Gates Urges NATO To Take On Afghan Drug Traffickers
(Washington Post)…Peter Finn
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on NATO allies Thursday to target Afghanistan’s drug traffickers as part of a wider effort to confront a resurgent Taliban, which he said is using heroin money to fund the insurgency.
Gates Says US Talks With Taliban Conceivable
(Financial Times)…James Blitz, October 10, 2008
Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said on Thursday night that Washington could “ultimately” contemplate the idea of negotiating with the Taliban to secure a political settlement in Afghanistan, if the Afghan government were to pursue such talks.
Gates: Political Reconciliation With Parts Of Taliban May Be Possible
(Mideast Stars and Stripes)…Jeff Schogol October 10, 2008
…But Gates said some allies voiced concerns that taking on such a mission would put NATO troops at risk and absolve the Afghan government fighting the drug lords. NATO officials planned to discuss the matter further on Friday morning, he said.
Pentagon Sees Reconciliation With Taliban, Not Qaeda
(Reuters.com)…Kristin Roberts, Reuters, Oct 9, 2008.
…Gates said reconciliation would be the political end to the conflict in Afghanistan, but it must happen on the Afghan government’s terms and the Taliban must commit to subject itself to the sovereignty of the government.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Is Gloomy On Afghanistan
(New York Times)…Eric Schmitt, October 10, 2008
With security and economic conditions in Afghanistan already in dire straits, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that the situation there would probably only worsen next year.
Mullen Urges New Strategy On Taliban
(Washington Times)…Sara A. Carter, October 10, 2008
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that U.S.-led forces are “not going to be able to kill our way to victory in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and a new strategy is needed to suppress a resurgent Taliban movement before it’s too late.
Joint Chiefs Head: ‘Enablers’ Needed In Troop-Scarce Afghanistan
(Christian Science Monitor)…Gordon Lubold, October 10, 2008
The Pentagon’s top officer is pushing to get more helicopters, remote control aircraft, and other “enablers” to Afghanistan to make up for what remains a shortage of American troops there.
U.S. Plans To Train Afghanistan Tribal Militias
(Los Angeles Times)…Julian E. Barnes, October 10, 2008
Confronting the prospect of failure after seven years in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is crafting a new strategy that is likely to expand the power and reach of that country’s tribal militias while relying less on the increasingly troubled central government.
Financial Crisis Will Not Detract From Taliban Fight, Says John Hutton
(London Daily Telegraph)…Rosa Prince
…His plea for more equipment as well as troops, was echoed at the meeting by Robert Gates, the US defence secretary. Germany has announced to increase its troops in Afghanistan, but rejected Washington’s request to station them in the south, where most of the combat action takes place.
Brother Of Afghan President To Give Up Seat In Parliament
(New York Times)…Timoor Shah, October 10, 2008
An older brother of President Hamid Karzai who has one of the worst attendance records in Afghanistan’s Parliament said Thursday that he was giving up his legislative seat. The brother, Abdul Qayum Karzai, cited kidney problems as the cause.
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