Afghanistan War News Updates -- February 2, 2010

ZANBAR CAVES - U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Herendeen leads Afghan soldiers while searching multiple caves for weapons during Operation Wawraa Tufaan in Zanbar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2010. Herendeen is assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jeffrey Alexander

As Marines Move In, Taliban Fight a Shadowy War -- New York Times

KARARDAR, Afghanistan — The Marine infantry company, accompanied by a squad of Afghan soldiers, set out long before dawn. It walked silently through the dark fields with plans of arriving at a group of mud-walled compounds in Helmand Province at sunrise.

The company had received intelligence reports that 40 to 50 Taliban fighters had moved into this village a few days before, and the battalion had set a cordon around it. The Marines hoped to surprise any insurgents within.

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More News On Afghanistan

Afghanistan attacks kill four Nato soldiers -- BBC
Four NATO Troops Killed in Afghan Attacks -- Wall Street Journal
Coalition soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- CNN

Marine deaths underline US struggle in Afghanistan -- AFP
U.S. Steps Up Missions Targeting Taliban Leaders -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Plans Defense of Kandahar -- Wall Street Journal
NATO Still Short on Afghan Trainers -- New York Times/Reuters
Counterinsurgency, One Stuck Truck at a Time -- New York Times

Afghan leader seeks Saudi help with Taliban -- Reuters
Karzai to consult Saudi leaders -- Al Jazeera
After Afghanistan conference, an optimistic Karzai -- Christian Science Monitor
Karzai to talk Taliban reconciliation with Saudis -- Yahoo News/AP
Afghans Skeptical of Karzai's Plan to Negotiate With Taliban -- ABC News
Afghan Official Dismisses Taliban Denial of Talks -- New York Times
Taliban take on the US's surge -- Asia Times Online

Taliban: Terrorist or not? Not always easy to say -- Yahoo News/AP
The Tribal Strategy -- Huffington Post
Q&A: Who else could help in Afghanistan? -- Christian Science Monitor
Experts: Time ripe for Taliban talks -- CNN
How to end the war in Afghanistan -- BBC