At one point they were broken, disorganized, and on the run, hiding in the caves of Tora Bora, beaten down by an all-out attack by America and its allies following 9/11. Now, riding popular discontent over civilian casualties caused by allied forces, and with the US distracted by the war in Iraq, they are resurgent, challenging Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s control of the country. Inspired by Al-Qaeda’s devastating suicide bomb attacks in Iraq, the Taliban have imported this tactic to Afghanistan, making them a powerful—and deadly—threat once againhttp://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorWed, 03 Dec 2008 22:43:34 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43592/afghans-bust-schoolgirl-acid-attackers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAfghan officials have nabbed 10 Taliban militants accused of throwing acid in the faces of eight schoolgirls and four female teachers, Reuters reports. President Hamid Karzai called for their arrest and said the group would be publicly executed. “The attack was the work of the Taliban and we have not finalized our investigation,” said a deputy minister. The Islamist group didn't allow girls to be educated while it held power in Afghanistan; members deny responsibility for the attacks.http://www.newser.com/story/43592/afghans-bust-schoolgirl-acid-attackers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 25 Nov 2008 6:13:17 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43375/pentagon-plans-afghan-surge-of-20000.html?refid=rss_all_defaultUS commanders are drawing up plans to send an extra 20,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 12 to 18 months, Reuters reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the surge will help reverse the rising violence in the country and safeguard elections planned for next fall. Commanders say the current NATO force in southern Afghanistan is overwhelmed by the growing Taliban insurgency.http://www.newser.com/story/43375/pentagon-plans-afghan-surge-of-20000.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 21 Nov 2008 23:16:53 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/43064/taliban-force-us-to-find-new-route-to-afghanistan.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSince the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the American military has received about 75% of its supplies via a NATO corridor from Pakistan. But as the Taliban continue to grow in strength and the border region becomes ever more unstable, the US is now seeking new routes—including a punishing overland journey via Europe. Attacks on drivers have become a daily occurrence, writes the Washington Post , and many on the route see no end in sight.http://www.newser.com/story/43064/taliban-force-us-to-find-new-route-to-afghanistan.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 19 Nov 2008 5:29:34 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42904/taliban-mullahs-reject-karzais-offer-of-talks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTaliban leaders have rejected Hamid Karzai's guarantee of safe passage in exchange for beginning peace talks, reports Reuters. The militants instead reiterated demands for all foreign troops to leave Afghanistan before any negotiating begins—a condition the Afghan president rejected as unacceptable. Some analysts don't see Mullah Mohammad Omar's rejection as a total loss, however.http://www.newser.com/story/42904/taliban-mullahs-reject-karzais-offer-of-talks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 17 Nov 2008 8:50:34 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42839/karzai-vows-to-protect-taliban-chief-in-talks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAfghan President Hamid Karzai will ensure the safety of Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar if he agrees to peace talks, the Washington Post reports. "If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international community has two choices: remove me or leave," Karzai said, referring to US demands for Omar to be turned over.http://www.newser.com/story/42839/karzai-vows-to-protect-taliban-chief-in-talks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 16 Nov 2008 13:41:26 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42347/obama-to-focus-on-bin-laden-revamp-afghan-approach.html?refid=rss_all_defaultBarack Obama is drastically rethinking the war effort in Afghanistan, his security advisers tell the Washington Post, including making the capture of Osama bin Laden a top priority. The administration’s fledgling plan calls for a more aggressive regional approach, possibly involving help from Iran. Obama also favors the ongoing negotiations between the Afghan government and the “reconcilable” portions of the Taliban.http://www.newser.com/story/42347/obama-to-focus-on-bin-laden-revamp-afghan-approach.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 11 Nov 2008 7:39:36 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42308/resilient-taliban-drives-pakistan-to-brutal-tactics.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIn the lawless Northwest Frontier Province, the Pakistani army has been fighting the Taliban for 3 months for control of just a sliver of land. State forces had expected the battle to be a cursory victory, but the Taliban is stronger and more deeply entrenched—literally, in a network of tunnels that allows them to store arms and move undetected—than commanders expected. The New York Times reports from the mountainous region, where Pakistan has resorted to scorched-earth policies to rout the Islamic militants.http://www.newser.com/story/42308/resilient-taliban-drives-pakistan-to-brutal-tactics.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 11 Nov 2008 5:30:55 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/41721/afghan-officials-helped-taliban-attack-us-army.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAn Afghan police chief and a local government official aided Taliban militants who killed nine American soldiers, an internal military review has found. The July attack came as American and Afghan forces were constructing a base in the country's remote east, when around 200 fighters descended on the soldiers. The insurgents were only driven off after the Americans called in warplanes, helicopters, and artillery, reports the New York Times.http://www.newser.com/story/41721/afghan-officials-helped-taliban-attack-us-army.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 04 Nov 2008 6:58:44 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/41684/pakistan-warns-petraeus-on-missile-attacks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultPakistan has told the new chief of US Central Command that missile strikes inside its territory must stop, the Guardian reports. Gen. David Petraeus was warned that the strikes on suspected al-Qaeda militants in tribal areas across the Afghan border are fanning anti-American sentiment and creating a "credibility" gap for Pakistan's new government.http://www.newser.com/story/41684/pakistan-warns-petraeus-on-missile-attacks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 03 Nov 2008 23:18:59 CST