Afghanistan

An Afghan child writes on a blackboard at a school built by German troops in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif. The number of students enrolled in Afghan schools has skyrocketed since the fall of the Taliban at the end of 2001.

World News

Are Afghanistan's Schools Doing As Well As Touted?

6:25pm October 24, 2013

Under the Taliban, 1 million Afghan boys and very few girls went to school. Now, 10 million students are enrolled, 40 percent of them female. But on any given day, a much smaller number actually shows up for class. What's more, there are shortages of classrooms, books and qualified teachers.

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World News

The New And The Next: Punk Rock Love, A Sensible Scary Movie

10:30pm October 19, 2013

by NPR Staff

As Halloween approaches, Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR's Arun Rath about a a viral video that pokes fun at everything we've come to expect from horror films.

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Secretary of State John Kerry flies over Afghanistan on Oct. 11. He met with President Hamid Karzai to work out an agreement on U.S. presence in the country.

Kerry Says He Hopes Syria's Chemical Weapons Are Shipped Out Of Region

2:11pm October 17, 2013

by Dana Farrington

Weapons inspectors are still in Syria assessing the country's stockpile and how to destroy it. It's unclear where the weapons would go if they were sent abroad, but there are signs that such a move is under consideration.

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Dekle First Female President At An Iraqi University

5:06am October 02, 2013

Dawn Dekle has made a career out of running schools in conflict zones. She is the newest president of the American University of Iraq. Previously, she was provost of the American University of Afghanistan. Renee Montagne talks to Dekle about her unique work.

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National

Marine Generals Forced To Retire A Year After Taliban Attack

6:35am October 01, 2013

Two Marine Corps generals have been asked to resign over an incident in Afghanistan a year ago. Taliban insurgents made their way onto a sprawling base and attacked NATO forces. Two Americans died and six Marine fighter jets were destroyed. The two generals reprimanded in the matter were found to bear responsibility for underestimating the threat to base security.

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Arefa with Jami Valentine (left) and Staci Freeman. Arefa, who first stayed with the sisters while receiving medical care last year, came back to the U.S. this summer for follow-up treatment.

A Young Afghan War Survivor Touches Two American Lives

8:38pm September 23, 2013

by Gloria Hillard

Last year, two sisters took in Arefa, a badly burned Afghan girl, while she received medical treatment in the U.S. The sisters were ecstatic to host a goofier and wigglier Arefa during a return visit this summer, but they say the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may make future reunions difficult.

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Pakistan, Iraq See Uptick In Suicide Bombings

10:35am September 23, 2013

To try to understand what's behind the rise in gruesome attacks, Steve Inskeep talks to Vali Nasr, who is the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has served as a senior adviser to the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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Afghan soldiers and contractors are taught about the workings of a diesel-powered electrical generator at Forward Operating Base Nolay in Helmand province.

World News

How To Build An Afghan Army, In A Million Difficult Steps

12:57pm September 09, 2013

by Sean Carberry

As the deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan approaches, Afghans have taken over the lead combat role in places like restive Helmand province. But U.S. forces are still engaged in major training efforts to make sure the Afghan-led security is sustainable.

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U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ty Michael Carter near Dahla Dam, Afghanistan in July 2012.

Pain, Loss And Tears Come With Medal Of Honor

4:04pm August 26, 2013

by Doreen McCallister

Staff Sergeant Ty Michael Carter received the nation's highest military honor. He feels privileged, but says "I would never tell any soldier or service member, 'Hey, go out and get the Medal of Honor', because of the amount of pain and loss and tears that has to be shed in order to receive it."

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Afghanistan and Pakistan, countries that have a history of tense relations, played their first soccer match in nearly 40 years when they met Aug. 20 in Kabul. Afghanistan (in red) won 3-0.

World News

For Pakistan And Afghanistan, Soccer As Reconciliation

5:03am August 26, 2013

by Sean Carberry

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been tense for years. A recent soccer game seemed to ease the friction, at least temporarily.

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