Insurgents Hack Predator Drones With Cheap Software

Staff / Truthdig Dec 18, 2009 The $4.5 million Predator unmanned aerial vehicle and its at least $10 million successor are considered the future of America's Air Force and a big part of the president's escalation in Afghanistan. Insurgents in Iraq (and probably Afghanistan) were able to track the planes and intercept video feeds using $26 software available on the Internet. (continued) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Getting Out of Afghanistan With Grace

William Pfaff / Truthdig Nov 13, 2009 The best way to deal with an insurrection is not to go in the first place. The second-best way is to get out as quickly and gracefully as possible.There are two proven ways to handle insurgency in non-Western countries: (1) Don't invade. (2) Get out. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Keeping Afghanistan Safe From Democracy

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Nov 4, 2009 The most idiotic thing being said about America's involvement in Afghanistan is that the best way to protect the 68,000 U.S. troops there now is by putting an additional 40,000 in harm’s way. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Top Admiral Says U.S. May Need More Troops in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Sep 16, 2009 There are already about 62,000 American troops in Afghanistan, and more may be sent to combat the Taliban and contain insurgent violence, according to Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said Tuesday that the next couple of weeks could be telling in terms of how many more troops the U.S. might deploy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Death Toll Hits 13-Month High in August

Staff / Truthdig Sep 2, 2009 Perhaps it was to be expected after the mass exodus of American forces in late June, but August was a cruel month in terms of the Iraqi death toll caused by insurgent violence -- the worst in 13 months. Unfortunately, the trend might continue as Iraqis navigate the aftermath of U.S. troop withdrawal and anticipate their national elections early next year. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough

Staff / Truthdig Aug 30, 2009 After an initial bulk-up in the number of troops in Afghanistan earlier this year, the commander of NATO forces in that country is preparing to ask for 20,000 more international troops as part of the ongoing war against the perpetually resurgent Taliban. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Commander ‘Frustrated’ by Training Pace in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Aug 20, 2009 After Wednesday's multiple bombings in Iraq, which left about 100 dead and more than 500 wounded, Army Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, the U.S. commander in charge of training Iraqi troops before the Americans' departure, said there's "much work to be done" during and after the hand-over. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Afghan Civilian Toll Rises

Staff / Truthdig Jul 31, 2009 As President Obama continues to push more U.S. troops into Afghanistan, the U.N. is reporting that civilian casualties in the war-torn country have spiked, increasing almost 25 percent above 2008 figures. In the first six months of this year, 1,013 civilians were killed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

UAVs: The Future of Warfare in America

Staff / Truthdig Jul 24, 2009 Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said it, and judging by this three-part series from CNN, the age of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is upon us. It's warfare by joystick -- and the Predator drone is only the beginning. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Explosives-Laden Truck Detonates, Kills 25 in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Jul 9, 2009 An overturned truck filled with timber and, it turned out, explosives blew up early Thursday morning in Logar province, Afghanistan, killing 25 people. Thirteen of the victims were children on their way to school, according to the Associated Press. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pakistani Official: No New Nukes

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2009 Responding to a recent assertion by Adm. Mike Mullen, current chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, that Pakistan is actively adding to its array of nuclear weapons, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira insisted on Monday that Mullen was in error. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Becoming What We Seek to Destroy

Chris Hedges / Truthdig May 11, 2009 The bodies of dozens, perhaps well over a hundred, women, children and men, their corpses blown into bits of human flesh by iron fragmentation bombs dropped by U.S. warplanes in a village in the western province of Farah, illustrates the futility of the Afghan war. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )