Sarkozy Cozies Up to Britain

Staff / Truthdig Mar 26, 2008 French President Nicolas Sarkozy was in London Wednesday to declare his readiness to send additional troops to Afghanistan. The move, seen by some as an effort to strengthen ties with his chums across the Channel, was well received by British lawmakers who believe an increase of NATO occupation forces in Afghanistan would best prevent a Taliban resurgence. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putin and the New ‘Arms Race’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2008 Vladimir Putin isn't taking the expansion of NATO and a planned missile shield lightly The Russian president told his people: "It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world It is not our fault, because we did not start it" Flush with oil money, Russia is planning to beef up and flaunt its military capabilities in response. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Not So Happy Holidays for Afghanistan

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Nov 27, 2007 Winter approaches, and as many as 400,000 Afghans face starvation. The trouble is not an insufficient supply of food. There is no way to get food to those who need it. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Russian Nuclear Bombers Fly Again

Staff / Truthdig Aug 18, 2007 Great -- along with the United States' ongoing (and escalating) international debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan, the current administration has clearly worked its particular brand of diplomatic charm on Russia. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country's air force is once again sending nuclear-equipped bombers on regular overseas patrols. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Civilians Caught in Afghan Airstrike

Staff / Truthdig Aug 4, 2007 A U.S.-led airstrike on a meeting of Taliban leaders killed a "large number" of civilians, witnesses said. Roughly 50 people were hospitalized for injuries. NATO has said it is considering the use of smaller bombs in order to curtail civilian casualties. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Afghan Civilian Death Crisis

Staff / Truthdig Jul 7, 2007 A tragic milestone has been marked in Afghanistan: The number of civilian deaths attributed to American- and NATO-led forces in the last half-year has outstripped the number caused by insurgents. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

NATO to Karzai: Point Taken

Staff / Truthdig Jun 24, 2007 NATO officials have registered Afghan President Hamad Karzai's strong criticism of the Western coalition's recent tactics, which have resulted in tragically high numbers of civilian deaths, and are offering conciliatory words in response. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Karzai Slams Western Allies’ Battle Tactics

Staff / Truthdig Jun 24, 2007 Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai angrily accused American- and NATO-led forces in his country of becoming increasingly reckless with their combat strategies, killing innocent civilians and straining relations with Afghanistan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

NATO to Probe Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2007 Afghan President Hamad Karzai is warning foreign troops that more civilian deaths would seriously compromise Afghan citizens' support (such as it is) for NATO-affiliated forces in their country. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kandahar District Falls Briefly to Taliban

Staff / Truthdig Jun 19, 2007 Afghan forces retook a district in Kandahar province that had been captured by the Taliban. The Afghan forces said they had made a tactical decision to withdraw, but the Taliban said it captured the district outright after days of battle. Either way, the former ruling fundamentalists of Afghanistan appear less than beaten. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Tragic Mistake in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Jun 18, 2007 An airstrike by U.S.-led forces near the eastern border of Afghanistan killed seven children Sunday night -- a tragic error that coalition forces attributed to al-Qaida operatives who had used "human shields" as cover, according to The New York Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. in Shootout With Afghan Police

Staff / Truthdig Jun 12, 2007 Afghan police say US-led troops opened fire on a security post, killing seven police officers The U military has acknowledged the skirmish, but said it was responding to an attack and did not confirm the Afghan casualties The Red Cross has described worsening security in Afghanistan as "a very worrying situation". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )