Afghanistan
Tag: Afghanistan
At pivotal moment in Afghanistan war, Biden weighs a dilemma
WASHINGTON (AP) — America's longest war is approaching a crossroads.
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Germany prepares way for its troops to stay in Afghanistan
BERLIN (AP) — The German government is preparing the way for the country's troops in Afghanistan — the second-biggest contingent in a NATO force...
UN says Afghan civilian casualties down by 15% last year
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The number of civilians killed and wounded in violence across war-weary Afghanistan fell by 15% last year compared to 2019,...
Afghan peace talks resume, but path is anything but certain
ISLAMABAD (AP) — With violence spiking, Afghanistan’s warring sides have returned to the negotiation table, ending more than a month of delays amid hopes...
Police say militants kill 4 women instructors in NW Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Suspected militants on motorcycles ambushed a vehicle carrying instructors from a private vocational school in northwest Pakistan on Monday, killing...
Afghan police: 3 separate Kabul explosions kill 5, wound 2
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Three sticky bomb attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday killed at least five people and wounded two others,...
Russia steps in, trying to aid stalled Afghan peace process
ISLAMABAD (AP) — With talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban stalled and the new administration in Washington mulling its options, Russia is...
Pentagon chief urges immediate reduction in Taliban violence
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in his first news conference as Pentagon chief, said Friday that progress toward peace in Afghanistan and...
NATO chief urges Afghan govt, Taliban to step up peace talks
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to step up the pace of peace talks...
NATO chief dismisses early pullout of Afghan troop trainers
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the military alliance will only leave Afghanistan when security conditions allow, as a deadline...
Fuel tanker blast at Afghan-Iran border causes massive fire
HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) — A fuel tanker exploded Saturday at the Islam Qala crossing in Afghanistan's western Herat province on the Iranian border, injuring...
The Latest: China’s northeast outbreaks appear under control
BEIJING — China appears to have stamped out its latest coronavirus outbreaks centered on the northeast, reporting no new cases of local infection in...
Experts group urges delayed US troop pullout in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States should urgently re-open talks with the Taliban to delay a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan beyond...
Germany: tie Afghanistan troop pullout to talks’ progress
BERLIN (AP) — The withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan should be tied to progress in stuttering peace negotiations between the Kabul government and...
US watchdog: Taliban attacks increased in Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban attacks in the Afghan capital of Kabul are on the rise, with increasing targeted killings of government officials, civil-society...
Afghan negotiating team warns Taliban it must resume talks
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A member of the Afghan government's peace negotiating team Sunday warned the Taliban that if they don't resume peace talks...
Biden faces calls to secure release of US man in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Biden administration considers whether it should pull remaining U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in the coming months, some fear...
EXPLAINER: Beyond acquittal of man accused in Pearl killing
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan is scrambling to manage the fallout from a decision by the country's Supreme Court to free the Pakistani-British man accused...
Taliban violence raises questions about US troop withdrawal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday said the Taliban's refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether...
First Biden-Putin call shows both cautious on big concerns
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first conversation as counterparts Tuesday in a phone call that...
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lloyd J. Austin, a West Point graduate who rose to the Army's elite ranks and marched through racial barriers in a...
3 dead in military helicopter crash were experienced pilots
MENDON, N.Y. (AP) — The three National Guard members killed when a helicopter crashed in an upstate New York field this week were experienced...
Albanian soldier dies in Afghanistan peacekeeping mission
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday reported the death of a soldier in Afghanistan, the second from the tiny Western Balkan...
Group: Billion in aid needed to help Afghan kids in 2021
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Some 10 million children in war-ravaged Afghanistan are at risk of not having enough food to eat in 2021, a...
Official: Gunmen kill two women judges in Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul on Sunday, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan's high court...
Trump’s presidency not just a blip in US foreign policy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to scrap President Donald Trump’s vision of “America First” in favor of “diplomacy first” will depend on...
Pentagon says US has dropped to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by Friday, a...
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan open new infrastructure projects
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — The leaders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on Thursday launched three new infrastructure projects intended to boost economic ties between the...
Impeachment could become defining moment for Liz Cheney
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just before a mob unleashed a deadly rampage on the U.S. Capitol last week, President Donald Trump told tens of thousands...
Pakistan launches new anti-polio drive amid tight security
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Despite a steady rise in coronavirus cases, Pakistan on Monday launched a five-day vaccination campaign against polio amid tight security, hoping...
5 nations want Iran to deliver justice on downed plane
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The countries whose citizens were killed when Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner said Friday they want Iran “to...
UK judge to rule on US extradition for WikiLeaks’ Assange
LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out Monday whether he can be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. to face...
Lawyer: Soldier charged in Rockford shooting may have PTSD
CHICAGO (AP) — An attorney for a U.S. Army special forces sergeant arrested in what authorities called an apparently random shooting at an Illinois...
Series of explosions target police in Kabul; at least 4 dead
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A series of explosions hit the Afghan capital on Saturday morning, killing at least four people including two police officers,...
Trump pardons 15, commutes 5 sentences, including GOP allies
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned 15 people, including a pair of congressional Republicans who were strong and early supporters, a...
Acting defense chief visits Afghanistan during troop pullout
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Tuesday, meeting top leaders during the American troop withdrawal.
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Afghan officials: Local journalist killed in Ghazni province
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A prominent local journalist was shot dead by unknown assailants in Afghanistan's central Ghazni province on Monday — the fourth...
Official: Large car bomb kills 9 in Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A car bomb blast that rocked Afghanistan's capital Sunday morning killed at least nine people, according to the Afghan Interior...
After years fighting them, Milley talks peace with Taliban
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In his three combat tours in Afghanistan, Gen. Mark Milley saw the Taliban as a formidable foe, one unlikely to...
Vets groups demand Wilkie’s dismissal after scathing audit
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four of the nation's biggest veterans groups on Friday called for the immediate dismissal of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie following...
Senate sends Trump defense bill he has vowed to veto
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Friday approved a wide-ranging defense policy bill, sending it to President Donald Trump, despite his threat to veto...
Sen. Rand Paul delays defense bill vote over troop drawdowns
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate vote on a wide-ranging defense policy bill was delayed Thursday after Kentucky Republican Rand Paul objected to the measure,...
US B-52H bombers fly to Middle East in mission to deter Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a new show of military might, two American bomber aircraft flew from the United States to the Middle East on...
EU warns Bosnia to help migrants as entire families on move
VELIKA KLADUSA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Entire migrant families are on the move in cold winter weather in Bosnia while trying to reach the West...
US troop pullouts in Mideast raise fears of Iranian attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Pentagon pulls troops out of the Middle East in the coming weeks, under orders from President Donald Trump, U.S....
US senator seeks update on contractor taken in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator is calling on the State Department to prioritize the return of Mark Frerichs, an American contractor believed to...
Trump orders most American troops to leave Somalia
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Friday it is pulling most U.S. troops out of Somalia on President Donald Trump's orders, continuing a post-election...
UN chief: Vaccine can’t undo damage from global pandemic
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. chief warned Thursday that the social and economic impact of COVID-19 “is enormous and growing” and said it’s...
US envoy: Afghan, Taliban team ready to set talks agenda
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban said Wednesday the two sides...
New Zealand joins Australia in denouncing China’s tweet
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has joined Australia in denouncing a graphic tweet posted by a Chinese official that shows a fake...
NATO mulls Afghan dilemma as US draws down, attacks mount
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that the military alliance is grappling with a dilemma over its future in Afghanistan, as...
Afghan officials say 34 killed in separate suicide bombings
GHAZNI, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 34 people were killed on Sunday in two separate suicide bombings in Afghanistan that targeted a military base...
EU, other donors step up with funds to help Afghanistan
GENEVA (AP) — The European Union, the United States and other donors on Tuesday pledged billions in new funds for Afghanistan, hoping to salvage...
Officials: Roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan kills 14
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Roadside bombs exploded in central Afghanistan on Tuesday killing at least 13 civilians and a traffic policeman, officials said, even...
Trump aims to box in Biden abroad, but it may not work
WASHINGTON (AP) — On its way out the door, the Trump administration is enacting new rules, regulations and orders that it hopes will box...
IS attack hits Afghan capital as Pompeo joins peace talks
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Mortar shells slammed into a residential area of Afghanistan's capital and killed eight people Saturday, hours before outgoing U.S. Secretary...
Chief Afghan peace envoy says US troops pulling out too soon
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Afghanistan's chief peace envoy Abdullah Abdullah said Saturday that the U.S. decision to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has come...
Australian minister says war crimes report made her ‘ill’
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said Friday that she was “physically ill” after reading a military report into war crimes...
Report finds Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghans
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A shocking Australian military report into war crimes has found evidence that elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan...
Acting Pentagon chief cites risks during troop reductions
WASHINGTON (AP) — The coming period of U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq is “fraught with risk,” but the military will not hesitate...
Warning of famine, UN releases $100M to seven countries
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United Nations humanitarian office is releasing $100 million in emergency funding to seven countries at risk of famine in...
Pentagon to cut troop levels to 2,500 in Iraq, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said Tuesday the U.S. will reduce troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan by mid-January, asserting that...
Acting defense chief says US will reduce troop levels to 2,500 in both Iraq,...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting defense chief says US will reduce troop levels to 2,500 in both Iraq, Afghanistan.
NATO chief warns of high price if troops leave Afghanistan
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO could pay a heavy price for leaving Afghanistan too early, its chief warned Tuesday after a U.S. official said President...
Trump to order troop reductions in Afghanistan, Iraq
The Trump administration is expected to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan almost in half to 2,500 by Jan. 15, U.S. officials...
NATO, acting US Pentagon chief discuss Afghanistan
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has spoken to the new acting U.S. defense secretary about the alliance’s commitment to stay in Afghanistan...
US sec’y of state begins difficult 7-nation tour in France
PARIS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed “global challenges” with a handful of members of a Paris think tank Saturday at...
Biden likely to break barriers, pick woman to lead Pentagon
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to take a historic step and select a woman to head the Pentagon for the first...
Military wary that shakeup could upend its apolitical nature
WASHINGTON (AP) — The words spoken by America's top military officer carried a familiar ring, but in the midst of a chaotic week at...
Australia to prosecute troops for war crimes in Afghanistan
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia on Thursday announced a new investigative agency to build criminal cases against Australian special forces suspected of committing war...
Explosion kills former Afghan TV presenter in capital
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A bomb attached to the vehicle of a former presenter on Afghanistan’s TOLO TV exploded early Saturday, killing the journalist...
Afghans mourn those killed in horrific IS university attack
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan declared a national day of mourning on Tuesday to honor the 22 people killed in a horrific attack a...
Robert Fisk, veteran foreign correspondent, dies at 74
BEIRUT (AP) — Veteran British journalist Robert Fisk, one of the best-known Middle East correspondents who spent his career reporting from the troubled region...
IS attack on Afghan university leaves 22 dead, 22 wounded
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Islamic State militants in Afghanistan stormed Kabul University on Monday as it hosted a book fair attended by the Iranian...
As anger rises, Muslims protest French cartoons
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Tens of thousands of Muslims, from Pakistan to Lebanon to the Palestinian territories, poured out of prayer services...
Arrest made in 2008 kidnapping of journalists in Afghanistan
NEW YORK (AP) — An Afghan man has been brought to the United States to face charges in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of a...
Afghanistan claims killing an al-Qaida leader wanted by FBI
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan claimed Sunday it killed a top al-Qaida propagandist on an FBI most-wanted list during an operation in the country's...
Attack in Kabul kills 18; al-Qaida leader killed in Ghazni
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The death toll from the suicide attack Saturday in Afghanistan's capital has risen to at least 18 killed and 57...
Four years in, Trump has plenty of unfinished business
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump swept into office nearly four years ago as an outsider who promised to get things done quickly on...
UN chief appeals for cease-fires, warns pandemic wins wars
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief is appealing for cease-fires in the world’s major conflicts, from Yemen and Libya to Afghanistan and...
NATO chief rules out rushed, early exit from Afghanistan
BRUSSELS (AP) — As rising violence threatens to derail Afghan peace talks, the head of NATO said Wednesday that the military alliance will not...
Stampede kills 11 Afghans seeking visas to leave country
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 11 women were trampled to death when a stampede broke out Wednesday among thousands of Afghans waiting in...
Many thorny global situations hinge on US election outcome
LONDON (AP) — Four years after Donald Trump’s election reframed how many nations interacted with the United States, the way that the world’s foremost...
Many thorny global situations hinge on US election outcome
LONDON (AP) — Four years after Donald Trump's election reframed how many nations interacted with the United States, the way that the world's foremost...
Adviser: Trump tweet about Afghanistan withdrawal was a wish
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's national security adviser on Friday doubled down on his assertion that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan...
Taliban to suspend assault after US pledges to halt strikes
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban said on Friday they have agreed to suspend attacks in southern Afghanistan that have displaced thousands this week —...
Trump vs. Biden: Where they stand on health, economy, more
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid the tumult of the 2020 presidential campaign, one dynamic has remained constant: The Nov. 3 election offers voters a choice...
AP Interview: Top Afghan negotiator lauds India’s support
NEW DELHI (AP) — Afghanistan’s chief peace envoy said Saturday that India’s civil and military leadership are supportive of an inclusive, peaceful settlement of...
Military blindsided by Trump’s new Afghan troop withdrawal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military was blindsided Thursday by President Donald Trump's assertion that all U.S. troops will be out of Afghanistan by...
ACLU aids appeal of two Montana men accused of stolen valor
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Two Montana men who lied about their military service in court have appealed some conditions of their sentences.
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Envoy pushes Pakistan to press Taliban to lessen violence
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghanistan’s chief peace envoy Abdullah Abdullah ended a three-day visit to Pakistan on Wednesday optimistic the uneasy neighbors have turned a...
Facing IS, last embattled Sikhs, Hindus leave Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus is shrinking to its lowest levels. With growing threats from the local Islamic...
The Latest: Venezuela’s Guaidó urges nations to decry Maduro
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly (all times EDT):
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US Embassy in Kabul warns of extremist attacks against women
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan warned that extremists groups are planning attacks against a “variety of targets” but are taking...
In Greece, a migrant’s dream of walking is set back by fire
MORIA, Greece (AP) — Ayoub Husseini’s struggle to survive and dream of walking again one day have taken a sudden and cruel turn for...
Pentagon Papers leaker comes to the defense of Assange
LONDON (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg, one of the most famous whistleblowers in living memory, came to the defense of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on...
Expect US election to have consequences for troops overseas
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden both say they want to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan....
Warring Afghans meet to find peace after decades of war
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the...
Combat vet killed by Texas deputy buried in Alabama on 9/11
MONTEVALLO, Ala. (AP) — His Army stint complete after serving in Afghanistan, Damian Daniels left Alabama to begin a new life in Texas. He...
Pompeo says Afghan negotiations likely to be ‘contentious’
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Much anticipated negotiations between Afghanistan's warring parties are likely to be “contentious,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Friday, but...
