In a surprisingly harsh outburst, NATO Supreme Commander for Europe General John Craddock has condemned those allies who are questioning the wisdom of the US plan to ratchet up raids against Afghan drug lords. Gen. Craddock complained that a "handful" of unnamed...
Gates Cautions Brits Against “Defeatism” in Afghanistan
Speaking in reaction to recent comments from two high profile British officials regarding the situation in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates cautioned against having a "defeatist" outlook or "underestimating the opportunities to be successful in the long...
20 Killed, Over 50 Injured in Punjab Suicide Blast
A suicide bomber attacked a gathering at the home of Pakistani opposition MP Rasheed Akbar Khan Nawani in the town of Bhakkar in Punjab Province, killing 20 and leaving over 50 injured. The MP reportedly escaped the blast with only minor bruises. It is so far unclear...
Afghanistan / Taliban Peace Talk Rumors: Are They or Aren’t They?
Their lips say "no," but their unnamed sources speaking to CNN say yes. There has been a lot of talk over the past week of a "secret" round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban sponsored by the Saudis with British backing. And while the Taliban...
Pakistan Aims to Expel Afghan Refugees as Bajaur Offensive Continues
The Pakistani government has announced a "crackdown" on the 30,000 plus Afghan refugees it estimates are living in the troubled Bajaur Agency. Pakistan gave the refugees a three day deadline to return to Afghanistan which expired this weekend. The director general...
Turkish Military Accuses Iraqi Kurds of Aiding Rebels
In the wake of Saturday's bloody clash between the Turkish army and Kurdish rebels, Iraq's central government has promised to cooperate with Turkey against the rebels and the regional government of Iraqi Kurdistan issued a condemnation of the rebel ambush. Turkish...
“Furious” Taliban Said to Move Aggressively After US Strike
The toll of Friday's US air strike in North Waziristan has risen to 24, and according to residents and Pakistani officials Taliban in the area are unusually upset over the strike, which has led to speculation that a high ranking militant may have been among those...
Tensions Remain High as Russian Pullout From Georgia Appears on Track
Georgia's Interior Ministry reports that Russia has begun dismantling posts in the buffer zone between Georgia and the breakaway enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which has also been confirmed by a spokesman for the EU monitors entering the zone. European...
US Raid Kills 11 Members of Mosul Family
US forces conducted a dawn raid on a house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in which they believed a "suspected insurgent" was hiding. When the clash was over, 11 members of a single Iraqi family were dead. The US wasn't specific about the nature of the deaths,...
Opposition Condemns Saakashvili as a Rights Abuser
In another embarrassing incident at a time when the Bush Administration is pressing for NATO membership for Georgia, key members of the Caucasus nation's opposition have launched an attack on President Mikheil Saakashvili, condemning him as an anti-democratic human...