Afghanistan War News Updates -- March 30, 2010

VILLAGE VISTA - Afghan Army soldiers patrol near the village of Kusheh, Afghanistan, March 24, 2010. The Afghan soldiers have been partnering with U.S. Army soldiers to help bring stability to part of Khost province. The U.S. soldiers are assigned to the !st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Spencer Case

Top U.S. Military Officer Gets Earful From Afghans -- Washington Post/Reuters

MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - From the litany of requests made to Mike Mullen on Tuesday -- from asphalt for roads to fertilizer for fields -- one might think he was a visiting aid worker, not the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"We want educational centres ... There is no good hospital ... We want all these roads to be paved," a man with a long black beard told Mullen, the top U.S. military officer, at a "shura," or tribal meeting in the heart of Afghanistan's Helmand province.

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More News On Afghanistan

Top US commander visits Afghan war frontline -- AFP
Mullen in Afghan war zone as US gears up for Kandahar -- AFP

Military looks toward long offensive in Kandahar -- AP
Date set for attack on Kandahar -- The Australian
Kandahar offensive to begin in June -- AP
Afghanistan: Nato to launch Kandahar assault in June -- The Telegraph
U.S. aims to push Taliban from Kandahar by August -- Reuters
Chairman Calls Kandahar Operations ‘Critical’ -- US Department of Defense
Kandahar Ops Reflect Complexity, Subtlety -- US Department of Defense
Kandahar Offensive to Focus on Good Governance -- Wall Street Journal
Taliban ejected from Kandahar villages ahead of latest NATO sweep -- Canadian Press

Nato will fail unless you end corruption, US commander tells Karzai -- Times Online
Afghan Leader Is Seen to Flout Influence of U.S. -- New York Times
Obama Afghanistan Trip Signals Some Hope In Karzai -- FOX News
Postgame on the Kabul trip -- Politico
Obama's Visit with Karzai: No Pat on the Back -- Time Magazine
Afghan front feels little Obama effect -- Washington Times
President Obama in Kabul -- New York Times editorial

CIA 'suggests' Europe should understand suffering of women under Taliban -- The Telegraph
Reporters Reflect on ‘30 Days Through Afghanistan’ -- US Department of Defense
Burgers go way of booze as US general Stanley McChrystal bans junk food -- Times Online
Winston Churchill an unlikely adviser for General Stanley A. McChrystal in the Afghan conflict -- The Australian
Hidden costs of US's drone reliance -- Asia Times