Afghanistan

U.S. Ambassador Attempts to Dissuade Obama from Troop Surge
As President Obama prepares to make his decision about the U.S. course in Afghanistan, the U.S. envoy there, Karl Eikenberry, has come forward to question the idea of more troops.

Afghan Government Says UN Representative Overstepped Authority
A Norwegian diplomat, the top U.N. presence in Afghanistan, has made comments that have angered the Afghan government, but from all other sides it appears that advice offered just makes good sense.

UN Relocating Staff in Afghanistan Following Attacks
After five foreign UN staff members were killed in suicide attacks in Afghanistan, the organization has decided to pull back staff and relocate them.

Two Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan Kill at Least 14 Americans
Hostile fire is not believed to be involved in the crashes that killed at least 14 Americans, including civilians working for the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Earthquake Rocks Afghanistan
A strong earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, rocked Afghanistan just after midnight on Friday, causing panic and sending people into the streets.

Kabul Bombing Target's Indian Embassy, Kills 18
Suicide bomb attack at the Indian Embassy in Kabul kills 18 and injures many.

Obama Keeping Quiet on Adding Troops in Afghanistan
President Obama will not downgrade the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism effort, but he has not yet noted if more troops will be sent overseas.

Taliban Leader Encourages U.S. and NATO Forces to Study History
As ambushes grow more sophisticated and more deadly, a Taliban leader has warned U.S. and NATO forces that foreign forces have rarely had success in Afghanistan.

Taliban Militants Crushed after 3 U.S. Troops Killed in Ambush
NATO forces and the U.S. military reacted strongly to a Taliban ambush that killed three U.S. troops, sending in airstrikes and killing at least 50 militants.

U.S. Marines Launch Offensive Against Taliban
Operation Eastern Resolve 2 launched just before dawn on Wednesday, attacking a long-time Taliban base with hopes of stabilizing the region before next week's elections.

U.S. Forces Targeting Drug Barons in Afghanistan
A new U.S. "kill or capture" list has placed Afghanistan’s drug traffickers in the middle of the U.S. military’s crosshairs.

U.S. Military Operations Ramping Up in Afghanistan
U.S. military operations have been ramped up considerably in Afghanistan as U.S. forces seek to stabilize a Taliban-controlled area ahead of the August Afghan presidential election.

Pentagon Removes Top U.S. Military Commander in Afghanistan
Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided to remove Army General David McKiernan from his post as the top U.S. military officer in Afghanistan.

Hillary Clinton Apologizes to for Afghan Bombing that Killed Civilians
The latest US set-back in Afghanistan is the erroneous bombing and killing of dozens of Afghani civilians who may have been mistaken for Taliban or al-Qaeda fighters.

U.S. Military Expecting Increase in Taliban Bombings
Stepped-up troop levels in Afghanistan are leading to further bombings by the Taliban and other terrorist groups, leading the Pentagon to look into new ways to combat improvised explosive devices.

Taliban Reject U.S. Offer of Honorable Reconciliation
The Taliban have made their position very clear to the United States. They will not accept any terms other than the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Obama to Dispatch More Troops and Civilians to Afghanistan
The war effort in Afghanistan is getting a boost, with thousands of troops being called on in addition to the 17,000 troops and civilian trainers that have already been ordered.

NATO Sending More Troops to Afghanistan for August Elections
In what will ultimately be viewed as the most important indicator of progress in Afghanistan, the country will hold a presidential election in August.

U.S. to Invite Iran to Conference on Future of Afghanistan
In a new type of diplomacy in the Middle East, Pakistan and Iran will be invited to talks on the future of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan - Culture, Traditions and Customs
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is located in Central Asia. Its culture, traditions and customs are unique to its geographical setting as a landlocked country. It is flanked by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China...

Top U.S. General Predicts a Tough Year Ahead in Afghanistan
President Obama has agreed to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, fewer than the 30,000 requested, and the top general in the area is already stating that 2009 will be a tough year in that country.

Russian Leader Says His Country Wants to Help U.S. in Afghanistan
Russia, which fought its own 10-year war in Afghanistan, has noted via President Dmitry Medvedev that they would be willing to assist the U.S. in bringing stability to the war-torn country.

U.S. Sending More Troops to Afghanistan by Summer
Continuing Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that more troops will be headed to Afghanistan by the summer, increasingly shifting the U.S. focus away from Iraq.

The Places In Between
In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan-surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors...

Government Refuses to Allow Wiccan Emblem on Soldier’s Headstone
Nevada officials and the wife of a fallen soldier are diligently trying to get the federal government to allow the placement of a Wiccan symbol on the memorial plaque of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed in Afghanistan last fall. But the government doesn’t approve.

'Worse Than the Taliban' - New Law Rolls Back Rights for Afghan Women
President signs law despite condemnation by human rights activists that it flouts equal rights provisions

Afghanistan: Soldiers' Reports Tell of Undue Optimism, Chaos, and Policy Made on the Hoof
Commander of British forces in south of the country quoted as comparing operations to 'mowing the lawn'

Obama Ditches Bush Administration Policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan
White House concerned it only has a year to turn around Afghanistan and Pakistan before US public support wanes

Hamid Karzai: Too Nice, Too Weak - How West's Own Man Fell Out of Favour
President Hamid Karzai has exasperated US and Afghans with inability to tackle corruption and insecurity

UK to Send Specialist Troops to Afghanistan to Counter Bomb Threat
Explosive devices, notably roadside bombs, are accounting for about 80% of British military fatalities

Afghanistan Threatens Security of Every Nato Country, Says Us Vice President
Joe Biden wants to engage European allies to fight the Taliban

Intelligence Failures Crippling Fight Against Insurgents in Afghanistan, Says Report
Book-length report is damning of US military often unwilling to share information among military allies

Afghanistan Blast Kills Three Nato Soldiers
• Canadian troops die in roadside ambush• Suicide bomber targets Bagram air base

Afghanistan Postpones Presidential Elections
Karzai term ends in May but electoral officials say country needs more time for security to improve

British Death Toll in Afghanistan and Iraq Reaches 300 After Two Marines Die in Blast
Violence continues as Ministry of defense disputes polls of public opinion on troop withdrawal

Afghanistan 'vital to Uk Security'
defense secretary says conflict as fundamental to national security as the first and second world wars

Gurkha Soldier Killed in Search for Taliban Near Musa Qala
Soldier shot while on patrol with Afghan security forces searching for Taliban fighters

British Soldier Killed in Southern Afghanistan
Ministry of defense says soldier, from 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, was killed by enemy fire yesterday

Gunmen Kidnap French Aid Worker in Kabul
Driver for the Afghan national intelligence agency who tried to intervene shot dead, say police

Afghanistan: Briton Among Three Shot Dead Outside Dhl's Offices in Kabul
Briton, South African and Afghan die in shooting that underlines deteriorating security situation

Afghanistan: Three People Shot Dead Outside Dhl's Offices in Kabul
Deaths of two foreigners and an Afghan underline the deteriorating security situation in Kabul

Aid Groups Defend Security After Taliban Murder
Killing of aid worker 'opportunistic' claims Serve Afghanistan despite 'no walking' policy of other NGOs

Afghan Court Revokes Death Sentence for Student Journalist
Judges reduce sentence to 20 years in jail after it is deemed "unfair"

Death of a Good Samaritan: Taliban Says Aid Worker Killed for 'spreading Christianity'
So far this year 29 aid workers, employed by one of the 100-plus agencies in the country, have been killed

Nato Chief Attacks Lack of Will on Afghanistan
General John Craddock demands reform of the alliance and the way it makes decisions

Taliban Increasingly Target Aid Workers Connected With Christianity
Lack of security jeopardizes aid activities in parts of Afghanistan where millions could be short of food

Nato Commander Warns of Lack of Progress in Afghanistan
General John Craddock says seven-year campaign against Taliban is disjointed

Military Blamed for Afghan Mine Death
Shameful lack of equipment in Afghanistan caused needless death of soldier, rules coroner

Villagers Say 18 Civilians Killed in Nato Air Strike in Afghanistan
MoD investigating reports that women and children among those killed in Helmand attack

Airstrikes Kill More Than 60 Taliban Fighters in Helmand
No civilian casualties reported after Afghan army bomb convoy armed with mortar weapons

US Faces Downward Spiral in Afghan War, Says Leaked Intelligence Report
Blame placed on booming opium trade and failure of Afghan president to control corruption

US Military Admits Killing 33 Civilians in Afghanistan Airstrike
US expresses regret for deaths last August but blames Taliban for taking position near village

Talks With Taliban the Only Way Forward in Afghanistan, Says Uk Commander
Britain urges allies to use diplomacy to end conflict as hopes for decisive victory ruled out

Destitute and Confused: Bleak Future for Refugees Caught in the Crossfire
Residents of grim camp tell of clashes between coalition forces and the Taliban forcing them from their villages

Our Man in Kabul Says Us Strategy is Failing
Comments attributed to ambassador included in diplomatic dispatch published by French satirical weekly

Troops in Afghanistan to Get 600 New Armoured Vehicles
£500m deal agreed between Ministry of defense and the Treasury will provide new troop carriers

Revealed: Secret Taliban Peace Bid
Saudis are sponsoring a peace dialog involving a former senior member of the hardline group

Why the West Thinks It is Time to Talk to the Taliban
Senior cleric secretly brokers peace deal as situation in Afghanistan deteriorates

UK Will Not Send Substantial Extra Troops to Afghanistan, Browne Says
Defense secretary says he has no plans for an increase and denies commanders have asked for one

US Wants $20bn to Fund Afghanistan Effort
Bush administration expects monetary contribution from those who did not send troops

A Wishlist for Afghanistan
Jason Burke sets out some strategies the west should, but most likely won't pursue to establish peace and stability

'If It Gets Worse Then We Will Have to Leave'
With suicide bombings on the increase, Kabulis worry that a vicious war in the provinces is again coming to the Afghan capital. Jason Burke reports

'I Would Never Swap My Country for All the World'
Dr Roshanak Wardak is an unmarried female MP in the Afghan parliament. She tells Jason Burke about the challenges and compromises she faces in her work

Nato Tightens Rules of Engagement to Limit Further Civilian Casualties in Aghanistan
House searches should be led by Afghan troops with permission from homeowners, says report

US Air Power Triples Deaths of Afghan Civilians, Says Report
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan from US and Nato air strikes have nearly tripled over the past year, with the onslaught continuing in 2008 and fueling a public backlash, a leading human rights group says today.

Afghanistan: Paris Match Pictures 'promoting Taliban'
Photospread of Taliban fighters posing in uniforms of dead French soldiers sparks controversy

British Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
The soldier, who has not been named, was killed by a bomb explosion whilst on patrol in Helmand province, the MoD said

Kajaki Dam: Contentious, Costly, and a Failure
A monument of failed foreign dreams in Afghanistan since it was built in early 1950s

British Forces Thwart Taliban to Deliver Turbine. But Will It Be Worth the Effort?
Power project to aid local villagers still faces big obstacles after epic journey through hostile territory

Crime in Afghanistan: The Kabul Police Chief, the Plague of Kidnapping, and the Meaning of Fear
One man has put himself at the center of a country's battle against corruption

US Claims 100 Militants Killed in Four-day Afghanistan Battle
A four-day battle in southern Afghanistan involving US coalition and Afghan forces has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 militants, the coalition said today

Final Straw for Afghan Leader After Child Death Toll in Air Strike Hits 60
President Hamid Karzai orders new rules for any foreign force military operation

This Enemy is Media Friendly and Has a Bewildering Array of Allies and Rivals
Confusion over who ambushed French soldiers reflects Nato's uncertainty about its enemy in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Sarkozy Fends Off Critics With Visit to French Troops in Kabul
Losses are the worst suffered by French army in 25 years

Ten French Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan As Taliban Attacks Grow More Audacious
Sarkozy to visit following 'two-day running battle' in which 21 troops were also wounded

Taliban Kills Three Aid Workers in Afghanistan
British-Canadian woman among victims of new Taliban attack on International Rescue Committee

Three Western Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan Ambush
Victims identified by local officials as a British-Canadian, American and Trinidadian working for US-based group

Afghanistan Ambush Kills Three Aid Workers
Victims identified by local officials as an American, a Canadian and an Irish national working for US-based group

Soldier Killed, Two Wounded in Kabul Attack
Suicide bomber rams car into convoy on patrol on eastern outskirts of Kabul

RAF Helicopter Rescue Teams to Be Sent to Afghanistan
British forces attempt to reduce number of soldiers killed by roadside bombs

Armed Forces: Third British Soldier is Killed in Afghanistan in a Week
Upsurge in deadly attacks blamed on 'fighting season' as the opium harvest comes to an end

British Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
A British soldier was shot dead while on foot patrol in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, according to the Ministry of Defence

Ambulance Driver Killed By Afghan Bomb
Armorer who died shortly after helping save the life of a colleague becomes 111th British soldier to die in conflict

Hard Man in a Hard Country
Profile: Like Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai has become a problem. They are both prickly, proud, independent and difficult to control

Afghanistan: Special Forces Kill Taliban Leader in 'critical Blow' to Insurgency
Defence sources report the death of Bishmullah during a gun battle in Helmand Province

Afghanistan: Nine Us Troops Killed As Taliban Attack Remote Base Close to Pakistan Border
Nato-led effort to subdue Taliban suffers one of its heaviest blows since 2001 invasion

Battle to Save Afghanistan's Shattered Heritage
The international community's indifference is hampering efforts to undo the vandalism of the Taliban regime

Afghanistan: 400 Militants Killed in Us Helmand Mission, Says Colonel
US marines in southern Afghanistan have killed 400 Islamist militants in the past three months, one of their commanders says

Madness in Afghanistan
Simon Tisdall: Sean Murphy's photographs are the perfect illustration of a bleak situation. But what's the west's next move in Afghanistan?

British Soldier Killed Fighting Taliban
Death of Parachute Regiment member brings number of British forces killed in Afghanistan to 107

British Soldier Killed During Fight With Taliban
A British soldier was killed today during a fight with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said

Afghanistan: Up to 75 Killed in Weekend Violence
Western forces in Afghanistan said they killed 55 militants in the eastern province of Paktia, which borders Pakistan

A Nation As Yet Unbuilt
Peter Preston: Afghanistan has never been a successful state. Our involvement there is based on a delusion

First British Female Victim As Bomb Kills Four in Afghanistan
Three SAS reservists also die in attack believed to be deadliest so far on British troops in the country

Explainer: Why Casualties Are Up
War in Afghanistan is entering a crucial stage as Taliban leaders resort to 'terrorist' tactics with the help of foreign fighters

Taliban Fighters Killed By Coalition Troops in Kandahar Crackdown
Nato and Afghan forces killed 20 Taliban fighters in a major offensive on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar, it was announced today

Four British Troops Killed in Afghanistan
Dead include first female soldier to be killed since conflict began

Fears of Big Battle As Taliban Fighters Dig in
Gambit comes days after Taliban smashed into Kandahar's main prison, freeing 400 militants

Afghanistan: Kandahar Braces for Taliban Attack As Thousands Flee
More than 4,000 people leave villages after militants destroy bridges and lay mines

More Troops Sent to Fight Taliban
Deployment of further troops will bring total number of soldiers in Afghanistan next Spring to more than 8,000

Government Determined to Stay the Course in Afghanistan
Deployment of extra troops to Afghanistan indicates a desire to build civil infrastructure

These Troops Are Too Few - and Much, Much Too Late
Jason Burke: The latest deployment does nothing to dampen doubts over the west's long-term commitment to rebuilding Afghanistan

Mass Jailbreak By Taliban Stuns Kandahar
Up to 1,000 prisoners, including 400 Taliban militants, on the run in Kandahar after dramatic assault on prison

Afghan Militants Attack Kandahar Prison and Free Inmates
Officials in Afghanistan say Taliban militants have detonated a car bomb at the main prison in Kandahar, killing police and setting prisoners free

Karzai Threatens to Send Troops Into Pakistan
Outburst follows jailbreak by Taliban in Kandahar and further threatens Afghan-Pakistani relations

Afghanistan: Karzai Threatens to Send Troops Into Pakistan to Hunt Taliban
President Karzai inflames border tensions, claiming his country has right to defend itself against insurgents

Afghan Donors Wary As Karzai Shops for More
President wants another $50bn to help rebuild his country, but the international community is growing increasingly nervous about paying out

Not All Deaths in Afghanistan Are Down to the Enemy
Richard Norton-Taylor: Of the 100 British servicemen killed in Afghanistan, more than one in five were the result, not of enemy action, but of accidents

Three Troops Killed By Bomb Were Part of Hearts and Minds Operation
Mission reflects attempts by British commanders to establish good relations with Afghans

Brown Pays Tribute to 100 British Troops Killed in Afghanistan
Prime minister honors soldiers after suicide attack claims three lives, taking British toll in Afghanistan to 100 since 2001

Afghanistan: Brown Praises Troops After British Death Toll Reaches 100
Prime minister pays tribute to courage of troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001

Troops Who Hoped They Would Not Fire a Shot Mourn 100th Comrade
Hope of avoiding conflict was based on bad intelligence and little or no idea of the nature of the enemy

Suicide Bomber Brings British Death Toll in Afghanistan to 100
Three UK soldiers have been killed in a suicide attack in the south of the country, the MoD has confirmed

British Death Toll in Afghanistan Hits 100 As Three Soldiers Are Killed
Suicide attack in the south of the country takes British death toll since start of operations to landmark figure

Fear, Disillusion and Despair: Notes From a Divided Land As Peace Slips Away
As millions across Afghanistan suffer the fallout from social and economic collapse, the West is in danger of losing the peace, finds Peter Beaumont

Refugees in New Afghan Drugs Crisis
Workers expelled by Iran and Pakistan are going home hooked on heroin, reports Peter Beaumont from Kabul

MoD Names Marine Killed By Mine
Death of Royal Marine brings to 97 the number of British military personnel who have died in Afghanistan since 2001

Refugees in New Afghan Drugs Crisis
Workers expelled by Iran and Pakistan are going home hooked on heroin, reports Peter Beaumont from Kabul

Afghan Anti-us Protest Leaves Three Dead
Two Afghans and Nato soldier killed in violent protest against US soldier who used the Qur'an for target practice

SAS Soldier Killed in Afghan Blast
Soldier killed by roadside bomb becomes 96th British armed forces personnel to die since campaign began in 2001

Clegg Warning Over Britain's Afghan Mission
The Liberal Democrat leader believes that the success of British troops in Afghanistan is crucial

Parents Get Message From the Front: 'we Need More Ammo'
Call from Afghanistan left US family frantic after soldier hits redial on his mobile during gun battle

In Ghost Town Where Afghan War Begins, Uk Fights Losing Battle
Garmser is gateway to Afghanistan for insurgents who stream across border from Pakistan

The Boy Who Took Karzai's Bullet
A child of 10 was one of three civilians who died during a botched Taliban attack on the Afghan President

Marine Died in 'unsuitable' Vehicle
A Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan might have survived had more suitable armoured vehicles been available, a coroner said

Funeral Held for Raf Reservist, Killed in Afghanistan Aged 51
Oldest British serviceman to have been killed in current military operations in Afghanistan or Iraq is put to rest in Nottingham

Karzai Survives Taliban Assassination Attempt During Military Parade
Taliban militants attack military parade in central Kabul, killing three people, including an MP

Karzai Survives Assassination Bid at Parade
Afghan president survives assassination attempt after Taliban militants fire gunshots and rockets in Kabul

A Failing Mission
Leader: Mr Karzai lives to fight another day but the battle for Afghanistan is no nearer being won

Roadside Bomb Kills Soldier in Afghanistan
British soldier is killed in south Afghanistan as his vehicle is hit by suspected mine

The Taliban Blowback
The US enlisted the help of the mujahideen to fight the Soviet army in 1980s Afghanistan. But Pakistan, too, began fostering Islamist extremism. Now, Declan Walsh reports, it is suffering the violent consequences

Two British Soldiers Killed on Patrol at Afghan Base
RAF servicemen dead after their vehicle hit a device whilst patrolling Nato's main airbase in Kandahar

Many Pledges But Few New Troops for Afghanistan
Nato leaders reaffirm 'firm and shared long-term commitment' to fighting the war in Afghanistan

Karzai Seeks Bigger Role for Larger Afghan Army
Move cheers NATO leaders unable to reach agreement on new members at summit in Bucharest

Two Marines Killed By Roadside Bomb
Deaths bring total number of British military fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001 up to 91

US Gave $300m Arms Contract to 22-year-old With Criminal Record
Pentagon entrusts 22-year-old previously arrested for domestic violence to be main supplier of ammunition to Afghan forces

22-year Old Awarded $300m Pentagon Contract, According to Report
The Pentagon entrusted a 22-year old previously arrested for domestic violence and having a forged driving licence to be the main supplier of ammunition to Afghan forces at the height of the battle against a resurgent Taliban, it was reported today

President Pays Tribute to Britain and Calls for 'brotherhood'
Sarkozy urges Anglo-French axis for progress in Europe and the world, and pledges more troops in Afghanistan

40% of Afghan Aid Returns to Donor Countries, Says Report
Afghanistan being deprived of $10bn (£5bn) of promised aid, with 40% of money that has been delivered being spent on corporate profits and consultancy fees, according to report by aid agencies.

Peace Hopes in Afghanistan Hit By Aid Shortfall
Afghanistan deprived of £5bn in promised aid, while 40% of aid delivered went on corporate profits and consultancy fees

Afghans Unite to Cheer Their Brave New Stars As The X-factor Comes to Kabul
A TV talent show that challenges gender, tribal and religious boundaries is transfixing the nation's people - and antagonizing religious scholars, reports Vanessa Thorpe

Afghan Civilians Killed in British-ordered Air Strike
Defense sources concede that there is 'high possibility' British aircraft were involved in the deaths of four civilians in an ambush the southern province of Helmand

Afghan Death Toll Soars to 8,000 Last Year
The United Nations has delivered a grim assessment of the conflict in Afghanistan, reporting that violence increased sharply last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people, at least 1,500 of them civilians

Afghan Deaths Soar to 8,000
The United Nations has delivered a grim assessment of the conflict in Afghanistan, reporting that violence increased sharply last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people, at least 1,500 of them civilians

The Second Man
Tough times lie ahead for the new UN envoy in Afghanistan. But at least, unlike Paddy Ashdown, he evokes no memories of perfidious Albion, writes Julian Borger.

RAF Buys Us Robot Planes to Strike at the Taliban
British pilots poised to attack hostile forces in Afghanistan from computer keyboards in the American desert

Harry's Tour Masks a Deeper Afghan Malaise
Leader: In reporting of the Prince's adventure story the international dynamics have been overlooked

WIll US Involvement in Afghanisthan Work?
Assume that Obama does become President and he does focus on Afghanistan. Is he going to earn the undying gratitude of the Afghan people; and eliminate terrorism? I doubt it.

We Can Persuade Taliban to Be Peaceful - Expelled Eu Man
Two-thirds of insurgents in Afghanistan can be persuaded to abandon violence, says an EU official

We Can Persuade Taliban to Be Peaceful - Expelled Eu Man
Two-thirds of insurgents in Afghanistan can be persuaded to abandon violence, says an EU official

Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Blast is Named
British soldier killed by an explosive device named as Corporal Damian Stephen Lawrence from Whitby, North Yorkshire

MoD Betrayed Troops in Afghanistan, Says Coroner
Coroner criticizes MoD for sending troops to Afghanistan without basic equipment

Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis 'ignored'
Red Cross says unknown number are fleeing homes as villagers are victims of Taliban and security forces

Allies' Refusal to Boost Afghanistan Troops a Threat to Nato, Gates Says
US warns Nato could be destroyed if allied troops are not prepared to fight in Afghanistan

Gates Demands More Troops Willing to 'fight and Die' in Afghanistan
The US defense secretary, Robert Gates, says some allies are not providing troops prepared to 'fight and die' against the Taliban

Nato Crisis Grows Over Afghan Troops
US presses Europe to strengthen fighting force· Alliance could split as credibility is threatened

Miliband and Rice Arrive in Afghanistan
The foreign secretary, David Miliband, and the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, arrived in Afghanistan today as concern continues to grow over the progress of operations against the Taliban and its effects on the unity of Nato

Rice Calls for More Nato Help in Afghanistan
US secretary of state calls on Nato countries to 'share the burden' and contribute more troops to troubled mission

Extra Troops Could Help Hold Musa Qala
Military chiefs are considering sending hundreds of extra troops to southern Afghanistan in the light of the precarious security situation, the Guardian has learned

Nato's Afghan Force Needs Help, Says Rice
Brown says burden must be shared out better · US secretary of state's concern at threat in south

Living in the World of Now
Leader: Whoever claims the White House will have to face the legacy of Bush's record spend on defense and military commitment in Afghanistan

Extra Firepower Sent to Afghanistan As Uk Digs in
Record deployment of paratroopers· Country may be sliding to civil war

One of Bin Laden's Top Six Aides is Killed in Suspected Us Strike
A senior al-Qaida figure in Afghanistan, described by Western officials as one of Osama bin Laden's top six lieutenants, has been killed, it was reported yesterday

Problems on All Fronts As Afghan Mission Reaches Turning Point
Nato tensions | Deployment issues | Testy relations | Taliban | Drugs

Taliban Attacks on Allied Troops Soar By Up to a Third
Attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan surged last year, according to previously unpublished figures from allied military forces fighting insurgents

Rice Heads for London As Afghan Crisis Looms
Row escalates over Nato troop reinforcements · Canada may withdraw unless others do more

One of Bin Laden's Top Six Aides is Killed in Suspected Us Strike
A senior al-Qaida figure in Afghanistan, described by Western officials as one of Osama bin Laden's top six lieutenants, has been killed, it was reported yesterday

Failing State
Leader:It is hard to be hopeful about Afghanistan. Sliding away from progress, the country has begun a fretful, violent descent towards calamity that all the efforts of Nato, aid agencies and Afghans seem unable to stop

Afghanistan Risks Becoming 'failed State', Reports Warn
Continuing violence and economic instability could lead to social breakdown in Afghanistan if military strategy does not change, according to former Nato commander

Karzai Blocks Plan to Give Ashdown Key Role in Afghanistan
Search resumes for UN special representative· Kabul may have seen Briton as too forceful

PM Rejects Afghan President's Denigration of Uk Forces
Downing Street denies British forces in Afghanistan are bungling military operation to defeat the Taliban

US Troops Kill Nine Afghan Policemen
US-led troops today killed nine Afghan policemen after mistaking them for Taliban insurgents

Afghan Journalist's Death Sentence Blamed on Warlords
Real target is brother who revealed abuse scandals · 23-year-old reporter denies mocking Islam

Soldier Killed By Mine is Named
The soldier killed by a roadside mine in southern Afghanistan on Sunday was named yesterday as Corporal Darryl Gardiner, 25, from Wiltshire, a member of the British brigade's reconnaissance force based in Lashkar Gar in Helmand province.

Divisions in Nato After Us Doubts Afghanistan Tactics
Deepening divisions emerge in Nato over Afghanistan after US defense secretary says allies do not know how to fight insurgencies

What Paddy Did Next
Leader: Lord Ashdown has all the right credentials for the post of UN envoy to Afghanistan

Afghan Action Man
Michael White: Unlike Bosnia, Afghanistan has a sovereign government - not to mention two separate foreign armies, Nato and US, in the field, plus warlords. Paddy Ashdown's powers are weaker. But he retains his Tiggerish enthusiasm

US Allies Do Not Know How to Fight Insurgents, Says Gates
Deepening divisions within Nato over its military operations in Afghanistan emerged yesterday after Robert Gates, the US defense secretary, said America's allies did not know how to fight insurgencies

Soldier's Death in Afghanistan Blamed on Helicopter Fault
A British soldier bled to death in Afghanistan because of faulty equipment, compounded by incompetence, according to a military inquiry into the incident

Taliban Attack on Kabul Hotel Kills Seven
Seven people are killed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, during a Taliban attack at the city's sole five-star hotel

Ulster Peace Process Inspired Aid Workers
The Irish peace process inspired one of the two aid workers expelled from Afghanistan last week to reach out to factions allied to the Taliban

Hope of Swift Return As Diplomats in Taliban Row Leave Kabul
The two senior western diplomats expelled from Afghanistan after being accused of talking directly to the Taliban left Kabul early yesterday amid hopes that they could soon be readmitted

Meeting the Taliban: Row Over Talks Exposes Divide
Afghanistan US suspicious of British attempts at engagement· Kabul government split on ethnic and political lines

UN Push to Stop Afghan Expulsions in Taliban Row
UN officials were last night working to prevent the expulsion from Afghanistan of two senior western diplomats who have been accused of holding illegal talks with Taliban leaders in the British theatre of operations in the southern province of Helmand

Turkeys and Socks for the Troops Overseas
The Turkeys have arrived in Afghanistan - and so has the French President. The former after a 10-week journey by ship and truck; the latter by presidential jet. Both bear tidings of goodwill

Run for Your Lives
Why the kite runners had to flee Afghanistan

After The Perfect Storm
Sebastian Junger found fame with his vivid account of a fishing boat engulfed by 100ft waves. His latest work chronicles a different kind of terror, in Afghanistan. By Ed Pilkington

No Hope of Victory Soon in Afghanistan
Jason Burke: Despite the PM's upbeat stance, victory is far in the future. It's crucial we stay committed

We Will Not Negotiate With the Taliban, Insists Brown
Reconciliation hopes in strategy for Afghanistan · UK to give an extra £450m in development aid to 2012

The Poppy: Helmand's Biggest Problem
Recapturing Masa Qala from the Taliban is more than a important morale-boosting event for Nato and Afghan forces, writes Richard Norton-Taylor

Allies Complete Ousting of Taliban From Musa Qala
The retaking of Musa Qala was completed yesterday, with soldiers from the new Afghan national army leading Nato troops into the center of the town

Brown Commits British Troops for the Foreseeable Future
Britain will retain a substantial military presence in Afghanistan for some time, Gordon Brown said yesterday, as he met President Hamid Karzai in Kabul to discuss the country's future

The Afghan War in Microcosm
Musa Qala does not deserve the attention it is currently receiving. A dusty town that is the centre of a district with 35,000 inhabitants in the north of Helmand province, it is a key strategic location neither for the Nato-led ISAF forces and the Afghan National Army that are fighting alongside them, nor for the Taliban.

Afghan Troops Enter Musa Qala
Afghan army troops enter town which has been held by Taliban militants since February

Musa Qala Wrested From Taliban Control, Army Claims
Afghan army troops enter town which has been held by Taliban militants since February

Afghan Battle is Crucial, Brown Tells Troops
Victory in the battle at Musa Qala is crucial to the future of Afghanistan, Gordon Brown said this morning as he made a surprise visit to British troops close to the fighting

'To Screw It Up Would Be Offensive'
It was meant to be a sensitive portrayal of real life in Afghanistan - but The Kite Runner has been plagued by a row over a rape scene. The film's British star talks to Patrick Barkham

Troops Ready for Final Assault on Musa Qala
Battle is first major test of Nato-trained Afghan army· UK soldiers exchange intense fire with Taliban

Suicide Attack Kills at Least 13 on Kabul Bus
A suicide bomber yesterday attacked a minibus carrying Afghan soldiers south of Kabul, killing at least 13 people and wounding 20 others

Taliban Bomber Kills 13 By Ramming Minibus
Suicide bomber kills six Afghan soldiers and seven civilians, including four children, in attack south of Kabul

22 Injured in Taliban Attack
The Taliban today carried out a suicide attack on a Nato convoy that injured at least 22 Afghan civilians to "welcome" the US defense secretary to Kabul

Kite Runner's Afghan Child Stars Forced Into Hiding
Four boys emigrate to avoid tribal reprisals· Film's content made local cast a mistake, says studio

Arab-American Paratrooper Faces Deportation After Afghan Service
Highly decorated sergeant ordered to stand trial· Anti-discrimination committee protests

Bin Laden: Europe Must Quit Afghanistan
The al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden, called on European governments to end their military cooperation with the US in Afghanistan in a new audio message broadcast today

VC Hero Was Probably Killed By Friendly Fire
Coroner rules on soldier's death in Afghanistan clash· Ambush occurred at close quarters in maize field

US Airstrikes Kill Civilian Roadworkers in Afghanistan
At least a dozen road construction workers killed by mistake in eastern Afghanistan

British Friendly Fire Kills Danes
British troops killed two Danish soldiers by 'friendly fire' during an operation against the Taliban in Afghanistan, British and Danish defence sources disclosed yesterday

Afghanistan 'falling Into Taliban Hands'
The Taliban has a permanent presence in 54% of Afghanistan and the country is in serious danger of falling into the group's hands, according to a report by an independent think tank with long experience in the area.

Guards Shot Children Dead After Afghan Suicide Blast, Says Un
Many of the 61 children who died in Afghanistan's worst-ever suicide attack were actually shot dead by bodyguards who fired indiscriminately into the crowd after the blast, a UN report said.

Afghan Mps' Bodyguards 'killed Dozens'
An internal UN report has alleged that bodyguards protecting powerful Afghan politicians opened "indiscriminate fire" on a crowd in the aftermath of a suicide bombing two weeks ago, killing dozens of people including women and children

More Us Special Forces to Aid Fight Against Insurgents
The US is seeking to beef up Pakistan's counter-insurgency efforts in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan by expanding an American special forces team in the country to train the Frontier Corps and recruiting local militias to take on the insurgents

Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Cost $1.6trillion
The financial toll of America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was laid bare yesterday when a congressional committee estimated the cost of both conflicts at $1.6 trillion (£771bn) and rising - $20,000 for every family of four in the US

59 Children Die in Deadliest Afghan Suicide Attack
Anger over boys' presence at high-profile event· Taliban denies involvement in bombing

UK's New Afghanistan Plan: Pay Farmers to Ditch Opium
Troops may target drugs factories as part of strategy to combat Taliban.

Warning Shots Turn Into Lethal New Development As Violence Drifts North
Analysis: Warnings have been coming for months, publicly from independent commentators, privately by concerned officials and military commanders: the insurgent and terrorist threat is growing and spreading north to what has been, until now, the relatively stable and calm part of Afghanistan.

Six Mps Among 50 Killed in Suicide Attack in Afghanistan
Bomber targeted crowd gathered at sugar factory· Taliban deny carrying out deadly assault

Coalition of the Unwilling
Richard Norton-Taylor: Nato's whole mission is in doubt if its members won't provide necessary support in Afghanistan.

MPs and Children Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing
Suicide bomber kills at least 50 people, including five MPs and several children, in northern Afghanistan.

Japan Pulls Out of Afghanistan Coalition
Government orders navy to end its mission in support of coalition forces after failing to win opposition backing to renew the deployment.

Taliban Causing Afghan Aid Crisis, Says Un
The UN yesterday demanded that the Taliban stop killing aid workers and looting aid convoys so that emergency supplies can reach vulnerable Afghans before the onset of winter.

US Soldier's Family Brings Legal Action Against British Private Security Firm
Erinys guards accused of causing death in Iraq· Authorities close down UK contractors in Afghanistan

PM Urges More Nato Troops for Afghanistan
Gordon Brown yesterday amplified Nato calls for more combat troops in Afghanistan to spread a burden currently being borne by UK, US and Canadian forces.

Afghan Governor Survives Bomb Attack
Governor of south-eastern province escapes unhurt but several people are injured in suicide blast.

UK Backs Plan to Split Taliban From Within
The British government has thrown its backing behind an ambitious Afghan strategy to split the Taliban by securing the defection of senior members of the militant group and large numbers of their followers.

Taliban Sets Out Demands to Afghan President
Contact raises hopes for eventual end to conflict· Militants want control of southern provinces

The New Taliban
In a swath of territory across Afghanistan and Pakistan, a wild and lawless new state is being born. As warlords struggle for control and Islamic militants pour in, Jason Burke travels deep into the region to reveal hidden forces fueling a growing conflict in the front line of the 'War on Terror'.

Paras to Lead Spring Offensive in Afghanistan
Eurofighter to perform first hostile mission· Gurkha officer killed and two injured in explosion

Violence in Afghanistan Has Soared By 30%, Un Report Says
An alarming surge in suicide attacks has fueled a 30% rise in violence in Afghanistan this year, according to the UN.

13 Killed in Kabul Bus Bombing
Suspected Taliban suicide bomber kills up to 12 people on bus in Afghan capital.

12 Reported Dead in Kabul Suicide Bomb
A suspected Taliban suicide bomber killed up to 12 people on a bus in Kabul today, the second such attack in the Afghan capital in four days.

Nato Chief Says Taliban Could Regain Territory
The Taliban could recapture territory in southern Afghanistan won by British troops in fighting this summer, Nato's commander warned yesterday.

165 Taliban Killed in Two Battles in South, Coalition Forces Say
Air and artillery strikes left more than 165 Taliban fighters dead in two battles in southern Afghanistan, the US-led coalition said yesterday.

Elite Uk Troops Rescue Italians in Afghanistan
Eight kidnappers killed in fierce gunfight · Intelligence reports led to use of special forces

Army in Drive Against Taliban
Two thousand British troops, including Gurkhas backed up by armour, were last night engaged in a large-scale operation to drive out Taliban fighters from a strategic area of southern Afghanistan.

British Soldiers Killed on Patrol Are Named
· Victims of Afghanistan attack aged 18 and 23· Interpreter died after airlift to medical center

Roadside Bomb Kills Two British Soldiers in Afghanistan
Two British soldiers were killed yesterday by an improvised bomb in southern Afghanistan. A third British soldier and a civilian interpreter serving with Nato forces were also wounded in the attack, in which 20 suspected insurgents died.

RAF Man Killed in Blast Named
The RAF gunner killed by a bomb attack on a convoy patrolling southern Afghanistan's main airbase was named last night as Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge from Sheffield.

Suicide Bomber Targets Nato at Kabul Airport
A suicide bomber blew up a car near an entrance to Kabul's airport today, killing at least one Afghan and wounding several other people, police and witnesses said.

Eradication or Legalisation? How to Solve Afghanistan's Opium Crisis
The Guardian asks experts in the field what can be done to bring production of the drug to an end.

US Bars American Witnesses From Inquests of British Soldiers
American witnesses will not be allowed to travel to the UK to attend inquests into the deaths of British soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US Kills 100 'insurgents' in Afghanistan Battle
Military says fighting came after convoy of Afghan and US troops came under attack in northern Kandahar.

Eradication or Legalisation? How to Solve Afghanistan's Opium Crisis
The Guardian asks experts in the field what can be done to bring production of the drug to an end.

How Anti-corruption Chief Once Sold Heroin in Las Vegas
Fighting sleaze is no easy task in a country like Afghanistan, as anti-corruption tsar Izzatullah Wasifi can testify. The economy is awash with opium money, and bribery and backhanders are rife, as confirmed by yesterday's alarming UN report.

Army Gets New 'enhanced Blast' Weapon to Fight Taliban
British soldiers in Afghanistan are being supplied with a new "super weapon" to attack Taliban fighters more effectively, defence officials said yesterday.

Afghan Weddings Bring Limos and Bling
Marriage season sees import of a little luxury amid the potholes and poverty.

US Military Suicides at Highest Rate for 16 Years
· Longer and more frequent tours of duty blamed· Troops stretched to cover Afghanistan and Iraq wars

US Feels Heat As Iranian Leader Visits Afghanistan
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, signaled his determination to counter US global power yesterday by meeting his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, in a demonstration of growing Iranian influence in Afghanistan.

PM Admits Taliban Uses Territory
Pakistan's prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, acknowledged that the Taliban uses Pakistan as a base from which to mount attacks inside Afghanistan but denied the state was secretly supporting them.

UK Officer Calls for Us Special Forces to Quit Afghan Hotspot
High civilian toll as teams rely on air strikes to provide cover.

British Generals Blast 'cowboy' Us Troops
Tension between British and American commanders in southern Afghanistan erupted into the open today as a senior UK military officer said he had asked the US to withdraw its special forces from a volatile area that was crucial in the battle against the Taliban.

Afghanistan Becomes Main Focus for Uk
The Foreign Office has decided that Afghanistan, and not Iraq, is the front line in its battle to defeat terrorism, even if it may take decades to improve the country - as well as far greater international coordination than at present.

Nato Changes Tactics to Avoid Afghan Civilian Deaths
Nato intends to use smaller bombs in Afghanistan in an effort to avoid civilian casualties as it adapts to new Taliban tactics, the alliance said today.

Sectarian Bias is a Blight on a Rare Afghan Good News Story
Jonathan Steele: A blossoming garden in this impoverished city illustrates the Aga Khan's impact. But its benefits should be shared fairly.

Poppy Eradication Risking Lives, Warn Mps
The lives of British soldiers in Afghanistan are being put at risk because failure to develop a coherent strategy for eradicating the country's opium poppies has led to the Taliban forming an alliance with heroin traders, a highly critical parliamentary report warns today.

Failure in Afghanistan Risks Rise in Terror, Say Generals
Military chiefs warn No.10 that defeat could lead to change of regime in Pakistan.

British Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
Two others injured after operation with Afghan troops in Helmand province this morning.

Rebel Cleric Shot Dead As Commandos Storm Mosque to End Siege
At least 58 die after 20-hour battle in Pakistani capital - Assault leads to localized unrest near Afghan border

'Up to 80 Civilians Dead' After Us Air Strikes in Afghanistan
Witnesses claim a village in British-run Helmand was bombed for three hours after the Taliban attempted to ambush a US-Afghan army convoy.

Troops Kill Suspected Militants in Eastern Afghanistan
Locals and human rights groups say three generations of one family were killed in the operation.

Record Opium Crop in Southern Afghanistan
Region set to become world's biggest supplier - Cocaine consumption up in Europe, says UN report

Pentagon Recognises Psychological Damage to Troops
The US defence secretary, Robert Gates, pledged today to improve mental healthcare for the growing number of troops suffering serious psychological injury in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That Other Noble Cause
Spiraling violence and civilian deaths suggest British troops should get out of Afghanistan too. By Richard Norton-Taylor

Enough Murder, Enough Mayhem. Tribes Vow to Fight Talibanisation
Call to arms from moderates abandoned by Islamabad on the chaotic Afghan frontier.

Seven Children Die As Us-led Air Strike Hits Afghan School
>Coalition says al-Qaida used civilians as shields - Aid groups to criticize 'indiscriminate' violence

Report Compares Afghan Civilian Death Tolls
At least 230 civilians were killed during coalition or Nato operations in Afghanistan last year while the Taliban or other insurgent groups killed almost 700, according to a recent study.

Afghan Police Killed By Us Troops in Mistake for Taliban
Rise in civilian casualties cuts support for coalition - Air strike blamed on lack of intelligence-sharing

US Jets Kill Afghan Police
A communications breakdown between US troops and Afghan security forces led today to the killing of seven policemen, mistaken for Taliban, at a remote checkpoint in the east of the country when US forces on the ground called in an air strike.

Afghan Police at Checkpoint Killed By Us Troops in Mistake for Taliban
Rise in civilian casualties cuts support for coalition - Air strike blamed on lack of intelligence-sharing

Civilians Suffering in Worsening Afghanistan Conflict, Says Red Cross
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is worse now than a year ago with "civilians suffering horribly", the International Committee of the Red Cross said today.

Afghan Police Mistakenly Killed By Us Friendly Fire
US-led forces mistakenly killed seven policemen in the eastern province of Nangarhar, bordering Pakistan, Afghan officials said today.

The West Has to Accept That There is No Military Solution
The honest way forward in Afghanistan is to understand the south is lost and refocus efforts on Kabul and the north. By Jonathan Steele

Second Female Afghan Journalist Killed in Five Days
A prominent female Afghan journalist has been gunned down inside her home near Kabul, the second such slaying in five days.

Gunmen Kill Afghan Woman Radio Journalist
A prominent female Afghan journalist has been shot dead at her home near Kabul, the second such killing in five days.

Profile: Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr, the Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainee who had all charges against him dismissed today by a military judge, was only 15 years old when he was captured in Afghanistan.

Briton Among Seven Killed in Afghan Attack
Shooting down of helicopter in Helmand province appears to have prompted a bloody retaliation by Nato today.

Hunt for 'traitors' Splits Taliban
Spy mania grips the Afghan rebels as top commanders fall victim to tip-offs by informers to coalition troops.

Britain Calls for Greater Un Involvement in Afghanistan
Britain wants the UN to take the lead role in a 'strategic plan' for Afghanistan amid growing concern about the impact of Nato and US military operations and the failure to get aid to those who need it.

Kite Runner Author Looks Behind the Veil
The Afghan-American writer is venturing under the burka with A Thousand Splendid Suns, his keenly anticipated second novel that follows the trials and triumphs of two Afghan women over the same period.

Taliban's Top Military Commander Killed During Fighting
Taliban insurgents suffered a grave loss when their top military commander, Mullah Dadullah, was killed in fighting in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, it was claimed yesterday.

US-led Forces Admit Civilian Casualties in Afghan Fighting
International forces in Afghanistan concede that a major battle in the south of the country caused some civilian deaths.

Afghan Mps Demand End to Military Offensives
Call comes after reports that 21 civilians died in a wave of US-led air strikes yesterday.

Unemployment, Divorce and Battles for Custody: Us Soldiers' Cold Welcome Home
Extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan put strain on troops' home lives.

Afghan Fury Over Uk Troops Telling Farmers They Can Grow Poppies
Adverts promised crops would not be destroyed - Row exposes tension over fighting drugs and Taliban

British Military Sanctions Afghan Poppy Cultivation
Angry Afghan officials have reprimanded British diplomats over a campaign by UK troops in Helmand telling farmers that growing poppy was understandable and acceptable.

Canadian War Crimes Suspect Was Child at Time of Capture
A human rights group today attacked a US decision to file murder charges against a Canadian national and alleged Taliban fighter who was captured in Afghanistan when he was 15.

Killers and Censors Bring Fledgling Media Under Fire From All Sides
US and Kabul officials get tough with journalists amid growing insurgent violence in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Faces Questions on Nfl Star's Death in Afghanistan
Congress to press for more information about friendly fire killing of Pat Tillman.

Report Reveals Steep Rise in Afghan Civilian Casualties
The number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan soared last year as insurgents deliberately targeted non-combatants including doctors and religious leaders

Nine Policemen Killed in Afghan Suicide Blast
Bomber blows himself up on police training ground in northern Afghanistan, killing at least nine policemen and injuring more than 30.

Pentagon Opens Civilian Claim Files Against Military
Chilling accounts of hundreds of fatal encounters between the US military and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing a rare glimpse of the confusion and chaos of daily life in the conflict zones, were released by the Pentagon yesterday under the freedom of information act.

Top Us Generals Reject War Tsar Role for Iraq and Afghanistan
Three retired generals approached by the White House about a new high-profile post overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and reporting directly to the president have rejected the proposed post, leaving the administration struggling to find anyone of stature willing to take it on.

Bush Struggles to Find War Tsar to Oversee Iraq and Afghanistan
Three retired generals approached by the White House about a new high-profile post overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and reporting directly to the president have rejected the proposed post, leaving the administration struggling to find anyone of stature willing to take it on.

Diary
The White House is having trouble recruiting a "war tsar" to oversee its ongoing exciting adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Jon Henley

Afghanistan: Relief at Last for Hard-pressed Fusiliers
Uncertain future after Nato capture of Sangin prompts Taliban propaganda push.

Australia Will Double Its Troops in Afghanistan
Australian prime minister John Howard to deploy more soldiers to disrupt the Taliban's command.

Bavaria
Notebook: Welcome to 'The Box' - the last stop before it gets real, the army's saying goes. The sealed space - six miles by 12 miles - will for the next three weeks be the training stage for 6,000 American troops from 104 units being readied for deployment in Afghanistan next month.

Gordon Brown Surprises Troops in Afghanistan
Gordon Brown flew into southern Afghanistan today for a surprise visit to British troops.

Is It The Right Might?
So what is going on in Afghanistan? The US and NATO military forces have been swatting the Taliban like bothersome flies for five years now; but they keep swarming around. They even seem to be breeding. There are a lot more of them now than there were two years ago.

27kg of Opium in a Kitchen - Just Another Day in the Afghan War on Drugs
Despite a more sophisticated counter-narcotics strategy Afghanistan's poppy production is greater than ever, reports Julian Borger in Kabul.

Afghans Admit Doing Deal With Taliban to Free Italian Hostage
Journalist forced to watch execution of driver - Aid agency claims five fighters released

Taliban Frees La Repubblica Reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo
The Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, kidnapped in Afghanistan by the Taliban two weeks ago is released. By Jason Deans.

For Kosovo, New War Fears
World Briefing: In the evolving narrative of the Blair era, the Kosovo intervention is described as a key moment whose perceived success led fatefully on to Afghanistan and Iraq. By Simon Tisdall

Taliban Kidnaps Italian Journalist in Helmand
An Italian journalist has been kidnapped by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. Daniele Mastrogiacomo was travelling with his Afghan driver and translator outside Lashkar Gah, Helmand's main town, when they were taken hostage.

Taliban Kidnap Briton in Helmand
The Taliban said today they have kidnapped a British journalist and two Afghans in the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

MoD Names Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
The two British soldiers who were killed by a rocket attack in southern Afghanistan on Saturday were today named by the Ministry of Defence.

Soldiers Killed By Grenade Named
Two British soldiers killed during a rocket attack on Saturday in southern Afghanistan were named yesterday.

US Airstrike in Kabul Kills Nine Members of Same Family
Afghan confidence in western military forces was further frayed yesterday when an American airstrike on a house near Kabul killed nine people spanning four generations of the same family.

THE AGE OF OCCUPATION: Bury the Dead
The Age of Occupation is a corpse awaiting burial. Only America (Afghanistan, Iraq), Israel (Palestine) and Russia (Chechnya) continue to believe that occupation is a useful foreign policy instrument.

Nato Air Strike 'kills Nine Civilians'
Two incidents involving US forces have left around 19 Afghan civilians dead since yesterday, prompting furious protests against the US and Nato.

Rocket Attack Kills Two British Soldiers in Afghanistan
Casualties bring UK death toll to 50 since 2002 - Street protests after US forces fire on civilians

UK Troops Hamstrung By Afghan Opium Wars
Powerful drug lords in the poppy-filled Sangin valley are emerging as a crucial threat to the British campaign in southern Afghanistan, as the force seeks to consolidate its hold on Helmand province in anticipation of an expected Taliban spring offensive.

UK to Tackle Afghan Drug Lords in No-go Valley
Drug lords in the poppy-filled Sangin valley are emerging as a threat to the British campaign in southern Afghanistan, as the force seeks to consolidate its hold on Helmand province in anticipation of an expected Taliban spring offensive.

Poppy Valley Key to British Hold on Helmand Province
The British effort to consolidate its hold on Afghanistan's Helmand province in anticipation of a Taliban offensive is being threatened by powerful druglords in the poppy-filled Sangin valley.

Britain Switches Tactics to Undermine the Taliban
Britain has launched a "reconciliation" drive to undermine support for the Taliban after Whitehall strategists concluded that a decisive military victory in Afghanistan cannot be won, the Guardian has learned.

Government Confirms Extra British Troops for Afghanistan
Britain is to send extra troops to Afghanistan after efforts to persuade Nato allies to contribute more towards operations in the country failed, the defence secretary said tonight.

Bush Deploys 3,000 Extra Troops to Afghanistan to Take on Taliban
George Bush said yesterday he had ordered 3,200 extra US troops to Afghanistan in expectation of a spring offensive against a resurgent Taliban and he urged European allies to make a similar effort.

Afghans Allow Themselves a Ration of Hope
While southern Afghanistan is racked by a violent insurgency, Kabul is thriving.

US to Urge Nato Spring Offensive in Afghanistan
The US was today expected to urge ministers at a Nato meeting in Spain to launch a spring offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

US to Urge Nato Afghan Spring Offensive
The US was today expected to urge ministers at a Nato meeting in Spain to launch a spring offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

General Calls for More Troops
British commander in Afghanistan reveals how close hard-pressed forces came to defeat in critical five-day firefight last year.

UK to Boost Afghanistan Troop Numbers
The number of British troops in southern Afghanistan will be increased by around 800 by the end of the summer, the defence secretary, Des Browne, said today.

Afghan Amnesty Vote Angers Un
The Afghan parliament has approved an amnesty for warlords and others accused of war crimes, possibly including the Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar.

Afghanistan Approves Amnesty for Warlords
The Afghan parliament has approved an amnesty for warlords and others accused of war crimes that could possibly include the Taliban leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar.

1,000 Afghan Civilians Killed in 2006, Report Says
More than 1,000 civilians were killed in Afghanistan last year, mostly in attacks by the Taliban and other anti-government forces, a human rights group said today.

The Big Afghanistan Push Comes to Shove
Overshadowed by President George Bush's controversial, last-chance bid to salvage American honour in Iraq, the US is mounting a parallel military and reconstruction "surge" in Afghanistan ahead of an anticipated Taliban spring offensive. By Simon Tisdall

Europe Resists Us Pressure to Boost Presence in Afghanistan
Europe appeared last night to be resisting pressure from Washington to pour more money and troops into Afghanistan in expectation of a major campaign in the spring.

Bush to Pump Another $8bn Into Afghanistan
Change of strategy aimed at holding back Taliban - Cash to bolster Afghan army and reconstruction

Interview: General David Richards
Richard Norton-Taylor's interview with the Nato commander in Afghanistan, General David Richards.

Gates Signals Troop Surge in Afghanistan
The US defence secretary, Robert Gates, said yesterday he was "strongly inclined" to send more troops to Afghanistan after a threefold increase in Taliban attacks in the past four months.

Starving Afghans Sell Girls of Eight As Brides
Villagers whose crops have failed after a second devastating drought are giving their young daughters in marriage to raise money for food.

Top Ten Stories of 2006: A Year of Awakening
Jack Random picks the top ten stories of 2006, from the resurgence of the Taliban in the forgotten war of Afghanistan to a stunning midterm election message.

Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Desert Blast
A British soldier was killed and three others injured when their vehicle was hit by an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.

Dark Days Ahead for Kabul
President Hamid Karzai's lined, care-worn face is as good a record as any of five years of terror and counter-terror in Afghanistan. By Simon Tisdall

UN Urges Condolence Fund Amid 'concern' at Afghan Civilian Deaths
The UN urged Nato to take steps to prevent further innocent deaths after the shooting of at least seven Afghan civilians by British soldiers this month.

French to Leave Afghan South
France is to withdraw all 200 of its special forces engaged in the US anti-terror operation in south-eastern Afghanistan.

Our Enemies Will Burn in Hell With Us, Says Karzai
The embattled Afghan president Hamid Karzai warned yesterday that his country's enemies "will burn in hell with us" if Nato fails to stem a tide of Taliban violence emanating from neighbouring Pakistan.

Afghanistan's Opium Poppies Will Be Sprayed, Says Us Drugs Tsar
Calls for herbicide use follow record harvest - Fears sensitive move will boost support for Taliban

Troops Under Investigation for Kandahar Shooting Spree
Fury in Afghan city after targeted British convoy kills civilians.

Extra Firepower Called for to Rescue Nato From Quagmire
News that the Iraq study group recommends a fresh injection of US combat troops for Afghanistan will come as sweet relief to embattled Nato commanders.

'I Knew Afghanistan Would Be Tough, But I Didn't Think It Would Be This Tough'
In the first of a two-part series on the Afghanistan war, Declan Walsh comes under fire while embedded with US troops in the Pech Valley.

Blair Insists Nato is Winning the War in Afghanistan
PM surprisingly upbeat on progress of conflict - Countries agree deal on troop reinforcements

Afghanistan Set to Dominate Nato Talks
George Bush today appealed to Nato countries for more troops in the war in Afghanistan, while Tony Blair urged the alliance to show "determination".

Nato Deal Likely Over Afghan Troop Deficit
France and other Nato countries which have been resisting Anglo-US pressure for months to send troops to hotspots in southern Afghanistan last night offered a compromise.

The Propagandist: Finding a Voice
After decades of struggle, a writer finds his voice as a propagandist in opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Chapter 2 from a work-in-progress: THE DISSIDENTS -- A PATRIOT DIRGE by Jack Random.

Military Alliance Battles to Reinvent Itself
Flaws in Afghan mission among key challenges facing leaders at Latvian summit.

Kabul Goes Mad for Wild Sport
Money, violence, barely contained chaos and an unbridled struggle for power - it has all the elements of a classic battle. But this is sport, not war: a new season of buzkashi, Afghanistan's wild national game, has just begun.

Bleak Camp Bastion - and a Vision of Roses and Saffron
Earlier, Tony Blair - and the rest of the parliamentary lobby - had flown into Camp Bastion, the British headquarters in Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan, the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting involving British troops since the second world war.

Blair Urged to Change Course in Afghanistan
Pakistani president says military force not enough - Security tight for PM's visit to war-torn country

Musharraf Urges New Approach in Afghanistan
Blair told to aid neglected Afghan economy · British fear counter-attack by Taliban in Helmand

Nato Soldier Killed in Southern Afghanistan
A soldier was killed and another two wounded when an explosive device struck a Nato patrol vehicle in southern Afghanistan, officials said today.

Italian Reporter's Abductors Increase Demands
An Italian journalist's Afghan captors added to their demand for the handover of a Christian convert today with an ultimatum for Rome to withdraw its troops from their country.

British Soldier Killed in Helmand Suicide Attack
A British soldier was killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province today in a suicide bombing that also killed two children and injured other troops and civilians.

Soldier Killed in Suicide Bombing of Afghanistan Patrol
· Another marine hurt as two children die in attack · MoD defends use of lightly armoured Land Rovers

There is Never Going to Be a Nato Victory in Afghanistan
The military option is going nowhere. The way forward is to emulate Pakistan by withdrawing troops and making deals. By Jonathan Steele

British Soldiers Hurt in Afghan Suicide Attack
At least one civilian was killed today and several British soldiers injured in a reported suicide attack in Lashkar Gah, southern Afghanistan.

Soldiers Hurt in Afghan Suicide Attack
A number of British soldiers in Afghanistan were injured today, and at least one civilian was killed in a reported suicide attack in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern province of Helmand, the scene of recent heavy fighting.

New Fears for Kidnapped Italian
Fears grew yesterday for a kidnapped Italian journalist after his captors demanded the return to Afghanistan of a Christian convert who was given refuge in Italy.

Demands Made of Release of Kidnapped Photographer
The kidnappers of an Italian photojournalist have demanded Italy handover an Afghan who converted to Christianity from Islam, according to reports. By Julia Day.

Para Chief Reveals Afghan Supply Woes
British paratroopers fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan have been close to running out of rations and supplies, their commanding officer said today.

Afghan Gunmen Kidnap Journalist
An Italian photojournalist working alone in the lawless Taliban stronghold of southern Afghanistan has been kidnapped by gunmen who have accused him of being a spy.

Diary
Freedom of Information Request of the Week: how much has the MoD spent on sweets for Afghan and Iraqi children, of what type, and in what quantity have they been dished out? Now that's what we call a question. By Jon Henley

British Soldiers Prepare for Tough Afghan Winter
· Whitehall says Taliban will keep on fighting · UK general takes over expanded Nato force

Nato Takes Over Afghan Security
Nato has taken command of security across all of Afghanistan, with the international force today assuming control of US troops in the east.

After the Fighting, a Battle for Hope
Nato's anti-Taliban offensive in southern Afghanistan is entering its mopping up phase.

Officers Warn About Plight of British Troops
· Frontline messages tell of Afghanistan casualty rate · Army let down by 'utterly useless' RAF

Officers Warn of British Troops' Plight
· Frontline messages tell of Afghanistan casualty rate · Forces 'need helicopters and reinforcements'

Ministry Accused Over Afghan Casualty Figures
· Major says soldiers' injuries are not reported · Remarks removed from regimental website

Nato to Bolster Afghan Force
Several European countries have agreed to provide the additional 2,000 troops needed in Afghanistan, the alliance's most senior commander, General James Jones has said.

Browne Fears Deeper Afghan Conflict
Des Browne, the defence secretary, warned yesterday that the violence in southern Afghanistan, where British and other Nato troops are engaged in fierce fighting with the Taliban, could escalate into a deeper and more serious conflict.

Afghanistan Hit By Wave of Suicide Bombings
· Canadian soldiers among 19 killed in three attacks · Taliban launches reply to Nato claims of success

Suicide Bomber Kills Four in Afghanistan
A suspected suicide bomber attacked Canadian soldiers handing out sweets to children in southern Afghanistan today, inflicting multiple casualties, a local official and Nato said.

Blair Tells Nato: Send More Troops to Afghanistan
Tony Blair today called on Nato members to contribute more troops to Afghanistan.

UN Urges Nato Crackdown on Afghan Opium
The UN today called on Nato forces to destroy the booming opium industry in southern Afghanistan, where 3,600 British combat troops are battling a resurgent Taliban.

Nato Rows Over Sending More Troops to Afghanistan
· Alliance's top commander disappointed by response · Germany and France under pressure at meeting

Study Highlights Perils of Afghan Service
International forces in Afghanistan are embroiled in the deadliest military campaign since the Bush administration launched its "war on terror" in 2001, an analysis of casualties revealed today.

Nato's Chief Commander Appeals for More Aid for Afghanistan Fight
Nato's top commander has appealed for helicopters, planes and hundreds of extra troops to reinforce the alliance's Afghan force against the Taliban.

Three British Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
Three British soldiers died and 12 were injured in Afghanistan yesterday as clashes with the Taliban continued in Helmand province in the south.

Further British Casualties in Afghanistan
Three British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan today, the Ministry of Defence said.

British Military Toll Continues to Rise
Three British soldiers have been killed and two seriously injured in ongoing violence in Afghanistan and Iraq today, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Afghanistan - Questions From Kandahar
Leader: Accidents happen, in peace and war, to civilian and military aircraft alike, and signs are that the loss of an RAF Nimrod over Afghanistan, with 14 fatalities, was indeed just an accident. Still, loss of life on this scale inevitably throws harsh light on to Britain's Afghan deployment.

Loss of 14 British Lives in Afghanistan is the Latest Chapter in Long-running Tragedy
The loss of 14 British lives in Afghanistan is just the latest chapter in a long-running tragedy. By Peter Preston

14 British Troops Die in Afghan Air Crash
· Worst military disaster in war on terror · MoD says tragedy was an accident

Peril British Troops Face in Afghanistan 'was Underplayed'
· MoD admits difficulties of task were not conveyed · Officials say struggle with Taliban still in early days

17 Die in Suicide Bombing at Afghan Market
An apparent suicide bomb ripped through a market in Lashkar Gah, the headquarters of British forces in Helmand, yesterday, killing 17 people and injuring 47.

Afghan Market Blast Kills 17
Several children feared dead after suicide bomber targets crowded market in southern Helmand, killing 17 people and wounding 47.

UK General Warns Over Afghanistan Fighting
Fighting in southern Afghanistan is some of the worst faced by British troops since the Korean war, the head of the international security assistance force in the country said today.

British Troops in Afghanistan 'in Most Intense Conflict in 50 Years'
· Nato commander tells of bloody Helmand battles · UK soldiers withdrawn from dangerous areas

US Defends Opium Policy Despite Afghanistan Violence
America's drug tsar, John Walters, today acknowledged that US allies have voiced doubts about the wisdom of opium eradication in parts of southern Afghanistan where insurgents have killed 10 British troops over the past two months.

Soldier Killed in Afghanistan is Named
A British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan's strife-torn Helmand province yesterday has been named as Private Andrew Cutts of the Colchester-based Royal Logistics Corps.

Car Bomb Kills 21 in Afghanistan
A suicide car bomb tore through a crowded marketplace in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing at least 21 people on a day which also saw the death of four Nato soldiers in a series of attacks.

Four British Soldiers Killed
Three UK soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today and one in southern Iraq in one of the deadliest single days for British troops since the "war on terror" began.

Three Uk Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
An insurgent attack on a patrol vehicle in southern Afghanistan today killed three British soldiers and seriously wounded a fourth.

Texan Family Loses Two Sons to War in Iraq and Afghanistan
A Texas family is mourning the loss of two of its sons in combat, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan - a personal tragedy embodying the US's difficulties fighting on two fronts against tenacious insurgencies.

Texas Family Loses Sons in Iraq and Afghanistan
A Texas family is mourning the loss of two of its sons in combat, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan - a personal tragedy embodying the US's difficulties fighting on two fronts against tenacious insurgencies.

Back Afghan Opium Legalisation, Tories Urge Cameron
Senior Conservative MPs are urging David Cameron to push for the licensing of legal opium farming in Afghanistan as he pays a surprise visit to the country today, Guardian Unlimited has learned.

Afghanistan Close to Anarchy, Warns General
· Nato commander's view in stark contrast to ministers' · Forces short of equipment and 'running out of time'

Britain Sends Extra Troops to Afghanistan
Hundreds of extra British troops are to be sent to hostile southern Afghanistan, the government has announced.

Government Commits More Troops to Offensive
Infantry from the Royal Irish Regiment will go to Afghanistan to reinforce severely stretched British forces battling Taliban militants, the defence secretary Des Browne is expected to announce today.

An Imploding Dust Bowl
Afghanistan has never been a 'successful' state, and we can't create a new civil society at gunpoint. By Peter Preston

Desert of Death Takes Its Toll on Beleaguered Troops
British forced to give up hearts and minds mission to stay alive in Afghan outpost.

Interview: Des Browne, the Defence Secretary
Des Browne, the defence secretary, is due to announce an expansion of the increasingly controversial British mission in southern Afghanistan to MPs early next week after completing negotiations with the Treasury, he told the Guardian.

Minister Calls for Urgent Reinforcement in Afghanistan
More British troops could be sent to trouble-torn southern Afghanistan after defence secretary Des Browne told parliament today that the government was considering sending in fresh forces "as a matter of urgency".

Bipasha Basu: Afghanis’ kisses made John Abraham sick
Abraham fell ill while filming in Afghanistan for his latest movie, Kabul Express, in which he plays a television journalist covering the war against the Taliban.

Fear of Uk Backlash on Afghan War
Britain's military chiefs believe the public is not ready for the inevitable casualties of renewed fighting with the Taliban.

Distempered Days
Growing Taliban violence, drug-smuggling, corruption and deteriorating foreign relations are eroding Afghan president Hamid Karzai's authority, writes Declan Walsh.

Two British Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
· SBS men die after ambush in Taliban stronghold · 12 insurgents killed by artillery and air strike

We'll Beat You Again, Afghans Warn British
Anti-foreigner sentiment has risen sharply in southern Afghanistan as bloodshed intensifies.

Cricket: Afghan Tour Wields Unlikely Success
Nick Greenslade meets the MCC's two unlikey recruits.

Fear Battles Hope on the Road to Kandahar
British commanders believe they can win the fight to bring democracy and peace to Afghanistan. But the Taliban are on the march again and the drug barons' poppy fields are blooming. In this remarkable dispatch an acclaimed writer travels across the badlands of a country at the crossroads.

Zawahiri Call to Rise Up Against 'infidels'
Al-Qaida stepped up its propaganda war against foreign troops in Afghanistanon today through a fresh video by deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urging Afghans to rise against 'infidel invaders'.

Romanian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Blast
A roadside bomb ripped apart a Romanian tank in Afghanistan today, killing one soldier and wounding four others, military officials and witnesses said.

Civilians Caught in Afghan Crossfire
The villagers of Helmand province are finding themselves trapped between Taliban insurgents and violent government soldiers, reports Declan Walsh from Qalat.

Notebook: Kabul
The people of Kabul are a fun-loving crowd. Most of their leisure activities, dog and cockfighting aside, may seem tame by Western standards but they give the million or so citizens of the Afghan capital as much pleasure as any more risque activities. By Jason Burke

RAF Troops to Help Protect Afghan Airfield Base
More than a hundred extra British troops are to be sent to southern Afghanistan in a sign of concern about the worsening security situation.

Captain is First British Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
· Para died rescuing troops caught in attack on patrol · Fears grow over how long forces will have to stay

Afghan Province to Provide One-third of World's Heroin
· Poppy harvest to double in British-patrolled area · £1.1bn from west since 2001 fails to stop trade

UK Fears Record Afghan Heroin Output
The Afghanistan province being patrolled by British troops will produce at least one third of the world's heroin this year, according to drug experts who are forecasting a harvest that is both a record for the country and embarrassing for the western funded war on narcotics.

Western Alarm at Afghan Plan to Arm Villagers
Western diplomats and disarmament experts reacted with alarm yesterday to Afghan government plans to arm hundreds of southern villagers against resurgent Taliban fighters.

British Soldier Killed After Firefight in Afghanistan
A British soldier was killed during a battle against suspected Taliban forces in the Afghan province of Helmand, the first death in action since UK troops were deployed to the area in May.

UN Report Accuses Afghan Mps of Torture and Massacres
· Publication delayed by fears over former warlords · Diplomats unhappy over police chief appointments

Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan Shooting
Four aid workers were killed by a gunman riding a motorbike in northern Afghanistan today, officials said.

50 Killed in Afghanistan Air Strike
Around 50 Taliban fighters were killed in a US-led air strike in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province today, military and Afghan officials said.

Kabul Violence Flares After Fatal Us Crash
Anti-US riots have broken out in the Afghan capital, Kabul, following a fatal traffic accident involving a US military convoy today.

Trouble Spots Threaten Perfect Storm of Global Crises - Study
· Defence experts warn of worsening world security · Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan identified as flashpoints

Karzai Orders Inquiry After Us Raid Kills 16
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has ordered an investigation into a US-led air strike on a southern village that killed at least 16 civilians early on Monday.

100 Dead in Afghanistan Air Strike
Almost 100 people have been killed in a US-led air strike in southern Afghanistan, the governor of Kandahar province and military officials said today.

Afghan Air Strike Kills More Than 70
More than 70 people have been killed in a US-led air strike in southern Afghanistan, the governor of the country's Kandahar province said today.

Afghan Asylum Seekers in Court After Hunger Strike
More than 30 Afghan asylum seekers appeared in court yesterday after Dublin police broke up a mass hunger strike inside St Patrick's Cathedral at the weekend.

This is Freedom, Say Courageous Women Risking All for Democracy
Afghanistan's female councillors face deaths threats and resistance from their male counterparts.

100 Dead in Afghan Attacks
More than 100 people were killed today in some of the fiercest violence to erupt in Afghanistan in more than four years.

Harrier Jets to Stay in Afghanistan
The defence secretary, John Reid, announced a u-turn today, confirming that a squadron of RAF Harrier fighter jets will stay in southern Afghanistan to support British troops.

Number of Refugees Drops to Lowest Level for 25 Years
· Report says 25 million displaced in own country · Millions return to African states and Afghanistan

British Troops Wounded in Afghan Blast
Two British soldiers in southern Afghanistan suffered minor injuries today in a reported suicide bombing.

Three British Soldiers Injured By Landmine in Afghanistan
Three British soldiers were injured when their Land Rover drove over a landmine in Helmand province.

Seven Children Killed As Rocket Hits School in Afghanistan
A rocket slammed into a school playground filled with children in a mountainous and violent province of eastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing seven and wounding 34.

Afghanistan
Leader: The intention of ensuring that Afghanistan becomes a working democracy after its terrible years as a failed state is a laudable if ambitious one.

Afghan Drugs Barons Flaunt Their Wealth and Power
International initiatives battle to end immunity for kingpins of the heroin trade.

Freed Christian Convert Offered Asylum in Italy
The Afghan man threatened with death for refusing to renounce his Christian beliefs has been freed from prison, after international pressure on Kabul, and is seeking asylum.

British Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Crash
A British soldier has been killed and three others injured in a traffic accident in Afghanistan, it was reported today.

Masters of an Expanded Universe
Nato's mission to Afghanistan is giving new purpose to the alliance and aiding a country that needs all the help it can get, writes Ian Black.

Afghan Leader's Power Barely Extends Beyond the Capital
Kabul is a showcase for post-Taliban achievements. Beyond Kabul, Mr Karzai's control ranges from minimal to non-existent.

Bush Makes First Visit to Afghanistan
George Bush has arrived in Afghanistan for a five-hour stop ahead of his three-day visit to India, where thousands of protesters rallied before his arrival, shouting "Death to Bush".

Nato Will Be in Afghanistan for Years, Says Military Chief
Afghanistan has huge problems and Nato forces will be there for "years and years", the commander of Canada's expeditionary forces, which have taken a lead role in the hostile south of the country, warned yesterday.

Cartoon Protests Continue in Afghanistan and Indonesia
Protesters against cartoons of the prophet Muhammad today burned Danish and US flags in Afghanistan and Indonesia.

Veterans Called Upon to Serve Again
There are 10 veterans of the 'war on terror' in Iraq and Afghanistan up for election in November's congressional elections, and all but one of them is running as a Democrat.

Borderline Hostility
All might seem harmonious between the Afghan and Pakistani presidents - but the countries' mutual border is a source of tension, says Declan Walsh.

Sectarian Battles Kill 32 in Pakistan and Afghanistan
A major Muslim holy day in Pakistan and Afghanistan prompted sectarian chaos yesterday when a suicide bombing and several bloody riots left at least 32 people dead and scores injured.

Four Killed in Afghanistan Cartoons Protest
Four demonstrators were killed in Afghanistan as violent protests against the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad continued.

Two Killed in Afghanistan Cartoons Protest
Two demonstrators were killed in Afghanistan as violent protests against the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad continued.

13 Killed in Afghanistan Bombing
A suicide bomber blew up a guard post outside a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan today, killing 13 people.

Cartoons 'part of Zionist Plot'
· Iran suspends trade ties with Denmark · One killed in Afghan clashes · Danes advised to leave Indonesia

One Dead, Scores Wounded in Afghan Cartoon Protests
* Danes advised to leave Indonesia as protests spread outside Jakarta * 5,000 demonstrators burn effigies in Peshawar * Australia warns its citizens against Middle East travel

12 Killed in Afghanistan Bombing
A suicide bomber blew up a guard post outside a police headquarters in southern Afghanistan today, killing 12 people.

Afghan Fighting Escalates As Uk Deployment Looms
A roadside bomb killed six Afghan policemen and injured five yesterday, sharpening jitters about the impending British deployment to the increasingly dangerous southern provinces.

Netherlands Votes on Troops for Afghanistan
· Controversial plan seen as crucial to future of Nato · 1,400-strong force would be under UK command

British Troops to Stay in Afghanistan Until at Least 2010
British and other foreign troops will be in Afghanistan until at least the end of 2010, according to a plan agreed at an international conference which began yesterday in London.

Afghan Donors Conference Opens
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said today that his country has made "great strides towards peace, stability and democracy at the opening of a special donors conference in London.

UK to Deploy 4,150 Extra Troops to Afghanistan
A peak of 5,700 British troops will be deployed in Afghanistan over the coming months, the defence secretary, John Reid, announced today.

Reid to Announce New British Troops for Afghanistan
Months of speculation will end tomorrow when the government reveals how many British troops will make up a major new deployment to Afghanistan, it was confirmed today, with reports claiming 3,500 troops will be sent.

Britain Stages Un Summit in Attempt to Speed Up Reconstruction of Afghanistan
· Announcement comes amid upsurge in violence · Taliban threaten suicide attacks on foreign forces

British Troops May Face Suicide Bombers in Afghan Deployment
Thousands of British troops will be exposed to fresh dangers, including a growing threat from suicide bombers, when they are deployed in southern Afghanistan over the coming months, Ministry of Defence officials said yesterday.

Afghanistan
Leader: Afghanistan deserves our help - more rather than less. But the British public and armed forces deserve clearer explanations of what they are being asked to do and for how long they are likely to be doing it.

20 Dead in Kandahar Suicide Bombing
A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed 20 people and injured at least 20 others today in the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak.

Fighting Shy
Dutch courage is waning as Nato faces a crisis of credibility over its latest Afghan deployment, writes Ian Black.

Simple Ceremony Heralds New Era for Afghanistan
After three decades of coups, chaos and bloodshed Afghanistan's parliament reopened yesterday amid hopes that it will root the nation's fledgling democracy.

Warlords and Women Take Seats in Afghan Parliament
· First session of elected body for three decades · New MPs keen to make progress despite cynicism

Earthquake Hits Afghanistan and Sparks Panic in Kashmir
A strong earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of north-eastern Afghanistan late last night, rattling through northern Pakistan and Kashmir, both of which were devastated by another quake two months ago. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries following the earthquake, which happened just before 3am local time.

'Shades of Srebrenica' Overshadow Nato's Mission in Afghanistan
· Dutch insist troops must not be stranded again · Peacekeepers to free up US forces from next May.

No Quick Afghan Exit
The European Union has allocated €1bn (£680m) to Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion.

Troops Await Afghan Order
Camp Bastion is to be "home" for up to 2,000 British troops deploying to south Afghanistan next spring.

UK Tries to Form Coalition to Fight in Afghanistan
British troops to target al-Qaida, Taliban and fill gap left by US withdrawal.

Britain Isolated Over Role in Afghanistan
· Allies reluctant to get involved in war on terror · Tribal feuds and opium trade hinder peacekeeping

Soldier Killed in Ambush in Afghanistan is Named
A British soldier killed in northern Afghanistan was named yesterday as Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23, from Ross-on-Wye, of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry.

British Soldier Killed As Afghan Tensions Rise
A British soldier was killed and five others injured during a gunfight in Afghanistan yesterday, the culmination of a week of bloodshed which has rocked the country as it awaits the results of elections.

British customs officials hurt in Kandahar suicide attack
Four British customs officials were hurt, two of them seriously, in a suicide attack in south-western Afghanistan yesterday.

Reid in Afghanistan for Karzai Talks
The defence secretary, John Reid, today arrived in Afghanistan to hold talks with the country's president and visit British troops.

Afghan Kidnap Suspect Arrested
The "mastermind" behind the gang who kidnapped an Italian aid worker in Afghanistan has been arrested, officials in Kabul said today.

No Avoiding the Rough As Golf Returns to Afghanistan
Enthusiasts defy unusual hazards to stage first charity classic at reopened club.

Let's start afresh
Democracy returns in Afghanistan but survival still remains a tenuous negotiation for the citizens.

Democratic Disillusionment
The low turnout for Afghanistan's parliamentary elections has given Hamid Karzai plenty of reasons to worry, says Declan Walsh.

Warriors of Bloody Afghan Past Fight for Votes
Communists, warlords and former Taliban join in democratic election.

Young and female - a brave new face of Afghan politics
Among the stony-faced mugshots on posters plastered across election-crazed Kabul, one stands out. At first glance it looks like an ad for a Bollywood blockbuster: a close-up of a pretty young woman with an alluring smile against a canary yellow background.

Nato Prepares for Afghan Deployment of Uk Troops
John Reid will tomorrow meet his fellow Nato defence ministers in a Berlin hotel to prepare the ground for the biggest deployment of British troops since the invasion of Iraq.

UK Under Pressure to Stem Afghan Opium Growth
The home secretary, Charles Clarke, and EU interior ministers were today grappling with how to stop the flood of narcotics from Afghanistan, increasingly a responsibility of the UK. The UK is under pressure from EU countries to take a lead role in the fight against heroin production in...

Afghan Gunmen Kidnap Briton in Roadside Ambush
Gunmen kidnapped a Briton and his Afghan interpreter in a roadside ambush that killed three policemen in western Afghanistan yesterday.

Britain may be left to hold the fort in Afghanistan
Parliamentary elections this September in Afghanistan are intended to provide the next showcase moment for the US-led "global war on terror". But according to new independent assessments, security surrounding the polls is threatened by a new wave of insurgent attacks and the stability of the country remains on a knife-edge.

Democracy Was Only an Afterthought
The situation in Afghanistan is one of barely managed chaos. Sidney Blumenthal

UK Court Convicts Afghan Warlord
Zardad found guilty of torture after landmark Old Bailey retrial.

Australia to Send Troops to Afghanistan
Australia is to send 150 troops into Afghanistan to fight the insurgency threatening to derail parliamentary elections due to take place in September, it was announced today.

Navy Seal's body found after failed Afghan mission
The body of a US Navy Seal commando has been located in eastern Afghanistan, bringing to an end an ill-fated mission that has cost the lives of 19 special forces troops and at least 17 civilians in the rugged and inhospitable mountain region that straddles the border with Pakistan.

UK Seeks to Free Troops for Afghanistan
Military commanders are making plans for a major cutback in the number of British forces in Iraq as they prepare to take over responsibility for security in Afghanistan which, they say, the US wants to leave as soon as possible.

US Bombing Kills Afghan Villagers As Search Continues for Soldiers
A second American soldier stranded in Afghanistan was close to safety yesterday as his superiors admitted that civilians died in a "precision" US bombing raid.

US Soldier Rescued After Big Losses in Afghanistan
An American special forces soldier stranded for six days in Taliban territory was rescued yesterday in the only good news from a disastrous mission that cost the US its greatest combat loss in Afghanistan since 2001.

Kabul Police Chief Dies in Mosque Bombing
Afghan authorities blamed al-Qaida for a suicide bombing at a Kandahar mosque yesterday that killed 20 people, including the Kabul police chief.

The Forgotten Occupation: Karzai's Rude Awakening
The recent visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai is a reminder that we have broken our promise not to forget the plight of his conquered and occupied nation. It is also a fresh reminder that our media have failed to fulfill their promise to American democracy.

Karzai Accused of Being Soft on Opium Trade
US officials embarrassed the Afghan president on the eve of his meeting with George Bush by leaking the contents of a memo that said he was "unwilling to assert strong leadership" in the country's war against heroin production.

Report Implicates Top Brass in Bagram Scandal
A leaked report on a military investigation into two killings of detainees at a US prison in Afghanistan has produced new evidence of connivance of senior officers in systematic prisoner abuse.

'We Are a Joyous People'
Nawroz celebrations reveal a fragile optimism otherwise hidden beneath the grind of daily life in Afghanistan, writes Declan Walsh.

Three Die in Anti-us Protests
Police clashed with anti-US demonstrators in two Afghan towns yesterday, killing at least three people, as protests spread across the country over the reported abuse of the Qur'an at the US jail in Guantánamo Bay.

Anti-US Afghan Protests Intensify
Police clashed with anti-US demonstrators in two Afghan towns yesterday, killing at least three people, as protests spread across the country over the reported abuse of the Qur'an at the US jail in Guantánamo Bay.

Four Dead After Anti-american Riots Erupt in Afghanistan
At least four people were killed and dozens injured in a riot in eastern Afghanistan yesterday after police fired on demonstrators protesting about reports that the Qur'an had been desecrated by US soldiers in Guantanamo Bay.

Death ends feud of Kabul's last Jews
For Years Afghanistan's last two Jews carried on a bitter feud. From the Taliban tyranny to the American occupation, Ishaq Levin and Zablon Simintov squabbled and plotted against one another in Kabul's Flower Street synagogue.

Afghanistan Names First Female Governor
Ex-minister takes on region that is in some ways one of the world's worst places to be female.

Asia 16 Killed in Us Chinook Crash
A US military helicopter crashed in the south-eastern Afghan desert yesterday, killing at least 16 people: the worst accident of its kind suffered by the Americans since the Afghan war began in 2001.

16 Killed in Us Chinook Crash
A US military helicopter crashed in the south-eastern Afghan desert yesterday, killing at least 16 people: the worst accident of its kind suffered by the Americans since the Afghan war began in 2001.

Afghan Government Accuses Aid Agencies of Wasting Cash
A simmering row between the Afghan government and western aid agencies exploded into the open yesterday with accusations that non-governmental organisations have squandered billions of pounds earmarked for reconstruction.

World Watch
Ian Black: It is heartening to read a book that uses all the tricks of the journalistic trade - and provides a stunningly detailed account of the US in Afghanistan and how they failed to stop Osama bin Laden.

Court Cuts Torture Sentences
An Afghan court substantially cut the jail sentences of the American mercenary Jack Idema and his two accomplices yesterday, but refused to overturn their conviction for kidnap and torture.

Crime Wave Sweeps Across Afghanistan
Security fears mount as the line between cops and robbers blurs.

US Steps Up War on Afghan Opium
Pentagon fears bumper harvest will fund militants and destabilise government.

America's Hidden Afghan Detention Centres
Afghanistan is the hub of a global network of detention centres, the frontline in America's 'war on terror', where arrest can be random and allegations of torture commonplace. Adrian Levy> and Cathy Scott-Clark investigate on the ground and talk to former prisoners.

Afghan Elections Put Back to the Autumn
Rice renews US commitment as 5 bomb deaths mar her visit.

From Gloucester to Afghanistan: the Making of a Shoe Bomber
Saajid Badat this week pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up a plane. What drove this quiet football fan to thoughts of terror?

The Good Luck of Traumatised Afghanistan
Simon Tisdall: World Briefing: More than three years after the US and Britain declared victory in Kabul and promised to rebuild the country, a new UNDP report paints a disturbing portrait of 'a fragile nation still at odds if no longer at war with itself that could easily slip back into chaos and abject poverty'.

World Briefing
Simon Tisdall: Groundbreaking elections in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Palestine and Iraq, extolled in President Bush's "dawn of freedom" inaugural address, have encouraged western hopes that democratic values are gaining universal acceptance.

Nato Troops to Expand Afghan Role
Nato troops will expand their role in Afghanistan by being based for the first time in the west of the country along the border with Iran, alliance defence ministers agreed yesterday.

Rescuers Find Wreckage of Afghan Plane Carrying 104
Rescuers yesterday found the first pieces of wreckage of a plane carrying 104 passengers that crashed in a snowstorm near the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Thursday.

Afghan Police Find Bodies of Drivers Killed for Car Parts
Afghan police have found the bodies of 18 people buried under a house who they believe had been enticed by the promise of sex and killed for their cars.

Death Benefits to Double for Us Soldiers Killed in War Zones
The Bush administration yesterday proposed doubling the death benefits paid to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan to $500,000 (£266,000).

Bomber Misses Afghan Warlord
One of Afghanistan's most notorious warlords, General Abdul Rashid Dostam, was almost killed yesterday when a suicide bomber came within metres of him at a religious celebration.

How Afghan Heroin Leaves a Trail of Ruined Lives on Its Long Journey to the West
The muezzin's call to prayer rings out across Quetta, the mountain-ringed capital of Balochistan province in Pakistan's south-west. Rickshaws course through the narrow streets, weaving around bearded men and shawl-covered women. But hidden beneath the bustle lies a wretched second city.

Karzai Victory Plants Seeds of Hope in Fight to Kick Afghan Opium Habit
April's harvest will show whether campaign to stop farmers growing poppies has curbed world's biggest heroin supplier.

Afghan Army Storms Siege Prison
Afghan soldiers stormed a notorious prison in Kabul last night, ending a 10-hour siege that left five prison guards and four inmates dead.

Afghanistan Swears in First Democratic Leader
Laying a hand on the Qur'an, Afghanistan's first democratic president swears his allegiance inside the former royal palace that was once the scene of thunderous gunbattles.

Afghan President Sworn in
Hamid Karzai was sworn in today as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president, promising to help the impoverished country leave behind its brutal past, shore up its young democracy and confront the challenges of terrorism and the drugs trade.

Warlords, Poppies and Slow Progress
As most Afghans celebrate President Karzai's inauguration today, the country still awaits its promised regeneration.

British Troops Wage War on Afghan Drugs
British troops in Afghanistan are to be used to destroy heroin laboratories, capture drugs shipments and gather intelligence on opium farming in a controversial move aimed at stemming the explosion in drugs production in the country.

Freed Hostage Tells of Afghan Ordeal
Embracing her fellow kidnap survivors and in a voice crackling with emotion, UN official Annetta Flanigan spoke of their joyful relief yesterday, but offered no explanation for their release.

Kabul Kidnappers Release Three Un Workers
The Afghan government denied making a deal with the kidnappers who released three UN hostages after four weeks in captivity yesterday.

UN Hostages Freed in Afghanistan
Three UN workers kidnapped in Afghanistan were today released unharmed after almost four weeks in captivity.

Young Lovers Left Stranded in Afghan Legal Limbo
Control of the justice system by mullahs leads to confusion between custom and law.

Simon Tisdall: World Briefing
Afghanistan was the first battleground in America's "war on terror". Now it has become the unlikely proving ground for a different struggle: nation building.

Ten Pillars of Education for Afghanistan
An analysis of the negative Colonial impact on Afghanistan, and several proposals for the introduction of a post-colonial educational system that will help modern Afghanis discover their multicultural identity, assess properly their great past, and envision a democratic future.

Abductors Threaten to Kill Captives
The group that claimed responsibility for the abduction of three UN workers in Afghanistan threatened today to kill the captives unless Nato and Afghan troops call off their search. The development came after police investigating the kidnapping set up roadblocks around the capital, Kabul,...

The Winners in Aghanistan Are Warlords
The US and Britain used the oppression of Afghan women to justify their intervention. That's not how it's seen on the ground.

An Election is the Last Thing Afghanistan Needs
These bullet-ridden ballots may obstruct, rather than promote, peace. The ballot or the bullet - that's the choice. This simple maxim has become one of the favourite soundbites of our nation-building times.

Afghans Try to Curb Drugs Trade
The Afghan government, supported by the US and UK, is to mount an all-out push over the next six months against officials and warlords involved in the drugs trade.

Fear and Hope for the First Afghan Poll
UN prepares for violence, but says outcome will not be affected.

Guantánamo Bay Prisoner's Letter Claims He Was Witness to Murders
A British man held at Guantánamo Bay has alleged that he saw US soldiers kill two men in Afghanistan. Moazzam Begg, 36, who has been detained for 2 years without charge or trial, complains in the first letter from a serving inmate to describe severe mistreatment of having suffered...

Same Boots, Same Flak Jackets, Different Attitude
The EU's fledgling peacekeeping force must not just be a mini Nato. The European Union's fledgling effort to develop its own military force is slowly taking shape on the dusty streets of the Afghan capital.

US Bounty Hunter Who Tortured Afghans Jailed for 10 Years
An American bounty hunter who illegally detained and tortured Afghan prisoners was yesterday jailed for 10 years in Kabul.

Afghanistan Reinforced Before Polls
Nato countries have agreed to increase the size of their military contingents in Afghanistan to help provide more security before the elections on October 9. The number of Nato personnel will increase from 6,500 to 10,000, its officials said yesterday. Some countries, including...

US Army to Take Back Halliburton's $13bn Contract
The US army is preparing to abandon a contract with Halliburton, the company formerly run by the vice-president, Dick Cheney, which has been investigated for allegedly overcharging it. The contract to provide housing, food and other services to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan,...

Explained: the Afghan Elections
As campaigning for the presidential elections in Afghanistan begins, Sarah Left explains the key issues surrounding them.

Forty-two Seconds That Put Afghan Women on the Map
Judo: Afghanistan's Friba Razayee is only a brown belt and lasted just 45 seconds in her opening heat but it was not without significance.

Rumsfeld Visits Afghanistan for Talks
Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, today arrived in Afghanistan for talks with the country's president, Hamid Karzai, ahead of the presidential election on October 9. Hours before his arrival, Mr Rumsfeld told reporters in Oman that al-Qaida and the ousted Taliban would attempt to...

Afghanistan Could Implode, Mps Warn
Afghanistan will fall apart unless Nato countries urgently fulfil promises to send troops, the Commons foreign affairs select committee warned yesterday. With violence rising ahead of an election scheduled for October, the MPs concluded: "There is a real danger that if these resources are...

Aid Agency Quits Afghanistan Over Security Fears
One of the world's leading frontline aid organisations, Médecins sans Frontières, is pulling out of Afghanistan after 24 years because of a deterioration in security. MSF, a neutral group which depends primarily on private donations, has a reputation for sending medical staff...

Médecins Sans Frontières to Leave Afghanistan
Relief agency Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today said it was abandoning its work in Afghanistan after 24 years following the "unprecedented" murder of five of its workers last month. MSF has had an almost constant presence in the country throughout the Soviet occupation...

Former Warlord Bids for Afghan Presidency
Notorious general says he will stand against Karzai.

The Malign Spell Has Yet to Be Broken
Electoral delays have as much to do with US as Afghan politics. Earlier this month, it was announced that the elections in Afghanistan were to be delayed for a second time, with the country now supposedly choosing a president in October and a new parliament next spring.

Violence Forces Fresh Delay to Afghan Elections
Afghanistan's first post-Taliban elections have been delayed for a second time amid increasing violence towards voters and officials, it was announced yesterday.

The Man Who Thinks He's George Clooney. A Story of Today's Kabul
The US military investigate a former Green Beret who was running a private jail where Afghan suspects were being locked up and tortured.

Nato Pledge for Afghanistan
Nato pledged yesterday to increase the number of its peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan to 10,000 to strengthen security beyond Kabul and safeguard elections in September which are a test of the alliance's battered credibility. Leaders meeting at the Istanbul summit tried to move out of...

New Pledge for Afghanistan
Nato pledged yesterday to increase the number of its peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan to 10,000 to strengthen security beyond Kabul and safeguard elections in September which are a test of the alliance's battered credibility. Leaders meeting at the Istanbul summit tried to move out of...

Nato to Send More Troops to Afghanistan
Nato leaders will announce the deployment of an extra 1,200 troops to Afghanistan at a summit in Istanbul on Monday to help provide security for elections due to be held in September. They will also agree that Nato should take over the command of five military-civilian reconstruction...

Expats Put on a Show for Kerry in Kabul
The John Kerry for president campaign drew the spotlight from his Republican rival yesterday when supporters went on the hustings in the Afghanistan capital Kabul. They even managed to find a living party symbol to steal the show. In a handsome Kabul garden Franklin the Democrat...

Afghan Detainees Routinely Tortured and Humiliated By Us Troops
Detainees held in Afghanistan by American troops have been routinely tortured and humiliated as part of the interrogation process, in the same way as those in Iraq, a Guardian investigation has found. Five detainees have died in custody, three of them in suspicious circumstances, and...

US Tortured Afghanistan Detainees
Detainees held in Afghanistan by US troops have been routinely tortured and humiliated as part of the interrogation process in the same way as those in Iraq, a Guardian investigation has found. Five detainees have died in custody, three of them in suspicious circumstances, and survivors...

Global Refugee Numbers Fall
The world's refugee population fell last year to its lowest level in a decade, led by returnees to Afghanistan and Angola, the UN's refugee agency announced today. The total "population of concern" to UNHCR - including refugees, recently returned refugees, asylum seekers, and those...

Kabul Tunes Into Capital Pursuits
Afghans and expats are enjoying a mini revolution in media, dining ... even cricket.

Eleven Chinese Workers Shot Dead in Afghanistan
Eleven Chinese construction workers on a World Bank project were shot dead in an attack yesterday in Afghanistan - the largest number of foreigners to be killed since the end of the war with the Taliban in 2001.

Asia Msf Halts Afghan Operations
Médecins sans Frontières suspended all its operations in Afghanistan yesterday after five of its staff were killed by gunmen claiming to have acted on behalf of the Taliban. Voting-registration sites in the province of Badghis, where the killings took place, have been closed...

MSF Halts Afghan Operations
Médecins sans Frontières yesterday suspended all their operations in Afghanistan after five of their staff were killed by gunmen claiming to have acted on behalf of the Taliban. Voting registration sites in the province of Badghis, where the killings took place, have also been...

In 1973, Rising Oil Prices Meant Recession. Not Now
Energy is a long-term problem, but economic meltdown is not imminent. Get your Slade singles out of the attic, hunt around for that old Afghan coat. For those of us old enough to remember, it's time to wallow in memories of the three-day week. Yes, oil prices are up and the world economy is teetering on the brink of disaster. Welcome back to 1973.

Aid Workers Killed in Afghan Ambush
Five people, including three members of Médecins sans Frontières, were killed in north-west Afghanistan yesterday in an attack claimed to have been carried out by the Taliban. The deaths follow those of four American soldiers on Sunday in a renewed outbreak of violence, as the...

US Troops 'endanger Aid Staff'
US soldiers in Afghanistan are endangering humanitarian aid operations by operating in civilian clothes and vehicles, the EU warned yesterday.

Families Given Wrong Bodies
The Spanish defence minister, José Bono, has admitted that the families of 62 Spanish soldiers killed in an air crash in Turkey a year ago while on their way home from Afghanistan were probably given the wrong bodies to bury. "There may be coffins with the remains of more than one...

US Accused of Abusing and Beating Afghan Detainees
Private facing court says she obeyed orders.

Battle Begins to Stem Afghan Opium Harvest
Britain must adopt more aggressive tactics to prevent record year for poppy growers, US warns.

Death By Burning: the Only Escape for Desperate Afghan Women
James Astill in Kabul finds a disturbing rise in suicides despite the fall of the misogynist Taliban.

Blow This for a Game of Football, Say Afghans
Mir Ali Asger Akbarzola, manager of the Afghan national football team, is used to headaches over selection, but his patience was strained last night after nine of his squad absconded from training camp in Verona on the eve of the team's first match in Europe for 20 years. The match...

UK is Blamed for Bumper Afghan Opium Crop
Britain has bungled its command of an international campaign to rid Afghanistan of opium poppy, and its failure has contributed to an unprecedented increase in heroin production, a senior US official said yesterday. In an unusually critical report, the state department's senior narcotics...

Britain Accused Over Afghan Opium Failure
Britain has bungled its command of an international campaign to rid Afghanistan of opium poppy, and its failure has contributed to an unprecedented increase in heroin production, a senior US official said yesterday. In an unusually critical report, the state department's senior narcotics...

Aid Not Enough for Afghanistan
Financial help is of little use unless swift action is taken to improve the country's chronic security situation, says Mark Tran.

Karzai Asks West for Cash Support
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, warned yesterday that there was virtually no prospect of his building a "safer and better" country unless the international community found £15bn for its reconstruction. Speaking on the eve of a conference on Afghanistan in Berlin, the third since...

Britain to Send More Troops to Afghanistan
The government is to announce that 100 more soldiers are to be sent to Afghanistan as part of an ambitious Nato plan to try to pacify the entire country and clamp down on warlords. The British will lead a multinational Northern Group, defence sources said. British troops initially...

Afghan Elections Put Back to September
Afghanistan's elections were postponed to September yesterday, owing to insecurity and the UN's slow pace in registering voters. The postponement comes despite Washington's insistence to President Hamid Karzai that the vote be in June. Commentators say George Bush wanted to present...

Hundred Dead in Afghan Violence
Assassination of minister prompts factional fighting in Herat, while besieged al-Qaida told to surrender.

US Afghan Allies Committed Massacre
American experts find that Northern Alliance warlords slaughtered prisoners of war.

Tradition and Inexperience Threaten Afghan Poll
UN struggles to register voters in first elections since outbreak of war 25 years ago.

US Pilot 'not at Fault' for Killing Afghan Children
US forces yesterday absolved themselves of blame for the deaths of nine children in an air strike, but refused to release their internal inquiry. The children, aged nine to 12, were killed when a fighter-bomber strafed a mud-walled compound in Ghazni, central Afghanistan, in December. A...

US Troops Are Killing Afghans, Rights Body Says
US troops in Afghanistan are operating outside the rule of law, using excessive force to make arrests, mistreating detainees and holding them indefinitely in a "legal black hole" without any legal safeguards, a report published today says. Having gone to war to combat terrorism and remove...

US Soldiers Accused of Raping 100 Colleagues
The Pentagon has ordered an urgent inquiry into reports that more than 100 American women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have been raped or sexually assaulted by fellow soldiers, it emerged yesterday. There have been 112 cases of sexual assault on women soldiers in units under central...

British Soldier Dies in Kabul Blast
A suicide car bomber killed a British soldier and injured four others in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, yesterday, raising fears of a Iraq-style bombing campaign in the relatively peaceful city. Last night it was claimed that the bomber was an Algerian-born British national. The...

Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills Two in Kabul
A suicide bomber threw himself on to a Canadian army jeep in central Kabul yesterday, killing two people including a Canadian peacekeeper and injuring 11 others. The incident raised concern among western diplomats in Kabul that the blast could be the beginning of a spate of suicide...

Bicycle Bomb Kills 11 Children in Afghanistan
More than a dozen people, most of them children aged under fifteen, were killed yesterday when a bomb on a bicycle exploded in the centre of the Afghan city of Kandahar. Apparently targeted at the governor of Kandahar province, Yusuf Pashtun, whose motorcade was expected to pass at about...

British General May Become Un's Man in Afghanistan
A British army officer may become the UN's top administrator in Afghanistan, in a highly unusual move which reflects international concern at mounting threats to security in the war-torn country. "I am being considered and I have been interviewed in New York," Major-General John McColl...

Afghan Deadlock Weakens Karzai
As warlords squabble, violence is on the rise. It was supposed to be a triumph, a Grand Council to usher in Afghanistan's first ever elections next year. But when Malalai Joya, a delegate from western Farah province, stepped up to speak last week, she was not celebrating.

14 Hunger Strikers in Hospital
Up to 14 people were in hospital last night as a hunger strike at an Australian refugee camp on the Pacific island of Nauru entered its second week. Nearly three dozen people had joined the protest, said supporters. Refugees in Nauru's Topside camp are mainly Afghan Hazaras, along with...

UN Looks Into Plight of Refugees
UN observers are to visit an Australian refugee camp on the Pacific island of Nauru where nine Afghans have been in hospital on hunger strike since last week. Lawyers in Melbourne have begun a court case to release the 284 refugees on the island, 93 of them children. Most of the mainly...

UN Agencies Threaten to Quit War-torn Afghanistan
The UN yesterday warned that its agencies will pull out of Afghanistan if American and other Western troops cannot stem a tide of violence that has recently seen 15 aid workers murdered by resurgent Taliban fighters, and most foreign aid workers withdrawn to Kabul. US military officials...

Plunder Goes on Across Afghanistan
Trade in antiquities worth up to £18bn as thieves excavate sites. It was meant to be a rare success story. According to the Afghan minister of culture, the small mound of soft yellow earth at Bazy-Kheil, 20 miles east of Kabul, was one of the country's few protected archaeological sites.

US Military Apologises After Nine Children Die in Bombing
American military commanders in Afghanistan who have been hunting renegade Taliban leaders yesterday apologised for an air strike which killed nine children. The target of the attack, which happened at Hutala, in eastern Afghanistan, was Mullah Wazir, thought to have been behind the...

Allies at Odds Over How to Fight Afghan Drugs Boom
Britain and the United States are at odds over how to deal with the massive growth in the cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan. Poppy growing areas in the country doubled between 2002 and 2003 to a level 36 times higher than under Taliban rule, according to figures released by the...

Just Poppycock
In Afghanistan and Colombia, America's allies in the war on terror should be its enemies in the war on drugs.

Pilgrims Flock to Kabul to Pay Tribute to the Afghan Elvis
Though divided by ethnic rivalries and 23 years of war, Afghans agree on their love for Ahmed Zahir. They come in small groups, old men and young couples, streaming into the cemetery, three miles outside Kabul.

Returned Refugees Swell Ranks of Addicts
Heroin factories spring up in Afghanistan as local demand soars.

Plea for Security Rethink As French Aid Worker is Buried
UN says relief work in Afghanistan cannot continue on existing terms.

UN Appeals for $3bn to Aid War-torn Countries
Afghanistan and Iraq deflect funds from elsewhere.

Afghans Build a Future With Hope, Not Help From the West
Two years after the fall of Kabul, a liberated people feels let down by empty promises.

Red Kabul Revisited
Are the US rulers of Afghanistan at last adopting the agenda of their Soviet predecessors? Two years after Kabul was freed from the Taliban there's a sense of deja vu about Afghanistan. The striking comparison is not primarily with Iraq, although reminders of the....

Dreamers and Idiots
Britain and the US did everything to avoid a peaceful solution in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who would take us to war must first shut down the public imagination. They must convince us that there is no other means of preventing invasion, or conquering terrorism, or even defending human rights.

Nightmare Sequel to Bestseller on Kabul Family Life
Book's subject threatens to sue author, claiming work insults Afghan culture and Islam. Asne Seierstad, the Norwegian journalist who has become Scandinavia's bestselling author, never thought she would call herself "stupid or naive".

Afghanistan's Constitution to Be Unveiled
Warning that Islamist militants may 'hijack' blueprint for strong central government as UN envoys fly in to support Karzai's government.

Our Friends, the Warlords
In northern Afghanistan the US backs all sides in a continuing civil war. Karim Khan stands disconsolately outside the local government headquarters in the remote village of Tuksar. He used to run the neighbouring village, but was bundled out by a rival militia one night recently, leaving his wife and family behind as virtual prisoners.

Beaten, abused, chained. This is one Afghan woman's 'liberation'
The Taliban's fall was supposed to bring freedom for women. But for many, life is still a misery - and for one, jail is the safest place to be.

Man held over 1970s murders
A French killer suspected of drugging, robbing and slaying at least 20 tourists in Thailand, India, Afghanistan and Nepal throughout the 1970s was arrested in Kathmandu yesterday over two unsolved murders that happened there 30 years ago.

Nato Plans Wider Role for Afghan Security Force
Nato began taking steps last night to extend its Afghan peacekeeping mission to areas beyond Kabul in an attempt to tackle tribal warlords and improve security and reconstruction efforts. Military experts are to report next week on how to strengthen the 5,500-strong International Security...

Rumsfeld Presses for Wider Nato Action in Afghanistan
The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, arrived in Afghanistan yesterday to bolster Hamid Karzai's government in the face of continuing battles with Taliban fighters. Speaking hours after the Afghan government said it had foiled an attack near the Pakistani border, Mr Rumsfeld said...

Up to 17 Killed in Afghanistan Bus Blast
Up to 17 people were feared dead after a bomb being transported by suspected al-Qaida fighters exploded on a bus in Afghanistan today. Initial reports of casualties varied. The Associated Press said that four had been killed and eight injured, while Sky reported 17 dead and three injured....

Britain Losing New Afghan Opium War
British-led plans to destroy Afghan opium poppy farming, responsible for 90% of the UK's heroin supply, have made little progress so far, UN figures will show next month. Britain, responsible for the international coordination of the fight against the Afghan drug trade, is to call a...

Camp Delta Inmate 'was No Threat'
An Australian prisoner held at the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was cleared by Australian police as no threat to security a month before his arrest in Pakistan two years ago. Mamdouh Habib was arrested on a bus in south-west Pakistan two days after the Afghanistan war began...

Now We Pay the Warlords to Tyrannise the Afghan People
The Taliban fell but - thanks to coalition policy - things did not get better. Diehard defenders of military intervention in Iraq argue that it's too soon to carp, that time is required to restore order and prosperity to a country ravaged by every type of misfortune.

Disaster Aid Can Hinder, Not Help
The sudden influx of aid agencies after a conflict or disaster can hinder rather than help the rebuilding of devastated countries, a Red Cross report warns today. "Since the fall of the Taliban, the arrival of over 350 international aid agencies in Afghanistan has driven up local rents,...

Afghan Jails Taken Over By Warlords
Amnesty International yesterday warned that most Afghans still "live in fear" of arbitrary detention, more than 18 months after the defeat of the Taliban regime. Irene Khan, Amnesty's secretary general, met the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, in Kabul yesterday, to press for widespread...

Isolated, strictly supervised and deprived of rights: how Camp Delta treats inmates
Nearly 700 prisoners from 38 nations detained by the US forces after the war in Afghanistan are held at Camp Delta at the US naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Kandahar Berates Straw for a Leftover Life of Gun Law and Broken Promises
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, having completed a round of diplomatic talks in Kabul on Monday, said he wanted to confront the reality of life in Afghanistan. He got his wish yesterday. He left the relative stability of the capital to fly to Kandahar, the country's second-biggest city...

Afghan Anarchy May Delay Election
Straw tells ministers in Kabul not to let poll date slip · US adminstrator for Iraq in uphill struggle to win hearts and minds.

F-16 Pilots Cleared Over Deaths
Two US fighter pilots who mistakenly killed four Canadian soldiers and wounded another eight in Afghanistan last year have been cleared of criminal charges. The incident was the worst "friendly fire" accident of the war in Afghanistan. The US pilots dropped a 500lb bomb on the Canadians,...

Battle to Save Afghanistan's Shattered Heritage
The international community's indifference is hampering efforts to undo the vandalism of the Taliban regime

German troops to stay in Kabul despite bombing
Germany last night vowed not to pull its peacekeeping troops out of Afghanistan, a day after a suicide bomber killed four German soldiers and an Afghan civilian in Kabul, in the deadliest attack on international forces so far. Thirty-one soldiers were injured.

US Helicopters in Secret Mission to Spray Afghanistan's Opium Fields
Mohammed Hussain was sitting on the roof of his house listening to the radio when he heard the sound of helicopters flying low over his village. He thought nothing of it. The American military frequently swooped over the area, and had spent hours hunting in the nearby snowy mountains for...

Afghanistan May Get More Troops
The British government will not rule out sending more troops to troubled provinces in Afghanistan where security is still lacking and the Taliban are reappearing. This week it said it was sending a detachment of about 70 soldiers to Mazar-i-Sharif, in the north, in addition to the 300 it...

Afghan Leader Flies in to Ask for More Aid
Afghanistan's finance minister warned last night that the money given by the international community to rebuild his country was "running out" and that a further $15bn (£9bn) would be needed. Ashraf Ghani said unless Britain and others made a long-term commitment to supporting...

Did We Make It Better?
According to Tony Blair, they are proof that principled military intervention can make the world a better place. After all, we stopped the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, ended the bloodshed in Sierra Leone, and routed a brutish regime in Afghanistan. But what happened next? Jon Henley embarked on a remarkable month-long journey to find out

62 Spanish Peacekeepers Die As Plane Hits Mountain
Spain was preparing yesterday to repatriate the bodies of 62 soldiers who died in an air crash in Turkey as they flew home from Afghanistan.

Gen Franks, 'wise warrior' of two campaigns, retires
The man who led the US troops in the war in Iraq has decided to retire. General Tommy Franks, who also commanded the American forces in Afghanistan, will leave his post this summer.

Stansted Hijack Convictions Are Quashed
Nine Afghan men jailed after fleeing to Britain in a hijacked jet to escape a Taliban death squad, yesterday had their convictions quashed. The men had been vilified by the rightwing press after they landed at Stansted airport in February 2000 and claimed they had had no choice but to...

Afghan Warlords Hoarding Income
President Hamid Karzai has threatened to resign if Afghanistan regional governors go on hoarding customs revenues rather than handing them to the central government in Kabul. His angry remark shows how much power still remains in the hands of rebellious warlords and religious...

Home Run to Havana
After scoring in Afghanistan and Iraq, Simon Tisdall says George Bush may be setting his sights on Cuba for a hat trick of "American justice".

Bomb 'ringleader' caught on video
Khaled al-Jehani, named by Saudi officials as leader of the cell that carried out the Riyadh bombings, appears with his Kalashnikov in a video recovered from a compound in Afghanistan belonging to Mohammad Atef, an aide to Osama bin Laden, and made public at the beginning of last year.

Troops Shot in Afghan School
Suspected Taliban sympathisers shot and wounded two Norwegian peacekeepers yesterday, in a daytime ambush north of the Afghan capital, Kabul.

US frees 13, but detains another 30
The US announced yesterday that it had freed 13 detainees from its prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. However a Pentagon spokeswoman said that 30 more detainees had been flown into the camp from Afghanistan, bringing the current total of inmates to 680.

US Pledges to Rebuild Afghanistan
The US deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, yesterday tried to shrug off persistent criticism that the Bush administration had lost interest in Afghanistan, and promised that the United States would rebuild the war-torn country at the same time as reconstructing Iraq. Mr Armitage,...

We Were Tied Up, Claim Deported Afghans
The Afghan asylum seekers deported yesterday were tied up and forced to return to a country where they could be killed, they said in Kabul today. The Home Office last night put 21 failed Afghan asylum seekers on a flight from Gatwick against their will, the first deportations to the...

Five 'admit Murdering Journalists' Journalists
Five men suspected of killing four journalists in Afghanistan have been captured and will be put on trial, according to reports from Kabul yesterday. An Afghan photographer, Azizullah Haidari, and an Australian cameraman, Harry Burton of Reuters, Maria Grazia Cutuli of Italy's Corriere...

Eleven Afghans killed after American bomb misses its target
Eleven Afghan civilians were killed when an American warplane pursuing rebel fighters mistakenly bombed a house near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, the US military said yesterday.

US Bomb Kills 11 Afghan Civilians
Eleven Afghan civilians were killed today when a US warplane pursuing enemy attackers mistakenly bombed a house near Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan, the US military said. The civilians were killed when the bomb landed on the home on the outskirts of Shkin, 135 miles south of...

US Launches Afghan Air Assault
American soldiers have launched a second major operation in Afghanistan, with an air assault on mountains in the north-east. US military officials told Reuters that Operation Desert Lion had begun, as hundreds of troops continued to comb mountain caves and villages in the former Taliban...

Up to 10 Killed in Afghanistan Gun Battle
American and Afghan forces clashed with militiamen loyal to a renegade warlord in a battle that left up to 10 local fighters dead, officials today said. Both sides blamed each other for sparking Sunday's clash, which took place in Sato Kandow, on the road between the troubled eastern...

US Steps Up Afghanistan Campaign
The United States has launched one of its biggest military assaults on Afghanistan since Operation Anaconda a year ago but insisted it was a "coincidence" that the offensive began on the same day as the attacks on Iraq. Up to 1,000 troops and attack helicopters converged on villages in...

A Wilful Blindness
Why can't liberal interventionists see that Iraq is part of a bid to cement US global power? The war in Afghanistan has plainly brought certain benefits to that country: thousands of girls have gone to school for the first time, for example, and in some parts of the country women have been able to go back to work.

Afghan Prisoners Beaten to Death at Us Military Interrogation Base
Two prisoners who died while being held for interrogation at the US military base in Afghanistan had apparently been beaten, according to a military pathologist's report. A criminal investigation is now under way into the deaths which have both been classified as homicides. The deaths...

War Remains the Option of First Resort - Not Last
The US is by no means alone in conniving at conflict with Iraq. The approaching Middle East convulsion is hardly an aberration. America has been fighting wars all our lifetimes, from Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf to Serbia, Afghanistan and now, again, in Iraq. Its wars have flared hot and brief, as in Libya in 1986, Panama in 1989, and Somalia in 1992.

Refugees' Quest for Liberty Takes Top Prize at Berlin
A British film about the gruelling journey of two Afghan asylum seekers smuggled to London by people traffickers has won the top award at the Berlin Film Festival. In This World, by the Blackburn-born director Michael Winterbottom, beat 21 films to win the coveted Golden Bear. Shot on a...

17 Afghan Villagers 'killed in American Bombing Raids'
Afghan officials said yesterday that at least 17 civilians were killed in a US-led bombing raid in southern Afghanistan. The victims were living in villages in the Baghran district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, a Pashtun area where many had supported the Taliban regime...

Up to 30 Afghans Killed By Allied Bombing
A number of Afghan villagers, possibly as many as 30, have been killed by allied troops hunting for Taliban hold-outs in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, locals reported today. Mohammed Wali, a spokesman for the provincial governor in the Baghni Baghran district of Helmand, said...

Father fears for son held by US in Afghanistan
The father of a British man detained without trial by the Americans in Afghanistan said yesterday he fears that his son may commit suicide, amid allegations he is being held in a windowless cell at a base where "torture" is used.

Kandahar Bomb Kills 18
A powerful bomb destroyed a bridge outside the southern Afghan city of Kandahar today killing 18 people travelling on a bus, police said, with officers blaming al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives. Only two people on the bus survived the explosion on the Rambasi bridge, some 10km (six miles)...

US Soldiers Attack Mountain Hideout in Biggest Battle for a Year
Afghanistan: 18 rebels loyal to warlord are killed as fighting goes on.

Fierce Fighting Erupts in Afghanistan
US and Afghan forces are battling around 80 rebels aligned with renegade leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in the largest-scale fighting seen in Afghanistan for nine months, the US military has said. At least 18 rebels have died since fighting began in mountains of south-eastern Afghanistan...

Kabul Women Quietly Get Behind Wheel
Decade-long ban lifted in Afghanistan, but fears mount of unwelcome return by warlords and religious Right.

Pep Pills Blamed in Friendly Fire Case
The judgment of the two US pilots accused of being responsible for the "friendly fire" deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan last year may have been impaired by the amphetamines they took to keep awake, a hearing into the case was told yesterday. The hearing to decide whether...

US Pilots Blame Drug for Friendly Fire Deaths
Two American pilots facing trial for the "friendly fire" killings of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan were pressured by the US air force into taking amphetamines that may have impaired their judgment, their lawyers allege.

Deported Afghan Family Lose Appeal
A family of Afghan asylum-seekers who were seized from a mosque during a police raid have lost their appeal against deportation. Farid and Feriba Ahmadi and their children, Hadia, seven, and Seear, five, were removed from the UK in August on the orders of the home secretary, David...

Killing of Afghan Soldier Mars Karzai's First Anniversary
Taliban ambush shows instability of ruling regime.

Cost of Afghan Operation Soars
The cost of British military operations in Afghanistan is already way above the original estimate, raising questions about the bill for a much larger venture in Iraq. So far £618m is estimated to have been spent on deploying British forces in Kabul, the Afghan capital, where they...

Women Forced to Have Chastity Tests
Women in the western Afghan city of Herat are often arrested, taken to hospital and subject to abusive gynaecological examinations just for walking in the street with a man or riding in a taxi without another passenger, Human Rights Watch reports today. In Herat, every woman has to wear...

Sangatte Refugees Arrive in Uk
The first group of asylum seekers destined for Britain from the Sangatte refugee camp arrived in the UK today. The group is the first of 1,200 asylum seekers - 1,000 Iraqis and 200 Afghans - Britain has agreed to accept as part of a landmark deal before the Sangatte centre closes on...

Britain to Accept 1,200 Migrants in Sangatte Deal
About 1,200 Iraqi and Afghan migrants will come to Britain on four-year work permits when the Sangatte centre in France finally closes in December.

Warlords Clash As Afghans Plan Army
President Hamid Karzai outlined plans for Afghanistan's new national army at an international conference in Bonn yesterday, as fierce clashes between two rival warlords in the western part of the country highlighted his government's scant control over law and order outside the capital, Kabul...

Security Plans Dominate Bonn Summit
With timing that only underlined the fragile state of security in his country, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, today outlined plans to boost the fledgling national army. As renewed fighting broke out between warlords and a US B-52 made its first bombing raid since the summer, Mr...

Blanchett to play hostage journalist
The life story of Yvonne Ridley, the British journalist captured in Afghanistan by Taliban soldiers last year, is to be turned into a film, with Cate Blanchett tipped to play the lead role.

New Task for British Outside Kabul
The British government is poised to expand its military involvement in Afghanistan by deploying troops in a town outside the capital, Kabul, for the first time, Whitehall sources revealed yesterday. Mounting concern about the lack of government control over the countryside has prompted...

US pulls out Karzai's military bodyguards
He is the most vulnerable head of state in the world - Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda would like to kill him. Rival warlords want him dead. In the internecine politics of Afghanistan, even some of his friends would probably like to see him out of the way.

US Must Put Afghanistan Back Together
Focus shifts from security and combat to reconstruction.

US Afghan Ally 'tortured Witnesses to His War Crimes'
The United Nations has found evidence that a leading Afghan warlord and strong ally of the US tortured witnesses to stop them testifying against him in a war crimes inquiry.

Nato emerges from bunker with new role in Afghanistan
Nato is set to take up its first official role in Afghanistan by providing support for the international security assistance force (Isaf) in Kabul, senior alliance sources said yesterday.

Dawn Raid Evicts Asylum Seekers From Calais Church
Police end five-day standoff with 99 Kurdish and Afghan migrants.

Peaceful End to Sangatte Siege
A five-day standoff ended peacefully today when French police evicted about 70 Iraqi and Afghan refugees holed up in a church in Calais. Officers entered the Saint Pierre-Saint Paul church in Calais at around 5am local time (4am GMT) and escorted the refugees onto four buses waiting...

Was the War on Afghanistan Worth It?
One of the most robust liberal supporters of the war on Afghanistan, she reports from Kabul on whether we did the right thing.

Stuck in a Pre-industrial Age
During the war in Afghanistan, when the rebels used two-way radios and landlines did not work, satellite phones were key for reporters and warlords, writes Ian Traynor

British Soldiers May Be Charged With Kabul Killing
'Enough evidence' to try paras for manslaughter after investigation into Afghan's death.

Afghan Boy Turns Movie Role Into Real Life
When you are making a film about Afghan refugees fleeing the hellish camps strung out along Pakistan's lawless north-west frontier while B-52 bombers are pummelling the Tora Bora caves just over the mountains you have more important things to worry about than life imitating art. But that...

Flabby journalists sent to boot camp
The Pentagon press corps has received a call-up for a military boot camp to prepare them to cover a war in Iraq, after US troops in Afghanistan complained of having to wait for flabby, unfit journalists to keep up with them.

'They interrogated us for hours'
Former Guantanamo Bay inmates describe their experiences at the US detention camp. Three Afghan men captured by the US and held at a military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, today spoke for the first time about their time in captivity.

Simpson Berates 'hysterical' Us Networks
John Simpson, the BBC correspondent who "liberated" Kabul, has attacked "gonzo" journalists who are cheerleading the world to war. The veteran world affairs editor, who was smuggled into Afghanistan in an extra large burka and admitted he "got a bit carried away" when he strode into Kabul...

One Year After 10/7
So, one year on, there is the last war and the last regime change to assess. . Is Afghanistan now some briskly burnished Blairite vision of progress, the Switzerland of the Hindu Kush? Or does it haplessly wallow on in violence, tribalism and medieval poverty?

One Year on in Afghanistan
On a Sunday exactly 12 months ago Jason Burke saw the start of a US-led war on al-Qaeda: now he returns to see how a fragile peace is clinging on.

The Plight of Qadir Fedayee
A severely traumatised Afghan boy, whose family were all killed during massacres in Mazar-i-Sharif, has been denied asylum in Australia, says David Fickling.

US pilots charged with friendly fire death of Canadians
The US air force has charged two F-16 pilots with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault for their role in the mistaken bombing in Afghanistan that killed four Canadian soldiers and wounded eight.

Afghan massacre haunts Pentagon
The dead are not hard to find. Turn left into the desert after the town of Shiberghan and they lie all around - some in shallow graves, others protruding from the sand.

Afghans mark death of Masood
The young son of the Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Masood sat beneath a colossal portrait of his father before a crowd of thousands in Kabul yesterday to mark the anniversary of the mojahedin commander's death.

Chaos lurks in an abandoned land
Al-Qaeda and the roots of terror: The West vowed to end poverty, but little has changed for Afghanistan's people - and this great failing could breed fresh trouble.

Karzai assassination bid suspects questioned as bomb death toll rises
Gunman was employed as palace guard. Afghan police yesterday began questioning two suspects in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai and a devastating car bomb in Kabul which left 26 people dead.

Karzai assassination attempt suspects held
The Afghan authorities today questioned six men in connection with an assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai and a car bomb in Kabul that killed at least 22 people.

Bullets and bombs remind Afghanistan that Kabul's fragile peace is an illusion
Nine months after the Taliban regime collapsed under the weight of US bombing, security across Afghanistan appears as fragile as ever.

Gunmen Try to Kill Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, survived a serious assassination attempt last night thanks to his American bodyguards, hours after a car bomb exploded in a busy market in Kabul, killing at least 22 people and injuring dozens.

Gunman tries to kill Afghan president
· Guard turns gun on president
· US special forces kill three
· Kabul bomb: at least 15 dead

22 Die in Kabul Blast
More than 22 people were today killed by a car bomb in the Afghan capital Kabul, police said. The explosion hit the busy central business district of Kabul and police said injured more than 20 in addition to the dead. Residents said the explosion was the worst in Kabul since the...

Escape from Tora Bora
Strategic blunders allowed thousands of fighters to flee on foot over the mountains. Osama bin Laden and most of his top-ranking Arab associates were able to escape from Afghanistan last year because of a series of avoidable strategic blunders by US military commanders, well-placed sources in Kabul have told the Guardian.

Secret arrest: Key man seized
Cells convert militants to Bin Laden's cause. Revenge is an emotion with which terrorist groups are intimately associated - al-Qaida more than most. Pakistan has been made to pay for the support its president, Pervez Musharraf, gave the US in its bombing of Afghanistan.

Afghan anarchy hinders aid
Descent into lawlessness damages effort to feed remote villages and returning refugees. A surge in banditry, crime and random violence is threatening to plunge Afghanistan into anarchy as millions face starvation this winter.

The British in Afghanistan
As the British and Russian imperial powers compete for influence in central Asia, Afghanistan is caught between the empires. British fears over Russian advances culminate in the first Anglo-Afghan wars, in 1839-42.

Tea and Mbes for Two Kabul Heroes Who Kept the Flag Flying for Britain
It has experienced drought, civil war, invasion, Islamist revolution and Osama bin Laden. But yesterday a small chunk of Afghanistan experienced the kind of ceremony that only the British could invent - a tea party in the grounds of Her Majesty's embassy in Kabul. The surreal event was...

America 'reliant on Kabul's neighbours'
The commander of US forces in Afghanistan said yesterday that America was counting on the cooperation of neighbouring states in the war on terror - and that if Osama bin Laden was alive it was "only a matter of time" before he was found.

Under a Veil of Deceit
The west voiced concern for Afghan women under the Taliban - but we deport them when they end up here. When Sojourner Truth took to the dais at the women's convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851 she had a tough task at hand. As a former slave and the only black delegate, she had to make it clear that it was not up to those present to pick and choose whom they understood to be women.

'We're Back Where We Started'
In a dirty hostel in Munich, Afghan refugee family tell of their confusion and foreboding.

Iranian president visits Afghanistan with offers of aid
Mohammad Khatami, in the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Afghanistan in 40 years, today promised a new relationship and $500m (£327m) in reconstruction aid to a country whose stability he said was essential for Iran and the region.

Afghan Drug Lords Set Up Heroin Labs
Hundreds of kilos of heroin are being manufactured each week by factories recently set up in eastern Afghanistan, prompting fears of a new influx of high-quality, easily transportable drugs into Europe. The renewed production of heroin, which had ceased following edicts by the Taliban...

Afghan Blast Fuels Security Fears
A large explosion ripped through an Afghan construction warehouse in the eastern city of Jalalabad yesterday, killing 25 people and injuring 80, government television reported. It badly damaged 50 surrounding homes, some as far as 500 metres away, a local military commander, Hazrat Ali,...

Counting the dead
Attempts to hide the number of Afghan civilians killed by US bombs are an affront to justice. When the US bombing of Afghanistan started on October 7 2001, an official "counting of the dead" was deemed unnecessary. The public was assured that American and British military planners would go to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.

15 Killed in Gunfight at Kabul Army Base
At least 15 people died when suspected al-Qaida gunmen attacked an Afghan army base in southern Kabul yesterday in one of the most serious battles in the capital for months. Shortly after dawn a group of about 20 men, described as Arabs and Pakistanis thought to be loyal to al-Qaida,...

Britain Rebuked Over Red Tape Block on Afghan Aid
A senior UN official has launched a stinging attack on Western bureaucracy for blocking millions of pounds of aid from reaching the starving and destitute in Afghanistan. In a rebuke for Britain and other donor nations, United Nations Under-Secretary General Olara Otunnu said relief work...

'Helicopter Attack' Killed Afghan Civilian
Martin Woollacott: The US must embrace true multilateralism in the Middle East.US troops in Afghanistan were accused again yesterday of aiming at civilians after an alleged helicopter attack on a village killed one Afghan and injured two others. Afghan commanders and government...

Afghanistan back on the tourist trail map
Holidaymakers ready to brave risk of kidnap and landmines. Afghanistan, once glorified as a key destination on the hippy trail, is about to see the tourists return as the shadows of conflict recede.

Afghan Regime Split Over Us Bombing Raids
US military investigators are to travel to a village in Afghanistan later this week to try to explain why an American AC-130 gunship killed at least 48 civilians in a bombing raid on a wedding party. About 117 Afghans were injured in the attack on villages near Kakrak in southern...

US Raids 'killed 800 Afghan Civilians'
On-the-ground survey warns more dead yet to be counted.

West Pays Warlords to Stay in Line
Key Afghan commanders are being bribed with British and US money to ensure their loyalty to the new government.

Bare Faced Resistance
They lived under the Soviets, the mujaheddin and the Taliban, and survived US bombing. Now they are free to return to schools, to work, to enter politics - and to remove their burkas, if they wish. But is that the whole picture? Natasha Walter reports from Kabul on what the future holds for the women of Afghanistan.

Analysis: Arms and the Warlords
Keeping the peace is becoming ever more difficult in Afghanistan, where the UN force is outnumbered and outgunned by private armies.

Lindh Surprises Court With Guilty Plea
John Walker Lindh, the US citizen charged with aiding the Taliban and al-Qaida, today changed his plea to guilty. Mr Lindh, originally from California, was discovered among Taliban prisoners captured in Afghanistan last December. With long hair, and beard, he gave a hospital bed...

Time to move on
The US should rethink its Afghan role. Although it does not publicly admit it, the Bush administration knows it has few if any legitimate military targets left in Afghanistan and cannot afford any more debacles.

Afghans return to a camp of misery
The Pul-i-Charki transit camp a few miles south of Kabul, run by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, is the place where Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan first hit the wall of foreign donors' broken promises.

New Afghan Exodus Looms
A fresh exodus of Afghan refugees could be triggered as early as next month if the UN agency assisting the resettlement of 2 million people runs out of funds and is forced to suspend its aid programme, western donor nations are being warned. In his starkest description yet of his...

Afghan Killing Prompts Call for Broader Peace Role
Thousands of mourners crowded into a graveyard in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad yesterday for the funeral of Haji Abdul Qadir, the Afghan vice-president shot at the weekend.

Minister's Killing Rocks Afghanistan
Afghanistan faced the threat of new instability yesterday after a key Cabinet Minister was gunned down in broad daylight outside his office in Kabul. Haji Abdul Qadir, a Vice-President and Minister for Public Works, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he left his Ministry shortly...

Scores killed by SAS in Afghanistan
Role of UK special forces under scrutiny as Royal Marines pull out. SAS troops have killed scores of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in search-and-destroy missions across the mountains of south-eastern Afghanistan, according to senior military officials.

Role of Uk Special Forces Under Scrutiny As Royal Marines Pull Out
SAS troops have killed scores of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in search-and-destroy missions across the mountains of south-eastern Afghanistan, according to senior military officials. Two SAS squadrons - a total of about 100 soldiers - have been operating on their own, without American...

Sympathy tempers US denial
America continued to deny responsibility for the deaths during Monday's airstrikes in Afghanistan but yesterday adopted a more conciliatory tone in response to growing concerns about the episode.

No Us Apology Over Wedding Bombing
US military officials in Afghanistan have refused to apologise following the mistaken bombing of an Afghan wedding party on Monday which killed at least 30 people.

Karzai Calls for Us Military Policy Review
The Afghan government today called for an overhaul of American military strikes in the country, in the wake of a bombing raid that killed up to 40 civilians. In an unprecedented statement, the president, Hamid Karzai, said that coalition forces must "take all necessary measures to ensure...

Wedding Party Killings Inquiry Begins
US and Afghan officials were today investigating the killing of up to 40 civilians at a wedding party in central Afghanistan that was apparently targeted by US warplanes. The US military claims that American forces had come under fire and that air support was called in...

US Bomb Blunder Kills 30 at Afghan Wedding
American military officials were last night trying to explain why a US plane mistakenly targeted a house full of wedding guests, killing at least 30 of them.

Civilian Catastrophe As Us Bombs Afghan Wedding
· 250 civilians reported dead or injured
· Witnesses say attack lasted 2 hours
· Pentagon: 'One bomb went astray'

Explosions Kill 10 in Afghanistan
Ten people are dead and up to 50 are reported missing today after a series of massive explosions in an Afghan border town that is home to a large Taliban arms dump. The first explosion was reported late on Thursday night near a residential area of Spin Boldak. Witnesses in...

US Troops 'under Rocket Attack' in Afghanistan
US special forces searching for remaining Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in south-east Afghanistan may have been the target of a rocket attack at the weekend, it was revealed today.

The West is Walking Away From Afghanistan
The modernising forces are quickly losing ground to the warlords. The Taliban's collapse created real opportunities for progress and Kabul has become a vibrant city once again.

US received 'zero hour' warning on September 10
American intelligence experts intercepted two messages from Afghanistan on September 10 referring to a major event due to take place the next day, but did not translate them into English until September 12, it emerged yesterday.

UK caught up in row over war crimes court
British soldiers in Afghanistan won immunity from prosecution. America's dogged opposition to the new international criminal court grew more aggressive yesterday when Britain was laid open to charges of hypocrisy for having negotiated an agreement to protect its own troops in Afghanistan from war crimes prosecutions.

Arzu Merali: They hate women, don't they?
Muslim and secular feminists pity one another. It is time they realised they have much common ground. It must be terrible having to wear all that," a friend of mine was told last December as she attended a meeting to discuss the future of Afghanistan, particularly its women - "all that" being some baggy clothing and a headscarf.

Britain Hands Over Kabul Command to Turkish Forces
Britain handed over command of the international security force in Kabul yesterday to Turkey and announced the withdrawal of royal marine commandos who have been hunting al-Qaida fighters in south-eastern Afghanistan. As the British military presence in Afghanistan is stepped down, with...

Ethnic groups share Afghan cabinet posts
The Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, ended days of tense negotiations with regional leaders yesterday by announcing a cabinet with power shared between the Tajik and Pashtun ethnic groups.

Mission Unaccomplished: How 3,000 Crack British Troops Failed to Find the Enemy
Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, will tell the Commons today that 3,000 British troops engaged in combat operations in the Afghan mountains are coming home.

Afghan Exile Puts His Mind at His Country's Service
A lawyer from Reading explains why he has joined an international 'reverse brain drain'.

Karzai Delays Naming Afghan Cabinet
After days of squabbling and delays, the head of the Afghan grand council, the loya jirga, offered a blueprint today for the country's new legislature. However, the ethnically contentious issue of the executive cabinet remained unresolved after the newly elected president, Hamid Karzai,...

Blueprint for New Afghan Parliament Announced
After days of squabbling and delays, the head of the Afghan loya jirga, offered a blueprint today for the country's new legislature. Ismail Qasim Yar, the chairman of the one-off grand council, said the new body would draw representatives from each province and also include others chosen...

Loya Jirga Dispute Prompts Mass Walk-out
Afghanistan's loya jirga, charged with appointing a government for the country, suffered another wave of walkouts today ahead of an address by the newly-elected Afghan leader Hamid Karzai. Some reports said that up to 90% of the 1,650 delegates had walked out of the one-off Afghan grand...

US military plane crashes
A US military aircraft carrying 10 people crashed last night shortly after take-off from a base in eastern Afghanistan.

Women Lead Protests As Afghan Warlords Muscle in on Power
As Afghanistan's embryo parliament got down to business yesterday there was a rising tide of anger at the prominent role of warlords with long histories of human rights abuse. Many delegates and observers were angry at the backroom deals which allowed the warlords to attend the loya...

Karzai Left With Clear Run at Afghan Leadership
Hamid Karzai has apparently succeeded in winning a second term as Afghanistan's leader yesterday after the loya jirga, the grand tribal council, finally opened a day late. The former king, Zahir Shah, urged delegates to support Mr Karzai, whose only serious rival, former president Burhanuddin...

Ex-Afghan Leaders Withdraw From Leadership Race
Afghanistan's former president, Burhaunddin Rabbani, today ruled himself out of the running to become the country's next leader. His decision - announced hours before the convening of a loya jirga (grand council) called to decide on a head of state - means that Afghanistan's current...

Former King Renounces Throne to Save Afghan Council
Under heavy pressure from the United States and Afghanistan's temporary rulers, the former monarch Zahir Shah renounced all political ambitions yesterday in an effort to block a swelling wave of support for him from delegates at the Loya Jirga , the grand tribal council. The opening of...

Logistics and Politics Delay Afghan Grand Council
Afghanistan's grand assembly of tribal elders, charged with choosing a transitional government for the next 18 months, has been delayed for 24 hours after more than 500 unexpected delegated showed up to take part, officials said today. Organisers have 1,501 names on the list of approved...

Divided Council Delays Choice of Afghan Government
Afghanistan's grand assembly of tribal elders, charged with choosing a transitional government for the next 18 months, has been delayed for 24 hours, officials said today. Although the loya jirga is beset by rivalries, it is seen by many as the country's best hope for the future and has...

Email from Herat
While the world applauds Afghanistan's apparent return to democracy, educated Afghans are concerned.

Afghans Gather to Thrash Out Future
In a huge tent usually used for German beer festivals, 1,501 delegates start talks to win a power-sharing peace.

Secret Deals Boost Afghans' Interim Leader
Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's interim leader, last night appeared to have won the support of enough key allies to stay on as head of the government for the next two years. For days the Afghan cabinet and warlords from across the country have been haggling over the make-up of the government...

Jason Burke on Life at Bagram Air Base
Despite five years covering events in Afghanistan, nothing prepares Jason Burke for life in Viper City on the Bagram air base. But at least this time everyone's been watching the same movies...

Royal Marines in Afghan Firefight
Royal Marine units have had the first firefight of their Afghanistan campaign, battling with gunmen who attacked an observation post in the south of the country early yesterday morning. A total of 12 marines, from the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, were in an observation post near the town...

That's militainment
Jerry Bruckheimer, the man behind Top Gun and Black Hawk Down, is now working on a 'reality soap' set among the troops in Afghanistan. Xan Brooks asks the Pentagon's darling why we should believe a single frame.

Interview With Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer, the man behind Top Gun and Black Hawk Down, is now working on a 'reality soap' set among the troops in Afghanistan. Xan Brooks asks the Pentagon's darling why we should believe a single frame.

A Spin Too Far for Brigadier Lane
The Royal Marines' lack of success in Afghanistan has been blamed on their commander. But the real responsibility, argues Richard Norton-Taylor, lies with the Ministry of Defence.

Marines Commander Removed
The Ministry of Defence today announced a replacement for the Royal Marines commander in Afghanistan - just one day after the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, pledged his "complete support" to man currently in the post, Brigadier Roger Lane. Brigadier Jim Dutton will take over command of...

This Futile Campaign
Western intervention has done little for the Afghans and less to beat terrorism.

Charting the progress of British forces
7 Oct, 2001: Coalition forces begin massive air bombardment of Afghanistan. Special forces from Britain and America train Northern Alliance to fight battles on the ground.

'Secret' War Prevents Us From Learning the Truth
Afghanistan's remote terrain, a tight-lipped military and the deployment of spin prevent a real assessment of British operations.

US media cowed by patriotic fever, says CBS star
Network news veteran admits national mood caused him to shrink from tough questions on war in Afghanistan.

300 Troops in Quarantine in Afghanistan
More than 300 British troops in Afghanistan are in quarantine following an outbreak of a fever whose cause last night had not been identified. The troops are believed to include Royal Marine commandos, but the Ministry of Defence refused to confirm or deny whether any were SAS soldiers...

Londoner Cleared of Plot to Kill Afghan Leader
A London-based Islamist was yesterday described as "an innocent fall guy" by a judge who threw out charges that he had been part of a conspiracy to kill Ahmed Shah Massoud, the Afghan opposition leader who was assassinated two days before the September 11 attacks on America. Yasser...

Fever Hits Troops in Afghanistan
Eighteen military medical personnel at a British field hospital in Afghanistan have been taken ill, two seriously, with an unindentified fever, the Ministry of Defence said last night. More than 60 medical staff have been quarantined and the hospital, at the Bagram base north of Kabul,...

Doubts Raised Over Afghan Mission
Al-Qaida could move back in when British forces withdraw in July after failure to contact terrorists.

British Troops Saved By Afghan Warlord
British troops in Afghanistan were saved from a rocket attack yesterday by a local warlord who found and dismantled two Chinese-made weapons before they were fired. A military spokesman at Bagram air base said that two 107mm rockets, connected to crude timers and aimed at British troops...

'CIA missile' fails to kill Afghan faction leader
Ex-prime minister accused of plotting coup and raids on Americans.

Marines home in weeks as brigadier declares victory
After weeks of anticipation of heavy fighting in Afghanistan and the prospect of casualties, the battle appears to be over before it began in earnest.

Marines Discover Weapons Cache
Royal Marine commandos in Afghanistan have found a series of caves stocked with antitank and anti-aircraft weapons, it was announced today. The cache - which locals say was used by al-Qaida and Taliban fighters - was discovered in four apparently abandoned cave complexes in the eastern...

The path to destruction
In his latest online Afghanistan dispatch, Jason Burke returns to Buddha-less Bamiyan and reflects on how the Taliban's act of cultural destruction marked a turning-point for the regime.

Jason Burke in Buddha-less Bamiyan
In his latest online Afghanistan dispatch, Jason Burke returns to Buddha-less Bamiyan and reflects on how the Taliban's act of cultural destruction marked a turning-point for the regime.

British-led Operation Snipe Mounts Big Push and Heads for the Hills
British soldiers hunting al-Qaeda and former Taliban fighters in the mountains of south-eastern Afghanistan have mounted 'the big push', military spokesmen said yesterday. Hundreds of Royal Marines have spent the past five days moving into position. So far, the only trace of al-Qaeda has...

Kabul Blooms As War Recedes
Afghanistan's stricken capital has burst back into life and its streets are now filled with signs of returning prosperity.

A Silent War - With No Enemy in Sight
Jason Burke reports from the British Marines' forward operating base in south-east Afghanistan.

Allies Diverge on Pows
Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters captured by British forces in Afghanistan will be handed over to Afghan authorities and not the Americans, British military sources said yesterday. British officials say they have been told by Hamid Karzai, the interim Afghan administration's leader, that any...

US ready to wage war on two fronts
American forces are ready to take whatever military action is needed against Saddam Hussein while continuing operations in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks, chief of the Pentagon's central command, indicated in London yesterday.

Journalists Fight 'hidden War' in Afghanistan
The US military and the Northern Alliance may have colluded to keep journalists away from areas in Afghanistan where special forces were operating. By Jessica Hodgson.

Anger at Canadian soldiers' deaths
Shock and grief give way to anger over the deaths of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a US pilot dropped a bomb on them, reports Anne McIlroy

Artists Head for Afghanistan to Capture a Modern Picture of War
From the violent scenes depicted on the Elgin Marbles to Paul Nash's First World War oils and Picasso's terrifying Guernica, artists have always recorded international conflicts.

Marines Are 'psyched' and 'desperate' to Begin Battle
Jason Burke meets British troops at their Afghan base as they prepare for the next contact with the remnants of al-Qaeda.

Jasob Burke: Return to Islamabad
Jason Burke's terrorism dispatch. In the first of a new online series, The Observer's Chief Reporter finds that much has changed on the Afghan-Pakistan border. But, beneath the surface, al-Qaeda's fugitives are plotting their next moves.

Moscow on Alert for Race Rampage
Thousands of police were put on security alert in the Russian capital yesterday to thwart racist violence this weekend, after racist thugs murdered an Afghan and skinhead gangs vowed to kill foreigners to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday today. They are mounting round-the-clock vigils on...

Four Die As Us Jet Bombs Canadians
Four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight wounded yesterday when they were mistakenly bombed by a patrolling US F-16 jet during night training near Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. The soldiers were on a live-firing exercise in the desert nine miles south of Kandahar at a former...

Drums, Cheers and a Little Hope As Ex-king Flies in to Afghanistan
Afghanistan's former king Zahir Shah, wearing a flat cap and a tailored Italian leather coat, ended his 29 years of exile yesterday when he stepped off an Italian military plane at Kabul airport. Flanked by Hamid Karzai, the leader of the country's interim government, the frail...

Four Canadians Killed in 'friendly Fire'
Four Canadian soldiers died in Afghanistan last night after a US fighter jet mistakenly dropped one or two 500lb, laser-guided bombs on their unit. Canadian officials said at least eight of their soldiers were wounded in the incident, which occurred during a well publicised live-fire...

Ptarmigan's mixed message
On the surface at least, naming the British operation in Afghanistan after one of our mountain birds is a splendid idea. The ptarmigan - the p is silent - has features to which any soldier would aspire.

Specialist fighting unit faces first combat since Falklands
The assault on al-Qaida and Taliban positions in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan is the Royal Marines' first significant combat operation since the Falklands war 20 years ago.

British Troops Fly Into Afghan War Zone
Hundreds of Royal Marine commandos are searching for remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in a high mountain valley in south-eastern Afghanistan, the largest British combat operation in the country so far.

Four dead in weapons disposal accident
An explosion killed four US soldiers and injured several others yesterday in what appeared to be an accident during the disposal of ordnance near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

Rivals Squabble for Jobs Under Afghan King
The imminent return of Afghanistan's former king, Zahir Shah, has provoked a backlash against his supporters from their ethnic rivals in the interim government, who fear losing power. Cabinet ministers have mobilised troops to intimidate the royalists while publicly welcoming the return...

Four Us Soldiers Killed in Kandahar Explosion
At least four US soldiers were today killed clearing explosives from the outskirts of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. US central command in Florida said the deaths were an accident. The deaths bring the total of western troops killed during peace keeping and ordinance clearing...

Amnesty sends US dossier of complaints over Afghanistan detainees
Amnesty International is today issuing a 62-page memorandum sent to the US government, listing its complaints over the treatment of detainees held in both Cuba and Afghanistan, and condemning the US approach to the issue.

Exiled king prepares for return to Kabul
Brushing aside fears of assassination, the former king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah, is expected to return this week from three decades of exile to oversee a potentially fraught period of transition to a new government.

Mortars and Rockets Fired at Us-led Troops
A new round of fighting flared in Afghanistan yesterday when American-led forces were targeted in three separate attacks.

Rockets Found in Sweep of Kabul Guerrilla Hideouts
International peacekeepers and Afghan police officers have seized 151 rockets in a sweep of alleged Islamist hideouts in Kabul, reviving the fear that terrorists are preparing to create mayhem in the capital. The Chinese-made 107mm rockets, the type fired at peacekeepers last weekend,...

A quarter of US bombs missed target in Afghan conflict
One in four bombs and missiles dropped by the US on Afghanistan may have missed its target, but the 75% success rate was higher than those achieved during the Kosovo and Gulf wars, according to the first assessments made by the American military.

British Soldier Killed in Kabul
A British soldier was accidentally shot and killed during a patrol in Kabul yesterday, making him the first British casualty of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. British military police immediately launched an investigation into how a gun belonging to one of the...

Dozens Dead As Opium Protests End in Violence
Chaos as Afghan farmers fire on officials trying to destroy lucrative but deadly crop.

Bomb Kills Four in Afghanistan
Four people were today killed in an apparent attempt to assassinate the interim Afghan government's defence minister. The bystanders died when a bomb exploded in a kiosk near a convoy carrying the minister, Mohammed Fahim, in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Sixteen other people...

Rockets Fired at Kabul Peace Force
Two rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the headquarters of the multinational peacekeeping force in Kabul yesterday in another ominous sign that it had become a target for disgruntled Afghans. There were no injuries or damage in what appeared to be an attack against a camp housing...

$100,000 Bounty on Westerners
Islamist guerrillas hope to stir a new jihad in Afghanistan by offering huge rewards for the kidnapping and assassination of Westerners. Pamphlets known as night letters have appeared in eastern border regions promising bounties of up to $100,000 for the capture or killing of foreign...

EU Funds Afghan Opium Battle
An ambitious programme designed to destroy Afghanistan's opium crop will be launched on Monday with the support of the European Union and the US.

Hundreds Arrested Over Fear of Coup in Kabul
Afghan security forces in Kabul have arrested hundreds of people from a hardline Islamic group after apparently uncovering a plot to overthrow Hamid Karzai, the head of the interim government. At least 600 people have been detained in the past week, although only 350 are in custody. A...

Tariq Ali: Who really killed Daniel Pearl?
When the war in Afghanistan began, I suggested that the Taliban would be rapidly defeated and that the "jihadi" organisations and their patrons would regroup in Pakistan and, sooner or later, start punishing General Musharraf's regime. This process is now under way.

Arriving British troops warned to be ready for guerrilla attacks
Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are probably planning tactics which may include guerrilla attacks on western troops, a British military intelligence officer in Afghanistan said yesterday.

Hundreds Held Over Afghan Bomb 'plot'
Afghan security officials said today they have arrested hundreds of people in connection with an alleged plot to bomb the capital and overthrow the government of the interim prime minister, Hamid Karzai. Din Muhammad Jurat, the director general for security at the interior ministry, said...

Pashtuns attacked in brutal raids by rival ethnic groups
Thousands flee revenge for Taliban atrocities in northern Afghanistan. Since the collapse of the Taliban regime last year a wave of looting, rape and ethnic killings has swept through Pashtun villages across northern Afghanistan, driving thousands of civilians from their homes.

Afghan girls seize chance to learn
After the strict Taliban years, schools are opening their doors to both sexes.

US death reassessed
The US admitted yesterday that the first American soldier killed during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan earlier this month may have been the victim of friendly fire.

New Us Paper Aims at Afghan War Truth
A newspaper aimed at providing news of the war in Afghanistan is to be launched this month. Its editors argue that the mainstream media in the US are not providing a full picture of the war and its effects. War Times, produced in San Francisco, will make its first bi-weekly appearance on...

British Forces Land in Afghanistan
The first wave of a 1,700-strong force of British troops today landed in Afghanistan, to take up their role in flushing out the remaining pockets of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that around 100 Royal Marines have been sent to the country as...

Afghanistan littered with 14,000 unexploded bomblets, says UN
Up to 14,000 unexploded weapons - the result of American cluster bombs - are scattered across Afghanistan, according to UN estimates disclosed yesterday by the international development secretary, Clare Short.

Pentagon misguided by its tracking device
Hours after announcing that a satellite receiver found in an Afghan cave came from an American soldier killed in Somalia - suggesting the extent of al-Qaida's reach - embarrassed US officials admitted yesterday that it had actually been lost by a US soldier in Afghanistan in the past few weeks.

Rumsfeld Sets Out Tribunal Plan for War Captives
The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, outlined yesterday a system of military justice for trying Afghan war prisoners which could result in their execution unless they are granted mercy by President Bush. It allows the death sentence to be imposed by the unanimous decision of a...

US fears surge in Afghan guerrilla attacks
American military and intelligence chiefs are bracing themselves for an upsurge in guerrilla-style attacks from al-Qaida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan when the snows melt in a few weeks time.

A sophisticated enemy in desperate terrain
When the Royal Marines fly out for combat in Afghanistan they will land in an alien terrain shaped by soaring mountain peaks and dominated for now by a hardened guerrilla force.

Commandos Going in As Confusion Reigns
There is no clear idea for how long the 1,700 British combat troops will be deployed in Afghanistan, or the strength of the enemy they will face, British defence officials admitted yesterday.

British troops face upbeat Afghan foe
Reinforcements sent to help struggling Americans catch Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who beat the bombing. America's request for the deployment of 1,700 British troops to Afghanistan shows that despite months of intensive bombing from the air, and weeks of fighting on the ground, the war against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters is far from over.

1,700 Uk Troops to Fight in Afghan War
Britain is to send up to 1,700 troops to Afghanistan in a move reflecting US concern that the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida forces is likely to continue for several months.

Britain to Send 1,700 Troops to Afghanistan
Up to 1,700 British troops will be deployed against remaining al-Qaida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, said in a surprise statement today. Mr Hoon told the Commons that it would be the "largest military deployment for combat operations since the Gulf...

This War is Farcical, But It is Easier to Cry Than to Laugh
Peter Preston: The campaign increasingly lacks credibility, from Afghanistan to Iraq.

US Airstrike Killed Women and Children
American fighter jets attacked a vehicle in eastern Afghanistan, killing 14 people, including women and children, US defence officials admitted last night. Another child was wounded in the attack, which took place on March 6. The US central command, which is responsible for...

'Last Push' Underway in Eastern Afghanistan
Fighting continued today in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, in what the US hopes will be a last push to displace Taliban and al-Qaida fighters from the region. Hundreds of Afghan troops paid by America swept into the mountains as US B52 bombers targeted pockets of resistance and...

A Thousand More Troops Join Afghan Mountain War
More than 1,000 Afghan troops were sent down to the eastern mountains near the town of Gardez yesterday to prepare for a final push in the battle against a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold at Shah-e-Kot. Despite freezing conditions, American and Afghan forces say they have killed a large...

Fresh Troops Bolster Allied Offensive
Taliban and al-Qaida forces holding out in the east of Afghanistan suffered heavy casualties overnight, the US military said today. As skies cleared over Gardez, the nearest town to the battle, fresh airstrikes blasted the mountains where the fighters have regrouped and countered with...

Wounded American soldiers 'stable'
Nine US special forces troops wounded in Afghanistan and brought to Germany for treatment are in a stable condition, most suffering from bullet or shrapnel wounds to their arms and legs, a military surgeon said yesterday.

No money, no way forward for women
Afghanistan's new women's minister, whose job is to restore women's rights after years of Taliban oppression in which girls could not go to school and women could not go out alone, has yet to receive any funding to start her work.

Afghanistan's Future
Martin Woollacott: The US and other countries must look to the past to determine Afghanistan's future.

US Steps Up Mountain Bombardment
American airstrikes in Afghanistan today intensified as ground fighting continued against al-Qaida and Taliban forces regrouping in the east of the country. Throughout the morning, B-52 bombers shook the mountain south of Gardez as they dropped their lethal loads. US Apache attack...

Peacekeepers are no substitute for Afghan army
Western governments are discussing plans to double the international military force in Afghanistan and deploy troops outside the capital, Kabul, as concern grows about deteriorating security.

US Army 'on Top' in Afghanistan War
US military chiefs today claimed to have the upper hand in a fierce battle in eastern Afghanistan, which they say has claimed the lives of hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters and at least eight Americans. They said that the battle should be won in a couple of days' time...

America Awaits Afghanistan Casualties
The bodies of seven US soldiers arrived in Germany today ahead of repatriation to America, as the battle in which they were killed continued to rage in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The bodies arrived at Ramstein Air Base aboard a C-17 transport plane, the same type of aircraft...

Afghan Recruits Paid £140 a Month By Us Troops
Afghan soldiers involved in a new campaign against a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold in eastern Afghanistan are being trained and paid directly by American troops, it emerged last night.

US Soldiers Die in Afghan Battle
America suffered its worst losses in the five-month Afghan war yesterday as two Chinook helicopters came under fire from al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in the mountains of Paktia province, killing at least seven US soldiers. Fierce fighting continued yesterday in the heavy snow and thin...

US Steps Up Ground Offensive
New cracks emerged in the US political unity behind the war on terrorism last night, after allied troops engaged in the largest ground offensive since attacks in Afghanistan began. US bombers yesterday continued to pound a mountain range in eastern Afghanistan for the third day running,...

Warlords' Tanks Roll Over Peace
Afghanistan's bloodthirsty chieftains united to beat the Taliban - but they are now turning on each other.

No Easy Answers for Afghanistan
Post-Taliban Afghanistan faces a daunting array of problems but there is little consensus on how to tackle them, writes Simon Tisdall.

Clueless About Kabul
Post-Taliban Afghanistan faces a daunting array of problems but there is little consensus on how to tackle them, writes Simon Tisdall.

Luke Harding: A New War is Brewing in Afghanistan
Unless British troops stay for the long haul, fighting may reignite. Britain should instead commit to Afghanistan for the long haul and send peacekeepers outside Kabul, where they could be of real use.

Analysis: Kabul's Loss
Analysis: Afghanistan desperately needs its exiled doctors, engineers and teachers to return. But those linked with the communist era are not welcome, writes Jonathan Steele.

Afghans Flee Hunger and Strife
As Afghanistan waits for western aid to materialise, humanitarian disaster is brewing, says Rory McCarthy.

Security fears in Kabul after new attack on British troops
Gunmen in Kabul opened fire on a patrol of British paratroopers, officials said yesterday as concern mounted about worsening security in the Afghan capital and throughout the country.

US Planes Bomb Afghan Opposition
The US is widening the war in Afghanistan, bombing tribal groups opposed to the central government as well as remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters. American aircraft have attacked groups engaged in skirmishes with forces loyal to the Hamid Karzai's government, near the southeastern...

Paras in Shooting Row Flown Home
Two of the six British soldiers who opened fire on a car carrying a pregnant Afghan woman to hospital, injuring her and killing her brother-in-law, were flown back to Britain yesterday for interrogation by military investigators. Officials last night confirmed that the two members of the...

Paras in Ambush Row
The reputation of Britain's peacekeeping force in Afghanistan was under threat last night after claims that a party of Afghans rushing a pregnant relative to hospital were shot at in an unprovoked attack by British troops which left one dead and four injured. The British military was...

Kabul Airport Killing 'part of Plot'
Afghan leader says pilgrims not to blame for murder of minister.

Afghans Achieve Another Post-war Goal
The grisly choice of venue was lost on no one, but Said Taher's "scissor-kick out of a fairytale" meant that after 23 years of war and general mayhem, Afghanistan finally had something to cheer about.

Karzai: Afghanistan Needs More Protection
During a meeting today in Kabul with the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, Afghanistan's interim president, Hamid Karzai, repeated his call for more international troops to protect his country, following the violent death of his tourism minister at the city's airport. Mr Karzai said the...

Misfired Flare Causes Fire at Us Base in Afghanistan
A misfired flare started a large fire tonight at the US base of operations in southern Afghanistan, as witnesses reported explosions for a second consecutive night. US troops protecting the base at Kandahar airport fired flares after spotting a vehicle with three passengers about 1.5km...

Second Night of Attacks on Us Base in Kandahar
The US military base at Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan appeared to come under attack again today, with witnesses reporting a large fire burning along the western perimeter of the base. For the second consecutive night, shooting and explosions were reported at the airport, where...

America's Imperial War
The liberals who backed the Afghan bombing are now lined up with rampant US militarism.

Afghans Are Still Dying As Air Strikes Go On. But No One is Counting
Bombing blunders and misleading information on the ground keep the civilian toll rising in Afghanistan. In a three-part investigation Guardian writers examine the unanswered questions of the war on terror. Today: How many innocent people are dying?

Email: Luke Harding@salang Tunnel
From Luke Harding at the Salang Tunnel, Afghanistan's highest road crossing.

I Think, Therefore I Am Off to Afghanistan
Some countries would appoint a parliamentary fact-finding mission. Others might ask a team of international aid experts. But to find out what war-torn Afghanistan needs most, France is sending a philosopher.

Amnesty Dismisses New Us Line on Captives
President George Bush has nominally dropped his insistence that the Geneva convention does not apply to Taliban soldiers captured in Afghanistan, but Amnesty International dismissed his move as virtually meaningless. The decision, announced last night as a plane carrying another 28...

Women's Title Launches in Kabul
3.15pm: The launch of a magazine for Afghan women is a major boost for freedom of speech in the country, writes Jessica Hodgson.

Walker Lindh's Lawyers Will Seek Prison Release
Lawyers representing John Walker Lindh, the US citizen captured with Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan, will today ask for him to be released from jail. A US magistrate, Curtis Sewell, will determine whether the US government can continue to hold the Muslim-convert in prison if, as his...

Aid Packages Ignore Starving Afghans
An Afghan father was forced to sell his 12-year-old daughter because his family was starving. For him, like so many others in remote Afghanistan, the billions in aid count for nothing.

Visiting Karzai Pleads for More Troops
Tony Blair yesterday welcomed Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, to a meeting of his cabinet and offered him all possible help with the reconstruction of his war-torn country.

Factional Fighting Threatens Afghan Stability
Heavy explosions, mortar and machine gun fire rocked an eastern Afghan town today in the worst factional fighting since the new government took power five weeks ago. At least 43 people were killed and dozens wounded, the two sides and hospital officials said. American warplanes circled...

Blair Reaffirms Commitment to Afghanistan
The prime minister, Tony Blair, today said that Britain had a "complete and continuing commitment" to Afghanistan, but made no mention of expanding Britain's role in the international peacekeeping force. Hamid Karzai, the country's interim leader, said an extension of the force was a...

Hamid Karzai Arrives in London
After receiving a warm welcome during his tour of the US, Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, flew into London this morning in advance of a meeting with the prime minister, Tony Blair. Mr Karzai was met at Heathrow airport by the foreign secretary, Jack Straw. The two men were...

Long after the air raids, bomblets bring more death
They are tiny, silent killers, dropped from the bellies of the American bombs that pulverised the Taliban defences, and striking long after the air war on Afghanistan has ended. At least 41 people have been killed and 46 injured in Herat and nearby villages by cluster bombs which did not...

Few women on the road to democracy
The highly delicate project of instaling a broad-based and representative government in Afghanistan moved a step forward yesterday with the naming of a commission to select the country's decision makers. The 21 people announced by the interim leader, Hamid Karzai, are charged with...

Afghan warlord loses touch with his fiefdom
He is the master of all he surveys in this most cultured city of Afghanistan: the diminutive warlord, Ismail Khan, or His Excellency as he prefers to be known nowadays. But for all the glory of past battles and escapades, disaffection has set in as Ismail Khan, who fought the Soviets and...

Intervention can bring change
Forget the Middle East for a moment, and ignore Kashmir. Take your eyes off the Pentagon's unfinished hunt for Osama bin Laden and the bombs which still fall on Afghanistan. So far this is a very good year for peace. Two of the world's longest wars have taken big strides towards a...

Kabul's £3bn aid package tied to democracy
Countries promising aid to Afghanistan gave warning at their conference in Tokyo yesterday that their $4.5bn (£3bn) vote of confidence in Hamid Karzai's interim government could be withdrawn as quickly as it was offered if the country did not make progress towards democracy. Sadako...

US gives way on prisoners
The US yesterday allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross to establish a permanent presence at the Camp X-Ray prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after complaints that the Pentagon had violated the Geneva conventions by its treatment of detainees from Afghanistan. The ICRC had...

$3bn in aid lays foundation for rebuilding
Aid donors slapped themselves on the back and Afghan's new leaders declared themselves thrilled yesterday as the international community pledged a bigger-than-expected $3bn (£2.1bn) downpayment on the bill to rebuild the war-ravaged nation. But the mood of euphoria at the...

Fresh wave of refugees flees new regime
For three weeks Mohammad Shapai, his wife and six children have slept outside on a freezing, dirty wasteland at the Pakistan border, among the thousands of refugees no one expected to see. Weeks after the Taliban fled their stronghold in southern Afghanistan and a new government was...

Afghanistan aid donors meet in Tokyo
Britain will pledge £200m over the next five years for the reconstruction of Afghanistan as donor nations gather in Tokyo today to thrash out how much and for how long the international community is willing to pay for peace. The UK is among more than 60 countries and global...

Gunmen hijack 40 tonnes of food from UN aid lorries
In a menacing sign of growing lawlessness in Afghanistan, two UN lorries carrying 40 tonnes of food aid were hijacked by gunmen while ferrying supplies to some of the 3m people in acute need in the country's north. It was the first time since the large-scale aid operation got under way...

Cash not compassion is what women need
Sima Samar is fed up. The minister of women's affairs has no office, budget or staff. She cannot afford her telephone bill and she is growing weary of western protestations of support for the oppressed women of Afghanistan. "Everybody promises me they are with me, but I'd like to ask...

Day 100: another raid in the bombing war without end
The rocket screeches low overhead, and the world stands still for a second before US munitions slam into an Afghan mud hut and the mountains shudder in a sickening explosion. It is a direct hit on this abandoned training camp of the Taliban and al-Qaida, a moment of pure terror for the Afghans of...

Fears for detainees mount
The US pressed ahead yesterday with its controversial policy of flying al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners from Afghanistan to a US naval compound at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Another 30 detainees boarded a transport plane bound for the island last night. Guarded by American troops with attack...

No let-up in US bombing
US forces kept up the pressure on eastern Afghanistan yesterday as the bombing campaign entered its fourth month. Warplanes bombed suspected al-Qaida training camps near Khost and special forces on the ground guided helicopters laden with troops to other training camps, said the Afghan...

Chase is on after Omar's great escape
American warplanes resumed bombing Afghanistan yesterday in the wake of Mullah Mohammad Omar's escape deeper into the mountains, an intelligence failure the US will try to rectify by interrogating its consolation prize: two senior officials, one each from the Taliban and al-Qaida. At...

US and Afghan forces pin down Mullah Omar
US and Afghan forces closed in on villages in the central highlands yesterday where the interim Afghan government claimed that the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, and about 1,500 supporters were making their last stand. General Tommy Franks, the US commander, said in ...

MP seeks air strike inquiry
The Labour MP Donald Anderson, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, has called for an inquiry into the reported death of more than 100 civilians in a US bombing raid on eastern Afghanistan. He said yesterday that a "massive failure of intelligence" appeared to have led to...

Close shave for a trigger-happy tribe
The perils of operating in Afghanistan have been drilled into the British peacekeepers, but Lance Corporal Mike James stood no chance when he was ambushed by one of the country's more volatile tribes yesterday. Strolling to his unit's outdoor bathroom under a midday sun, the 25-year-old...

US intensifies PoW interrogation
US troops have stepped up the transfer of al-Qaida suspects from Afghan custody to a base in Kandahar where they will be interrogated by FBI agents. A convoy from the Shibergan prison in northern Afghanistan moved a batch of prisoners from 14 different countries to a waiting plane which...

Kabul tries to cope with orphan influx
The arrival of peace has paradoxically prompted Afghan families to send their children on to the streets and into orphanages in record numbers, according to aid workers. In the past few weeks the number of children begging, hawking and stealing has grown dramatically while some...

British suspect held at Afghan border
The Foreign Office yesterday confirmed it was investigating reports that a Briton suspected of having links to the al-Qaida terrorist network was being held by authorities in Pakistan. The man, identified as James Alexander McLintock, was said to be travelling under a British passport...

The long march home begins
Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees are streaming home in the vanguard of what relief agencies say could be one of the biggest population movements of modern times. Convoys from Pakistan and Iran are returning families to villages and towns that they fled years ago, while those without...

Ministry calls for an end to US bombing
Elements within Afghanistan's new interim government challenged US authority yesterday for the first time by demanding a halt to bombing raids, saying they were no longer needed in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Mohammad Habeel, an Afghan defence ministry spokesman, suggested that the...

Deaths blamed on US blunder
US warplanes killed between 25 and 40 villagers and flattened houses yesterday when they bombed the home of a Taliban commander in eastern Afghanistan, according to reports from an adjacent area of Pakistan. The village of Naka, in the Afghan province of Paktika, was woken by explosions...

Afghan jailers beat confessions from men
Afghanistan's new authorities are brutalising Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners to soften them up before handing them over to American forces. Guards admitted yesterday to the Guardian that they routinely tortured inmates during interrogations to extract information, which was given to American...

Cabinet plans rebuilding of ravaged nation
Afghanistan's interim government held its first cabinet meeting yesterday, a day after its inauguration, to plan the rebuilding of a lawless, devastated country. Some ministers arrived with heavily armed bodyguards but Hamid Karzai, the local leader plucked from obscurity to head the...

Political fury but popular relief as first British peacekeepers fly in
A vanguard of British peacekeepers arrived in Afghanistan last night hours after political leaders in Kabul signalled that they were not welcome and should avoid meddling. Fifty-three Royal Marines landed at Bagram air base, 25 miles north of Kabul, to pave the way for an estimated 1,500...

MPs demand that aid workers be protected from violence
International laws to protect aid workers from intimidation and thuggery will be proposed today by an influential committee of British MPs in the wake of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The MPs believe attacks on humanitarian workers should be an offence under criminal law and be...

Call grows to ban cluster bombs
Britain is under growing pressure to ban cluster bombs, used in Kosovo and recently by the US in Afghanistan. A moratorium on their use is being sought by campaigners this week at a UN conference in Geneva, convened to boost the international convention on weapons "deemed to be...

Berlin opens rift over peace force
A row pitting Germany against Britain and the US on the command structure of peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan is threatening to hold up a United Nations resolution on the force due at the weekend. Germany objects to Britain's proposal to link a UN security force operation with the...

Bagram: an airport, but not as we know it
They call him the Dune Buggy and he is the master of earth and sky. Other planes, carrying diplomats, generals and statesmen, know better than to challenge a pilot convinced that Afghanistan is his personal domain. His twin-propeller Antonov appears without warning, swoops on to the...

Low-key role for peacekeepers
The British-led international security force in Afghanistan will have a limited role and will be prevented from escorting aid convoys or disarming the local population, diplomatic sources said in Kabul last night. The so-called International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will be...

The positives of peace outweigh the rest
Osama bin Laden has slipped away with less lust for meeting his quota of celestial virgins than he urged upon his hapless followers. Tora Bora, the last of those "impregnable" Afghan fastnesses, has fallen with speed despite paths up which even goats feared to tread. The war is over and now only a...

Pashtuns have Omar cornered 'and will lynch him'
Afghan forces have tracked down the Taliban's supreme leader to a mountain redoubt in southern Afghanistan and will lynch him after wiping out his diehard followers, an intelligence chief said yesterday. Pashtun troops will mobilise within days to surround Mullah Mohammed Omar's...

EU countries to send troops
Britain's leading role in the planned international stabilisation force for Afghanistan will be bolstered by support from at least eight members of the EU, it emerged last night. Several hundred British troops are expected to fly into Bagram airbase, north of Kabul, next week. They will...

New president arrives in Kabul
Afghanistan's fragile new deal took a step forward yesterday when Hamid Karzai, head of the interim government, entered Kabul for the beginning of what may be the capital's first peaceful transfer of power for decades. Mr Karzai landed at Bagram airport shortly after midnight, went to...

Leaders gather for EU's great debate
EU leaders gather in Brussels today to begin a great debate on the future of the union at their last summit before the euro replaces 12 national currencies, marking a deeper stage of integration. Concerned about Afghanistan, the Middle East and the world economy, Tony Blair and fellow...

'Traitor' warns of new attack on US
The United States sent more intelligence officers to a desert prison in Afghanistan yesterday to interrogate a Californian hip-hop fan-turned Taliban guerrilla who says that America faces a new terrorist attack within days. John Walker, the 20-year-old son of a well-to-do lawyer from San...

Hopes of surrender fade after US strikes
Senior Afghan mojahedin commanders in the mountains of Tora Bora accused the US military last night of scuppering a surrender agreement with cornered al-Qaida fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden. Mojahedin troops on the ground reported yesterday seeing dozens of armed American and British...

Torturous concerns
There have been plenty of opportunities in Los Angeles over the past few weeks to learn about the conduct of the war, the dangers of bioterrorism and the future of Afghanistan; just to name a few of the subjects that have been given an airing in well-attended public meetings in the city. Lots of...

Tortuous concerns
There have been plenty of opportunities in Los Angeles over the past few weeks to learn about the conduct of the war, the dangers of bioterrorism and the future of Afghanistan; just to name a few of the subjects that have been given an airing in well-attended public meetings in the city. Lots of...

No UK troops until Kabul's stance is clear
Britain is willing to send troops for a leading role in a UN-sponsored stabilisation force for Afghanistan, Tony Blair confirmed yesterday after talks in London with the American secretary of state, Colin Powell. But while the US and the UN are pressing him to make a quick decision, the...

'Daisy cutter' dropped on caves
The US dropped a 15,000lb "daisy cutter" bomb on the entrance of a cave at Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan yesterday in an attempt to flush out senior al-Qaida leadership, possibly including Osama bin Laden, thought to be hiding inside. A spokesman, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem, said...

Fighting the wrong war
The toppling of the Taliban may eventually prove to be the best thing to have happened in Afghanistan for a decade. But it was not an initial aim of the US-led war. In the wake of their departure from Kandahar, that point cannot be stressed enough, before the drumbeat of triumpalism deafens us all...

Warlords back new government
Hamid Karzai, the new Afghan leader, received a boost last night when rival groups reportedly reached agreement on the future of Kandahar, and a rebel Northern Alliance warlord endorsed Kabul's power-sharing government. The deals raised hopes of a reduction in factional fighting as the...

Relief aid pours in as bridge reopens after four years
A train packed with humanitarian aid crossed into Afghanistan along the Friendship Bridge from neighbouring Uzbekistan yesterday, to the delight of relief agencies, who have been campaigning for the frontier to be opened. With millions of people in Afghanistan at risk of starvation as...

British-led peacekeeping force poised to go in
British paratroopers are ready to fly into Kabul within the next week as part of a British-led international peacekeeping force to support the interim Afghan administration, defence sources said yesterday. Though Britain had yet to be asked by the UN, it is likely it will provide the...

Peacekeepers must be in Kabul in two weeks
An international force must be deployed in Kabul before the interim government takes office in Afghanistan in two weeks time, the head of UN peacekeeping said yesterday. The force would be authorised by the security council but not under UN command, Jean-Marie Guehenno told a London...

Warlord's boycott exposes cracks in regime
Afghanistan's historic power-sharing government faced its first crisis yesterday when a powerful Northern Alliance warlord announced that he would boycott the new administration and block access to large areas of the north under his control.

A day after rival parties agreed in Bonn to...

Defeated leader in last bid for freedom
Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban's elusive supreme leader, hopes to ensure his survival by surrendering to Pashtun elders in Kandahar rather than to the new Afghan leader, Hamad Karzai. In a final show of defiance as the Taliban crumbled after five years, the militia insisted that it would...

Britain may command peacekeepers
Britain could command an international peacekeeping force being formed for Afghanistan in response to a request from the post-Taliban government, it was revealed yesterday. Though diplomats said no decisions had yet been taken on the size or composition of the United Nations-sponsored...

The Middle East must top the agenda after Kandahar
The contrast between the American bombs that are falling around Kandahar and the Israeli missiles which have battered Gaza is a sharp one. In the first case, the use of force is hastening the end of the war in Afghanistan and, as a provisional government emerges, also helping toward a political...

For now, the military goes on hold
The alarming prospect that, post-Afghanistan, George Bush will again resort to military means in prosecuting a wider "war on terrorism" against other countries is receding, at least for now. The bellicose, anti-Saddam drumbeat in Washington is loud and unmistakable. But alive to the immense,...

US accused of killing over 100 villagers in air strike
Fresh controversy over American bombing flared last night after Afghans claimed more than 100 people died in an air strike. US officials hotly denied that any civilians died during the attack against what it said was an al-Qaida compound from which surface-to-air missiles had been fired. Reports...

Peacekeeping deal limits role of foreign troops
Britain yesterday bowed to Afghan demands to water down a multinational peacekeeping force by agreeing to restrict its role and authority. Weeks of wrangling between military officials on both sides ended with a deal that will allow up to 4,500 peacekeepers to enter Kabul, but they will be in...

Afghan Myths - An Interview with Anssi Kullberg
The Taliban was not a creation of Pakistan, although Pakistan was among several states that contributed to the genesis and development of this peculiar movement. It is true that the Taliban (which was established only as late as in 1994 as a religious movement) had a significant influx from Pakistani madrassas. But the Taliban is not only an extreme religious movement, but also an ethnic Pashtun one.