U.S. To Do Deal With Taliban On Guantanamo Prisoners After Revealing Plans To End Combat Role In Afghanistan By 2013 -- Daily Mail
* Taliban 'handpicked' the five prisoners for release
* Source said is it believed the prisoners had 'U.S blood on their hands'
* US Defense Secretary said he hopes American troops in Afghanistan can end their combat role by 2013
The U.S. is looking to release several prisoners from Guantaamo Bay as it seeks to build a relationship with the Taliban on the back of last night's announcement on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
'Operational steps' have been put in motion by the Obama administration to move up to five prisoners in the hope it will further peace talks with the Afghan Taliban, according to a senior congressional official.
The revelations follows U.S. Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta's announcement that he wants troops in Afghanistan to end their combat role by as early as the middle of 2013.
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More News On Afghanistan
NATO ministers mull Afghan drawdown -- AP
NATO Focuses on Timetable for Afghan Withdrawal -- New York Times
NATO Defense Ministers Discuss Afghanistan Withdrawal -- Voice of America
NATO Chief: Afghan Timeline Unchanged -- Voice of America
Britain to pull out troops from Afghanistan frontline role by the end of next year after surprise U.S. announcement on early war exit -- Daily Mail
Afghanistan withdrawal plan outlined by Downing Street -- BBC
UK to reduce Afghan role next year -- Press Association
Australia: Afghan mission to end in 2013 -- the Age
Plan for early end to US combat role catches Afghan officials by surprise -- Christian Science Monitor
U.S. plans to halt Afghan combat role early, Kabul surprised -- Reuters
Panetta says U.S. forces to end 'combat role' in Afghanistan next year and shift to training mode -- Daily Mail
U.S. plans to halt Afghan combat role early -- Reuters
Afghanistan: Leon Panetta signals end to US combat role -- BBC
Panetta Says U.S. to End Afghan Combat Role as Soon as 2013 -- New York Times
Panetta: U.S., NATO will seek to end Afghan combat mission next year -- Washington Post
Panetta: US, NATO Seek to End Afghan Combat Mission in 2013 -- Voice of America
U.S. goal is to end Afghan combat mission in 2013 -- CNN
Panetta Seeks Afghan Combat End in 2013 With France in Line -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US plans to end Afghan combat mission in 2013 -- The Guardian
US aiming to end combat role in Afghanistan next year, Leon Panetta says -- The Telegraph
Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader -- US Department of Defense
War in Afghanistan 02 February, 2012 -- War On Terror News
Lawmakers warn of outcry against Taliban transfer -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Inquiry finds US not to blame for Australian soldier's death -- Stars and Stripes
U.S. and allies plan to give Afghanistan forces lead role in 2013 -- L.A. times
Afghan soldiers 'co-operating with the Taliban and signing ceasefire deals' -- The Telegraph
Tighter monitoring on Afghan forces planned in wake of attacks on troops -- Stars and Stripes
Taliban infiltrators in Afghanistan? Pentagon warns of 'insider threat.' -- Christian Science Monitor
Afghan attacks on U.S. troops often personal -- CBS/AP
Intelligence Report Is Said to Counter Obama’s Upbeat View of Afghanistan -- Bloomberg
U.S. report: Taliban's strength, resolve intact -- CBS
Taliban deny they are ready for Afghan peace talks -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Taliban return seen unlikely threat in reshaped Afghanistan -- Express Tribune
NATO report says Taliban captives are confident of victory -- L.A. Times
Taliban Captives Dispute U.S. View on Afghanistan War -- New York Times
Pakistan shies from claim it directs Taliban -- Sydney Morning Herald
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Visits Afghanistan to Boost Relations -- Voice of America
Pakistan Says Willing to Push Afghan Insurgents Towards Peace -- Voice of America
Pakistan Willing to Push Taliban to Make Peace -- ABC News/AP
Pakistan’s top diplomat says country willing to push the Taliban to make peace in Afghanistan -- Washington Post/AP
Taliban see control of Afghanistan as ‘inevitable’ -- Peter Goodspeed, National Post
Talking With The Taliban -- Robert Dreyfuss, NPR/The Nation
Panetta Remarks Illuminate US Thinking on Afghanistan Timeline -- Dan Robinson, Voice of America
Afghanistan: the big lie -- The Guardian editorial
Panetta suggests earlier Afghan withdrawl -- David Ignatius, Washington Post
Afghanistan’s Training Wheels -- Mark Thompson, Time
US troops in Afghanistan: How big is shift from 'combat' to 'assistance'? -- Anna Mulrine, Christian Science Monitor
Fixing Afghanistan was a noble project that became a noble failure -- Jonathan Kay, National Post
Courting Disaster In Afghanistan -- Kimberly Kagan and Frederick W. Kagan, NPR/Weekly Standard
First Thoughts: Is the end of the Afghanistan war near? -- Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Brooke Brower, MSNBC