coalition forces news stories on Newser

Obama Tells Karzai: 'We're on the Right Track'

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:35:00 CDT

President Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today at the NATO summit and urged world leaders to agree on post-2014 Afghanistan, MSNBC reports. "What this NATO summit reflects is that the world is behind strategy we've laid out," Obama said of the plan to pull out coalition troops in...

Afghan Attacks Go Unreported

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:39:06 CDT

When Afghan police or soldiers gun down coalition troops, that's news. But the coalition doesn't report such incidents when troops are only wounded or go unharmed—even though the attacks are driven by the same fury against Afghanistan's occupiers, the AP reports. Last week, for example, the coalition kept quiet...

Taliban's Share of Afghan Civilian Deaths Rises

Kevin Spak — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:35:05 CDT

Coalition forces in Afghanistan say their efforts to avoid collateral damage are paying off. Insurgents, by their estimates, are now responsible for 85% of civilian deaths and injuries in the war, up from 75% of deaths and 78% of injuries last year. “The vast majority of civilian casualties are caused...

Troops Forced to Play Diplomat in Kandahar

Kevin Spak — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:33:00 CDT

After the less-than-successful military offensive in Marjah, NATO forces are taking a different tack in the villages surrounding Kandahar: They’re acting as representatives of the distant, oft-distrusted government. In “Operation Hamkari” (“cooperation”), soldiers are attempting to drive out the Taliban simply by improving government services and forming bonds with local...

Karzai Doesn't Want McChrystal Fired

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:10:00 CDT

Hamid Karzai believes Gen. Stanley McChrystal is the "best commander" of the war and hopes President Obama doesn't decide to replace him, a rep for the Afghan president said today. The leader of American forces in Aghanistan, under fire for his and his staff's indiscreet comments to a Rolling Stone...

Britain to Withdraw Troops From Iraq by June

John Johnson — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:53:00 CST

British troops will begin withdrawing their 4,000 troops from Iraq in March and will have all but a few hundred out by the end of June, the Guardian reports. They will be replaced at their base in Basra not by Iraqis but by Americans, who are worried about keeping...

Germany Ups Afghan Force, Debates Talking to Taliban

Nick McMaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:24:01 CDT

Germany’s government decided today to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to keep its forces there for 14 more months, Der Spiegel reports. But as Angela Merkel’s government recommits to the fight, the German press argues over whether a radical change in strategy—including diplomatic engagement with the...

Journalist's Suspected Kidnapper Nabbed in Iraq

Jess Kilby — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:20:31 CDT

The suspected mastermind behind the 2006 abduction of US journalist Jill Carroll and a cohort have been captured by US-led military forces, CNN reports. The pair, nabbed in Baghdad, are suspected of planning numerous kidnappings and suicide bombings in the country. Their capture leaves “few remaining experienced leaders” in the...

Bombing Outside US Base in Afghanistan Kills 12

Clay Dillow — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:57:42 CDT

A suicide bomber killed 12 workers and wounded 22 others after detonating his vehicle outside a US military base in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, the New York Times reports. No American military personnel were injured or killed. A second suicide car-bomber tried to follow soon after but was turned back, as...