Afghanistan War Updates -- May 9, 2008

Taleban Return To Attacking Girls' Schools In Afghanistan -- Times Online

Taliban Governor Killed In Raid: Afghan Ministry -- Yahoo News

The Taliban Plays Defense This Year -- Strategy Page

US Says Several Militants Killed, 22 Detained In Southern Afghanistan -- International Herald Tribune

Losing Hearts And Minds In Afghanistan -- Captain's Journal

Afghan Gov't Employees Nabbed Over Karzai Plot -- Associated Press

Afghanistan Urges Pakistan To Stop 'Terrorists' -- Yahoo News

My Comment: With the end of the opium harvest and the start of summer, this war will soon be heating up.

Iraq War Updates -- February 15, 2008

Iraq War News Updates:
Surge General Accuses Tehran Of Backing Militias To Weaken Iraq -- Times Online

Ahmadinejad Announces Landmark Visit To Iraq -- Times Online

Iranian President To Make First Iraq Visit -- Telegraph

Iran Postpones Iraq Security Talks With U.S. -- MSNBC

Four Killed In Suicide Bombing At Iraqi Mosque -- Yahoo News

Iraq Masses Security Forces For Shiite Festival -- Yahoo News

Is The US Really Bringing Stability To Baghdad? -- Independent

The Final Mission, Part III -- Middle East Journal

Inside Iraqi Politics – Part 3. Examining The Legislative Branch -- Long war Journal

Despite Raw Sewage In the Streets, U.S. Troops See Progress In Their Baghdad Neighborhood -- U.S. News And World Report

The Key To Iraqi Reconciliation -- Belmont Club

Iraqis Pass Law To Hold Key Oct. 1 Elections -- MSNBC

Iraqi Lawmakers Pass 3 Key Bills -- LA Times

Iraq Progress Update -- Strata-Sphere

Grisly Reports On al Qaeda -- Washington Times

Will Contractors Lose Iraq Immunity? -- Time Magazine

Jordan Slaps Visa Restrictions On Iraqis -- MSNBC

Marines Yield Control Of Town To Iraqis -- LA Times

Sunni Anger In Iraqi Province -- LA Times

U.S. Military: Al Qaeda In Iraq Seeks Female Patients As Bombers -- CNN

Special Groups Behind Sadr City Bombing -- Long War Journal

The Worst Government Money Can Buy -- Strategy Page

U.N. Seeks Help For 'Desperate' Iraqi Refugees -- CNN

Afghanistan War Updates -- January 29, 2008

Canada Presses NATO for Afghan Help -- U.S. News And World Report

Canada Presses NATO For Afghan Help -- Newsweek

NATO Force Chief Vows More Pressure On Taliban In 2008 -- Yahoo News

NATO Needs More Intel On Afghanistan -- Yahoo News

NATO: More Eyes In The Sky Needed In Afghanistan -- Canoe News

Afghan President Hamid Karzai Fears on Pakistan -- Newsweek

Afghans Hunt For Kidnapped American -- Yahoo News

US Shift Seen To Pakistan, Afghanistan -- Yahoo News

Afghanistan Becomes Less Scary -- Strategy Page

Senior Leader Of Haqqani Network Killed In Pakistan -- Long War Journal

My Comment: The war drags on, and our allies are rethinking of changing their role in Afghanistan. From my vantage point it is clear that among the many nations involved in Afghanistan, only three countries are actually involved in supporting the Afghan government and its people. The U.S., the U.K., and Canada are the principle players. The other members of the coalition are stuck mainly in "training" or aid projects and are not actively involved in bringing the fight to the Taliban.

This lack of will among the allies is troubling at best, a tragedy if they choose to ignore the consequences of not being actively involved in Afghanistan. Everyone knows that the solution to the Afghan "problem" can only be measured in the long term ..... probably 20 years if not more .... before any semblance of stability and development can be brought to that poor and ravished country. This time duration is what is sapping the West's will to stay and fight. The fact that the Taliban is reconstituting itself in their safe Pakistan havens also complicates everything.

Will Canada leave? Will other allies lose the will to continue. I have to say yes. Politicians live for the short term, and a long term stay in Afghanistan is not on anyone's radar.

Iraq War Updates -- January 29, 2008

5 US Soldiers Killed in Iraq -- Time Magazine

US Troops Killed In Northern Iraq -- BBC News

US Military Deaths In Iraq At 3,940 -- Yahoo News

Bush: "No Doubt" The Surge Is Working -- CBS News

Iraq: The War So Far -- Strategy Page

Inside The New Terror Capital Of Iraq -- CBS News

Return to Fallujah -- Independent

Michael Totten's Take On Fallujah -- Michael Totten

Iraq Ready For "Final" Battle With Al Qaeda: PM -- Reuters

Iraqi Forces Positioning For Battle With al Qaeda Loyalists -- CNN

Good News From Iraq? More Than In The Past -- Pajamas Media

Iraq's Sadrists Seek To End Cease-Fire -- Yahoo News

Iraqi Forces Mass Outside Mosul -- Columbus Dispatch

With No Plans To Win, Iraq Becomes Costly -- Commentary From MSNBC

News From The War Front - Children As Weapons, Baitullah Fired -- Strata-Sphere

Mother Replaces Her Son On the Front Lines in Iraq -- Gateway Pundit

How Bush Decided on the Surge -- Weekly Standard

My Comment: The last battles against Al-Qaeda is now occurring in Mosul. The stage is now set for Sunni-Shiite-Kurd reconciliation.

Iraq War Updates -- January 24, 2008

Iran's President Ahmadinejad To Make Landmark Visit To Iraq: Ministry -- Reuters

Blasts In Northern Iraq Kill At Least 22 -- CBS News

Explosion Kills 17 In Northern Iraq -- Yahoo News

U.S. Military Says Kills 20 In Al Qaeda Iraq Raids -- Reuters

Thirty al Qaeda In Iraq Killed In Diyala -- Long War Journal

US Military Deaths In Iraq At 3,931 -- Yahoo News

New Armored Truck Sees First Iraq Death -- MSNBC

Shiite Radical Rebuffs US Dialogue -- Yahoo News

U.S. War Costs In Iraq Up: Report -- Yahoo News

Gunmen Kill Dean Of Baghdad Dental School -- Reuters

Iraqi MP Iyad Jamal Al-Din Says Iraqis Should Be Grateful to US for Liberating Iraq -- Gateway Pundit

Al Qaeda Chase Seen As Constant -- Washington Times

Al-Qaeda Ousted In Parts Of Iraq, But Forces Can't Cut Off Cash Stream -- Dallas News

Papers Paint New Portrait of Iraq's Foreign Insurgents -- Washington Post

Iraqi Force Developments and Sensationalistic Press Reporting -- Long War Journal

Interesting Iraq Articles - Bin Laden’s Son Tells His Dad He Is Wrong! -- Strata-Sphere

Iraq War Updates -- January 16, 2008

Displaced Iraqis Suffer Hardship -- Washington Times

3 US Soldiers Killed North Of Baghdad -- Yahoo News

Iraq's Healthcare Left In Disarray After Invasion -- Guardian

Eight Killed In Iraq Suicide Bombing -- Guardian

When The War Stories Have Nothing To Do With War -- Time Magazine

Police: Woman Bomber Kills 8 Civilians In Iraq -- MSNBC

In Diyala, A New Offensive -- Newsweek

Trust in Media Plummets--- Americans See More Success In Iraq Than Media- Say Media Hurts Troop Morale -- Gateway Pundit

Progress In Iraq, US Asked To Stay On -- Strata-Sphere

The Number Is 1.6 Million -- Winds Of Change

U.N. Sees Iraq Progress Despite Misgivings -- Reuters

Friendly Fire Eyed In 3 U.S. Troop Deaths -- CBS News

Gallery Owner Battles for Art in Baghdad -- ABC News

Afghanistan News Updates -- January 16, 2008

Foreigners In Afghanistan Now Key Targets For Taleban's Suicide Bombers -- Times Online

Taliban Promises More Kabul Attacks -- Time Magazine

Losing Kabul: A Bombing's Legacy -- Time Magazine

Taliban Vow To Attack Westerners In Kabul -- International Herald Tribune

Taliban Plan To Attack Kabul Restaurants -- Yahoo News

'Taleban Held' After Hotel Attack -- BBC News

Haqqani Network Behind Kabul Hotel Attack -- Long War Journal

Allies Feel Strain Of Afghan War -- MSNBC

Assault On Kabul Hotel Kills At Least 6 -- LA Times

4 Arrested In Deadly Attack On Kabul Hotel -- LA Times

Arrests Made in Afghanistan Hotel Attack -- ABC News

'Mastermind' Behind Kabul Hotel Attack Named By Afghan Officials -- Times Online

Gates Faults NATO Force In Southern Afghanistan -- LA Times

Afghanistan's Most Wretched Battle Addiction -- ABC News

More U.S. Marines For Afghanistan -- Xinhuanet

Military Targets Roadside Bombs -- Globe And Mail

Afghan Force On Track Despite Taliban Attacks: British Commander -- Yahoo News

Divide And Conquer: The British Strategy Against The Taliban -- Long War Journal

Battlefield Heroism: Don't Ask, Don't Tell? -- Winds Of Change

US Says It Has Broad Support For New Afghan Anti-Poppy Drive -- Yahoo News

My Comment: Every time I read a story about Afghanistan, the following thoughts come to mind. (1) Afghanistan is a backward country. (2) Education is only now being properly taught to its young. (3) There is little if any infrastructure. (4) Many of the people who make up the Taliban love to fight and to kill anyone .... in particular foreigners and their allies. (5)
No development and infrastructure work is happening in most of the country. (6) The taliban and Al Qaeda have a vast support structure in Pakistan, and for the moment it is free to do what it wants.

Translation ...... we in the west are going to be in Afghanistan for a very very long time. 50 years or more. This adventure is going to cost (in the end) probably thousands of lives from the west (not including Afghan losses), hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars, and .... here is the scary part .... be probably exposed to blowback at home from our Afghan enemies and their allies.

I have a number of questions .... after 6 years are we better off? Is this the right strategy? Should we go Genghis Khan on the Afghans? Should we just leave and close - up Afghanistan? Do we have the will? Comments are open.

Iraq War Updates -- January 14, 2008

US Military Deaths In Iraq At 3,923 -- Yahoo News

Sunni Judge Assassinated In Baghdad -- Yahoo News

Turkish PM Says Iraq Operations May Be Extended -- Reuters

Iraq Announces The Defeat Of al-Qaeda Is At Hand, Time To Celebrate -- Strata Sphere

Ceremony Mourns Victims Of Iraq's "Anfal" Genocide -- Reuters

Uncertainty Surrounds New Iraqi de-Baathification Law -- International Herald Tribune

Former Iraq Baathists Skeptical Of Law -- Yahoo News

Newsweek Declares Iraq A Lost Cause For Surrendercrats -- Strata-Sphere

253 Terrorists Captured Or Killed In Operation Phantom Phoenix -- Gateway Pundit

U.S. Says 60 Killed In Offensive Against al Qaeda In Iraq -- Yahoo News

Iraq: Snow in Baghdad -- Global Voices Online

Commentary: Contra Sullivan On The Surge: A Small Wars Perspective -- Stephen Bainbridge



More News and Comments -- Iraq Pundit

Iraq War News Updates -- January 10, 2008

U.S. Airstrikes Hit 'Qaida Safe Havens' -- The Guardian

US Launches Massive Iraq Air Raid -- BBC News

Massive US Air Attack South Of Baghdad -- Yahoo News

Massive US Air Attack South of Baghdad -- Breitbart

U.S. Rains 40,000 Pounds of Bombs on Al Qaeda Targets in Northern Iraq -- FOX News

Anbar Province Will Be Handed Over In March -- Gateway Pundit

Iraqi Newspapers Go On Attack Against Al-Qaeda -- Gateway Pundit

B-1's Over Baghdad -- Riehl World View

Applying Some Whoop-A$$ To al-Qaeda -- Strata-Sphere

How Many Muslims Has al-Qaeda Killed In Iraq? WHO Decides -- Strata-Sphere

Civilian Casualties In Iraq And Responsibility Therefore -- Tigerhawk

Entries from Today In Category: 'Iraq' -- Long War Journal