InfoAnda - US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

IRS keeping close eye on musicians' tour dollars | | 10 July 2010
South Carolina Republican Party Censures Gov. Sanford | 7 July 2009
Coal mine flood kills 12 in China -Xinhua | 29 October 2010

Microsoft settles with VirnetX, to pay $200 million | | 17 May 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state AFP - Tuesday, December 7 Send IM Story Print US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state Slideshow: Full Photo Coverage: War On Terror CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (AFP) - – US Marines are facing heavy losses, but their commander in Helmand says "steady" progress has been made since replacing British troops in the Taliban's most notorious flashpoint. A US surge doubled the number of NATO troops in Afghanistan's largest province, the heartland of the global opium trade and a byword for some of the heaviest fighting that British troops have endured for decades. Major General Richard Mills, the new overall commander for Helmand, redeployed the British to the centre of the province, leaving the district of Sangin -- perhaps the fiercest fight in the entire country -- to US Marines. Mills told AFP in a recent interview that he has closed down smaller British bases to keep troops on the move, but daily gunbattles are haemorrhaging troop numbers and there is little sign of a traditional winter cool-down in fighting. He claims that most of the Taliban's top command in Helmand have been eliminated, but acknowledges it may take two years to stop the flow of drugs, weapons and fighters across the border with Pakistan. "When I got here I felt all the forces were too tied down. We had to be able to go on the attack and keep the momentum," said Mills, adding that his troops take on 500 patrols every day throughout the province. "They've had a tough fall, they've had a lot of casualties, but they're pushing the envelope," said Mills, pointing to a map that shows his troops have moved out from Sangin's centre to remote areas further to the north and east. "Places where ISAF (coalition) forces had not been probably forever... and we're beginning to see significant signs of crackage in the insurgency there." The strategy shift followed years of criticism, exposed in leaked US diplomatic cables last week, that British tactics had failed miserably. In one memo sent in April 2007, General Dan McNeill, the then NATO commander in Afghanistan, was quoted as telling a US drug-control officer that the British had "made a mess of things in Helmand, their tactics were wrong". A US cable sent in January 2009 showed that Helmand governor Gulab Mangal thought the British were too confined to their camp. President Barack Obama last December ordered 30,000 extra American troops into Afghanistan in a drastic strategy overhaul designed to wrest initiative from the Taliban in their strongest areas, particularly the south. But heavier fighting and greater troop numbers mean more casualties. The US Marines alone lost 12 men in Helmand in November, according to US Defense Department data -- seven of them in Sangin. At the Lisbon summit last month, NATO agreed to draw down its 140,000 combat troops in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 to allow local forces to take over, but Mills left open whether any such transition could begin in Helmand next year. "I don't make that decision. I think things are moving right along nicely. There certainly could be (some handover next year)." He says he has the support, flexibility and time to pursue a good plan laid out by the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, US General David Petraeus. "He has given his support commanders the flexibility to execute that strategy... "We are making steady progress. Overall we're all pointing in the right direction. We understand where General Petraeus wants us to go, we understand the results of the Lisbon conference which has given us some more time." Mills says that most of the Taliban's top command in Helmand have now been killed or captured: "Militarily we are hammering them." But without efforts to secure Helmand's southern border with Pakistan, the trafficking of opium, weapons and Taliban fighters will continue. "I would perhaps like to see some more focus perhaps on the border and stopping the flow back and forth across the border," he said. "I think that's something that's still a year or two from being something we're able to do." And huge political challenges remain in Helmand, an area where age-old tribal disputes feed Taliban recruitment among those who feel disenfranchised. "The government has the challenge of connecting with everybody in the province, in some pretty remote areas... They're getting more and more successful but it's still a job," said Mills. "It's hard to attract talented mid-level government people." The onset of winter usually signals a slackening in the intensity of fighting, but Mills says this year will be different. "We're going to pressure this guy every step of the way. He won't get his two weeks in Florida this year, he won't get his vacation during winter time. "We're going to push push push, because I want this battlefield to be completely different come spring." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Chomsky signs Australian letter of support for Assange AFP - 41 minutes ago China says does not want to "replace" U.S. as world power Reuters - 1 hour 3 minutes ago Indonesia the new frontier ANN - 2 hours 39 minutes ago England's cricketers have series momentum - Strauss AFP - 2 hours 46 minutes ago Report: N.Korea deploys torpedo-carrying midget subs AFP - 2 hours 54 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Crisis-hit Ireland awaits crucial 2011 budget Weakened Obama unveils tax compromise Aspirin sharply reduces cancer risk: study WikiLeaks adds twist to climate hopes Prince William and Kate use TV interview for charity: palace More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended British scientists find key to repairing MS damage Russian satellites crash into Pacific: space official Continental guilty over 2000 Concorde crash Hermes family sets up holding company WikiLeaks adds twist to climate hopes More Most Viewed » NASA finds new form of life... on Earth World leaders scramble for funds to save the tiger US, S.Korea plan war games after N.Korean attack Obama gets 12 stitches after 'elbow in the lip' More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Entertainment Photos Yahoo! News Network Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Prince William and Kate use TV interview for charity: palace
Israel fire quelled, senior policewoman dies of burns
Egypt's ruling party crushes opposition in vote
Russia's Medvedev on key Poland visit amid thaw
Europe divided over bonds, bailout fund boost
L'Oreal heiress reconciled with daughter
WikiLeaks adds twist to climate hopes
Nigeria militants say hit oil pipeline in delta |
Monitors cry fraud as ruling party eyes Egypt poll sweep
ECB buys nearly two billion euros in government debt
British scientists find key to repairing MS damage
Three injured as Greek police clash with protesters |
NATO declares no winter let-up against Taliban
Medvedev does not exclude second presidential term
Google unveils new smartphone, the Nexus S
Karzai shelves plan to ban private security firms
Egypt puzzled after string of Red Sea shark attacks
Best Buy, Carphone to sell Google Nexus S phone
Venezuela moves flood-hit families into resort hotels |
U.N. doubted case for Hariri inquiry arrests-report
Sprint in deal with Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson
Egypt's ruling party crushes opposition in vote |
LG Display, Chi Mei, others face EU fines: source
US airline Continental guilty over Concorde crash
ICC to study possible North Korea war crimes in South Korea
Gays press US court to uphold same-sex marriage
Berlin film fest invites Iranian ex-detainee to join jury
Bollywood goes retro to boost box office sales
French oyster-lovers brace for Christmas shell-shock
Hermes 'united' in drawbridge defence against LVMH
German TV show 'will go on' despite live crash
Obama hosts Kennedy Center honorees
Cisco, Juniper step up in cloud with deals |
Best Buy, Carphone to sell Google Nexus S phone |
BBC presenter apologizes for four-letter gaffe
Crash hurts Russia satellite challenge to U.S. GPS |
Johnny Cash jumpsuit fetches $50,000 at auction
Liverpool plan Indonesian football academy
Depp, Jolie bring old Hollywood glamour to The Tourist |
Fergie returns to 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' |
Exclusive: AOL mulls breakup, then merger with Yahoo
Google opens e-book store in Kindle challenge
Clearwire eyes selling up to $2 billion spectrum
Google takes on Amazon, Apple in e-books market
LG Display, Chi Mei, others face EU fines: source
Sprint in deal with Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson
Cameron on visit to Afghanistan
Diplomatic impasse over Korea peninsula crisis |
US commander inherits tough fight for Taliban state
UK PM eyes 2011 Afghan pullback, dismisses troop |
World powers, Iran move nuclear talks forward
Crisis-hit Ireland awaits crucial 2011 budget
WikiLeaks founder to meet British police
Tense Haiti awaits results of turbulent elections |
Weakened Obama unveils tax compromise
British PM in unannounced visit to Afghanistan
China buoys climate talks with binding target |
Afghan minister urges caution in diplomacy after leaks
U.S. blocked Iran candidate election on climate body: WikiLeaks |
Aspirin sharply reduces cancer risk: study
Mbeki ends Ivory Coast poll row talks without deal |
Tumblr blogging service back on feet after crash
Indonesia the new frontier
US-TECH Summary
NATO has secret plan to defend Baltics: leak |
England's cricketers have series momentum
Report: N.Korea deploys torpedo-carrying midget subs
Venezuela moves flood-hit families into resort hotels |
Study links cellphones to child misbehavior
Peru's Humala calls Garcia a threat to democracy |
Death toll in Pakistan suicide attack climbs to 43
Video games get kids to eat more veg, fruit: study
One dead, 7 missing in Hong Kong after boat collision
Internet body meets on domain names, IP addresses
Gold prices expected to go on increasing for next one year
Diplomatic impasse over Korea peninsula crisis
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Oprah fans touch down for Aussie adventure
East Asian economies to grow 8.8pct in 2010: ADB
Myanmar people get Q and A with Suu Kyi
Study links cellphones to child misbehavior |
Depp, Jolie bring old Hollywood glamour to "The Tourist"
OnLive to offer streaming movies, challenge Netflix
OnLive to offer streaming movies, challenge Netflix |
Washington Post watching online pay experiments
Nvidia wins more notebook designs for 2011
Nvidia wins more notebook designs for 2011 |
Sprint eyes $11 billion savings, to shut Nextel network
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Microsoft offers Salesforce users money to switch |
Google unveils new smartphone, the Nexus S
Depp, Jolie bring old Hollywood glamour to "The Tourist"
Medvedev honours Polish master director Wajda
China interest rate hike may be imminent: state media
S.Korea Dec inflation conditions seen improving -vice fin min
Seoul shares gain 0.5 pct led by techs
Madoff trustee sues HSBC, seeks 9 billion dollars
AIDS charity raises $1 million, reviving dead celebs |
Pakistan
Seoul shares advance 0.5 pct led by techs
Katy Perry Gets Raunchy on The Simpsons |
S.Korea parliament panel approves bond tax bill
Justin Bieber trading cards hit stores |
NZ 98-day T-bills yield 3.06 pct at tender
Howard Stern may have to take a paycut |
S.Korea won at 2-wk high on exporter demand, euro
Taylor Swift sells out first tour dates in minutes |
NZ house prices stabilise in November
Canada to preview Oprah Winfrey's OWN before debut |
Iran will not discuss atom enrichment at next talks
Cameron, in Afghanistan, eyes British pullout in 2011
WikiLeaks founder Assange refused bail by UK court |
US defence secretary arrives in Afghanistan
UK PM eyes 2011 Afghan pullback, U.S. reviews war |
U.S. blocked Iran candidate election on U.N climate body -cables
Israeli rabbis tell Jews not to sell homes to Arabs |
German industrial orders gain 1.6% in month: ministry
Temple blast in northern India injures 20 people |
Cameron looks to 2011 to start Afghan withdrawal
Samsung sees 2011 handset shipments up 18 percent: report
China, Nobel committee at odds over award boycott |
Gates in Afghanistan to view progress, meet troops
EU formally adopts Irish bailout plan
British PM in unannounced visit to Afghanistan
Uganda goverment denies opposition election accusations |
S.Korea live-fire drill enters second day
Japan man gets death sentence for killing family
United Nations prepares Ivory Coast staff pullout |
Thailand eyes fugitive ex-PM's extradition
China and Nobel committee at odds over award boycott
Analysis: Talks fail to bridge gap with Iran |
China labels Nobel committee 'clowns'
N. Korean defectors want to join reserve forces
S. Korean president calls for fortification of islands
Polaroid cameras carve niche among young Indonesians
China finally allows lawyers to attend interrogations
Pakistani stocks, o/n rates flat; rupee firms
Smartphones pose big threat to text messages in Indonesia
Best Buy to sell Google Nexus S phone |
Pakistan plans to seek IMF loan extension
Foxconn to ship iPad 2 as early as end February: report |
Inflation, currency weakness threaten Vietnam: donors
Katy Perry Gets Raunchy on "The Simpsons"
Johnny Cash jumpsuit sells for 50,000 dollars
Buoyant India eyes 9% growth in new forecasts
Justin Bieber trading cards hit stores
Salesforce.com takes on Oracle in database market |
Asian shares mostly up but Tokyo hit by surging yen
Howard Stern may have to take a paycut
Sprint eyes $11 billion savings, to shut Nextel network |
AIDS charity raises $1 million, reviving "dead" celebs
East Asia heading for economic slowdown, warns ADB
Samsung sees 2011 handset shipments up 18 percent: report |
Canada to preview Oprah Winfrey's OWN before debut
Top Chinese official says some economic data 'man-made'
Taylor Swift sells out first tour dates in minutes
Scottish artist's sound installation wins Turner Prize
A global goodbye for Japan pop star Hikaru Utada
Plot needed big changes, new Narnia filmmakers say |
Samsung sees 2011 handset shipments up 18 percent: report
Alliance heralds era of smartphone wallets
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01