Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — Shifting U.S. objectives in Afghanistan away from the Bush administration’s promise to build a Western-style democracy, President Barack Obama will announce on Friday that he’s deploying thousands of additional American troops and civilians to achieve more modest goals, such as enhancing security and promoting economic development, U.S. officials …

KABUL – International and Afghan troops killed 11 militants when a raid in Afghanistan’s volatile south turned into a gunbattle with Taliban fighters, U.S. forces said Friday. Fighting broke out during the Thursday night raid targeting a key Taliban insurgent in a village in Helmand province, the military said in …

WASHINGTON — Afghanistan’s former Taliban leader is pursuing a strategy to reclaim power, the top U.S. intelligence official said Thursday, identifying a key administration concern as the White House prepared to unveil a new strategy to step up combat operations and stabilization efforts.

KABUL  – The US military said on Friday that Afghan and international troops had killed 30 militants in Afghanistan’s province of Helmand, a flashpoint region where the Taliban control several districts. The heavy clash on Thursday was in the Gereshk district where a prominent anti-Taliban parliamentarian was killed in a …

A key element of Obama’s plan is to erode militants’ power by strengthening local leaders, who can in turn provide incentives for foot soldiers to switch sides. Reporting from Washington — The Obama administration’s plan to overhaul the Afghanistan war will include a reinvigorated effort to sap the strength and …

KABUL – President Hamid Karzai warned the international community Wednesday against meddling in Afghanistan’s politics as it prepares for a presidential election later this year, saying the country is not “a puppet state.” Karzai faces an election in August, at a time when the country is embroiled in a vicious …

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – A suicide bomber in a police uniform detonated explosives he was carrying inside a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing 11 people and wounding 29 others, the Interior Ministry said. The bombing followed a surge in violence in Afghanistan over the weekend that led to …

LONDON: Britain’s Ministry of Defense says two British soldiers have died in an explosion in southern Afghanistan. The ministry said the pair from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were traveling in an armored vehicle which was hit by a blast Sunday in the Garmsir district of Helmand province. The …

KABUL, Afghanistan — Four American soldiers were killed in eastern Afghanistan in a roadside explosion on Sunday, the United States military said, in the worst of several attacks by insurgents around the country. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, a spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said. The Taliban have been threatening …

Sherzai welcomes Obama’s bid to reach out to moderate Taliban elements and end bloodshed. A former warlord tipped to unseat Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan’s coming elections has backed President Barack Obama’s plans to negotiate with the Taliban. Gul Agha Sherzai was the first Afghan leader Mr Obama met when he …