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 )

7 Killed as Copter Is Downed in ‘Forgotten War’

Staff / Truthdig May 31, 2007 Five Americans, a Canadian and a Briton died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Wednesday, apparently shot down by a resurgent Taliban. The grim news from what some have called "the forgotten war" in Afghanistan comes amid mounting casualty reports from Iraq. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Arms Race Déjà Vu?

Staff / Truthdig May 30, 2007 Relations between the US and Russia may be strained by the Bush administration's planned implementation of an anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe Russian President Vladimir Putin had strong words for the U Tuesday as Kremlin officials proudly unveiled new missiles -- a month before Putin and President Bush will meet in Kennebunkport, Maine. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Airstrike in Afghanistan Kills 21 Civilians

Staff / Truthdig May 9, 2007 An Afghan official said civilian homes were bombed in an air raid led by U.S. troops in the country's Sangin district Wednesday. Tragically, this latest reported incident is not an isolated occurrence in the battle zones of Afghanistan. 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 )

Putin Blasts Missile Shield Scheme

Staff / Truthdig Apr 26, 2007 Russian President Vladimir Putin took a moment during his final parliamentary address to make it eminently clear that he disapproves of a U.S. plan to create a missile shield in Eastern Europe, vowing to put a hold on Russian compliance with a key European military treaty in retaliation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Afghan Civilian Death Toll Climbs

Staff / Truthdig Apr 18, 2007 Human Rights Watch issued the sobering news Monday that 2006 was the deadliest year in terms of civilian casualties in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. Almost 700 deaths are linked to insurgent groups -- and of that number about two-thirds resulted from suicide bombings -- while 230 more have been chalked up to NATO-led troops. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Six NATO Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Apr 8, 2007 With all the recent, and widespread, bloodshed in Iraq, the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan can at times be overshadowed. According to the BBC, the Taliban may be behind the deaths of six NATO soldiers in south Afghanistan this weekend. 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 )

Afghan Highway Battle Kills 16 Civilians

Staff / Truthdig Mar 4, 2007 An American convoy suffered a militant ambush on a crowded Afghan highway Sunday, after which US forces opened fire Up to 16 civilians were killed and as many as 34 wounded in the chaos that followed The U military says it is possible that militants were responsible for the deaths, but one witness said U soldiers fired on his car after he had pulled over to let them through. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Blair Seeks U.S. Missile Site in Britain

Staff / Truthdig Feb 23, 2007 For months, Tony Blair has been secretly lobbying the U.S. to locate a missile defense site in Britain. Poland and the Czech Republic are also in the running. The $90-billion "son of star wars" program has performed poorly in the past, and is still under development as it's deployed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Administration Lengthens Tours of Duty in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Jan 26, 2007 The Bush administration has pledged $10.6 billion in aid to Afghanistan and said it will maintain troop levels there. But because soldiers are in short supply these days, the commitment will have to be met by troops already deployed, 3,200 of whom will have their tours extended by four months. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )