Afghanistan War News Updates -- April 22, 2011

DOGGY DUTY - U.S. Army Spc. Ahren Blake holds two puppies he found at an observation post in the Aziz Khan Kats Mountain Valley range near Jalalabad in Afghanistan's Laghman province, April 15, 2011. Blake is assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment. The puppies had been living with Afghan soldiers. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Matson

Spring Fighting Season Is Only Just Beginning, Gates Says -- Stars And Stripes

WASHINGTON — The annual resurgence of fighting in Afghanistan has begun, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, but is not expected to reach full strength for another month.

Still, some commanders report early signs that this spring’s Taliban renewal will be less vigorous than in years past.

“There has been some uptick in activity,” Gates said, “but we’re still kind of in the middle of the poppy harvest.”

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More News On Afghanistan

Gates: Increasing Violence in Afghanistan Expected in Weeks Ahead -- ABC News
Gates Sees Possible 'Turning Point' In Afghan War -- Radio Free Europe
2011 may see Afghan war turning point: Gates -- AFP
Gates sees possible turning point in Afghan war -- Reuters
Taliban may be 'driven out' of Afghanistan by end of 2011 - U.S. defense secretary -- RIA Novosti
Pentagon chief says this year critical for Afghanistan -- Xinhuanet

FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, April 22 -- Alertnet
Officials say 5 Afghan police, 1 NATO soldier die -- FOX News/AP
Bomb kills Afghan border policemen -- Al Jazeera
Bomb kills four Afghan border police -- News24
NATO, Afghan Forces Make ‘Huge’ Gains in North -- US Department of Defense

ISAF captures Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's top commander for Afghanistan -- Long War Journal
NATO nabs leader of foreign terrorist group -- Army Times/AP
Forces Capture Terror Group’s Top Leader -- U.S. Department of Defense

Ethnic Militias Fuel Tensions in Northern Afghanistan -- Wall Street Journal
Once Under Siege, a Base Breathes Easier -- New York Times
Canadian medical unit at forward base helps patch up wounded Afghans -- Canadian Press
Fire Scout UAVs bound for Afghanistan -- Navy Times
Russia, US develop cooperation on Afghanistan -- Voice of Russia
Battle for Influence in Afghanistan -- Wall Street Journal (Photo Gallery)

U.S.: No military solution in Afghanistan -- UPI
It is far too early to claim the war in Afghanistan has failed -- Hew Strachan, the Guardian
Don't Negotiate Over The Heads Of The Afghan People -- Muhammad Tahir, Radio Free Europe
Peace prospects in Afghanistan -- Khalid Aziz, DAWN

US military deaths in Afghanistan at 1,431 -- Yahoo News/AP