Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 17, 2011

U.S. Army soldiers make their way to the Zabul Juvenile Detention Facility in Qalat in Afghanistan's Zabul province, May 11, 2011. The soldiers, assigned to 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

U.S. Speeds Up Direct Talks With Taliban -- Washington Post

The administration has accelerated direct talks with the Taliban, initiated several months ago, that U.S. officials say they hope will enable President Obama to report progress toward a settlement of the Afghanistan war when he announces troop withdrawals in July.

A senior Afghan official said a U.S. representative attended at least three meetings in Qatar and Germany, one as recently as “eight or nine days ago,” with a Taliban official considered close to Mohammad Omar, the group’s leader.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

U.S. deepens engagement with Afghan Taliban to end war - report -- Reuters
US-Taliban Talks Speed Up -- Newser
Obama in hurry to reconcile Mullah Omar -- Rediff

Pakistan and NATO Forces Exchange Fire
-- New York Times
NATO copters fired on border post, Pakistan charges -- L.A. Times
Pakistan Says NATO Helicopters Violated Its Airspace -- NPR
Pakistan Protests Alleged NATO Violation -- Radio Free Europe
NATO helicopter strike wounds two Pakistani troops -- AFP
Officials: NATO clashes with Pakistani troops -- CNN
Pakistan Troops, NATO Helicopters Clash at Border -- Bloomberg
Factbox: NATO incursion puts North Waziristan in focus -- Reuters

4 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
4 US soldiers killed in blast in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Explosions kill 7 in Afghanistan provinces -- UPI
Senior Haqqani Network leader captured in Khost -- Long War Journal
Afghans turn from West despite military gains: study -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Afghan, NATO forces make progress, challenges remain -- Trend
Afghanistan - KABUL- NATO general affirms continued support to Afghan security forces -- ISRIA

US alarmed by David Cameron's push for early Afghanistan withdrawal -- The Telegraph
Early withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan to jeopardize US' special relations with UK -- Yahoo News/ANI

US general: Too early to gauge bin Laden killing -- CBS/AP
A war correspondent's first-hand account from inside his crashing chopper -- Canadian Press

Afghanistan War: What Richard Holbrooke Really Thought
-- Steve Clemons, TPM
Driving Afghanistan: The Winding Road to an Afghan Takeover -- Sarah Holewinshi, Huffington Post
Afghanistan 2011: Imperatives For US To Recast Strategic Blueprint – Analysis -- Eurasia Review

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