Taliban gain foothold in once-stable Afghan north (McClatchy Newspapers via Yahoo! News)
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan The insurgents’ tactics are familiar. Night letters warn village elders to cooperate or face death. Religious “taxes” must be paid, and fiery sermons in mosques attack the Karzai government and international forces.
Norwegian journalist and Afghan interpreter freed in Afghanistan (EARTHtimes.org)
Oslo – A Norwegian journalist and his Afghan interpreter who were kidnapped a week ago in eastern Afghanistan have been freed, the Norwegian foreign ministry said Thursday. The November 5 abduction took place near the Pakistan border, the ministry st…
Karzai government reaching out to insurgents (with US support) (Juneau Empire)
KABUL, Afghanistan – The big story here, underreported so far, is the emergence of coordinated American and Afghan efforts to bring Taliban leaders and fighters in from the cold.
Japan’s Hatoyama eyes civilian role in Afghanistan (AP via Yahoo! News)
Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says a civilian contribution to security in Afghanistan would be more appropriate for his country than continuing its role in providing Indian Ocean refueling assistance to the United States.
Russian Deal on Afghan Supply Route Not a Deal Yet (International Herald Tribune)
The difficulty in establishing a supply corridor for the Afghan war over Russian airspace is the latest hurdle in establishing cooperation with the U.S.
Afghanistan: Taliban claim blast near NATO base in capital (Adnkronos)
Afghanistan: Taliban claim blast near NATO base in capital (AKI) – The Taliban has claimed a car bombing close to a NATO base in the Afghan capital Kabul which injured foreign soldiers, civilian contractors and Afghan civilians, according to Afghan officials. The suicide bomber targeted a coalition vehicle near Camp Phoenix, where Afghan forces are trained, the officials said. Reports say Friday …
