Afghanistan War News Updates -- January 22, 2010

AFGHAN CHECKPOINT - U.S. Army soldiers arrive at an Afghan police checkpoint in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2010. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez

U.S. Ambassador Puts Brakes On Plan To Utilize Afghan Militias Against Taliban -- Washington Post

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and senior Afghan officials have resisted moving forward with a bold and potentially risky initiative to support local militias in Afghanistan that are willing to defend their villages against insurgents, according to U.S. officials.

Their concerns have slowed the implementation of a key effort to provide security in places where there are relatively few NATO forces or Afghan police and Army units. U.S. military officials had wanted to get the initiative -- developed under the leadership of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan -- off to a quick start this year.

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More News On Afghanistan

Gates Says Taliban Must Take Legitimate Afghan Role -- New York Times
Taliban Won’t Give Up Until Karzai Gets Upper Hand, Gates Says -- Bloomberg
Afghanistan's Karzai moots Taliban peace scheme -- BBC
Karzai to pay Taliban to lay down their arms -- Yahoo News/AFP
New Afghan initiative: Convince insurgents to switch sides -- McClatchy News
Afghan Insurgent Outlines Peace Plan -- Wall Street Journal
NATO Plans New Top Job In Kabul -- Wall Street Journal
Afghans Plan Dramatic Increase in Security Forces -- Washington Post/AP
Kabul Promotes Its Side of Taliban Attack -- Wall Street Journal
Loyalties of Those Killed in Afghan Raid Remain Unclear -- New York Times
As Afghanistan war ramps up, one hospital hunkers down to treat soldiers – and Taliban -- Christian Science Monitor
Afghanistan bans chemical used to make bombs -- Yahoo News/AP
Afghanistan bans fertilizer chemical commonly used to make bombs; protesters denounce killings -- Canadian Press
US Envoy: London Conference an Opportunity for Momentum in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Afghanistan 'needs new political plan' -- Independent
Afghan mission has lost momentum, British ambassador says -- The Telegraph
Bombs and baksheesh -- The Economist