Announces Major Drawdown in Iraq

Just 3K troops will remain at the end of this month

(Newser) - The Trump administration is pulling nearly half of its troops out of Iraq. The US commander in the Middle East said Wednesday that troops would be reduced this month from 5,200 to 3,000—about the number that were in the country in 2015, during the early phase of...

Gunmen Open Fire on Afghan Film Director

Saba Sahar, also an activist for women's rights, is hospitalized

(Newser) - One of Afghanistan's first female film directors was reportedly shot Tuesday when three gunmen opened fire on her car in Kabul. Saba Sahar, also a popular actress and advocate for women's rights, was taken to a hospital, where she underwent a successful operation, her husband tells the BBC...

Afghanistan to Meet Condition Set by Taliban

President Ghani says he'll sign decree freeing final 400 prisoners

(Newser) - Thousands of delegates from across Afghanistan endorsed releasing the nation's final 400 Taliban prisoners in an effort to encourage the start of peace talks. "The Taliban have said that if the 400 prisoners are released the direct talks between our negotiating team and the Taliban will start three...

Girl Saw Taliban Fighters Kill Her Parents. Then She Got Even

Qamar Gul reportedly killed several militants in Friday gun battle in Afghanistan

(Newser) - A photo of an Afghan girl in a headscarf, holding an AK-47 across her lap, has gone viral owing to its incredible backstory. The girl, Qamar Gul, said to be between 14 and 16, was at her home in the village of Geriveh, in Ghor province, around 1am Friday when...

Trump: No One Told Me Russia Offered Bounties on US Soldiers

President said he was never briefed on report that Russia paid Taliban to kill US troops in Afghanistan

(Newser) - President Trump on Sunday denied that he had been briefed on reported US intelligence that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan, and he minimized the allegations against Moscow. American intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian officials offered rewards...

Green Beret Who Received Medal of Honor Dies at 41

Ronald Shurer II, who joined the Secret Service after the Army, had lung cancer

(Newser) - He was a Green Beret awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan, as well as a Secret Service staffer later in his career. Now, per the Army Times , both those organizations are mourning the loss of former Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II, who died...

FBI Offers $1M Reward for Caitlan Coleman's Captors

Feds say they want to bring justice to kidnapped US citizen

(Newser) - More than two years after she was rescued by Pakistani forces , the FBI is offering a reward for the Taliban-linked captors of US woman Caitlan Coleman and her husband, Canadian citizen Joshua Boyle. A reward notice states that the government will give up to $1 million for information leading to...

They Hid Under Beds. One Mom Was Killed Holding Her Newborn

Death toll in pair of attacks Tuesday in Afghanistan climbs to 56

(Newser) - The death toll in Tuesday's attack on an Afghan hospital's maternity ward has climbed to 24, while deaths from a later attack on a funeral have risen to 32, per the BBC . The terror began around 10am with blasts and gunfire heard at the Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul....

14 Dead in Maternity Clinic Attack, Including 2 Newborns

Armed militants storm hospital in Dashti Barchi, Afghanistan; at least 15 injured

(Newser) - Militants stormed a maternity hospital Tuesday in the western part of Kabul, Afghanistan, setting off an hourslong shootout with police and killing 14 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers, and nurses, Afghan officials say. The AP reports that while the battle was underway, Afghan security forces struggled to evacuate...

Afghan Government's Move May Wreck US-Taliban Deal

It's postponing the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners

(Newser) - The Afghan government Saturday postponed the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, an Afghan official said, a decision that could sabotage a peace deal signed last month between the Taliban and the US. Jawed Faisal, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Adviser's office, said the releases were being delayed...

1.5K Taliban Prisoners Are About to Go Free

Afghan president making release as goodwill gesture to spur negotiations

(Newser) - After a series of delays, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree early Wednesday promising to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture to get intra-Afghan negotiations started. A recent peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban called for the release of up to 5,...

Afghan Withdrawal Begins, but There's a Hitch

US begins withdrawal under deal with Taliban, but nation swears in 2 different presidents

(Newser) - It's a milestone day in Afghanistan on two fronts, with developments that illustrate the complex challenges at play:
  • Withdrawal: The US began withdrawing its first troops under a peace deal struck with the Taliban last month, reports the BBC . The US currently has more than 12,000 troops there,
...

Trump Becomes 1st US President to Speak Directly to Taliban
Trump Has a
Historic Phone Call
Mar 3, 2020 5:00 PM CST

Trump Has a Historic Phone Call

He's the first US president to speak directly to the Taliban

(Newser) - President Trump confirmed Tuesday that he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first US president believed to ever speak directly with the militant group that harbored al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of US troops in nearly 19...

18 Years Ago, Bloodshed Began in Afghanistan. Now, a Deal
US, Taliban Sign
Peace Deal 
Feb 29, 2020 9:00 AM CST

US, Taliban Sign Peace Deal

Agreement is meant to end the Afghanistan War, if Taliban meets its anti-terrorism commitments

(Newser) - The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing US troops to return home from America's longest war. Under the agreement, the US would draw its forces down to 8,600 from...

Pompeo: This Deal May End 20 Years of Conflict

As the 'New York Times' takes heat for a Taliban op-ed

(Newser) - A seven-day "reduction in violence" begins Friday in Afghanistan between US troops and the Taliban, a move the BBC notes is meant to lead to a more permanent ceasefire. "After decades of conflict, we have come to an understanding with the Taliban," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo...

Afghan Shooter Wore an Army Uniform
Afghan Shooter Wore
an Army Uniform
Feb 9, 2020 12:30 PM CST

Afghan Shooter Wore an Army Uniform

2 Americans dead, 6 wounded in attack

(Newser) - Two US service members—both Special Forces—are dead and six service members are wounded after an attack in Afghanistan on Saturday, CNN reports. An Afghan soldier was also killed and three wounded in the surprise gunfight. It began after someone in an Afghan uniform opened fire at the Sherzad...

US Official: American Casualties in Afghanistan

Several US personnel were either injured or killed

(Newser) - American and Afghan military personnel were fired on while conducting an operation in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, the US military said Saturday. Several US personnel were either injured or killed, but the exact number and other details were not provided, said a US official who agreed to discuss the...

US Forces Search for Kidnapped American

Illinois contractor was captured in Afghanistan

(Newser) - Months after the Taliban released two hostages, an American and an Australian, another American has been taken in Afghanistan. Mark Frerichs, 57, of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped last Friday, Newsweek reports. Frerichs is an executive for a US contractor, International Logistical Support, and a former diver for the Navy. No...

US Bombings in Afghanistan Hit Record High

7,423 munitions dropped in 2019, compared to 947 in 2015

(Newser) - The US dropped more bombs on Afghanistan in 2019 than in any other year since the Pentagon began keeping track in 2006. A total of 7,423 munitions were dropped, up from 7,362 in 2018 and 4,361 in 2017, Military.com reports based on data from the US...

US on Confusing Afghanistan Plane Crash: It Was Ours

US military says it was a US Air Force plane and there's no indication it was shot down

(Newser) - After a flurry of confusing reports about a downed plane in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the US military has confirmed it was a US Air Force plane that crashed. The rep for US forces in Afghanistan says the Bombardier E-11A crashed in the Ghazni province, the AP reports. US officials...

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