Wars, Afghan | featured news

Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Pakistan's capital on a trip widely believed to be aimed at seeking Islamabad's help in ending a decade-old Taliban insurgency. According to a senior Pakistani security official, Karzai has told the U.S. that "seeking a military victory in Afghanistan will remain a futile venture without a stepped-up political dialogue with the Taliban."

Nearly all Afghans want their government to make peace with the Taliban despite their growing dislike for the insurgency, according to a survey funded in part by the U.S. government.

To help gauge the need for more troops, he's asking for a detailed analysis of Afghan provinces to determine which are being managed effectively.

President Barack Obama does not intend to decide about sending additional troops to Afghanistan until he is satisfied that the Kabul government can work effectively with the U.S., a top White House aide said Sunday.

Pakistani jets pounded militant hide-outs along the Afghan border overnight as hundreds of thousands of civilians fled South Waziristan ahead of an expected government offensive, officials said Wednesday.

On July 13, 2008, nine U.S. soldiers were killed and 27 were wounded in one of the war's bloodiest attacks, driving a strategic reassessment.