Afghanistan

Jake Tapper: 'The Outpost' That Never Should Have Been

3:10pm February 20, 2013

In a new book, the CNN anchor tells the story of Combat Outpost Keating. The ill-fated American military base was in a remote Afghan valley, and on Oct. 3, 2009, it became the site of one of the deadliest attacks against U.S. troops in the history of the war in Afghanistan.

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As part of homecoming ceremonies at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state in January, Army Spc. Tyler Jeffries — with crutches and prosthetic legs — joins his unit in formation as the national anthem is played. The homecoming marked the first t

National

A Wounded Soldier Stands Tall At Reunion With His Platoon

8:18pm February 19, 2013

by Quil Lawrence

U.S. Army Spc. Tyler Jeffries lost both legs in a roadside bombing last October in Afghanistan, and he has been learning to walk on prosthetic legs. But Jeffries was determined to meet his buddies when they returned from duty in January.

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Looming Cuts Could Mean Big Changes For U.S. Military

2:01pm February 12, 2013

Without a deal by March 1, across-the-board federal spending cuts will kick in — including deep cuts to the nation's defense budget. Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy, and NPR's Tom Bowman discuss what sequestration might mean for the U.S. military.

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Afghan police and officials visit the site of a suicide attack in Kabul in September. A suicide bomber blew himself up alongside a minivan carrying foreigners on a major highway leading to the international airport in the Afghan capital, police said, kill

World News

Afghanistan, Pakistan Seek A Fatwa Against Suicide Attacks

10:21pm February 09, 2013

by Sean Carberry

The Afghan and Pakistani governments have agreed to convene a conference of Muslim religious leaders to issue an Islamic decree banning suicide bombings. But they have yet to agree on the details, such as which leaders should attend.

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Afghan army soldiers during their graduation ceremony in the western city of Herat in January.

World News

U.S., Afghanistan At Odds Over Weapons Wish List

6:12pm February 06, 2013

by Sean Carberry

As the 2014 deadline looms for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, there's a debate over what kind of military hardware the U.S. will provide in its wake. Afghanistan wants tanks and planes for conventional warfare. But the U.S. says the Afghans need to focus on counterinsurgency.

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Gen. David Petraeus is the subject of The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War, a new book by Fred Kaplan.

Books
Arts

'The Insurgents': Petraeus And A New Kind Of War

3:05pm January 29, 2013

In a new book about Gen. David Petraeus, author and journalist Fred Kaplan looks at how theories of counterinsurgency have shaped U.S. military policy in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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U.S. troops in Afghanistan appear to have mixed feelings about the decision lifting the ban on women in combat positions. Some women already operate in combat zones. Hospital Corpsman Shannon Crowley is shown here with her Marine Corps team in Musa Qala,

Women In Combat: What Do Troops In Afghanistan Think?

8:17pm January 28, 2013

by Sean Carberry

Opinions are mixed. Women are already in dangerous places handling difficult assignments. But some troops, both men and women, say they think few women will want to take combat positions, and they question whether women will be able to meet the current physical standards.

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World News

Taliban Militants Target Afghan Intelligence Center

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Sean Carberry

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a multi-pronged suicide bombing attack on Afghanistan's intelligence headquarters in Kabul in Wednesday. It was the second attack on the spy headquarters in little more than a month.

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World News

What's At Stake In Hotspots Across The Globe

2:27pm January 15, 2013

In Mali, the French continue air strikes to stop the advance of armed Islamist rebels in the north. In Syria, the death toll continues to rise, and in Afghanistan, questions remain about the ongoing transition of power. In all three regions, opportunities for current or future U.S. involvement is uncertain.

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Obama: U.S. Forces Will Transition To Support Role In Afghanistan

6:11pm January 11, 2013

by Jackie Northam

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Obama discussed future U.S.-Afghanistan relations and the withdrawal of U.S. forces on Friday.

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