US troops

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US Combat Deaths Hit 5-Year Low
US Combat Deaths Hit 5-Year Low
Dec 4, 2008 6:16 AM CST

US Combat Deaths Hit 5-Year Low

Military hails Iraq improvement; warns of trouble in Afghanistan

(Newser) - American combat deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq fell to their lowest level last month since the US began fighting two wars, USA Today reports. Combat claimed 11 lives, and 7 others perished in non-combat incidents. Commanders credited major security improvements in Iraq for statistics there, but warned that the situation...

Iraq OKs US Troops for 3 More Years

Pact gives Iraqis more oversight over American presence

(Newser) - Iraq's parliament today passed a security pact with the US that lets American troops stay in the country for 3 more years. The ruling coalition's Shiite and Kurdish blocs as well as the largest Sunni Arab bloc backed the "yes" vote, the AP reports. The parliament speaker said an...

US Troops in Afghanistan Battle Beard Ban

Clean-shaven troops complain lack of facial hair makes it harder to win Afghan respect

(Newser) - American troops in Afghanistan want to take a razor to the military's long-standing rule banning beards, US News & World Report writes. Beards are a sign of manhood in traditional areas of Afghanistan, and clean-shaven troops grumble that the rule—which the military maintains is essential for hygiene and...

US Troop Deaths in Iraq Lowest Since War Began

Troops, militants shifting to Afghanistan as America's Iraq strategy succeeds

(Newser) - October is on course to tie July's record for the lowest number of troop deaths in Iraq, USA Today reports. Thirteen US troops have died so far in October in combat and non-combat incidents. For the first time since the war started in 2002, no US troops died in combat...

US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011
 US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011 
Oct 15, 2008 4:32 PM CDT

US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011

Bilateral pact, which gives Iraq control over troops, must be approved by parliament

(Newser) - Iraq's government could soon be in charge of US troops for the first time, a prelude to their full withdrawal by 2011 under a deal now awaiting approval by Iraqi politicians, Reuters reports. The deal sets a firm timeline, and lets the Arab nation prosecute American soldiers for some serious...

Lost Children of Vietnam War Seek Their Place

Amerasians, shunted aside in both cultures, want citizenship

(Newser) - Some American servicemen left children behind when they came home from Vietnam and Korea, and those Amerasians, now in their 30s and 40s, are stuck between two cultures that don't fully accept them. "I am not a refugee, but I am being treated as one," says a member...

Marines Try to Wean Iraq From US Pocketbook

Saddam-era budget network can't provide to expanded security forces

(Newser) - As Iraq becomes safer, the Marines have focused on the next challenge: weaning the country’s security forces off US financial and logistical support, USA Today reports. To spur the independence of the nascent Iraqi police, the Marines now refuse to refuel their vehicles, and it's gotten the Iraqis' attention....

Afghanistan Commander Calls for More Troops, Now

US General appeals for political support, manpower

(Newser) - The top US commander in Afghanistan today asked for more troops, as well as additional political and economic aid, "as quickly as possible" to combat a growing influx of foreign insurgents in the country, the AP reports. The fight against Islamic militants is going to get harder before it...

Pakistani Troops Fire on US Helicopters

US forced back across border to Afghanistan

(Newser) - Pakistani troops fired on two US helicopters crossing the border apparently to attack militants last night and drove them back into Afghanistan, Reuters reports. The aircraft crossed the border in the restive North Waziristan tribal region, according to Pakistani sources. US officials refused to confirm the report. Pakistani officials have...

Afghanistan's Insurgency Endures

Attacks highlight security decline

(Newser) - The insurgency in Afghanistan is mushrooming, and targeting the refurbished highway that provides a weak connection between the country's ethnic halves, the New York Times reports. A series of deadly attacks in June has exposed the tribulations of the United States' 6-year-old effort to defeat the Taliban.

Deal Would Set Oct. 2010 for US Pullout: Iraqi Official

Legal immunity for troops remains stumbling block in talks

(Newser) - Significant progress has been made on the security agreement being negotiated between Iraq and the US, the AP reports, with two Iraqi officials saying that the deal sets October 2010 as the deadline for a near-complete withdrawal. Legal immunity for troops remains an issue, and contributed to a “very...

French Troops Head to Afghanistan

Will train local forces to fend off Taliban

(Newser) - Hundreds of French troops have been deployed to train local infantry battalions in southern Afghanistan to help them fend off Taliban fighters, according to NATO officials. The deployment was one of the largest ground military convoys in the area in years, and came in response to NATO commanders' repeated requests...

Retirement Plan Hurting US Military: Study

'Inequitable, inefficient' system handcuffs brass, needs overhaul

(Newser) - The retirement plan for the US military is "inequitable, inflexible, [and] inefficient," says a study released today by the Pentagon. It recommends the current system be swapped for a combination of cash and deferred compensation that kicks in with as few as 10 years of service, the Military...

Saddam's Palace Is Tourist Hotspot for US Troops

Ruins are all the sightseeing most get to do

(Newser) - It’s impractical—not to mention dangerous—for US troops to do much sightseeing in Baghdad, but Saddam Hussein’s ruined presidential complex is one exception. As one of the few places off-duty service members can go, the palace has become a magnet for military tourists, the Wall Street Journal...

McCain Ad Slams Obama for Skipping Troop Meeting

But 'he had time to go to the gym,' snipes spot

(Newser) - A new John McCain ad goes on the offensive, attacking Barack Obama for canceling a meeting with wounded troops, Politico reports. The clip, which aired in Denver during Saturday Night Live last night, criticizes Obama over his track record with members of the military, sniping: “He made time to...

Iraq Sands Shifting Under McCain Position
Iraq Sands Shifting Under McCain Position
ANALYSIS
Jul 21, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

Iraq Sands Shifting Under McCain Position

Move by Bush, Maliki toward timetable is 'devastating blow'

(Newser) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain is stuck in an awkward position after both President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki moved closer to a withdrawal timetable favored by Barack Obama, Politico notes. McCain has opposed such a measure, but in 2004 asserted that if a sovereign Iraqi government asked...

Army Waivers Linked to Suspect Soldiers

Criminals allowed to fight in US wars likely to continue troubles

(Newser) - Dozens of US criminals who were granted Army waivers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan have been linked to in-service problems, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a year-long study, the paper connected "suspect soldiers"—accused of beating prisoners, stealing weapons, and more—to troubles back home. Of 18...

Emboldened Iraq Stands Up to Washington
Emboldened
Iraq Stands Up to Washington
ANALYSIS
Jul 10, 2008 7:41 AM CDT

Emboldened Iraq Stands Up to Washington

Maliki's demand for US withdrawal the latest sign of new confidence

(Newser) - Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi government are now openly demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces, reports the New York Times. While nobody expects Baghdad to boot American troops, several military victories and greater political stability have emboldened Maliki, and the increasingly loud demands reflect a new confidence...

New US Tax Law Looks Heartless to Foreign Workers

Would-be tax evaders will pay, but so will wealthy green-card holders

(Newser) - A new tax law set up to help troops and veterans, offset by taxing wealthy Americans who give up citizenship to beat the IRS, hits some others in the wallet, Portfolio reports. Long-term, legal foreign workers who return home will see unrealized capital gains taxed—potentially damaging the perception of...

Afghan War Hamstrung by Troop Shortage

But Joint Chiefs chair says that Iraq's needs limit US options

(Newser) - The US needs more troops in Afghanistan but lacks the available forces because of the Iraq war, the nation’s top military officer said yesterday. In his most pointed remarks to date, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen said that countering the country's resurgent Taliban and booming...

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