KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that recent military offensives against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan had gained momentum but that a reconciliation effort proposed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai was unlikely in the near term to cause senior Taliban leaders to lay down...
photo: US DoD / Cherie Cullen
Filed at 3:02 a.m. ET FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a hard-hit battle unit Tuesday that its heavy losses have helped the U.S. begin to push back against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. Gates visited a small, remote outpost 30...
photo: US DoD / Cherie Cullen
BAGHDAD - Turnout in Iraq's parliamentary election was 62 percent, higher than in last year's provincial ballot, despite attempts by Sunni Islamist insurgents to disrupt the vote with attacks that killed 39, officials said on Monday. Preliminary results were not expected for another day or two in a...
photo: US Army / Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
Ex-US president George W Bush has asked David Cameron to try to get the Ulster Unionists to back devolution of justice and policing in Northern Ireland. The NI Assembly is due to vote on the transfer of the powers from Westminster, a day after the UUP confirmed it would reject it. The Conservatives...
photo: White House / Eric Draper
Early estimates from a range of Iraqi parties yesterday predicted a coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would take the lead in the parliamentary election, though official results are not expected for a few days. A win by Mr Maliki could signal Iraqis' rejection of the religious parties...
photo: WN / Jamal Penjweny