Afghanistan

Pompeo Meets With Afghan, Taliban Negotiators in Qatar

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday that the United States would “sit on the side and help where we can” as he met in Qatar with Afghan government negotiators amid signs of progress to reach a peace agreement with the Taliban.

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‘Fear Exists’: The Romanian Soldiers Who Served in Afghanistan

Some of the Romanian men and women who have served under NATO in Afghanistan tell BIRN why they went and what it was like.It began with 265 soldiers and 15 medics. Almost 19 years later, Romania’s participation in NATO’s mission in Afghanistan has grown to 693 troops, making the former …

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As al-Qaeda’s old guard dies, leadership’s role shifts

No longer the supreme jihadist group, al-Qaeda has seen other outfits grow and has sometimes clashed with them on the ground. The reported deaths of al-Qaeda’s top two leaders in recent months have raised questions about the future strategy and strength of the terror network, already a shadow of the …

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Al-Qaida 'On the Ropes' After 2 Decades of War

Key U.S. officials are not backing down from their assessment that core al-Qaida, while still a threat, is in decline, brushing aside intelligence suggesting the terror organization remains entrenched in Afghanistan and may be growing stronger.

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NATO chief raises alarm over possible US troop drawdown in Afghanistan

The head of NATO on Tuesday warned that the military alliance could face serious consequences from a force reduction in Afghanistan, a day after multiple reports indicated that the Pentagon is preparing an order from President Trump to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from the Middle East.

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U.S. Successfully Conducts SM-3 Block IIA Intercept Test Against an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Target

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS John Finn (DDG-113), an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System-equipped destroyer, intercepted and destroyed a threat-representative Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile during a flight test demonstration in the broad …

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Trump Mulling Near-Total Withdrawal of US Forces From Somalia Amid Global Pullback, Report Suggests

Following to removal of US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the Pentagon and acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller have announced a withdrawal of thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving around 2,500 residual personnel in both countries.

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Acting Secretary Miller Announcement on Afghanistan and Iraq Troop Levels

Speech As prepared for delivery by Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller Good afternoon. I’m Chris Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense, and I am here today to update you on President Trump’s plan to bring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to a successful and responsible conclusion, and to bring …

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Trump to order troop reductions in Afghanistan, Iraq

President Donald Trump is expected to cut a significant number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and a smaller number in Iraq by the final days of his presidency, U.S. officials said Monday. The plan would run counter to military commanders’ advice over the past year, while still falling short of …

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