Afghanistan

Lawyers For Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales To Ask For Leniency

12:43pm August 22, 2013

by Martin Kaste

The sentencing hearing for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales continues near Tacoma, Wash. He's pleaded guilty to attacking two Afghan villages last year, massacring 16 men, women and children. Because of the guilty plea, Bales is guaranteed a life sentence. The only question is whether he'll have a chance at parole.

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Zang-e-Khatar, or Danger Bell, makes fun of government officials and other powerful figures in Afghanistan. Cast members are shown performing a skit during a taping of the show.

World News

Despite Many Threats, Afghan TV Satire Mocks The Powerful

9:10pm July 23, 2013

by Sean Carberry

Afghanistan's top political comedy sketch show mocks aspects of day-to-day life in hopes of shaming the government to clean up its act. The cast of Zang-e-Khatar, or Danger Bell, has tackled everything from corruption to bad roads, and they've received death threats for doing it.

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Afghan soldiers take positions following a clash with Taliban fighters on the outskirts of the eastern city of Jalalabad on July 7. The U.S. is trying to organize peace talks, but the latest effort has been put on hold while the fighting continues.

Despite Repeated Tries, Afghan Peace Efforts Still Sputter

4:48pm July 20, 2013

by Sean Carberry

The latest effort, like others before it, has gone nowhere. With American combat troops planning to leave by the end of next year, the opportunities for peace talks are dwindling.

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Scot Paltrow is a special enterprise correspondent for Reuters.

Investigation Reveals A Military Payroll Rife With Glitches

4:29pm July 16, 2013

A new investigative report from Reuters special enterprise correspondent Scot Paltrow details how the antiquated and error-ridden payroll system for the U.S. military is erroneously cutting soldiers' paychecks and causing terrible hardship.

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Photos depict scenes at the $34 million command center in Camp Leatherneck, completed in November. U.S. troops will never use the facility, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction says.

'A $34 Million Waste Of The Taxpayers' Money' In Afghanistan

6:22pm July 11, 2013

by Bill Chappell

A new U.S. facility in Afghanistan offers 64,000 square feet of space for more than 1,000 military personnel. Finished last November, it cost tens of millions of dollars. It will never be used for its intended purpose, a military inspector says, and it could be demolished.

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ANA soldiers plot coordinates on a map with the help of their American trainers.

From Front-Line Soldier To Trainer, An Afghan Odyssey

3:55pm July 05, 2013

by Tom Bowman

Sgt. Chris Cunningham has served five tours in Afghanistan, surviving some of the past decade's most horrific fighting. These days, his excitement about war has been replaced by a grim wisdom — and the heavy responsibility of teaching Afghan soldiers and honoring fallen comrades.

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National

American Soldier Pleads Guilty In Afghan Massacre

10:26pm July 03, 2013

Army Sgt. Robert Bales pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing 16 Afghan civilians in a nighttime massacre. Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Martin Kaste, who listened to Sgt. Bales recount the killings at a military court hearing in Washington state. Bales has struck a deal with prosecutors that will spare him the death penalty.

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World News

Afghanistan's Next Generation Wants Taliban Held Accountable

12:28pm July 01, 2013

NATO troops pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, leaving some Afghans concerned about security. The withdrawal of foreign troops also opens up multiple chances for a successful democracy. A new generation is emerging in Afghanistan that is more educated, more connected with the world and more hopeful about the future than previous generations. Renee Montagne talks to with Shaharzad Akbar, chairperson for Afghanistan 1400; and Haseeb Humayoon, founding partner and director of QARA Consulting.

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A soldier from the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, Manchus, looks toward the tree line through his rifle scope while on a foot patrol to visit Afghan Local Police in the Panjwai District of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. Panjwai is one o

World News

Friction Among Afghans A Threat To Post-U.S. Mission

3:48pm June 25, 2013

by Tom Bowman

By this time next year, there will be roughly half as many U.S. troops in Afghanistan as there are today. And for U.S. strategy in the country to work, Afghan security forces will have to hold off the Taliban after the Americans leave. But it's unclear if the Afghans will all stand together.

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10 Things to Know for Tuesday June 25, 2013

8:40am June 25, 2013

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: