Afghanistan War News Updates -- August 30, 2011

ROUTE 606 SAFETY - U.S. Marines place cages on drainage pipes to prevent insurgents from inserting explosive materials along a road in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 19, 2011. The Marines are assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. The engineers covered nearly 33 miles of Route 606, one of the country's busiest roads. The cages will improve safety for troops and travelers. U.S. Marines Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego

August Is Deadliest Month for US In Afghanistan -- New York Times/AP

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — August has become the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the nearly 10-year-old war in Afghanistan, where international forces have started to go home and let Afghan forces take charge of securing their country.



A record 66 U.S. troops have died so far this month, eclipsing the 65 killed in July 2010, according to a tally by The Associated Press.



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More News On Afghanistan

Deadliest month yet for U.S. in Afghanistan -- CBS/AP

U.S. suffers its deadliest month in Afghanistan after 66 troops die in combat during August -- Daily Mail

August deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan -- CNN

August is Deadliest Month for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan -- National Journal



FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Aug 30 -- Alertnet

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update -- Dvids

Combined Force Kills Taliban Insurgent -- US Department of Defense

Three NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- UPI

10 insurgents killed in Afghanistan: NATO -- The Nation

NATO forces kill 18 Taliban in Helmand, Ghazni Tribal elder shot dead in Paktika -- Frontier Post

Militants kill six Afghan policemen -- Press TV

3 Australian commandos cleared of 6 Afghan deaths -- AP

Afghan charges against Australian soldier dropped -- AFP

Rangers awarded for actions in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes/McClatchy News



Afghan Taliban victory predicted in letter -- L.A. Times

Mullah Omar: Fine, I Didn’t Want Run Afghanistan, Anyway -- Registan



Talks on new US-Afghan pact strains relations -- AP

U.S.-Taliban talks ruined by leak to media -- SFGate/AP

AP exclusive: U.S.-Taliban talks were making headway -- Mercury News/AP

Secret U.S.-Taliban talks were closing on deal to free kidnapped army sergeant before being scuppered by Karzai aides -- Daily Mail

Missing U.S. soldier caught in middle of Afghan talks -- Chicago Sun Times

Afghanistan endgame: Karzai wins Saudi backing for Taliban reconciliation -- Express Tribune



Afghan president sends would-be child suicide bombers home -- Reuters

Afghan President Pardons Would-Be Suicide Bombers -- NPR



In helping Afghanistan build up its security forces, U.S. is trimming the frills -- Washington Post

Corruption in Afghan government has potential to compromise US military mission, says senator -- The Hill

US has wasted $30bn on Iraq and Afghanistan contracts, report finds -- The Guardian

Policing Afghanistan -- Washington Post Photo Gallery

U.S. Men at War: BlackBerrys and iPads on the Afghan Front -- Time



What the Taliban Want -- Ahmed Rashid, New York Review of Books

The Cost of Ignoring Afghanistan's Politics -- Joshua Foust, The Atlantic