U.S. Special Operations service members with Special Operations Task Force South board two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters following a clearing operation in Panjwa'i district in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 25. 2011. The operation, led by Afghan commandos resulted in the removal of Taliban propaganda material and three suspected insurgents detained. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel P. ShookTaliban Not Exactly Heeding NATO’s Call to Give Up -- The Danger Room
NATO’s plan to get Afghan insurgents to lay down their arms hasn’t exactly been a blockbuster. 900 guerrillas have agreed to stop fighting in the the last five months — just a tiny sliver of the more than 20,000 fighters that are estimated to be battling the Kabul government and their western allies.
“Strategically, it’s yet to really bite into the insurgency,” concedes British Maj. Gen. Phil Jones, who heads up the Force Reintegration Cell, NATO’s task force to bring Afghan insurgents back into mainstream society. In order to have that “strategic” impact, Jones figures he’ll need “12, 15,000 people running through the program.” That’s an order of magnitude below where it is now.
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More News On Afghanistan
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, May 15 -- Alertnet
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British marine killed in Afghanistan blast -- AFP
Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan explosion -- BBC
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Over 20 militants killed as Afghan, NATO forces keep on pressure -- Xinhuanet
For Second Time in 3 Days, NATO Raid Kills Afghan Child -- New York Times
Afghans protest killing of teenage boy by U.S. forces -- L.A. Times
Afghan intelligence: Taliban using child bombers -- Yahoo News/AP
Taliban uses children as young as nine as suicide bombers in Afghanistan -- Herald Sun/AP
The Gitmo Files: 2 of Afghanistan's most wanted hid leadership roles while in US custody -- Long War Journal
Pride and regret for Canadian troops leaving Afghanistan as mission winds up -- Canadian Press
Troops have mixed emotions as Afghan mission wraps up -- Chronicle Herald/Canadian Press
India Makes a Move in the Afghanistan Endgame -- Time
Tackling mental health problems in Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
Russian veteran warns of "unsolvable" Afghan violence -- Reuters
Russian Veteran Warns Afghan Pullout Will Lead To Violence -- Radio Free Europe
Afghanistan: Glimmers of hope -- The Economist