The risk of leaving Afghanistan earlyThe US Defense Secretary said overnight that US and NATO were aiming to end all combat in Afghanistan by the end of next year. But what will the earlier withdrawal mean for Afghanistan? asks David Ignatius.
War in Afghanistan
Axis of Evil still relevant 10 years on
David Frum helped to write George W Bush’s iconic “Axis of Evil” speech a decade ago. That speech was heavily criticised at the time, but Bush’s claims have all been proved true, says Frum.
Contrasting reactions to friendly fire in Afghanistan
France has suspended all operations with the Afghan army after four French troops were killed in friendly fire — a stark comparison to Julia Gillard’s reaction to three Aussies being shot last November, writes Richard Farmer.
Afghanistan: another nebulous parliamentary debate isn’t good enough
A parliamentary debate on Afghanistan in which the same lines about “seeing it through” are repeated is simply not good enough.
Crikey Says: One issue that unites across party lines
Today in parliament, in what will kick off the final parliamentary sitting week of the year, Julia Gillard will deliver a statement on the war in Afghanistan.
Memo troops: don’t get shot during a transport strike
Perhaps our news editors should ask if, in the future, our soldiers in Afghanistan could avoid being killed on grand final weekend, the Boxing Day Test, budget night or any transport strike, writes Dr Rodger Shanahan, who was the Chief of Army Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.
Kabul wakes to more death — and unprecedented uncertainty
As the sun rises in Kabul, helicopters are endlessly crossing the skies. As Catherine James writes, the latest attacks on the US embassy are some of the worst locals have seen.
Kabul attack a devastating blow to security credibility
Kabul has been calm for the last few months, but a shock attack this week near the city’s nerve centre has destroyed any faith Afghans had in their security forces, writes Jean MacKenzie.
Afghanistan 10 years on and still more questions than answers
The war in Afghanistan is an experiment in a new form of war where “victory” will be measured against uncertain goals of stability, development, and reconstruction, writes Dr Benjamin MacQueen, deputy director, Global Terrorism Research Centre, Monash University.
Essential: surge in opposition to Afghan involvement, voters split on rallies
Opposition to our involvement in Afghanistan has hit new highs, today’s Essential Report finds.
Injured NY Times war photographer returns to page one
Nine months ago NY Times photographer Joao Silva lost both his legs in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan. Today his photos returned to the front page of the paper.
US troops could remain in Afghanistan for the long haul
Barack Obama may be in the process of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan but recent comments suggest America is prepared to keep a substantial number of combat troops there beyond 2014, reports Gareth Porter.
WikiLeaks spokesman: Guardian, NYT wanted to rush war logs
The doyens of the mainstream media were the ones flirting with danger over Wikileaks material, not the site itself, Kristinn Hrafnsson reveals. Bernard Keane and Matthew Knott report.
Political snippets: Better housing news but trend still down.
An encouraging sign in the official Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for April.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The war in Afghanistan paradox
Crikey readers have their say.
Taking us deeper into the war in Afghanistan
The tragic deaths in Afghanistan of Australian servicemen keep coming and with every one of them our politicians keep talking us into the situation where there will be more of them, writes Richard Farmer.
Guy Rundle: The strange twilight nature of the war in Afghanistan
Prime Minister Gillard’s and Opposition leader Abbott’s words on Lance Corporal Andrew Jones and Lieutenant Marcus Case showed the strange twilight nature of the war.
Political snippets: Talking us all in deeper
The tragic deaths in Afghanistan of Australian servicemen keep coming and with every one of them our politicians keep talking us into the situation where there will be more of them.
A soldier’s toughest mission: coming home
After months away at war in Iraq or Afghanistan, many US soldiers struggle with the transition back to home life. The NY Times interviews soldiers struggling with survivor guilt, injury and children they barely know.
Bin Laden — bad news alive, worse news dead
My grudge against this war on terror is greater than ever, and why should it not be? This war on terror has done more damage to Pakistan than any other country, writes Wajeehah A. Sabahat.
US Army kills civilians then poses with their bodies
It’s a gruesome tale. US soliders in Afghanistan killed civilians and then posed, smiling, for photos with their corpses. NATO have been preparing for the release of the photos for months, reports Der Spiegel.
Huckabee sees no “end game” for Afghanistan
Mick Huckabee has become one of few high profile Republicans to speak out against the war in Afghanistan, citing no confidence in the President and a landscape that looks “like the surface of the moon,” reports Sam Stein.
Child abuse: the new Taliban tactic
There’s a rising number of domestic abuse cases in Afghanistan and the US military wonders if it is a new Taliban technique to help gain access to US military bases and gather intelligence, since military hospitals care for the wounded.
