Afghanistan War News Updates -- March 9, 2011

VILLAGE TOUR - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates tours a village outside of Combat Outpost Kowall in Afghanistan, March 8, 2011. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen

Team Petraeus Brings Body Counts Back -- The Danger Room

It wasn’t long ago that counterinsurgency advocates argued that the real measure of progress in a war wasn’t the number of enemies killed. Instead, it was the number of lives saved, civilians kept out of harm’s way, and attacks reduced. But that was before counterinsurgency ran up against the difficulties of the Afghanistan war. Now, the body counts are back. In a big way.

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More News On Afghanistan

AP Interview: Top US commander in Afghanistan says preparing for tougher summer fight ahead -- Canadian Press/AP
Petraeus Sees Military Progress in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Petraeus talks of additional progress -- UPI
US, NATO forces able to halt Taliban gains around Kabul: Petraeus -- Sify
Taliban returning to Afghan stronghold -- UPI
Taliban fighters moving back into former Afghanistan stronghold -- L.A. Times
US claims to have driven Taliban out of Sangin -- The Guardian
Toll From Helicopter Strikes Climbs -- Wall Street Journal
Marines in deadly Afghan valley face combat stress -- Sify News
Afghan Police Force Advances -- Wall Street Journal
Karzai: Afghan people will decide terms for US forces to remain -- The Guardian
Afghans rely heavily on foreign advisers as transition looms -- McClatchy News
4 Taliban killed as Afghan, NATO forces step up operations in Afghanistan -- People's Daily
ISAF Joint Command morning operational update -- Dvids

Taliban caught with Iranian rocket shipment, say diplomats -- The Guardian
Official: Iran shipped powerful rockets to Taliban -- Yahoo News/AP
Intel official: NATO seizes most-powerful Iranian rockets known to be smuggled in for Taliban -- Canadian Press
'NATO seizes Iranian arms smuggling en route to Taliban' -- Jerusalem Post

2,777 civilians killed in Afghanistan in 2010 -- Xinhuanet
Targeted civilian killings spiral in Afghan war: U.N. -- Reuters
Afghan civilian deaths spike -- Al Jazeera
Afghan civilian deaths hit new high -- AFP
UN: Civilian deaths, injuries grew 11% in Kandahar last year -- Toronto Star
Civilian Deaths In Afghanistan Hit Record High -- Radio Free Europe
Civilian deaths in Afghan war hit record high -- ABC News Online (Australia)
U.N. Calls for Better Protection of Afghan Civilians -- New York Times
Afghanistan: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict - Annual Report 2010 -- Relief Web

Gates Sees ‘Very Encouraging’ Progress in Afghanistan -- US Department of Defense
Gates cautiously optimistic on Afghanistan -- UPI
Gates: Afghan Gains 'Fragile and Reversible' -- Voice of America
Gates Sees War Gains _ but Can Afghans Hold Them? -- New York Times
In Afghanistan, Defense secretary praises Camp Pendleton Marines for combat success -- L.A. Times
Gates finds troops optimistic, anxious on the front lines -- Stars And Stripes

Afghan women fight for rights -- Xinhuanet
Women's rights in Afghanistan lose steam -- Christian Science Monitor
Afghanistan: Securing the Future for Afghan Women -- Registan
Afghan women remain wary of politics – and rightly so -- Nushin Arbabzadah, The Guardian

In Afghanistan, U.S. 'civilian surge' falls short in building local government -- Josh Boak, Washington Post
Afghan Exit Strategy Relies on Tribal Police Units -- FOX News
Putting Afghan Plan Into Action Proves Difficult -- C. J. Chivers, New York Times
Decision Time in Afghanistan -- Patrick Seale, The Diplomat
The ISAF Bubble -- Joshua Foust, Registan
A former Marine tells why the war in Afghanistan won't succeed -- Tony Perry, Kansas City/Los Angeles Times