Afghanistan War News Updates -- October 19, 2010

A U.S. Army soldier watches for insurgents during an air-assault mission with Afghan forces in the mountains of Khowst province, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2010. The operation resulted in the location and destruction of two insurgent weapons caches. The soldier is assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brent C. Powell

Iran Joins International Group's Talks On Afghan Strategy -- Washington Post

ROME- Iran for the first time joined a U.S. and NATO-dominated coordinating group on Afghanistan on Monday, sending midlevel officials to participate in discussions here on coalition military and political strategy that included a closed-door report by Gen. David H. Petraeus.

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More News On Afghanistan

Iran Sends Delegate to International Meeting on Afghanistan -- New York Times
Iran joins US for meeting on Afghanistan's future -- BBC
Holbrooke: No Problem With Iran Presence at Afghan Meeting -- Voice of America
Iran joins session on Afghan war -- Washington Post

2 NATO service members killed in south Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/AP
Two NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- AFP
A senior Taliban leader killed in Afghanistan -- CNN
4 Taliban commander reported killed in Afghanistan in 3 separate clashes in past few days -- Today Online
Gunmen Kill 8 Private Security Guards in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Taliban's Influence Expands Into Northern Afghanistan -- FOX News
Taliban Influence Grows in North -- Wall Street Journal
Pentagon sends 2nd carrier to help Afghan surge -- Washington Post
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Oct 19 -- Reuters
Troops chafe at restrictive rules of engagement, talks with Taliban -- Washington Examiner
Detainee possibly killed by coalition troops: Karzai -- Yahoo News/AFP
Al-Qaida Returning to Afghanistan for New Attacks -- National Journal

Australia digs in for war with no end -- Sydney Morning Herald
Australian Gillard talks tough on war in Afghanistan -- the Age
Australian leaders agree: we're not leaving Afghanistan yet -- ABC News (Australia)
Cracks Emerge in Australian Unity on Afghan War -- New York Times/AP

Afghanistan's election panel disqualifies 10 percent of ballots -- CNN
Doc of the Day: WikiLeaks Didn’t Blow U.S.’ Afghan Intel Sources [Updated] -- Danger Room
US seeking larger Afghan village police force: report -- AFP
Advisers Help Afghan Police to Become Self Sufficient -- US Department of Defense
U.S. seeks a larger village police force in Afghanistan -- L.A. Times

Can Cellphones Bring Justice in Afghanistan? -- Danger Room
U.S. Trying to "Kill Its Way Out" of Afghan War? -- CBS
Sedwill on Afghanistan -- War Is Boring
Shift in Momentum in Afghanistan -- Max Boot, Commentary Magazine
Petraeus rewrites the playbook in Afghanistan -- David Ignatius, Washington Post
Time to Talk to the Taliban -- Richard Barrett, New York Times