Afghanistan war

Stories 61 - 80 | << Prev   Next >>

After Nearly 2 Decades, US Exits Bagram Airfield

Hands it over to Afghans as it works to end 'forever war'

(Newser) - After nearly 20 years, the US military left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaeda perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, two US officials said Friday. The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force...

A &#39;Patriot&#39; and a &#39;Killer&#39;: Rumsfeld in 4 Takes
Donald Rumsfeld
Had a 'Curse'
OPINION
Jul 1, 2021 1:01 PM CDT

Donald Rumsfeld Had a 'Curse'

'People assumed he was responsible for everything,' writes Matt Latimer

(Newser) - Donald Rumsfeld was no stranger to controversy, and that remains the case even in death , with debates raging over his legacy. Four takes:
  • A 'patriot': "[We] learned a great deal listening to him," writes the editorial board at the Wall Street Journal , describing Rumsfeld as "a
...

After Almost 20 Years, Last German Troops Leave Afghanistan

150K have served there since 2001

(Newser) - Germany's last troops left Afghanistan Tuesday after a nearly 20-year deployment in the country, the defense minister said. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer tweeted that the last Bundeswehr soldiers “left Afghanistan safely” Tuesday evening. She thanked the more than 150,000 troops who have served there since 2001 and...

Report: US Won't Pull 100% of Troops From Afghanistan

Those who stay will provide security for diplomats, sources tell AP

(Newser) - Roughly 650 US troops are expected to remain in Afghanistan to provide security for diplomats after the main American military force completes its withdrawal, which is set to be largely done in the next two weeks, US officials tell the AP . In addition, several hundred additional American forces will remain...

Hostage May End Up Left Behind as US Withdraws

Mark Frerichs was captured by Taliban last year

(Newser) - American contractor Mark Frerichs was seized in Kabul 17 months ago—and with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan picking up speed, his relatives fear he will be left behind. Special operations forces who could carry out a rescue operation if the 58-year-old were to be located will be gone from...

In Photos, Soldiers Drink From Dead Man's Prosthetic Leg

Lawyers say hundreds of photos exist

(Newser) - Images of of Australian soldiers drinking from what was allegedly a dead Afghan's prosthetic leg in an unauthorized bar called the Fat Lady's Arms may play a big role in an upcoming trial. Lawyers for former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith say they are still working to process hundreds of...

US Trashes Leftover Gear, Angering Afghan Scrap Dealers

Even the most innocuous items were cut to bits before being sold

(Newser) - The twisted remains of several all-terrain vehicles leaned precariously inside Baba Mir’s scrap yard, alongside smashed shards that were once generators, tank tracks that have been dismantled into chunks of metal, and mountains of tents reduced to sliced up fabric. It’s all US military equipment, per the AP...

It's a Milestone Day for America's Longest War

Saturday is formal start of the withdrawal of the last troops from Afghanistan

(Newser) - The final phase of ending America's “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday. President Biden previously set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces—about 2,500-3,500 US troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers. They are due...

Biden: 'It's Time to End the Forever War'

Afghanistan war was never meant to be a 'multigenerational undertaking'

(Newser) - President Biden confirmed Wednesday that he will not be taking the Afghanistan war into its third decade. "It's time to end the forever war," he said in a speech from the Treaty Room of the White House, which CNN notes is the same room in which George...

Biden Sets a Noteworthy Date for Afghan Withdrawal

Troops to be out by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of attacks

(Newser) - The 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is this September, and President Biden has decided US troops will be out of Afghanistan by then. Biden plans to make the announcement Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. President George W. Bush launched the invasion after the 9/11 attacks, and President Trump signed...

Taliban Says It's Not Ready for Peace Talks

Time is running out on US withdrawal deadline

(Newser) - A Taliban spokesman said Monday the religious militia won’t attend a peace conference tentatively planned for later this week in Turkey, putting US efforts to get a peace plan anytime soon in jeopardy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said he wanted to see a peace agreement between Afghanistan’...

Austin Travels, Unannounced, to Afghanistan for Talks

Defense secretary, Ghani meet after Biden said withdrawal date would be tough to meet

(Newser) - With the scheduled May 1 withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan approaching, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin flew unannounced to Kabul on Sunday for talks, saying the US wants "a transition to something else." In the first visit by a member of the Biden administration, Austin met with...

Biden Confirms What He Thinks of Putin

A killer? 'Mmm hmm'

(Newser) - President Biden says that it will be "tough" for the US to meet a May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The deadline to end America's longest war six weeks from now was set under an agreement reached by former President Trump and the Taliban, without the...

Report: Elite Australian Troops Killed Dozens of Civilians

19 soldiers could face charges in Afghanistan killings

(Newser) - A shocking Australian military report into war crimes has found evidence that elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers, and civilians. Australian Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said Thursday the shameful record included alleged instances in which new patrol members would shoot a prisoner in order to...

NATO Chief Responds to Trump's Troop Cuts

ISIS could take advantage of the vacuum in Afghanistan, secretary-general says

(Newser) - President Trump's plan to reduce US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq in the next two months drew a warning Tuesday from NATO. "The price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high," said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, per the BBC . He said Afghanistan...

Trump Plans to Order Troop Withdrawals

Cuts would wrap up 5 days before Biden becomes president

(Newser) - The Trump administration is expected to cut the number of US troops in Afghanistan almost in half to 2,500 by Jan. 15, US officials said Monday. The order would stop short of outgoing President Trump's goal to have all troops withdrawn by the end of the year, which...

US Troops Turn War Over to Their Children

19 years in, generations don't always agree on whether progress is being made

(Newser) - The longest war in US history now spans generations. Service members who were deployed to Afghanistan, starting 19 years ago last week, are turning the mission over to their children. Since 2002, Master Sgt. Trevor deBoer has served three tours in what the government called the war against terrorism, Stars ...

Trump Orders Sanctions on War Crimes Court Officials

Pompeo slams ICC as 'kangaroo court'

(Newser) - The Trump administration is hitting back hard against the International Criminal Court over its plans to investigate alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. An executive order announced Thursday imposes sanctions on ICC officials and bars them—and their families—from visiting the US, the Guardian reports. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo...

1.5K Taliban Prisoners Are About to Go Free

Afghan president making release as goodwill gesture to spur negotiations

(Newser) - After a series of delays, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree early Wednesday promising to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture to get intra-Afghan negotiations started. A recent peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban called for the release of up to 5,...

Afghan Withdrawal Begins, but There's a Hitch

US begins withdrawal under deal with Taliban, but nation swears in 2 different presidents

(Newser) - It's a milestone day in Afghanistan on two fronts, with developments that illustrate the complex challenges at play:
  • Withdrawal: The US began withdrawing its first troops under a peace deal struck with the Taliban last month, reports the BBC . The US currently has more than 12,000 troops there,
...

Stories 61 - 80 | << Prev   Next >>