Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) – Afghan officials say a suicide bomber disguised in a police uniform detonated his explosives inside a police training center in southern Afghanistan today, killing 21 officers and wounding at least 20. The Taliban are claiming responsibility. In a phone call from an undisclosed location, a Taliban …

KABUL (Reuters) – A Taliban suicide car bomber hit a convoy of foreign troops on the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Sunday, wounding two Afghan civilians and slightly injuring a French soldier, officials said. The attack took place on Kabul’s western edge near a bridge where Italian troops and …

KABUL  – Afghanistan hit back at Western criticism of official corruption on Sunday, saying some 80 percent of international aid was outside government control so donors should be held to account. As U.S. President Barack Obama makes Afghanistan his foreign policy priority, President Hamid Karzai’s government has come under increased …

KABUL  – Drug cultivation is expected to fall slightly in Afghanistan this year as lower opium prices and higher wheat prices encourage some farmers to switch crops, the United Nations said on Sunday. Afghanistan is locked in a vicious circle where drug production helps fund Taliban militants and increases official …

WASHINGTON  – Defense Secretary Robert Gates will give President Barack Obama his formal recommendation on new U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan within days, the Pentagon said on Thursday. “I would think in the coming days the secretary hopes to be able to present the president with his recommendation,” said Pentagon …

WASHINGTON  – Sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan enjoys broad U.S. political support, from President Barack Obama on down, but some analysts — both in and outside government — are not convinced by the plans. They question whether extra soldiers and Marines will be able to stabilize the country and …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Military action is no good prescription for Afghanistan’s problems, Iranian deputy foreign minister for European affairs said on Wednesday. In his speech at the Greek Institute for International Studies, Mehdi Safari underlined that the foreign forces should withdraw from Afghanistan, and said that drug cultivation has grown extremely …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Unidentified gunmen in Afghanistan abducted an Iranian man in the western province of Heart on Wednesday. The Iranian man was kidnapped in Ghourian near an Iranian company which does construction work in Afghanistan. There are no reports yet of the identity of kidnappers and the police are investigating …

KABUL  – Afghanistan on Thursday announced presidential elections for August 20, hoping a U.S. troop surge will improve security at a time when violence is at the highest levels since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban. President Hamid Karzai has strongly hinted he will run for re-election saying he still …

BRUSSELS  – NATO said Thursday it was pleased an election date had been announced in Afghanistan and said it would give the alliance enough time to deploy sufficient reinforcements to help protect the vote. Afghanistan said Thursday it would hold presidential polls on August 20, only the second time the …