Afghanistan War News Updates -- February 16, 2011

HEAD SCARF HELP - U.S. Army Maj. Rosemary Reed, right, helps Army Sgt. 1st Class Paula Reill with her head scarf before the first women's shura with coalition forces in Afghanistan's Khowst province, Feb. 10, 2011. Reed is assigned to the Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Reill is assigned to the 3-19th Indiana Agricultural Developement Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tobey White

One Child A Day Killed In Afghan War -- The Telegraph

One child a day is being killed in the Afghan war as both the Taliban and government forces recruit and exploit them according to a United Nations report.

Militants are employing children as suicide bombers or to plant explosives, while killing scores through the indiscriminate use of roadside booby traps and bomb attacks.

The Afghan police have also recruited boys as young as 12 into their fight against insurgents, according to a report which underlines the grim toll of the war on children.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

Some Afghans say insecurity persists despite surge -- Yahoo News/AP
Second Finnish soldier killed in Afghanistan -- M&C
New Zealand trooper dies, 3 hurt in Afghanistan patrol accident -- Canadian Press
NATO, Afghan officials offer differing accounts of raid in southern Afghanistan that killed 4 -- Winnipeg Free Press
Forces in Afghanistan Detain Taliban Attack Leader -- U.S. Department Of Defense
Kandahar police arrest 5 would-be suicide bombers -- Central Asia Online
Afghan Taliban member reportedly talks peace in London -- Central Asia Online
Pregnant soldier on front line -- Press Association

Afghan bank crisis clouds future European aid-EU -- Reuters
Kabul Bank faces receivership after IMF visit -- BBC
IMF recommends troubled Kabul Bank be wound down -- AP
I.M.F. Said to Have Harsh Assessment of Troubled Kabul Bank -- New York Times
IMF recommends troubled Kabul Bank be wound down -- Washington Post

Petraeus’ Peeps Promise: He’s Staying in Afghanistan -- The Danger Room
No end date set for Gen. Petraeus -- UPI
NATO chief Petraeus to leave post by end of year: report -- AFP
US General David Petraeus to leave Afghanistan post by end of the year -- Heraldsun.com
Petraeus to leave Afghanistan post by end of the year -- New York Post
No decision on Petraeus exit from Afghanistan: US -- AFP
Petraeus Term as Afghan War Commander Won’t End Soon, U.S. Says -- Bloomberg
Pentagon denies David Petraeus plans to quit command -- The Guardian
Pentagon squelches rumors that Petraeus is leaving Afghanistan early -- Stars And Stripes
Afghanistan: Petraeus, personalities and policy -- Reuters
Why History Will Forget General Petraeus? -- Daniel Freedman, Forbes

Afghan Women Fight Government Takeover of Women’s Shelters -- UN Dispatch
Afghan Official Says Women’s Shelters Are Corrupt -- New York Times
Afghan plan poses threat to women's shelters -- L.A. Times
Battered, bruised, now threatened by new Afghan plan for women’s shelters -- France24

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Taliban reality finally dawns on human rights camp -- Christopher Hitchens, National Post
Worth a Bottle of Whiskey -- Maureen Dowd, New York Times
Why Kabul Should Expect More Suicide Bombings -- John Wendle, Time Magazine
Why talks with the Taliban are likely to fail -- Praveen Swami, The Telegraph
A Rare Voice Against Plan to Leave Afghanistan -- Judy Dempsey, New York Times