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The article states that U.S. president Barack Obama announced on October 15, 2015, that he was abandoning plans to withdraw almost all U.S. troops from Afghanistan as insurgent violence increased and after the capture of Kunduz, Afghanistan, by the militant group the Taliban. According to the article, Obama stated that the U.S. would maintain a force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of 2016 and keep at least 5,500 troops there after the end of his term in January 2017.

The article states that forces from the militant organization the Taliban held Kunduz, Afghanistan, following a counteroffensive launched by Afghan troops backed by U.S. military forces in late September 2015. According to the article, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on September 29, 2015, following the theft of an Afghan tank by Taliban fighters. The article presents comments from Afghan president Ashraf Ghani.

The article states that U.S. Army general John Campbell sent recommendations to the U.S. agency the Department of Defense and the group the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in late September 2015 concerning a review of plans by the administration of U.S. president Barack Obama to draw down defense personnel in Afghanistan. According to the article, some military officials worry that a significant removal of military personnel could place pressure on the Afghan government from the Islamic militant group the Taliban.

The article discusses the unique circumstances in which U.S. military special forces find themselves in Afghanistan as of late August 2015. According to the article, special operations troops accompany U.S.-trained Afghan soldiers on raids against insurgents, but do not enter buildings or target insurgents, and helicopter and air raids conducted by U.S. special forces have declined ahead of a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan scheduled for the end of 2016 ordered by U.S. president Barack Obama. The article also discusses full control of national security by Afghan troops.

The article states that Afghan government officials and two individuals associated with the militant Islamic organization the Taliban announced in late July 2015 that militant Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar died in 2013. According to the article, the announcement of Omar's death could leave the Taliban divided concerning peace talks with the Afghan government and raised concerns among the administration of U.S. president Barack Obama regarding diminishing U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

The article discusses how the rise of the Islamic militant group Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria has thwarted the plans for his second term in office of U.S. President Barack Obama. After having spent much of his first term winding down wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama had hoped he could begin focusing more attention on tax reform, education, and other domestic priorities. In a September 10, 2014 speech Obama is expected to say the fight against ISIS will outlast his presidency.

The article reports that on August 5, 2014 U.S. Army Major General Harold J. Greene was shot to death by an Afghan soldier at the Afghanistan National Military Academy in Kabul. U.S. Rear Admiral John Kirby said such attacks are difficult to completely eliminate, and that the incident would not affect U.S. plans to withdraw most of its forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The article previews an address on foreign policy to be delivered by U.S. President Barack Obama on May 28, 2014. Obama is expected to announce 9,800 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan in 2015 but be withdrawn by the close of 2016. He will also emphasize the importance of diplomacy and economic pressure as foreign-policy tools. Separately, Obama is considering providing training programs for rebels trying to overthrow the Syrian government.

The article reports that the U.S. Defense Department has revised its deployment plans for Afghanistan. In February 2013 Defense said it was prepared to either keep 10,000 troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 or pull them all out by the end of that year, depending on what U.S. President Barack Obama decides. Complicating matters has been the failure of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a security agreement with the U.S.

The article reports that the U.S. Defense Department has recommended to U.S. President Barack Obama that 10,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan after the year 2014, with a gradual draw-down to only a small number by the end of 2016. The military has further advised Obama that a complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 would be preferable if the aforementioned plan is not adopted.

The article discusses criticisms of U.S. President Barack Obama's war strategy in Afghanistan contained in a memoir by former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Gates wrote that Obama came to distrust the Afghan policy he himself had approved. He also claims Obama harbored doubts about both Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. General David H. Petraeus.

The article discusses U.S. military policy in Afghanistan as of January 2014, reporting that despite the withdrawal of some U.S. forces and the actions of the Taliban insurgency group, Afghanistan security forces have maintained control of a district known as Helmand. Topics include the opium-processing industry in the region and the comments of military personnel such as the Marine Major General W. Lee Miller.

The article reports that in 2012 contractor Anham FZCO shipped materials through Iran that were used to build a warehouse at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, a possible violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The warehouse helped Anham win a contract to supply U.S. forces in Afghanistan with food and water in June of that year. Anham said it is cooperating with the U.S. Treasury Dept. and Commerce Dept. in investigating the matter.

The article discusses rising numbers of battlefield casualties sustained by the Afghan army, national police forces, and village self-defense forces in combat against Taliban militants. Collectively those units are suffering a rate of over 100 deaths per month in September 2013. Contributing factors include more aggressive Taliban tactics and the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. INSET: A Young Army Ventures Out Alone.

The article discusses claims made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai on March 10, 2013 that the U.S has been holding talks with members of the Taliban militant group, and that bombs set off in Afghanistan by the Taliban served an alleged U.S. interest in not withdrawing its forces from the country. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was visiting Karzai, denied the charges.

This article considers the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and the effects this will have on the Afghan military. The author highlights the concerns of the Afghan government regarding their lack of sophisticated military equipment, which has been credited for neutralizing the Taliban throughout the country, especially in the province of Helmand.

The article reports that as of January 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama announced that U.S. military personnel would begin leaving Afghanistan as of spring 2013. It is said that the force reduction efforts are supported by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and opposed by U.S. military commanders. The history of the U.S. withdrawal timeline for the Afghan War is addressed.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Defense has developed a preliminary plan to reduce the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014. The plan, requested by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, calls for fewer troops than the proposal of General John Allen, commander of U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Afghanistan. Information is also provided on a planned meeting between Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The article discusses suicides among surviving family members of U.S. military personnel killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars. The deaths often come after years of struggling to accept the demise of a loved one. Several example are cited including that of Lynne Koch, whose brother died in Afghanistan in 2008, and who killed herself in 2010.

The article discusses challenges adjusting to civilian life that confront some U.S. combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Boredom, jobs that don't pay as much as their prior military positions did, and a missing sense of mission and camaraderie are among obstacles that await. Details are presented about the circumstances of Marine Sgt. Karl Martin, who has been told his career in the Marines will terminate once his enlistment ends.

The article reports that U.S. President Barack Obama and his advisors including General John Allen are examining the long-term presence of the U.S. military in Afghanistan following the proposed end of combat in 2014. Topics include Obama's plan to leave a small military presence behind after the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in 2014, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's opinion of a U.S. military presence, and General Allen's proposal for gradual reduction in 2013-2014.

The article looks at what will happen to economic development projects initiated by the U.S. in Afghanistan in the context of the Afghanistan War. It discusses an electric power plant built by the U.S. in Kandahar, saying that it has facilitated the opening of numerous factories but that once U.S. funds and personnel are withdrawn, projected for 2014, it will likely be closed down. The role of the U.S. Agency for International Development is discussed.

The article considers the January 18, 2012 suicide of U.S. Army Sergeant Keith Benson, while on active duty in the Afghan War. Benson's suicide is examined in terms of a significant increase in suicides of Army personnel from 2004-2010. The impact on Benson, a medical soldier, of his inability to save the life of a member of his unit killed in action against the Taliban is examined.

The article examines a program of the the U.S. led-coalition and Afghanistan's government in the Afghan War in which former officials and soldiers of the Taliban insurgency are offered amnesty and payments for defecting. The resentment created among Afghan citizens by former insurgents who are awarded positions in the country's armed forces, government and police is discussed.

The article, citing anonymous sources, reports that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is offering the government of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan some element of control over night raids by U.S. armed forces against suspected Taliban members in the Afghan War. The offer is discussed as an attempt by the U.S. to improve relations with Afghanistan's government prior to the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country in 2014.

The article discusses Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s demand that the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan redeploy their military forces from Afghan villages to military bases. Karzai’s request follows an incident in which a U.S. Army sergeant allegedly shot and killed 16 Afghan civilians. The U.S. indicated it had no plans to reposition its troops.

The article reports that U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are investigating officers in Afghanistan's Air Force. The officers are suspected of using military airplanes for drug traffic within Afghanistan and for illegal arms transfers. It is noted that the Air Force is primarily financed by the U.S.

The article discusses a February 2012 decision by several countries including the U.S., Great Britain, and Germany to remove civilian and military advisers in Afghanistan following several attacks upon U.S. soldiers. According to the article, the attacks followed an alleged burning of several Qurans at the U.S. military base in Bagram in February 2012. The article examines the impact the removal of the advisers may have upon U.S. plans to transfer security responsibilities to Afghans.

The article examines a highway construction program in Afghanistan financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). The failure of the program to come close to its goal of building 1200 miles of roads in remote areas of that country despite spending $270 million from 2009-2011, resulting in the program's termination, is discussed as an example of the difficulties the U.S. has encountered in promoting economic development and civil action during the Afghan War.

The article focuses on the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. Indications that the Taliban has moderated its strict Islamic social policies from its time ruling Afghanistan in the 1990s are considered, including a series of schools for women operated by Taliban official Maulvi Qalamuddin. Informal negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban representatives are examined.

The article discusses a report from the U.S. military on a November, 2011 airstrike in Pakistan that killed 24 Pakistani troops. Contrary to previous assertions by the military, the report assigns significant blame to the U.S. for the attack, which came after U.S. and Afghan forces operating in the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan mistakenly concluded there were no Pakistani forces in the area that was later struck.

The article discusses the U.S. Defense Department's desire to sell armed drones to its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies. Defense believes a drone-equipped NATO could reduce the responsibilities of U.S. forces in the Afghan war. Senator Dianne Feinstein is among legislators and government officials who have expressed concerns about allowing drone technology to proliferate.

The article discusses the impact on U.S. Marines serving at a combat outpost in Afghanistan of the accidental killing of Marine sniper Benjamin Schmidt by a Marine tank crew. Officers feared that anger on the part of snipers towards tankers could provoke reprisals and diminish combat effectiveness. Details are presented about the fatal incident, ensuing emotions, and efforts at reconciliation.

The article discusses circumstances at the U.S. military base in Nangalam, Afghanistan to illustrate challenges facing Afghan security forces as the U.S. scales back it military presence. The U.S. Army turned the Nangalam base over to Afghan soldiers in March 2011, but later were compelled to return after the Afghan base commander fled and rumors surfaced that some Afghan soldiers were colluding with Taliban militants.

The article reports that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is considering reducing the U.S. military's role in Afghanistan to an advisory one as early as 2012, well before the scheduled 2014 termination of U.S. combat activities in that country. Details are presented on tactical implications of such a move, which could be decided upon one way or the other by May of 2012.

The article looks at yogi and former male model Cameron Alborzian, focusing on his efforts to institute meditation and yoga for both Afghan insurgents and Western soldiers. Alborzian's meeting with Major General Phil Jones to encourage the joint meditation of soldiers and insurgents is discussed, noting the advantages of supporting nonviolent principles in the Afghan war.

The article discusses the need to replace aging U.S. military equipment. The Air Force says the average age of two models of its F-15 fighter plane is 25 years, and that its refueling aircraft average 47 years. The Navy's oldest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1961. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks the U.S. military has spent less on modernizing its planes and ships, and more on equipment specific to the needs of the Iraq and Afghan wars.

The article discusses graft and neglect at the Dawood National Military Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hospital staff are said to have denied food and treatment to patients unwilling or unable to pay bribes. Lieutenant General Sher Mohammed Karimi, chief of staff of Afghanistan's army, was aware of the problem but seems to have done little to address it.

The article reports that 30 U.S. troops, including 22 Navy SEALs, who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan, were on a mission to aid other U.S. forces who had come under fire from Taliban militants. U.S. officials believe the incident was an aberration that does not require a rethinking of tactics in the Afghan war.

The article discusses a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan announced by U.S. President Barack Obama. Ten-thousand U.S. troops will leave that country during 2011, with an additional 23,000 pulling out by the summer of 2012. U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi urged a faster timetable, while Representative John Boehner expressed concern over too hasty a withdrawal.

The article reports that the U.S. military has asked President Barack Obama to refrain from withdrawing significant numbers of U.S. troops from Afghanistan until the autumn of 2012. Both General David Petraeus and Defense Secretary Robert Gates want to maintain combat strength sufficient to secure gains realized in South Afghanistan while stepping up operations in the eastern portion of the country.

The article reports that U.S. military officers in Afghanistan have drawn up preliminary plans to withdraw 10,000 troops from that country before the close of 2011. U.S. General David Petraeus has yet to formally receive the proposal, though, and President Barack Obama has not decided on how quickly he wants a previously-announced reduction in forces to proceed. What impact the death of Al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden will have on the conflict remains unclear.

The article discusses hazardous work performed by robots manufactured by iRobot Corp. Four such devices are being used to monitor radiation and oxygen levels at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Robots from iRobots have also been used by U.S. armed forces in the Afghan war to scout suspected enemy complexes.

The article reports that the terrorist organization Al Qaeda has begun re-establishing a presence in Afghanistan in the mountainous region along that country's northeastern border with Pakistan in the aftermath of a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area. A chief U.S. war aim in Afghanistan has been to thwart Al Qaeda's efforts to launch attacks on the West from there.

The article reports that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will send 1,400 additional Marines to Afghanistan as part of a temporary force build-up that could see as many as 3,000 new troops deployed. Gates is responding to expectations that Taliban militants returning from Pakistan could launch an offensive in the spring of 2011.

The article discusses a review of the Afghan war that was ordered by U.S. President Barack Obama. It is expected to identify Pakistan's unwillingness to attack Taliban militants within its own borders and the questionable readiness of Afghan military forces as reasons why sustainable progress in the war has been limited.

The article reports that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Afghanistan have enabled safe passage to Kabul for Taliban militant leaders engaged in peace negotiations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The development indicates the U.S. has become more supportive of such mediation efforts.

The article reports that the U.S. believes Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency is encouraging Taliban militants to continue fighting U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. The charges come at a time when the U.S. and Afghan governments are trying to negotiate peace with some Taliban commanders.

The article reports that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is using armed drone aircraft diverted away from the Afghan war to escalate its activities against militants in Pakistan. During September, 2010 the CIA conducted an average of five drone attacks per week in Pakistan. The U.S. has concluded that Pakistan's military is unable to take more effective action against militant sanctuaries in Pakistan.

The article discusses a change in U.S. tactics for battling corruption in the Afghan government. The U.S. will undertake new efforts to root out graft and corruption among lower levels of government, while giving Afghan authorities more influence in probes into alleged corruption among top government figures. Graft is believed to be a source of support for Taliban militants fighting the Afghan government.