Afghanistan

Gazette Excerpt: No Break For The Wounded

Dave Philipps — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Modern medicine saved Sgt. Jerrald Jensen when he was injured in combat. Decades-old disciplinary rules awaited when he returned home.

Afghan Parliament Halts Debate On Women's Rights Bill

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

After protests from some MPs and after only about 15 minutes, the Afghan parliament halted debate Saturday on a bill aimed at curbing violence against women.

As the BBC reports, the bill would have solidified a law passed by presidential decree in 2009, which banned "violence against women, child marriages and forced marriages."

Supporters of the bill wanted to bring it before parliament to make it more permanent.

Afghan Mineral Treasures Stay Buried, Hostages To Uncertainty

Sean Carberry — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:28:23 +0000

For years, reports have suggested that Afghanistan is sitting on massive deposits of copper, gold, iron and rare earth minerals valued up to $3 trillion. This provides hope for a future economy that would not have to rely so heavily on foreign donations.

But with an uncertain political, regulatory and security environment, international investors are hesitant. And it could be many years before Afghanistan begins extracting its mineral wealth.

The Afghan Geological Survey office in Kabul is one of the few agencies in the country that measure up to international standards. Here, a U.S.

At Least 13 Dead, Including Americans, After Attack In Kabul

Mark Memmott — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:27:00 +0000

Early casualty reports indicate that a powerful suicide car bombing Thursday in Kabul killed at least seven Afghan civilians, four foreign civilian contractors who were working for international forces and two members of the international military force.

Dozens more people were reportedly injured by the blast in Afghanistan's capital city.

Officially, the NATO-led Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is only saying at this time that two of its service members and

U.S. Hands Over Nation-Building Projects To Afghans

Sean Carberry — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

On a sunny spring day in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province, Afghan officials and U.S. troops and civilians gather inside the ancient mud fort in the center of Forward Operating Base Gardez. They're attending a ceremony marking the formal end of the work of the provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

As the international military presence in Afghanistan draws down, so too are these small units, which often consist of dozens of military personnel along with a few civilians.