U.S. Military Leaders Pressing To Expand The War Against Militants In Pakistan

U.S. Military Leaders Reportedly Pressing to Escalate Campaign In Pakistan's Tribal Regions -- FOX News

The covert U.S. campaign of drone attacks on terror suspects in Pakistan is one of the worst kept secrets in international diplomacy. Now U.S. military leaders reportedly are asking for an even greater presence in the country.

Military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for an expanded Special Operations campaign, the New York Times reports. It is the latest sign the West continues to struggle in combating terrorist strongholds in the Pakistani tribal regions, given that the country -- at least officially -- has forbid direct U.S. intervention out of fear of a local backlash.

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More News On The U.S. Wanting To Expand The War Against Militants In Pakistan

U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan -- New York Times
US to expland ground ops in Pakistan? -- Threat Matrix
U.S. considers expanding raids into Pakistan-report -- Reuters
Report: US military pushing for new Pakistan raids -- AP
U.S. seeks to expand military activities in Pakistan -- Xinhuanet
Drone activity in Pakistan moves northward, official says -- CNN

Who Are The Foreigners Fighting Alongside The Taliban On The Afghan/Pak Border

Arabs Throw In Their Lot With ‘Global Terrorists’ In War Against The Infidel -- Times Online

They have been attacked from the air by American drones and on the ground by the Pakistan Army. Hundreds have been killed or injured on the battlefields of Afghanistan — but the foreign fighters, or “global terrorists” of the North West Frontier Province, remain a formidable presence.

First-hand accounts from locals in the lawless areas of Pakistan close to the Afghan border, combined with those of Pakistani officers in the region, suggest that there is no shortage of Islamic foreigners willing to join the fray. Britain claims that these fighters are still the source of 75 per cent of terror plots against it.

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My Comment: In the past few months drone missile strikes coupled with Pakistani military offensives have shrunk the territory that these groups were once able to freely operate. I expect this trend to continue.

U.S. And Pakistani Forces Attack Both Sides Of The Afghan-Pakistan Border

Pakistan plans to seal parts of its border in an effort to stem incursions into Afghanistan by Taliban militants. Anjum Naveed/Associated Press

Joint Forces Assault al Qaeda Base In Afghan East -- Long War Journal

US and Afghan forces killed 18 extremists during a raid on an al Qaeda base in the mountains in eastern Afghanistan.

The raid, launched on Oct. 11, targeted an al Qaeda commander who is known to use the mountainside base near the village of Tantil to conduct attacks in the Pech Valley. The al Qaeda leader, who was not named, and his cadre are also known to facilitate the movement of foreign fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

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Air Strike Kills 16 Militants In South Waziristan -- Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani aircraft attacked Taliban militants in their South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border as the government said a ground offensive against the al Qaeda-linked fighters was imminent.

The aircraft struck the militants late on Sunday, hours after commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage after an attack on the army headquarters.

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The Afghan-Pakistan Militant Nexus

(Click Image to Enlarge)

From The BBC:

The US has declared the Afghan-Pakistan border region to be the new frontline in its war against Islamic militants. Click on the provinces or the links below the map to see how militants operate on either side of the border. (Text: M Ilyas Khan)

Helmand, Chaghai

Kabul's writ has never run strong in the remote southern plains of Helmand province. For this reason, it has emerged as the most significant Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan. Further south, across the border in Pakistan, lies the equally remote Noshki-Chaghai region of Balochistan province.

Since 9/11 this region has been in turmoil. In the Baramcha area on the Afghan side of the border, the Taliban have a major base. From there they control militant activities as far afield as Nimroz and Farah provinces in the west, Oruzgan in the north and parts of Kandahar province in the east. They also link up with groups based in the Waziristan region of Pakistan.

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My Comment: An excellent interactive map from the BBC.

Taliban-Style Justice For Alleged U.S. Spies

VIDEO: Alleged Taliban spy confession

From MSNBC:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – "I was given $122 to drop chips wrapped in cigarette paper at al-Qaida and Taliban houses," confessed 19-year-old Habibur Rehman, just before the Taliban shot him dead for spying for the United States. "If I was successful, I was told, I would be given thousands of dollars," he said.

In a video released last week by the Taliban as a warning to other would-be spies, Rehman recounted how he was recruited to spy on the Taliban in North Waziristan and drop small transmitter chips on specific targets to call in CIA pilotless drone aircraft.

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My Comment: This war is getting rough and brutal. The Taliban has obviously been hit hard .... and they are acting accordingly.

Iraqi Lessons For Af-Pak Troubles

U.S. Army soldiers discuss how to proceed to their next objective in Owesat, Iraq, April 12, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

From DoD BUzz:

With Pakistan and Afghanistan slowly disintegrating under pressure from the Taliban and Al Qaeda, the time seems ripe to explore some of the things that are being done right in Iraq that may serve to help bolster those failing regimes. I spoke Friday morning with Air Force Maj. Joseph Musacchia, chief of security forces and an advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, who offered several example of how the Iraqi Ministry of Interior is improving its performance.

David Kilcullen, one of Gen. Petraeus’ key counterinsurgency advisors, and others have been saying for weeks that the slow-motion collapse of Pakistan poses the greatest risk to American interests. And these experts have identified improving the status and reach of the Pakistani police as key to improving the nuclear power’s chances of survival as a democratic state run by one authority.

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My Comment: A must read piece that compares Iraq to what is happening now in Afghanistan. Bottom line .... it is going to take a long time (if possible) for these countries to establish any semi-decent law/police force.

AfghanPak War News Updates -- April 12-13, 2009

Pakistani drivers stood beside half burnt trucks after militants attack at a terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 12, 2009. (Mohammad Sajjad/AP)

NATO, US Seek Alternatives To Pakistan Supply Routes - -Christian Science Monitor

Kabul, Afghanistan - Militants attacked a supply depot Sunday in Pakistan that serves Western forces in Afghanistan, increasing the pressure for US and NATO officials to find alternatives to their beleaguered supply lines.

In a predawn raid in the northwestern city of Peshawar, scores of Pakistani Taliban guerrillas torched trucks stationed at the supply terminal. The assault is the latest in a series that have targeted the Western supply convoys that run through Pakistan to replenish forces fighting in Afghanistan.

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More News Updates On The AfghanPak War

Militants Torch Supplies Bound for Troops in Afghanistan -- Voice Of America
Pakistan militants attack NATO supply trailers -- CNN
Pakistan militants torch Afghan supplies -- Reuters
Pakistani Taliban Move to Within 60 Miles Of Islamabad -- Huffington Post
PAKISTAN: Outsiders flee violence-stricken Balochistan after nationalist murders -- Reuters Alert
Allies Ponder How to Plan Elections in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Taliban fighters killed in NATO strike -- UPI
2 Taliban commanders killed, 7 soldiers injured in clash in Afghanistan -- China View
Taliban murder leading Afghan female rights activist -- Independent
Afghan female provincial legislator shot dead -- Yahoo News/AFP
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, April 12 -- Reuters
Fresh U.S. troops will help ramp up combat operations in southern Afghanistan -- Canadian Press
UK Afghan troops' morale 'good' -- BBC
Analysis: Weak government hobbles war-torn Afghanistan -- DCExaminer
Afghan marriage law can't be changed: cleric -- CBC
Tackling the Afghanistan-Pakistan Problem: Part 2 -- Middle East Times
Is the US selling out to the Taliban? -- The Guardian opinion

USA Is Looking At Plan Colombia In Order To Tackle Afghanistan

U.S. Marines take cover in a wadi from a controlled detonation during an operation in the abandoned village of Now Zad in Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 3, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Pete Thibodeau

From Seoul Times:

The United States is clearly worried by the crisis in Afghanistan and now a new policy is being viewed in order to tackle the growing insurgency. Therefore, the Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicated that Plan Colombia may be a new approach to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. However, would Plan Colombia change the current situation in Afghanistan and how successful is Plan Colombia anyway?

Before focusing on this new approach which is being touted in important circles in Washington, it is vital to state the major differences between Colombia and Afghanistan. After all, do both nations share the same common problems and history?

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My Comment: Interesting article. A new AfghanPak strategy will need to be applied, limitations of soldiers and the vast terrain will scream for a policy that will cover these deficiencies as well as satisfying the conditions that are now being imposed from Washington and it allies.

But unfortunately, I do not think this is going to happen. From my perspective, the AfghanPak War has more resemblance to the mess of the Vietnam War than the counter insurgency campaign in Colombia. And like Vietnam, we are probably going to end up with the same result a few years down the road .... if not sooner.

Taliban Lose 130 In Three Day Battle With Royal Marines

Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to four Royal Marines killed in Afghanistan earlier this month as he visited their comrades on the frontline. Photo from The Daily Mail.

From The Telegraph:

Royal Marines have killed 130 Taliban fighters during a major three-day battle in Afghanistan in which a key enemy stronghold was destroyed, the Ministry of Defence has said.

A force of 700 troops from 42 Commando along with Danish and Afghan troops swooped on the Taliban base of Marjah in a helicopter air assault that took three waves to offload the men.

With Marjah a main base for processing opium and training forces, the enemy put up a fierce fight as the commandos swept through a network of mud brick compounds.

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My Comment: This is a major battle and clear proof that the AfghanPak War is now one of the world's bloodiest conflicts.

AfghanPak War News Updates -- March 26, 2009

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jason Basilides, center, listens to a group of villagers ask for supplies at the district center near Forward Operating Base Baylough in Zabul province, Afghanistan, March 20, 2009. Basilides is assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

Afghan Strikes By Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say -- International Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON: The Taliban's widening military campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan's military intelligence agency, despite Pakistani government promises to sever ties to militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, according to American government officials.

The support consists of money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance to Taliban commanders who are gearing up to confront the international force in Afghanistan that will soon include some 17,000 American reinforcements.

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More News On The AfghanPak War

Pakistan reported helping Taliban -- UPI
U.S. strikes in Pakistan "justify jihad" - cleric -- Reuters
'Pak spy agency funnels cash to Afghan militants' -- AFP
U.S. Plans New Drone Attacks in Pakistan -- Wall Street Journal
In Afghan War, US Dominance Increasing -- Washington Post
Further Military Commitment in Afghanistan May Be Toughest Sell Yet -- FOX News
Obama overhauls US Afghan strategy -- Christian Science Monitor
Taliban Attacks in Afghanistan Kill 9 Police Officers -- New York Times
Bomb Kills 9 on Minibus in Afghanistan -- New York Times
East Afghanistan Roadside Bomb Kills 10 Civilians -- Toronto Star
Three Diggers Wounded in Afghanistan -- The Australian
Police Arrest Taliban Commanders in Southern Afghanistan -- U.S. Department of Defense
US Says Shot Afghans Were Not Civilians -- Reuters
Pakistan suicide blast kills 10: local official - -AFP
U.S. strikes in Pakistan "justify jihad" - cleric -- Reuters
Netherlands to stick to its Afghanistan pullout plan -- China View
Auditors Warn of Afghan Aid Waste -- Washington Times
Contractors Surge to Afghanistan -- Associated Press
Galbraith Gets Key UN Afghanistan Role -- The Times
Rebuilding Afghanistan will be long, costly effort -- AP
Rudd: Australia in Afghanistan for 'long haul' -- AFP
Pakistani Region Where Brutal Taleban are Back in Control -- The Times
Deeper into Afghanistan -- SFGate

Holbrooke: Western Pakistan Key To Resolving Afghanistan War

Richard Holbrooke, President Obama, Sec. of State Clinton (Photo from Foreign Policy Blog)

From The Christian Science Monitor:

The US special envoy told allies at the Brussels Forum that the Talibanization of the region was a top concern.

BRUSSELS - Ahead of a key April 2 NATO meeting – and Barack Obama's first presidential trip outside North America – US special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke says that western Pakistan presents the chief problem in resolving an eight-year war that has divided allies and threatens the standing of an alliance ready to mark its 60th anniversary.

The Talibanization of west Pakistan, in the Swat region that borders Afghanistan, was the greatest surprise to envoy Mr. Holbrooke on his first fact-finding mission to the region last month. It was the top issue he relayed to Mr. Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Holbrooke told the Monitor on the sidelines of the Brussels Forum, a security meeting here.

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My Comment: Western Pakistan is just one of many components in the AfghanPak war. If the Taliban can be booted out of the region (which I doubt), it would make the war in Afghanistan more easy to manage.

AfghanPak War News Updates -- March 20, 2009

Mr Miliband said that by 2012 the Afghan national army will have doubled in size and that will give American and Britain the opportunity to look again at its commitments in terms of troop strength Photo: PA

Can Afghanistan Support a Beefed Up Military? -- Time Magazine

Unlike some of his predecessors, Defense Secretary Robert Gates declines to bluff when he doesn't know the answer. When he was asked on Wednesday about the best strategy for the war in Afghanistan, he shrugged. "Unlike Iraq and some of the other problems, this is an area where I've been somewhat uncertain in my own mind what the right path forward is," he said with weapons-grade candor rarely heard from the Pentagon podium.

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More News On Afghanistan

Afghanistan unrest kills 50: officials -- AFP
Ten Afghans killed in Taliban attack: police -- AFP
34 militants killed in clashes in Afghanistan -- AP
US, Afghan Military Kill 33 Militants in Afghanistan -- Voice Of America
30 armed militants killed in Afghanistan -- CNN
NATO service member killed in Afghanistan -- AP
Airstrike kills Taliban commanders in southern Afghanistan -- Long War Journal
Afghanistan strategy: Lure fighters away from Taliban -- L.A. Times
Afghan clerics urge Saudi-led talks with Taliban -- AP
US Courts Former Warlords in Its Bid for Afghan Stability -- Wall Street Journal
New Strategy for Afghanistan Taking Shape -- Stars and Stripes
Iraq SAS Units Switch to Hunting the Taleban -- The Times
Taliban have achieved stalemate in Afghanistan, warns David Miliband -- The Telegraph
Allies facing Afghan 'stalemate' -- BBC
US Preparing Possible 'Surge' in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Obama 'Mulls Afghan Army Boost' -- BBC News
Afghan Leader Killed by Roadside Bomb -- The Times
Afghan Legislator Killed in Bomb Attack -- New York Times
Bomb Explosion 'Kills Afghan MP' -- BBC News
U.N. says fears of unfair Afghan poll well-founded -- Yahoo News/Reuters
U.S. Looks to Former Warlords to Stabilize Afghanistan -- FOX News
After Karzai: The Warlords? -- Washington Independent
Official: Taliban chief Mullah Omar in Afghanistan -- AP
Taliban chief Omar "not in Pakistan's Baluchistan" -- Reuters
Pakistan seizes arms on Afghan border -- AFP
Pakistan rocket attack 'kills 10' -- BBC
Rocket attack kills at least 11 in Pakistan -- CNN
US Outlines Approach to Pakistan Amid Political Turmoil -- Wall Street Journal
Pakistan denies Taliban shelter among tribes on border -- Brisbane Times

AfghanPak War News Updates -- March 19-20, 2009

Afghan security forces during a mission in Kandahar province. (Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)

Officials Link Kabul Attackers To Pakistan -- International Herald Tribune

KABUL: The suicide bombers who stormed the Afghan Justice Ministry and a prison department building in the capital last month were trained in Pakistan's lawless border region, according to Afghan intelligence officials.

The attack, which left 26 people dead and more than 50 wounded Feb. 11, was conducted by 8 armed men wearing suicide vests and has been compared to the militant attacks in Mumbai in November and against the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 4.

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More News On The Conflicts In Afghanistan/Pakistan

Obama 'mulls Afghan army boost' -- BBC News
U.S. plan would more than double Afghan forces -- International Herald Tribune
Obama considers expanding Afghan security force -- Reuters
US Plans Expanded Afghan Security Force -- New York Times
US Preparing Possible 'Surge' in Afghanistan -- Voice Of America
Civilians to Join Afghan Buildup -- Washington Post
U.S. mulls counter-insurgency push in Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/Reuters
NATO Says Extra Troops Needed for Afghan Polls -- Voice of America
10th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan -- AP
33 Taliban killed in clashes with NATO forces -- Daily Times
Afghan Legislator Killed in Bomb Attack -- New York Times
Airstrike kills Taliban commanders in southern Afghanistan -- Long War Journal
7 suspects held in Afghanistan attacks -- L.A. Times
Key Afghan Insurgents Open Door to Talks -- Christian Science Monitor
US to attend Afghan meeting in Russia -- Yahoo News/AP
Britain Says Afghan War at 'Stalemate' -- Washington Times
Karzai: Afghanistan Not 'Puppet State' -- Associated Press
Afghanistan War ‘Absolutely Winnable,’ Top Commander Says -- AFPS
Awakening Afghanistan -- National Interest
Road Map for Afghanistan -- Washington Post opinion
Our Must-Win War -- John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, Washington Post opinion
Support the Surge -- The Times editorial
Talking with the 'Moderate' Taliban -- Washington Times editorial
FM calls on Pakistan to unite for antiterror fight -- Yahoo News/AFP
3 cops among 5 killed in attack on Malakand University -- Daily Times
NWFP govt asks Swat judges not to attend courts over security concerns -- Daily Times
Reconciliation Urged in Pakistan Crisis -- Washington Post
US Plan to Launch Drone Raids Deep Into Pakistan -- The Times
Briton: Extremists in Pakistan a Key Target -- Washington Post
Saving Pakistan -- Washington Post editorial

U.S. Prepared To Widen The War In Afghanistan By Increasing Attacks Into Pakistan

U.S. Weighs Taliban Strike Into Pakistan -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama and his national security advisers are considering expanding the American covert war in Pakistan far beyond the unruly tribal areas to strike at a different center of Taliban power in Baluchistan, where top Taliban leaders are orchestrating attacks into southern Afghanistan.

According to senior administration officials, two of the high-level reports on Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been forwarded to the White House in recent weeks have called for broadening the target area to include a major insurgent sanctuary in and around the city of Quetta.

Mullah Muhammad Omar, who led the Taliban government that was ousted in the American-led invasion in 2001, has operated with near impunity out of the region for years, along with many of his deputies.

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More News On This Widening Of The AfghanPak War

Pakistan dismisses report US may widen covert war -- AFP
U.S. weighs expanded covert war in Pakistan -report -- Reuters
US considers anti-Taliban strikes in SW Pakistan -- Khaleej Times
Obama May Widen Drone War Over Pakistan -- The Danger Room
Militants' safe sanctuaries in Pak must be eliminated: US Gen -- Press Trust Of India

AfghanPak War News Updates -- March 13, 2009

U.S. Army Spcs. Curtis Widel, left, and Juan Castro, look at the Arghandab River near Forward Operating Base Lane in Zabul province, Afghanistan, March 11, 2009. Widel and Castro are assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

Taliban Poised At The Gates Of Kabul -- CNN

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A top Taliban commander has told CNN his insurgents are poised and ready to attack Kabul and could strike virtually anywhere in the city.

It would be tempting to put this down to Taliban propaganda except one of Kabul's top cops is saying the same thing.

"We are working on a security strategy for the city and if we don't get it right, they [the Taliban] can attack at any minute, at any hour, any time," says Commander Mohammed Daud Amin, in charge of securing the Kabul district that includes the Presidential Palace and many government ministries.

Proof of the menacing threat came just last month when eight Taliban fighters, bristling with weapons and suicide vests, burst into three government buildings in the center of Kabul.

Police and security forces managed to kill all the insurgents before they could detonate their vests, but 20 people were killed and dozens were wounded.

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More News On The AfghanPak War

Top cop: Kabul vulnerable to Taliban -- UPI
Afghan official lashes out at Western forces as Taliban circles Kabul -- Smart Brief
Afghan, Coalition Forces Detain 19 Bomb Makers -- U.S. Department Of Defense
No reconciliation with Mullah Omar: Pentagon -- Daily Times
Kabul 'will only talk to Taliban who stop war': govt -- AFP
Afghans should handle Taliban talks: envoy -- Yahoo News/AFP
Afghan Envoy Assails Western Allies as Halfhearted, Defeatist -- Washington Post
U.S. Seeks New Afghan Supply Routes, Even in Iran -- New York Times
US must prevent Taliban takeover in Afghan war: Gates -- AFP
Obama Team Pushes To Redefine Afghanistan Goals -- NPR
Officials: Obama's Afghanistan goals due soon -- AP
Top US officials brief lawmakers on new Afghan direction -- AFP
Sufficient troops in Afghanistan needed ahead of elections: NATO chief -- CBC
NATO must deepen engagement with Pakistan: Scheffer -- Reuters
Afghan journalists protest killing of freelance reporter -- Canadian Press
US missile strike in Kurram agency levels Taliban training camp -- Long War Journal
US drone kills Pakistan militants -- BBC
Suspected US missile strike kills 15 in Pakistan -- AFP
New Unmanned Attack on Pakistan Kills 14 -- The Danger Room
Missile Attack Targets Suspected Militant Hideout in Pakistan -- Voice Of America
New Bajaur peace deal identical to failed 2007 agreement -- Long War Journal
Troops kill 35 Taliban in Darra Adam Khel -- Daily Times
Four dead in Pakistan minister assassination bid: police -- Yahoo News/AFP
Welcoming the Predator -- Washington Times editorial

AfghanPak War News Updates -- March 9, 2009

Pakistan Regains Control of Remote Area, for Now -- The New York Times

INAYAT KALAY, Pakistan — After a six-month campaign, the Pakistani military is claiming victory over the Taliban in Bajaur, a northern sliver of the tribal areas, saying the militants have suffered heavy losses and have been pushed over the border into Afghanistan.

As evidence, the military this month showed off the once-busy, mile-long marketplace here, captured from the militants and pulverized to bits of concrete and mounds of dust. A tank was still parked in the remains of a shop.

“The resistance has been broken down. We control the roads,” said Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan, the inspector general of the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary force responsible for security in the tribal regions. “They have lost.”

Already, Pakistani officials are hailing Bajaur as a landmark turn in the battle against Islamic militants and are trying to persuade the 300,000 people displaced by the fighting here to return, aided by a $19 million program financed by the United States.

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More News On The AfghanPak War

Violence flares on Pakistani border with Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Pakistan's Tenuous Gains on Taliban -- Christian Science Monitor
US to Step up Attacks on Pakistan as it Forces Taliban to Talk -- Daily Telegraph
Pakistan military endorses another Taliban truce — with a difference -- McClatchy
12 Taliban Militants Released in Pakistan's Swat Valley -- Voice of America
Taliban kill three Pakistan US 'spies': security official -- Yahoo News/AFP
Obama Ponders Outreach to Taliban Moderates -- Voice of America
Obama Says US is Losing War in Afghanistan -- The Times
Obama Hints at Talks with Taliban -- Agence France-Presse
Taliban: no peace talks unless withdrawal of all foreign troops -- China View
Obama considers reaching out to moderates in Taliban: report -- CBC
Afghanistan seeks Iran help in stability efforts -- Yahoo News/AFP
US vice president to discuss Afghanistan with NATO allies -- AFP
Bomb kills 1 Canadian soldier in Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/AP
Coalition deaths from IED attacks soar in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Afghan army kills eight militants: commander -- Yahoo News/AFP
Afghanistan: Friendly fire incident kills two -- CNN
Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 16 Enemy Fighters -- AFPS
Karzai signals he is not ready to step down when term ends in May -- Globe And Mail
Karzai Decries Violence Against Women -- Associated Press
Obama bid to turn to moderate Taliban 'will fail' -- The Guardian opinion
Comparing conflicts in Afghanistan and Vietnam -- China Post
Talking to the Taleban -- The Times editorial
Fear and loathing in Pakistan -- L.A. Times opinion
How useful is Pakistan's Swat model? -- Daily Star opinion