By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Syria's civil war turned into a regional conflict when Israeli warplanes bombed a Syrian military base over the weekend to stop weapons from going to Lebanese terrorists, expanding the warring factions and changing "the rules of the game," as one analyst said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pushing Pakistan to release more Taliban prisoners, including the group's deputy leader, in a move aimed at reviving peace talks with the militants, despite concern within his own administration that the battle-hardened Islamists could rejoin a decadelong insurgency that seeks to topple the government in Kabul.
Western officials and analysts say U.S. and U.N. pressure is failing to persuade Pakistan to cut its ties to a terrorist network whose attacks coalition forces fear could complicate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The Haqqani Network, a group of Pakistan-based terrorists that has killed coalition troops in Afghanistan, is willing to participate in peace talks with the U.S. as long as the Afghan Taliban's top leader approves, according to a senior commander in the group.
The post-Koran-burning slayings in Afghanistan have put focus on one of the most pressing questions facing U.S. commanders: Why do Afghan troops suddenly turn their weapons on NATO personnel and kill them?
With missile batteries, fleets of attack boats and stocks of naval mines, Iran can disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz but probably cannot completely shut down the world's most important oil route, military analysts say. The question for Iran's leadership is whether it is worth the heavy price.
Taliban militants in Afghanistan attacked an area near the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire on Tuesday — two days after the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Continued support from Pakistan's military and intelligence agency for a major Islamic terrorist network is hamstringing the Obama administration's efforts to withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Afghanistan, according to Western officials and analysts.
The Obama administration will identify Pakistan's continuing support for terrorist havens and the absence of good governance in Afghanistan as key factors that are undermining U.S. and coalition efforts in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon’s decision to deploy heavily armored battle tanks to Afghanistan is being hailed as a step in the right direction by military and civilian advisers in that war.
