Taliban-Led Raid Frees 1,200 in Afghan Prison Break

Staff / Truthdig Jun 14, 2008 A nighttime raid on Kandahar's Sarposa Prison, carried out by Taliban operatives Friday, led to the escape of 1,200 prisoners, including around 400 Taliban members. The attack represented a serious security challenge in the Afghan city that's considered the traditional home of the country's leaders and the Taliban's spiritual center. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush’s Regret

Staff / Truthdig Jun 11, 2008 President Bush says he is now reconsidering the swaggering cowboy image that he adopted early on in his presidency. "I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric," he tells the U.K.'s Times Online as his time in office ticks out. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sentenced to Die Over a Download

Staff / Truthdig Feb 19, 2008 Sayed Parwez Kaambakhsh, a 23-year-old Afghan student, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy because of an article he downloaded from the Internet. The verdict has aroused outrage around the world, and top U.S. and European officials have spoken with the Afghan government. However, some worry that international pressure could back Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the nation's religious fundamentalists into a corner and therefore ensure that the execution is carried out. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush and Karzai Nix Taliban’s Hostages Deal

Staff / Truthdig Aug 7, 2007 Joining forces for a press conference at Camp David on Monday, President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused the Taliban's proposal for a prisoner swap. The Taliban says it will free the 21 surviving South Korean Christians kidnapped in Afghanistan on July 19 if captive Taliban members are released. 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 )

Welcome to ‘Palestine’

Robert Fisk / Truthdig Jun 23, 2007 The Independent's Middle East correspondent looks into the current state of "Palestine" and the West's complicated -- and contradictory -- relations with the region and its leaders. Dig deeper ( 4 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 )

Afghan President Plays Down Taliban Threat

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2007 The Taliban, once a powerful and oppressive presence in Afghanistan, does not "have the guts" to face down the government, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the BBC. The real problem that needs attention in his country, Karzai said, is the ever-rising civilian death toll. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Furor in Afghanistan Over Civilian Deaths

Staff / Truthdig May 3, 2007 Afghan President Hamid Karzai berated foreign military leaders after local police reported roughly 50 civilian deaths, including women and children, from a US-led operation He told the top brass his people's patience was "wearing thin" The U says it is not aware of any civilian deaths, but a UN team investigated and found the report credible. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Civilian Casualties Claimed in Afghanistan Bombing

Staff / Truthdig Mar 5, 2007 An American air raid on Monday is said to have killed nine civilians in Afghanistan, a day after gunfire in the country's Nangarhar region caused more than 10 civilian deaths. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Women in Afghanistan

Christian Parenti / Truthdig Nov 29, 2006 With the resurgence of the Taliban, women in Afghanistan are once again rated by the United Nations as being "among the worst-off in the world." Learn more about their plight in the companion piece to Christian Parenti's larger article, "Afghan Autopsy." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )