Afghanistan War News Updates -- December 5, 2009

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle drops 2,000-pound munitions on a cave in eastern Afghanistan, Nov. 26, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller

U.S. Marines Advance In Southern Afghanistan -- Washington Post

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. Marines pressed into a remote Taliban stronghold on Saturday with their first major assault in Afghanistan since President Barack Obama earmarked 30,000 more troops to try to turn the tide on the Taliban insurgency.

Operation "Cobra's Anger," which involves 900 U.S. Marines and sailors, British troops and 150 Afghan soldiers and police, pushed into the Now Zad district of southern Helmand province, an insurgent stronghold depopulated after years of heavy fighting.

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More News On Afghanistan

Little resistance in new US-Afghan offensive -- Yahoo News/AP
Marines Lead Offensive to Secure Southern Afghan Town -- New York Times
Marines, Afghan Soldiers Attack Taliban Stronghold -- L.A. Times
'Cobra's Anger' strikes Taliban -- National Post
Marines push into Taliban lines -- The Age
Marines Launch Offensive in Taliban Stronghold -- Washington Times/AP
NATO, Afghan Troops Launch Major Offensive -- Voice of America
US general: Helmand push paves way for surge -- AP
Over 1,000 NATO troops launch Afghan offensive -- AFP
Marines Fire Opening Salvo to Retake Helmand -- Long War Journal

NATO Allies Pledge 7,000 More Troops for Afghanistan Mission -- Washington Post
NATO Pledges 7,000 Troops, but Avoids Details -- New York Times
US Allies Pledge More Troops for Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Allies Help McChrystal Reach Troop Goal -- Wall Street Journal
Similarities to Iraq Surge Plan Mask Risks in Afghanistan -- New York Times

U.S. urges Canada to stay in Afghanistan -- Montreal Gazette
U.S. hopes Canada stays as long as possible -- National Post

'No Afghanistan withdrawal in 2011' -- BBC
What does Afghan timeline mean? Depends who's asking -- McClatchy News
Afghanistan official: We can take over security in five years -- USA Today

Which military unit will deploy 1st to the Afghanistan surge? -- Examiner
Afghan training mission faces tough obstacles -- AP
Key to Afghan crisis: tea and education -- Christian Science Monitor
Karzai to unveil Afghan cabinet 'within days' -- Yahoo News/AFP

US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 852 -- Washington Post/AP

Q+A - Understanding Obama's Afghan strategy -- Reuters
Obama Redeclares War -- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan’s Army -- New York Times editorial