World-News

H. Patricia Hynes, Truthout: The war in Afghanistan, which began 12 years ago today, continues despite ever-compounding costs in lives and treasure and the absence of any convincing motive.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18791-war-in-afghanistan-operation-enduring-violence



Keep US Troops in Afghanistan? Let Congress Vote!

Robert Naiman, Truthout: If you agree with Reps. Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee and Walter Jones that any agreement to keep thousands of US troops in Afghanistan indefinitely should be debated and voted on in Congress before it is signed, tell Congress, urges Naiman.

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/19811-keep-us-troops-in-afghanistan-let-congress-vote



Operation Enduring Occupation

Staff, Socialist Worker: A proposed deal between the US and Afghanistan to "end" the war is occupation by another name: a continuing US military presence in the region to carry out the agenda of the American empire around the globe.

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20496-operation-enduring-occupation

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Afghanistan risks becoming 'narco-state': U.N. official

Afghanistan risks becoming a "full-fledged narco-state" without international support to help create alternative jobs for its people, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/09/us-afghanistan-drugs-un-idUSBRE9980OF20131009



US kills 2 people in Afghanistan

An airstrike carried out by a US assassination drone has killed two people in the province of Nuristan in eastern Afghanistan, which borders Pakistan.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/16/329759/us-drone-strike-kills-two-afghans/



Afghan boy, six, and father shot during night raid by Australian special forces

Australian special forces have been implicated in the deaths of a young boy and his father who were found shot dead after a night raid on a neighbouring house in southern Afghanistan last month.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/17/afghan-boy-six-and-father-shot-during-night-raid-by-australian-special-forces



US drone strikes claim 18 lives across Afghanistan

At least eighteen people have been killed and several others injured in a series of US assassination drone attacks in Afghanistan over the past three days.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/20/330374/us-drone-attacks-kill-18-in-afghanistan/



Each US troop in Afghanistan now costs $2.1 million

The average cost of each US troop in Afghanistan will nearly double in the last year of the occupation to $2.1 million, according to a new analysis of the Pentagon s budget, Defense One reported.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/10/25/news/national/each-us-troop-in-afghanistan-now-costs-2-1-million/



'I'll put one in his head, if you want', court releases audio of Afghan insurgent 'shot dead' by Royal Marine

In audio clips identified as video clip four and five in the trial, the marines are heard dragging the injured insurgent across the field. Marine C is heard saying "I ll put one in his head, if you want." Marine A replies: "That ll be too f... obvious."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/ill-put-one-in-his-head-if-you-want-court-releases-audio-of-afghan-insurgent-shot-dead-by-royal-marine-29735999.html



In Afghanistan, interpreters who helped U.S. in war denied visas

The interpreters, many of whom served in Taliban havens for years, say U.S. officials are drastically underestimating the danger they face.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-afghanistan-interpreters-who-helped-us-in-war-denied-visas-us-says-they-face-no-threat/2013/11/10/af7acfc8-4180-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html



3 Afghans killed in US assassination drone strike

At least three Afghans have been killed in the latest US assassination drone strike in eastern part of Afghanistan

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/11/12/334296/3-afghans-killed-in-us-drone-raids/



If you are a civilian and you die in a drone strike, it is your fault?

The argument that civilians should leave their homes to avoid being killed by drone strikes absolves the US of its responsibility to not kill civilians.

http://stopwar.org.uk/news/if-you-re-a-civilian-and-you-die-in-a-drone-strike-it-s-your-fault



Afghan probe into civilian killings stymied by US refusal to cooperate

Afghanistan s intelligence service has chosen to abandon its investigation into a number of civilian deaths in Wardak province, following US refusal to look into claims of Special Forces complicity in the killings, according to a document seen by Reuters.

http://rt.com/news/killing-us-investigation-afghanistan-582/



U.S. is abandoning those who helped in Afghanistan: Opinion

Congress allocated 8,750 Special Immigrant Visas four years ago for Afghanis whose lives are in danger because they worked for U.S. forces, but the State Department has granted only 1,648 of them, The Washington Post reported.

http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20131112/us-is-abandoning-those-who-helped-us-in-afghanistan-opinion



How Opium Greed Is Keeping US Troops in Afghanistan

Video

Abby Martin takes a look at a shocking statistic that puts opium production in Afghanistan at a record high, and puts into perspective the different corporate interests that could be keeping US forces in Afghanistan well beyond 2014.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qME6Ta9InY4&feature=youtu.be



Endless Afghan Occupation: Security Agreement Draft Leaked

By The Inquisitr

A newly obtained US-Afghanistan security agreement draft suggests that US forces will stay for much longer than originally expected, possibly indefinitely.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36916.htm



US-Afghan agreement would keep troops in place and funds flowing, perhaps indefinitely

A draft of a key US-Afghan security deal obtained by NBC News shows the United States is prepared to maintain military outposts in Afghanistan for many years to come, and pay to support hundreds of thousands of Afghan security forces.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/19/21534305-endless-afghanistan-us-afghan-agreement-would-keep-troops-in-place-and-funds-flowing-perhaps-indefinitely?lite



New deal leaves door open to a 'war without end'

Up to 15,000 troops could stay in military bases in the war-torn nation to train Afghan security forces and conduct anti-terror missions.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2510343/Up-15-000-U-S-troops-remain-Afghanistan-2024-according-new-deal-leaves-door-open-war-end.html



Afghan President Hamid Karzai

I don t trust the US: Afghan President Hamid Karzai told tribal leaders Thursday that he did not trust the United States, hours after Secretary of State John Kerry said a final draft deal on troop levels had been reached.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/21/21557863-afghan-president-hamid-karzai-i-dont-trust-the-us



The Arrogance of American Exceptionalism: UN representative Samantha Power: U.S. has 'nothing to apologize' to Afghanistan for

Washington s UN representative Samantha Power said Thursday Afghanistan is owed no apology for US actions in the country since the overthrow of the Taliban 12 years ago.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/21/un-representative-samantha-power-u-s-has-nothing-to-apologize-to-afghanistan-for/



Why US won t leave Afghanistan

By Pepe Escobar

We came, we saw, we stayed. Forever. That's the essence of the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) to be struck between the Obama administration and Afghanistan, over 12 years after the start of the never-ending War on Terror.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36945.htm



Another Proud Day For The USA

Video

Furious Afghan president says US drones have struck a home in Helmand, killing a small child and wounding two women.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37009.htm



Can Karzai Save Us?

By Ron Paul

Karzai should be wary of his actions. It may become unhealthy for him. The US has a bad reputation for not looking kindly on puppet dictators who demand independence from us.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37017.htm



Karzai says U.S. killed child, won t sign security deal if similar attacks continue

Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused the United States of launching a drone strike that killed a 2-year-old child Thursday and vowed to not sign a long-term security agreement if similar attacks continue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/karzai-says-us-drone-strike-killed-child-refuses-to-sign-security-deal-if-attacks-continue/2013/11/28/0b19b6aa-586a-11e3-ba82-16ed03681809_story.html



Obama s Ludicrous Afghanistan Declarations

By Glen Ford

"Since when has the U.S. voluntarily left anyplace it has forcibly occupied?"
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37021.htm



'There were pieces of my family all over the road'

Afghan citizen describes seeing relative's burning bodies after deadly U.S. drone strike...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516560/Afghan-citizen-describes-seeing-relatives-burning-bodies-deadly-U-S-drone-strike.html



In Afghanistan, People Died for No Good Reason

By Sheldon Richman

If there had been no American empire, there would have been no 9/11 attacks.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37036.htm



Coalition airstrike kill four people in Afghanistan

A local security official confirming the report said the militants were killed during a drone strike in Asmar district late Saturday.

http://www.khaama.com/coalition-airstrike-kill-four-taliban-militants-in-kunar-province-3159



Afghan president lashes out at US 'threats'

Karzai says the U.S. is "absolutely" acting like a colonial power in its attempts to force him to sign the bilateral security agreement by the end of this year. The paper quoted him as saying: "The threats they are making, `We won t pay salaries, we ll drive you into a civil war.' These are threats."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



U.S. Behaves Like A Colonizer

Karzai "They threaten us by saying 'We will no longer pay your salaries; we will drive you into a civil war.' These are threats," Karzai said. "If you want to be our partner, we must be friends. Respect Afghan homes, don t kill their children and be a partner.

http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/13051-us-behaves-like-a-colonizer-karzai



Afghan president says he does not 'trust' U.S.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in New Delhi on Saturday he no longer "trusts" the United States, accusing the Americans of saying one thing and doing another in his troubled homeland.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2013/12/14/Afghan-president-says-does-not-trust-U-S-.html



Karzai: American threat of full troop withdrawal is 'brinkmanship'

Karzai reiterated his position that the Afghan people cannot endorse a bilateral security agreement without the US agreeing to end airstrikes and raids on Afghan homes and help broker a peace process with the Taliban.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/14/karzai-american-troop-withdrawal-brinkmanship



Why Remain in Afghanistan?

Op-Ed

A final possible reason for staying in Afghanistan is more-or-less invisible, and that would be Washington s saving face for having killed thousands of people and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars

http://www.unz.com/article/why-remain-in-afghanistan/


From Information Clearing House

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'Iraq Replay': Kerry Demands Immunity for US Troops in Afghanistan
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/10/14-3

US Thwarts Investigation into Afghan Civilian Murders
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/12-3

Under US Occupation, Afghan Opium Industry Surges to Record Levels
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/13

In Afghanistan: 'Security Deal' Means US Occupation Forever
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/19-6

War and Enlightenment in Afghanistan
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/11/20

'Lack of Trust': Karzai Balks at US Security Agreement
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/25-0

How Many Unnamed Officials Does It Take to Deny Civilian Deaths?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/11/26-10

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We are never leaving Afghanistan

Antiwar.com
by Justin Raimondo

11/22/13

Rather than ending the war, the Obama-Karzai pact institutionalizes it, making the occupation of Afghanistan a permanent feature of US military operations in the region. It even maps out a place for this new US colony in the annual budget, and there is no time limit on any of this: '2024 and beyond.' The agreement means we?ll be in Afghanistan forever, obligated to not only defend its government but to make sure that government is functioning at a bare minimum...

http://tinyurl.com/ktlpy22


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

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White Officers and Native Troops
http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/12/eric-margolis/white-officers-and-native-troops/

US Seeks to Control Region from Afghanistan
http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/12/no_author/from-its-bloody-perch-in-afghanistan/



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