A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle outside a NATO base at Kabul's main airport, killing three in the capital's worst attack since the Afghan election. Pajhwok Photo Service, AFP, Getty Images Obama Has Yet To Define U.S. Objectives In Afghanistan -- McClatchy News/Yahoo News
WASHINGTON — As the Obama administration and Congress begin a heated debate about how many more American troops to send to Afghanistan , military observers, soldiers on the ground there and some top Pentagon officials are warning that dispatching even tens of thousands more soldiers and Marines might not ensure success.
Some even fear that deploying more U.S. troops, especially in the wake of a U.S. airstrike last week that killed and wounded scores of Afghan civilians, would convince more Afghans that the Americans are occupiers rather than allies and relieve the pressure on the Afghan government to improve its own security forces.
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More News On Afghanistan
'We're pinned down:' 4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan ambush -- McClatchy News
Military Disputes Raid Account -- New York Times
Taliban Ambush in Eastern Kunar Kills Four U.S. Marines -- Captain's Quarters
Seized Times Reporter Is Freed in Afghan Raid That Kills Aide -- New York Times
NYT reporter freed in raid; Afghan translator dies -- Yahoo News/AP
Commandos free kidnapped journalist in Afghanistan - -Yahoo News/AFP
Airstrikes in Afghanistan drop by almost half -- USA Today
NATO confirms civilians died in Afghan airstrike -- AP
Merkel Rejects Criticism of Germany's Role In Afghanistan -- Radio Free Europe
German Lawmakers Question Involvement in Afghan Airstrike -- Washington Post
Angela Merkel on Defensive After Afghan Tanker Attack Blunder by German Forces -- Times Online
Merkel Warns It Is Too Soon to Judge Fatal Airstrike -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Learned Its Lesson, Won't Abandon Afghanistan, Gates Says -- Washington Post
Analysis: Afghan highway symbol of mission in crisis -- CNN
South to Kandahar -- Foreign Policy
Primary sources: U.S. government document lays out Afghanistan strategy -- Politico
NATO chief urges Afghan leadership -- CBC
Rush for Afghan exit not an option - NATO chief -- Reuters
NATO worried about Afghan war debate -- AP
Dem leader wants 'successful' plan for Afghanistan -- AP
On Afghanistan, GOP gives Obama an unexpected lift -- Boston.com
Palin Sides With Obama on Afghanistan -- New York Times
NATO troops 'not winning' in Afghanistan, analyst -- CTV
Heron on the Wing to Guide Diggers -- The Australian
Firepower Trumps ‘Soft Power’ in This Afghan Town -- The Danger Room
Germany’s ‘Armed Social Workers’: Fail? -- The Danger Room
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 742 -- Washington Post/AP
AFGHANISTAN ELECTION
Tainted Afghan Vote Tally Gives Karzai Majority -- Wall Street Journal
Preliminary Afghan Election Results Give Karzai Clear Majority -- Voice of America
US in Delicate Spot as Fraud Claims Mount in Afghan Vote -- New York Times
UN-Backed Panel Finds Fraud in Afghan Vote -- Washington Post
US Says Legitimate Election Vital to Future Partnership with Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Election Monitors Cry Foul as Karzai Vote Hits 54% -- Times Online
Partial Recount Ordered in Afghanistan Election -- L.A. Times
US to Karzai: Accept Vote Recount -- Washington Times
Watchdog Orders Afghan Recount -- The Australian
COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS
Afghanistan by the numbers -- Tom Engelhardt, Asia Times
Why Obama Can’t Win in Afghanistan -- Robert Maginnis
Is "Escalation" the Right Word? -- Lorelei Kelly, Huffington Post
Obama's two fronts in the Afghan war -- Christian Science Monitor, editorial
‘Convincing Evidence of Fraud’ -- New York Times editorial.
Afghanistan: Making things worse -- Guardian editorial