Afghanistan War News Updates -- June 17, 2011

U.S. Army soldiers navigate a ravine as they make their way to meet with elders in the village of Deh Afghanan, Afghanistan, May 27, 2011. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

Obama Meets With Petraeus As Afghanistan Decision Nears -- USA Today

President Obama is stepping up his private consultations as he nears a decision on withdrawing some troops from Afghanistan.

And we do mean private.

Obama met Wednesday with Gen. David Petraeus, his commander in Afghanistan and the author of the counterinsurgency strategy first employed in Iraq. The meeting with Petraeus and other members of Obama's national security team, unlike many on Afghanistan, was not on the official schedule.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

Unlisted Petraeus chat is scrutinized -- Politico
Obama, Petraeus discuss Afghan pullout -- AFP
Obama talks drawdown with his top Afghan commander -- AP
Obama met Petraeus on Afghan troop drawdown - W.House -- Reuters

Deadline to End Surge: Pentagon: Wait Until Fall 2012 to End Afghanistan Troop Boost -- Wall Street Journal
Pentagon wants to 'extend' Afghanistan surge -- AFP
Report: Push for higher troop levels in Afghanistan -- Politico
Pentagon wants to extend Afghanistan troop surge until 2012: Report -- Express Tribune/AFP
Afghanistan Drawdown In Sight as Pentagon Identifies Troops to Pull Out Next Month -- FOX News
Pentagon Starts Withdrawing Troops From Afghan War as Drawdown Looms -- Bloomberg

Afghan, Coalition Force Kills, Captures Insurgents -- U.S. Department of Defense
Bomb attack in southern Afghanistan kills NATO soldier as spring offensive continues -- Washington Post
Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- The Guardian
Soldier killed in Afghanistan blast -- AFP
Two UK soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan -- BBC
British soldier killed by explosion in Afghanistan -- CBS
Liam Fox: 9,500 U.K. troops will remain in Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
Afghans prepare to take over security -- Washington Post
U.S. transition to Afghans underway in former Taliban stronghold -- Stars and Stripes
Marine general foresees more fighting in Afghanistan region assigned to Camp Pendleton forces -- L.A. Times
Lucky charms and bullet holes in Afghan helicopter -- AP
AFGHANISTAN: Worrying spike in civilian deaths -- IRIN

Afghan militants attack Pakistani village -- Army Times/AP
Afghan militants attack Pakistani village; 5 dead -- Yahoo News/AP
Militants launch cross-border attack into Pakistan -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Five Pakistanis killed in 'cross-border attack' -- Yahoo News/AFP

Going Rogue? GOP Candidates Show Shifting Stance on Afghanistan -- ABC News
Britain cannot risk early military withdrawal in Afghanistan, Liam Fox says -- The Telegraph
Russia eyes bigger role in Afghanistan, wants to rebuild: envoy -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Many Afghans happy foreign troops leaving -- UPI
UN to delink al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions to improve terrorism fight and promote talks -- Washington Post
UN to delink al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions -- AP
Taliban bid for office space stalls peace effort -- Calgary Herald/The Telegraph
Afghanistan talks with Taliban drawing opposition -- SFGate/L.A. Times
Gates: U.S. Has Often 'Not Done A Very Good Job' Of Listening To Karzai -- Radio Free Europe

U.S. risks wasting billions more in Afghanistan aid, report says -- L.A. Times
IMF stops payment over Afghan bank crisis -- The Telegraph
Exclusive - Afghan cash crunch looms -- Reuters
Adviser: IMF stops $70M Afghan reconstruction payment over Kabul Bank financial crisis -- Canadian Business

Defense Secretary Gates Acknowledges Afghan War Weariness, Urges Patience -- David Wood, Huffington Post
Reality must rule Afghan policy -- Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun Times
Could federal budget cuts unravel Afghanistan war? -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor
It's time to shift strategy in Afghanistan -- Sen. Ben Cardin, The Hill
Our Current Strategy in Afghanistan Is Built on Strategic Myths -- Joshua Rovner, National Interest
Cables From Kabul: The Inside Story of the West's Afghanistan Campaign by Sherard Cowper-Coles – review -- William Dalrymple, The Guardian