US troops

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Afghans Cool to US Troop Increase

Doubting Taliban can be defeated, they want foreigners out

(Newser) - Even as the Obama adminstration agonizes over deploying more troops to Afghanistan, the Afghan public is growing increasingly negative about the US presence in their country. Doubting that the Taliban can be defeated, most agree that the government should negotiate with insurgents, the New York Times reports, and they see...

Troop Injuries Hit New High in Afghanistan

Taliban roadside bombs highly effective against US

(Newser) - Injuries to US troops in Afghanistan have risen alarmingly in the last 3 months, as a Taliban offensive deploys deadlier roadside bombs aimed at American and other foreign forces. The rate of injury has surpassed that in Iraq during the heaviest fighting of the surge 2 years ago, the Washington...

Oct. Deadliest Afghan Month as 8 US Troops Die

'Complex' bombings in south also take 1 Afghan life

(Newser) - Eight American troops have been killed today in multiple bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month for American troops there since the war began in 2001. The 8 deaths occurred in "multiple, complex" bomb attacks in the south, according to the US military.

Guns Failed US Troops in Afghan Firefight

M-4, built for extreme conditions, jammed repeatedly in heavy fire

(Newser) - As militants surrounded the remote Afghanistan base of Wanat on July 13, 2008, Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips' M-4 carbine quit firing. The machine gun he grabbed in desperation didn't work, either. When the battle ended, nine US soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the...

Troops Despair, Question Afghan Mission: Chaplains

'I'm not exactly sure why we're' in Afghanistan, says one

(Newser) - Morale is not good at the Forward Operating Base in Wardak province. Soldiers there are starting to lose hope, base chaplains tell the Times. “They feel they are risking their lives for progress that’s hard to discern,” said one, while another described a “sense of futility...

McChrystal Meets With Obama to Make His Case

(Newser) - President Obama squeezed in a quick, unannounced meeting this morning with Gen. Stanley McChrystal during his trip to Copenhagen. The two met for about a half-hour aboard Air Force One, where McChrystal presumably made his case in person for more troops in Afghanistan. The general flew in from London, where...

2 US Soldiers Killed in Philippines

Land mine triggers first US casualties in the nation since 2002

(Newser) - Two American soldiers and a Filipino marine were killed when their vehicle rolled over a land mine in the southern Philippines today. The men were fetching supplies for a school when their vehicle was hit, officials say.  The American soldiers, part of a 300-strong force helping the Filipino army...

Americans Fed Up With Afghan War
 Americans Fed Up 
 With Afghan War 
OPINION
Sep 26, 2009 9:59 AM CDT

Americans Fed Up With Afghan War

(Newser) - The Obama administration is busy figuring out how to fine-tune its Afghan strategy while most Americans by and large just want us out of there. "A clash is coming," warns Bob Herbert. Most people are tired of the war, worried about the recession, and in no mood for...

Joint Chiefs Chair: Afghan War Needs More Troops

(Newser) - The drumbeat for more US troops in Afghanistan goes on: The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told senators today that a "properly resourced counter-insurgency probably means more forces." Adm. Mike Mullen said he hasn't yet received a formal request from Gen. Stanley McChrystal but expects one...

Newt: Obama School Speech 'Good for America'
 Newt: Obama 
 School Speech 
 'Good for America' 

TALK SHOW ROUNDUP
Sep 6, 2009 12:13 PM CDT

Newt: Obama School Speech 'Good for America'

Dean: green jobs czar 'brought down'; CDC chief warns of swine flu challenges

(Newser) - Who says bipartisanship in Washington is dead? Today, top Republicans sided with President Obama on both his planned speech to schoolchildren and his strategy in Afghanistan, Politico reports. On Fox News Sunday, Newt Gingrich called Obama’s Tuesday speech “good for America.” On Afghanistan, Tim Pawlenty rejected calls...

US to Beef Up Afghanistan Combat Force

Up to 14K fighters swap places with noncombatant troops

(Newser) - The Pentagon will add up to 14,000 combat troops to its Afghanistan force, replacing noncombatant support units with more "trigger-pullers" as casualties continue to climb. With support for the war waning, the Defense Department's "force optimization" plan will not increase the number of US troops, and...

August Deadliest Month for US in Afghanistan

(Newser) - A bomb blast in Afghanistan killed an American service member today, making August the deadliest month of the 8-year war for US forces. The service member's vehicle struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, NATO forces said, bringing the number of troops killed in August to 45, one more than...

US Afghan Toll Mounts; 2009 Deadliest for Foreign Troops

(Newser) - A busy, bloody day in Afghanistan:
  • Five car bombs detonated simultaneously in Kandahar, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 50, reports the AP.
  • That follows news of a blast in southern Afghanistan that killed four US troops, bringing to 41 the number of American deaths in August.
...

Gates Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq
Gates Makes
Surprise Visit to Iraq
Jul 28, 2009 3:17 AM CDT

Gates Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq

(Newser) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has landed in Iraq for a surprise visit, the AP reports. He'll meet with troops stationed at a command post in southern Iraq who are largely serving as advisers. He's also expected to see Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and visit the restive Kurdish region....

US Army to Add 22K Soldiers
 US Army to Add 22K Soldiers 
Jul 21, 2009 2:16 AM CDT

US Army to Add 22K Soldiers

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is temporarily boosting the Army's ranks with 22,000 new soldiers, reports the Army Times. The increase, which follows a permanent increase of 65,000, will reduce the strain on the forces over the next three years, according to Gates. The hike "will be used...

Pentagon IDs Soldier Caught by Taliban
Pentagon IDs Soldier Caught by Taliban
see taliban video
Jul 19, 2009 6:04 PM CDT

Pentagon IDs Soldier Caught by Taliban

He may have been visiting a woman when caught: officials

(Newser) - Pentagon officials have confirmed that Bowe Bergdahl, 23, is the captured US soldier seen this weekend in a Taliban video, ABC News reports. Bergdahl says in the video that he was caught after falling behind in a foot patrol, but Defense Department officials say he may have left his Paktika...

Taliban Releases Video of US Soldier

(Newser) - The Taliban released a video today of a captured American soldier who went missing from his base in eastern Afghanistan on June 30. The Pentagon has not publicly identified him yet. The soldier is shown in the 28-minute video with his head shaved and dressed in a nondescript, gray outfit....

Iraqis Celebrate 'Sovereignty Day' as US Pulls Back

Maliki declares June 30 'National Sovereignty Day'

(Newser) - Iraqi forces have assumed formal control of security in Baghdad and other cities after US combat troops withdrew from urban areas. A countdown clock broadcast on Iraqi TV ticked to zero as the midnight deadline passed for combat troops to pull back. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has declared a public...

Iraqis Applaud US Exit, but Fears Linger

US troops quit Iraqi cities June 30; some see economic boon

(Newser) - Many Iraqis are looking forward to the departure of US troops from the country’s cities June 30—but what that means for security remains to be seen, Reuters reports. “Anyone who wants to fight them can go there and attack their bases without harming civilians,” says one...

2 US Troops Killed in Attack on Afghan Base

Taliban claims responsibility for strike that wounded 6

(Newser) - Two US troops were killed and six more Americans were injured early this morning in a rocket strike on a US air base in Afghanistan, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the 2 a.m. strike on the heavily fortified compound, which brings the American death...

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