Obama says Fewer Troops in Afghanistan this spring setting New Mission Goal to Train, Advise and Assist Afghan Troops only

This News Video by PBS News Hour: President Obama sat down with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the future role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. While combat forces are scheduled to exit the region in 2014, the two leaders met to talk over a range of troop level options and responsibilities. Judy Woodruff reports.

Originally posted on Friday, January 11, 2012

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AubreyJ………

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Afghanistan: On Ground Updates - U.S. military said in secret report that Taliban, backed by Pakistan, set to retake control of Afghanistan after NATO-led forces withdraw

U.S. Army file photo by Sgt. Joseph Watson 9-16-11

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Wednesday, February 01, 2012

* The U.S. military said in a secret report that the Taliban, backed by Pakistan, are set to retake control of Afghanistan after NATO-led forces withdraw, raising the prospect of a major failure of Western policy after a costly war… Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, confirmed the existence of the document, reported on Wednesday by Britain's Times newspaper and the BBC… But he said it was not a strategic study… "The classified document in question is a compilation of Taliban detainee opinions," he said. "It's not an analysis, nor is it meant to be considered an analysis."… Nevertheless, it could be interpreted as a damning assessment of the war, dragging into its 11th year and aimed at blocking a Taliban return to power…

Read this somewhat lengthy report by Reuters at link below…

Taliban "poised to retake Afghanistan" after NATO

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* The Guardian reports it this way… A secret US military report says the Taliban, heavily backed by Pakistan, are confident they can win the Afghanistan conflict, and that they are gaining popular support at the expense of the Kabul government…
Read this report in full at link below…

Taliban believe they will take over from US and NATO in Afghanistan - report

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* ABC.net.au has this report and it starts off like this…

A leaked NATO report in Afghanistan says the Taliban are being directly assisted by Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, and have widespread support among the Afghan people…

Read this report in full at link below…

Pakistani intelligence helping Taliban: NATO report

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Report says Taliban preparing to retake Afghanistan

About this video: A leaked NATO report claims the Taliban are preparing to retake control of Afghanistan when the alliance's troops leave in 2014.

This news video posted on YouTube by Euronews

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Said more than one time…

What a MESS!

AubreyJ………

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Defense Secretary Leon Panetta orders probe into video that purports to show U.S. Marines urinating on bodies of dead Taliban

-- This image removed by me due to Google Ad Policies --
Image pull from YouTube video showing four Marines

preparing to urinate on corpses of dead Taliban.
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- Fox News brings us the following troubling report out of Afghanistan today and it starts off like this… The top commanders of the Marine Corps U.S. forces in Afghanistan are investigating a video that purports to show U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered a probe into behavior he described is "utterly deplorable."… "I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Panetta said Thursday of the actions depicted in a video released a day earlier. "This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards or values our armed forces are sworn to uphold. Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent."…

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U.S. Marines Urinate on Taliban Corpses

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES 18 +

-- This Video removed by me due to Google Ad Policies --

This video posted on YouTube by bjnr0

As Ronnie Marler writes in comments on YouTube: A slap in the face to every American and a punch in the gut to every soldier who has done their job with dignity. These men bring shame to all of us.

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Looks to me like they were just going through the act of looking like they were urinating on the dead fighters. But regardless, what a stupid, totally out of taste, shameless thing to do in any case!

AubreyJ.........

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Afghanistan: On Ground Updates - Operation Tofan 2

U.S. Army Soldiers from B Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Duke move towards a mission objective during Operation Tofan 2 in Suri Khel, Afghanistan, September 15, 2011. The mission objective was to clear insurgents from the town of Suri Khel and prevent them from returning.

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Here we have a couple of U.S. Army soldiers from B Troop… pulling security during a search during Operation Tofan 2 in Suri Khel, Afghanistan, September 15^th.

The following day we find 4 U.S. Army soldiers looking on as one fires at an enemy hiding position. Operation Tofan 2 in Suri Khel, Afghanistan, Sept. 16^th.

Above U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph Watson

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AubreyJ………

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