WASHINGTON – U.S. intelligence suggests that violence in Afghanistan will rise through 2009 despite the Obama administration’s new strategy for combatting the Taliban and shoring up the Afghan government, a top intelligence official said Friday. Violence in Afghanistan has steadily risen for the past three years as the ousted Taliban …

WASHINGTON – More troops, new legislation, improved troop training and added civilian expertise highlight President Obama’s strategy to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama on Friday announced his plan to tackle what he called an “international security challenge of the highest order.” Stressing soberly that “the safety of people …

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 27 – Taliban leaders in Pakistan have united with their Afghan comrades to launch a new offensive in Afghanistan, Taliban fighters say. Word of the move comes as the United States prepares to send 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan this year, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reported …

WASHINGTON — Shifting U.S. objectives in Afghanistan away from the Bush administration’s promise to build a Western-style democracy, President Barack Obama will announce on Friday that he’s deploying thousands of additional American troops and civilians to achieve more modest goals, such as enhancing security and promoting economic development, U.S. officials …

KABUL – International and Afghan troops killed 11 militants when a raid in Afghanistan’s volatile south turned into a gunbattle with Taliban fighters, U.S. forces said Friday. Fighting broke out during the Thursday night raid targeting a key Taliban insurgent in a village in Helmand province, the military said in …

WASHINGTON — Afghanistan’s former Taliban leader is pursuing a strategy to reclaim power, the top U.S. intelligence official said Thursday, identifying a key administration concern as the White House prepared to unveil a new strategy to step up combat operations and stabilization efforts.

`Bosnia wants to become a candidate for the European Union by the end of the year,` said Sven Alkalaj. Bosnia hopes to become a candidate for European Union membership in November or December despite outside concern the Balkan country is not politically or economically ready, the foreign minister said on …

Viktor Baloga: `Such treatment is humiliating and clearly contradicts the spirit of the agreements reached between Kiev and Brussels.` Ukraine is considering reimposing visas for European Union citizens, a top presidential aide said on Thursday, complaining of “humiliating” visa procedures for Ukrainians travelling to the EU. Ex-Soviet Ukraine scrapped visas …

The Socialist-led government initially planned an early release of about 3,000 inmates with light sentences. Bulgaria’s parliament passed an amnesty law on Thursday but cut the number of offenders that the bill initially aimed to free to avoid public outrage before elections. The Socialist-led government initially planned an early release …

Presidential powers have been trimmed in Ukraine since the Orange revolution and the president has lesser sway. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, describing herself as “Ukraine’s biggest nationalist”, on Thursday called for an overhaul of the constitution to end “chaos” in the way the country was run. Interviewed by Reuters …