Afghanistan War News Updates -- June 1, 2011

TROOP TALK - U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, addresses U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy sailors on Camp Dwyer, Regimental Combat Team 1 headquarters, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 30, 2011. Petraeus visited Camp Dwyer to evaluate coalition progress in Southern Helmand province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jesse Stence

First, Take Nuristan: The Taliban's New Afghan Plan -- Time

Every morning at 8, Maulawi Zahir heads into Waygal district center, a remote mountain village of stone houses stacked almost vertically up granite slopes. As the undeniable man in charge of the Afghan village, the Taliban leader is there to hear and settle disputes. But despite his group's ascendancy, he struggles to burnish his credentials among his constituents, even in an area where loathing for NATO and the Afghan government runs deep. "People aren't happy, but they pretend to be," says one local trader. "They dislike the Taliban as much as they dislike government."

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More News On Afghanistan

Taliban seeking to derail transition, Afghan spy agency says -- Reuters
Taliban hold sway in remote Af area -- Times of India
Taliban behind surge in attacks on western troops and advisers -- Stars and Stripes
Taliban behind surge in attacks on western troops and advisers -- The Guardian
Afghanistan: NATO service member dies in attack -- Yahoo News/AP
Taliban claim killing 75 soliders -- UPI
Multiple attacks leave 10 dead, wound 45 in west Afghanistan -- Xinhuanet
Afghan insurgents hit NATO base, downtown area -- Seattle Times/L.A. Times
Taliban insurgents hit NATO base, downtown Herat in coordinated attacks -- L.A. Times
NATO: Arrests made in deadly north Afghan bombing -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Karzai Orders NATO To Stop Airstrikes On Afghan Homes -- Washington Post
Karzai Gives ‘Last’ Warning to NATO on Airstrikes -- New York Times
Karzai ultimatum alters outlook on U.S. drawdown -- Seattle Times/Washington Post
Karzai heads to Italy amid tension with NATO -- AFP
Hamid Karzai warns Nato risks becoming 'occupying force' in Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
Karzai warns NATO over air strikes, but are there other options? -- Christian Science Monitor

British troops should not be withdrawn from Afghanistan for another year, top general warns -- The Daily Mail
NATO should not rush from Afghanistan: UK general -- Reuters
Commander warns over troop cuts in Afghanistan -- AFP
UK general warns against Afghanistan pullout -- AP

Winning the Afghanistan war is beyond Britain's control, Army head warns -- Daily Mail
US trolling for Taliban to open talks -- Yahoo News/AP
Afghanistan discusses defense ties with India -- Yahoo News/AP
Polish Soldiers Cleared Over Deaths Of Afghan Civilians -- Radio Free Europe
Senators demand crackdown on IED ingredient -- USA Today
Sarah Palin warns of "dangerous" Afghanistan development -- CBS
Tributes for British soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/AFP

U.S. Wants to Fight Afghan Corruption — With Chicken -- Lena Groeger, The Danger Room
When it comes to the war in Afghanistan, how much is enough? -- Cafferty File
Afghanistan: It's little wonder Canada has lost its stomach for the fight -- Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail
The Afghan Debate: Should They Stay or Should They Go? -- Sharifullah Sahak, New York Times
US moves to divide Taliban from Pakistan -- Gareth Porter, Asia Times