Afghanistan War News Updates -- July 30, 2009

‘Most of the fighters we see in Afghanistan are Afghans, some with foreign cadre with them. But most we don’t see are deeply ideological or even politically motivated’: General Stanley McCrhystal (above). — Photo by Reuters/File

Unreliable Afghan Forces Make Life Difficult, Dangerous For U.S. Soldiers -- Stars And Stripes

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — John Roome was mad.

The first sergeant stood in the courtyard of the U-shaped building, where his soldiers were relaxing on cots on covered porches at dusk, and barked an order.

“Everyone pack up their stuff. We are leaving,” Roome announced. “The ANP (Afghan National Police) won’t pull guard, we are leaving.”

It was a dramatic threat just two days after this new American outpost was set up alongside the local government building at the Charkh District Center. But Roome saw need for drama. His soldiers were sharing an unfortified new command post with an unreliable contingent of fledgling Afghan National Police officers who were not taking security detail seriously.

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More News On Afghanistan

More US Troops May Be Needed in Afghanistan, says Pentagon Advisor -- Voice of America
US reaches out to second tier of Taliban leaders -- Dawn
U.S. shifting drones' focus to Taliban -- L.A. Times
U.S. Shifts Target of Drones From Al Qaeda to Taliban -- FOX News
FACTBOX: Security developments in Afghanistan, July 30 -- Reuters
July sees surge in soldiers killed or wounded in action in Afghanistan -- The Guardian
UK Afghan casualty rate hits high -- BBC
DEA sends more agents to Afghanistan -- UPI
Holbrooke Says U.S. End to Afghan Drug Eradication Gets Results -- Bloomberg
Campaigning Karzai makes security priority -- AFP
Taliban vow to disrupt Afghanistan election -- Reuters
Taliban urge Afghan poll boycott -- BBC
Taliban call for boycott of Afghan polls, 'jihad' -- AFP
Britain Will Stick with Afghan Combat Mission, says Envoy -- Voice of America
U.S., Britain: We're not deterred in Afghanistan -- CNN
Afghan, NATO slam new Taliban code of conduct -- AP
Taliban issues 'Code of Conduct' to fighters in Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
Taliban field manual: A kinder, gentler militant? -- Washington Times
A deadly month, a deadly legacy in Afghanistan -- Globa And Mail opinion
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 682 -- AP