Taliban

The killing of 16 civilians in Afghanistan this week was a tragedy. But pulling U.S. troops back from the local populace would be a mistake.

Diplomat contributor Robert Dreyfuss shares his views on Hamid Karzai’s call for U.S. troops to leave outposts.

Hamid Karzai calls for U.S. troop activities to be confined to bases as the Taliban says it is halting talks.

A new Afghan commando-style unit has scored another success. But it still relies on help from ISAF.

The killing at the weekend of 16 civilians by a lone U.S. soldier will have further undermined public trust.

Even as the U.S. looks to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, it’s still worth asking what could be done better.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Pakistan’s sweeping legislation for the troubled border areas is too broad – and only likely to fuel the discontent it is meant to quell.

U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan won’t be able to kill their way to victory. But they may be able to choke off the insurgency.

ISAF has worked to reintegrate Taliban fighters back into society. Distrust and history are complicating things.

The timing of the leak of last week’s report on interrogations of Taliban members was suspicious. But NATO will have to get used to efforts to sow discord.

President Obama’s admission of drone strikes in Pakistan was telling. They may, however, not be very effective.

Will Afghan security forces be able to cope after the U.S. withdrawal? Ensuring supplies will be a concern.