Afghanistan

Nato allies meeting in Budapest have reached a compromise deal to attack Afghanistan’s drug trade, but they have given no further details.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence agencies conclude in a draft report that Afghanistan is in a downward spiral and they doubt whether the Kabul government can stem the Taliban’s rise, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – The United States called on NATO allies on Thursday to allow the alliance to attack the Afghan opium trade, which it said was bringing the Taliban up to $80 million a year.

NATO allies meet today in Budapest, under increasing pressure from their senior collegue to step up the war in Afghanistan. The United States appealed for more troops, and said those members who refused should at least pay more of the bills. Washington intends to boost its forces in the face …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned Western countries for deciding to engage in backdoor talks with Taliban leaders.

KABUL (Reuters) – The U.S. military is to provide the Afghan army with armored vehicles and NATO standard weapons in an attempt to boost the capability of the fledgling force, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An inquiry by the U.S. military has concluded that U.S. air strikes on an Afghan village in August killed more than 30 civilians, far more than U.S. commanders have acknowledged, The New York Times said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has asked Japan and NATO allies who have refused to send troops to Afghanistan to pay the estimated $17 billion needed to build up the Afghan army, according to U.S. defense officials.

KABUL (Reuters) – The war in Afghanistan cannot be won militarily and success is only possible through political means including dialogue between all relevant parties, the United Nation’s top official in the country said on Monday.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO’s top operations commander hit out Monday at allies resisting his call for the alliance to use more aggressive tactics against Afghan drug production.