Afghanistan War News Updates -- November 20, 2012

French General Eric Hautecloque Raysz (R) and his Afghan counterpart General Mohammad Zaman Waziri salute during handover ceremony, November 20, 2012.

France Ends Combat Mission In Afghanistan -- Voice of America

France has ended its combat mission in Afghanistan, pulling its last troops from a province northeast of the capital, Kabul.

Tuesday's withdrawal of 500 combat troops from Kapisa province is part of President Francois Hollande's pledge to accelerate the country's exit from Afghanistan. Afghan security forces will now be in charge of maintaining security in the province.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update, Nov 20 -- ISAF
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Operative -- US Department of Defense
Camp Lejeune Marine killed in Afghanistan -- AP
Afghanistan executes eight prisoners: officials -- Ahram Online/AFP
Afghanistan to execute more than 10 prisoners: official -- AFP
Afghan loses death penalty appeal over French deaths -- AFP
Karzai Urges Taliban to Stop Fighting Ahead of 2014 Withdrawal -- Policymic

France ends combat mission in Afghanistan -- AFP
France ends combat operations in Afghanistan, beating NATO allies to the exit -- Washington Post/AP
French combat troops withdraw from Afghan war -- Euronews/Reuters
Afghan combat mission ends for French troops -- Euronews
France pulls troops out of key Afghanistan province -- RFI

Afghans Demand U.S. Hand Over Its Major Battlefield Prison -- Danger Room
Karzai orders ‘full Afghanization’ of U.S.-run Bagram prison -- Washington Post
US violating detainee pact, Afghan President Karzai says -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Karzai: U.S. refusal to hand over Afghan detainees a 'serious breach' of agreement -- CNN

Afghan poppy fields spread, but output shrinks -- Deutsche Welle
Afghanistan Opium Poppy Cultivation Problem Grows In 2012 -- Huffington Post/AP
Afghanistan opium harvest drops by a third - UN -- BBC
Rise in Afghan poppy farming fuelled by high opium prices -- The Guardian

Afghanistan: Donors pledge $16 billion in aid through 2015 -- Washington Post
Hard choices as Afghanistan seeks to exploit mineral riches -- Khaleej Times/AFP
Afghanistan's Journey to Literacy -- Ned Colt, Huffington Post