August 27, 2008
U.N. Says 90 Civilians Killed in Afghan Airstrike
The United Nations has found "convincing evidence" that 90 civilians were killed in a U.S. airstrike in western Afghanistan last week that prompted the Afghan government to demand more accountability from U.S. and NATO forces.

August 19, 2008
Coordinated Insurgent Attack Near Kabul Kills 10 French Soldiers
A group of French paratroopers was ambushed by a group of 100 Taliban-linked insurgents outside Kabul late Monday, killing 10 soldiers and wounding 21 others as a wave of attacks against foreign forces continues to rock Afghanistan.

August 18, 2008
Suicide Attack in Afghanistan Kills at Least 10
The Taliban took responsibility for an attack Monday in which a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into the gate of the main U.S. military base in southeastern Afghanistan, killing 10 people and wounding 13.

August 11, 2008
Coalition Air Strikes in Afghanistan Stoke Tensions Over Civilian Death Toll
A U.S.-led air strike in Afghanistan killed 25 Taliban fighters on Sunday but also took the lives of eight bystanders held hostage by the militants, media reports said Monday, highlighting tensions over the civilian toll in the Afghan war.

July 17, 2008
Air Raid Kills 15 Insurgents in Afghanistan
Airstrikes coordinated by U.S. special forces and Afghan troops against militants in western Afghanistan killed 15 insurgents and freed 15 hostages Thursday, officials said.

July 14, 2008
In Afghanistan, Troop Deaths Highlight Instability
On Sunday, Taliban militants waged the deadliest assault on U.S. and NATO troops in three years, highlighting the challenge of the ongoing armed conflict. A New York Times Magazine reporter and a counterinsurgency expert measure the complexity of the conflict.

July 11, 2008
Afghan Legal Reforms Run Afoul of Tribal Codes, Corruption
Afghanistan's central government has worked to improve its legal system for years, but tribal justice traditions, especially in rural areas, and corruption from within are proving to be significant hurdles.

July 7, 2008
41 Killed in Indian Embassy Blast in Afghan Capital
A suicide bomber ignited a car bomb Monday outside India's embassy in Afghanistan, killing 41 and injuring 139. The casualties included an Indian defense attache, a diplomat as well as two embassy guards and six Afghan police officers.

July 4, 2008
U.S. Attack Kills 22 Civilians, Local Officials Claim
A U.S.-led airstrike killed 22 civilians in Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan province local officials said on Friday. American officials said the targets had been insurgents attacking their soldiers.

July 2, 2008
Antiquities Exhibit Illuminates Ancient Afghan Trading
A museum exhibit of ancient Afghan art demonstrates the country's rich and diverse culture. Jeffrey Brown visits the relics that have survived the tumult of recent history in Afghanistan.

June 27, 2008
Resurgent Taliban May Step Up Afghan Attacks, Pentagon Says
A report released by the Pentagon Friday showed growing instability in Afghanistan and a continuing rise in Taliban forces. A reporter and a regional expert size up new security threats and discuss the new report.

Defense Department documents:
Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan (PDF)
United States Plan for Sustaining the Afghanistan National Security Forces (PDF)

June 18, 2008
NATO, Afghan Troops Clash With Taliban Fighters
Afghan and NATO forces, backed by helicopter gunships, moved into villages outside Kandahar on Wednesday, killing at least 36 suspected Taliban fighters as part of an assault on insurgents holed up in the valley in southern Afghanistan.

June 12, 2008
Donors Pledge $15 Billion for Afghan Rebuilding
The international community pledged more than $15 billion in aid to Afghanistan at a donors' conference in Paris Thursday, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai promised to fight corruption that has hindered past aid efforts.

June 9, 2008
Attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan Highlight Instability
The newly elected government in Pakistan is being confronted with a rise in insurgent attacks and a Taliban that is increasing in strength along the volatile Afghan border. Two experts discuss the latest outbreaks of violence.

April 30, 2008
Afghan Forces Target Taliban in Kabul in Latest Bout of Unrest
Afghan security forces engaged in a firefight with Taliban fighters in the capital city of Kabul Wednesday, blowing up a home and reportedly killing two militants and a woman and child inside. Two analysts assess the security situation in Afghanistan.

April 28, 2008
Afghan President Escapes Assassination Attempt
Afghan security officials on Monday hunted for suspects in the attempted assassination of President Hamid Karzai during an attack that killed three people.

April 1, 2008
Reporter Profiles Army Unit in Remote Afghan Outpost
In the fall of 2007, New York Times Magazine contributing writer Elizabeth Rubin and photographer Lynsey Addario shadowed U.S. forces in the Korengal Valley in northeastern Afghanistan, an area along the Pakistani border known for its insurgency. Jeffrey Brown talks to Rubin about her experiences and the tough decisions commanders have to make every day in war zones.

Slide Show: View a selection of Addario's photographs from Afghanistan. Warning: Some photos contain graphic imagery.

Read Elizabeth Rubin's answers to your questions in this Insider Forum. And see her full article in the New York Times Magazine.

February 18, 2008
Two Days of Attacks Leave Over 100 Dead in Afghanistan
A suicide car bomber plowed into a Canadian military convoy, killing 37 people at a busy market in southern Afghanistan on Monday, a day after a bomber blew himself up at a dog fight outside Kandahar, leaving more than 100 people dead.

February 7, 2008
Afghan War Troop Levels Strain NATO Alliance
NATO is struggling to remain unified over the war in Afghanistan after the United States raised concerns that some members of the Western alliance were not willing to let their troops "fight and die" to defeat the Taliban.

January 31, 2008
Afghan Politician, 8 Others Die in Suicide Attacks
Two suicide bombers killed themselves and seven others in separate attacks Thursday in Afghanistan. Among the dead was the deputy governor of the southern Helmand province, who was attending afternoon prayers at a mosque.

January 28, 2008
Canada Threatens Troop Pullout from Afghanistan
Canada will pull its 2,500 troops out of Afghanistan in early 2009 unless NATO adds soldiers in the dangerous southern region, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday, signaling Ottawa has lost patience with what it sees as allies' foot-dragging.

January 14, 2008
Bold Suicide Attack on Kabul Hotel Kills 6
Four heavily armed militants attacked a hotel popular with foreigners in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday, killing at least six people in a brazen Taliban-backed attack apparently targeted at Western workers, witnesses and a Taliban spokesman said.

January 10, 2008
U.S. Considers Adding 3,000 Marines to Fight in Afghanistan
The Pentagon is preparing to send at least 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan to bolster efforts to thwart another expected Taliban offensive in the spring, military officials said.

December 10, 2007
NATO, Afghan Troops Face Entrenched Taliban Forces
Army Gen. Dan McNeill, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, discusses efforts to combat Taliban fighters. Two guests -- journalist Ahmed Rashid and Norine MacDonald, president of the think tank Senlis Council -- follow up with their take on the security situation.

August 29, 2007
Hostage Release Highlights Negotiations with Taliban
The Taliban released 12 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan on Wednesday, and another seven may be freed Thursday. A political scientist and a former CIA official discuss the challenges of negotiating with the Taliban.

August 6, 2007
President Bush Confers with Karzai on Taliban Resurgence
President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Monday to discuss the resurgence of the Taliban and how to deal with growing violence in Afghanistan.

July 26, 2007
Kidnappings Reflect Continuing Rise of Taliban
A South Korean envoy headed to Afghanistan Wednesday, hoping to win the release of 22 South Korean hostages taken by the Taliban last week. One hostage was killed Tuesday. Experts talk about the status of the fighters.

July 5, 2007
Women's Combat Roles Evolving in Iraq, Afghanistan
Although U.S. military policy prevents women from taking certain war zone assignments, they are increasingly filling dangerous jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan. An author, Army sergeant and retired Navy captain discuss the changing role of women in combat.

June 18, 2007
At Least 100 Killed in Afghanistan Violence; 7 Children Dead in U.S.-led Airstrike
Fighting in southern Afghanistan has resulted in at least 100 deaths in the past three days, Afghan officials said Monday, just hours after coalition forces reported seven children were killed Sunday in a coalition airstrike aimed at al-Qaida members.

May 31, 2007
Drug Conflict Complicates Efforts to Stabilize Afghanistan
Seven NATO soldiers died Wednesday in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, the region where Taliban insurgents and NATO forces have clashed repeatedly in recent months. Experts discuss the violence there and the Taliban's connection to the lucrative poppy growing industry in the country.

May 14, 2007
Senior Taliban Commander Killed in Afghanistan
The Afghan government and NATO have confirmed that Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah was killed during a U.S.-led operation in southern Afghanistan Saturday night. Dadullah was the Taliban's chief military planner and the most senior leader killed since the Taliban regime was overthrown in 2001.

May 2, 2007
Karzai Denounces Reported Civilian Deaths from U.S., NATO Raids
Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared Wednesday that his government could not tolerate the continuing civilian deaths caused by international military operations, even as thousands protested his government and the U.S. presence.

April 20, 2007
Military Forces in Afghanistan Combat Resurgent Taliban
NATO and Afghan forces are launching operations aimed at pre-empting a springtime offensive by Taliban militants. Alex Thomson of Independent Television News reports on their efforts.

April 12, 2007
Democrats Criticize Military Tour Extensions
Following an announcement from the Pentagon that tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan will be extended from 12 months to 15 months, Democratic lawmakers again criticized President Bush's war policy.

February 27, 2007
Bombing at U.S. Base in Afghanistan Kills at Least 23
A suicide bomber struck the main entrance to a U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, Tuesday during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, killing at least 23 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing and said Cheney was the target, although the claim could not be verified.

February 15, 2007
President Bush Presses NATO for More Troops in Afghanistan
President George Bush called on NATO nations Thursday to send more soldiers to Afghanistan and loosen restrictions on the use of troops already in the country. During a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Mr. Bush emphasized the need for continued efforts in Afghanistan against resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida militants, citing 2006 as the most violent year in the country since the U.S. invasion.

January 17, 2007
Former NATO Commander Cites Progress in Afghanistan
Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, the former commandant of the Marine Corps and until recently the top commander of NATO, discusses the possibility of increasing NATO troops in Afghanistan where 24,000 U.S. soldiers are now serving, 11,000 of these under NATO command.

December 5, 2006
Fierce Fighting Threatens Afghanistan Mission
British troops, which make up the bulk of NATO forces, were forced to retreat in a fierce battle Tuesday against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. Barnett Rubin of New York University and Ali Jalali of the National Defense University discuss the state of Afghanistan.

November 20, 2006
Illicit Drug Trade Fuels Afghan Economy
Alex Thomson of Independent Television News follows the opium trail in Afghanistan from the poppy fields in the south to the smugglers' routes across the border into Iran.

November 17, 2006
Drug Trade, Resurgent Taliban Fuel Attacks in Afghanistan
Funded largely by a flourishing drug trade, Taliban fighters have stepped up their attacks on Afghan and international forces, killing more than 300 people a month on average in Afghanistan.

November 16, 2006
NATO Forces Face Taliban Fighters in Southern Afghanistan
Five years after coalition forces ousted the Taliban government in Afghanistan, NATO forces are battling a growing resurgence of Taliban fighters, particularly in the southern province of Helmand. Kylie Morris of Independent Television News provides a report.

October 26, 2006
Afghan Civilians Killed During NATO Raid
Upwards of 60 civilians were killed during a NATO-led bombing campaign against Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to local officials there. NATO, however, contended that a preliminary review showed 12 civilian deaths.

October 20, 2006
Remote U.S. Military Base in Kyrgyzstan Feels Impact of Fighting in Afghanistan
Residents of a Kyrgyzstan military base that serves as a stopover point en route to the war in Afghanistan live in a nether region where the fighting can feel very distant, and yet the deceased bodies of American soldiers continue to come through. The report comes from the News 21 Project, a collaboration of journalism graduate programs.

October 10, 2006
Five Years After the Invasion, Life in Afghanistan is More Complicated
Washington Post correspondent Pamela Constable, who has covered Afghanistan for more than a decade, offers her insight into the growing tension.

October 3, 2006
Taliban Resurgence Marks Five Years Since U.S.-led Invasion
In a special report, PBS's Frontline looks at one of the major obstacles facing the government of President Hamid Karzai, the resurgence of the Taliban along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

September 8, 2006
Taliban, Security Forces Clash in Afghanistan
Fighting between Taliban and NATO forces has been increasing in parts of Afghanistan. A reporter talks about how the country has changed in the five years since the Taliban were removed from power.

September 5, 2006
NATO Troops Kill, Surround Dozens of Militants in Afghanistan
NATO forces killed between 50 and 60 Taliban militants in Afghanistan on Tuesday as a part of a new military offensive, and surrounded 700 others in the southern part of the country.

August 3, 2006
Daily Attacks Mar NATO Takeover of Southern Afghanistan
Attacks against NATO forces in southern Afghanistan killed 21 civilians and four Canadian troops Thursday.

July 29, 20
NATO Faces Difficult Task of Securing Afghanistan
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization officially expands its mission Monday to the restive southern region of Afghanistan, the alliance must try to stabilize an area in the midst of an insurgency orchestrated by the Taliban fighters.

July 18, 2006
U.S., Afghan Forces Aim to Reclaim Areas Controlled by Taliban
U.S. and Afghan officials said Tuesday that they will launch "decisive operations" to oust Taliban forces from strongholds set up in several towns in southern Afghanistan.

May 22, 2006
Coalition Air Strike Kills 80 Taliban Rebels in Afghanistan
A U.S.-led coalition air strike killed up to 80 Taliban rebels and 16 civilians in the Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, U.S. military and Afghan officials said Monday.

May 19, 2006
Top Militants Captured as Violence Soars in Afghanistan
Afghan officials reported Friday that three top militant fighters were captured during one of the deadliest weeks in Afghanistan that saw more than 100 people killed.

March 29, 2006
Christian Convert Flees Afghanistan, Arrives in Italy
Abdul Rahman, the Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam, arrived in Italy Wednesday after the cancellation of his trial, which had gained worldwide notice.

March 23, 2006
Man Sentenced to Death for Religious Conversion
A 41-year-old Afghan, Abdul Rahman, was born a Muslim but was sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Jeffrey Brown discusses the religious trial with Washington Post reporter Pamela Constable.

March 16, 2006
Taliban Leader Promises More Attacks
Mullah Omar, the leader of the ousted Taliban regime in Afghanistan, released a statement Thursday promising renewed attacks on coalition troops this summer.

March 1, 2006
Violence, Drug Trade Plague Rebuilding Efforts in Afghanistan
President Bush's surprise trip to Afghanistan cast further light on a country that even the U.S. State Department said is struggling with a huge drug trade and violent Taliban-fueled insurgency.

January 16, 2006
Bombings in South Kill Dozens as Karzai Warns of New Attacks
Remnants of the Taliban continued to launch attacks Monday, claiming responsibility for two attacks in the southern part of Afghanistan that killed at least 26 people and wounded nearly 50 others.

January 4, 2006
Afghan Fighting Takes Slow, But Growing Toll on American Forces
Jeffrey Brown reports on the soldiers who have died in the more than three years of fighting against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

November 17, 2005
Deadly Attacks in Afghanistan on the Rise
Violence in Afghanistan has increased with at least 16 suicide attacks this year, more than double the number carried out in 2004. Two experts discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the deadly tactics used by insurgents.

September 19, 2005
Parliamentary Elections Proceed with Few Disruptions
In spite of threats of violence, millions of voters went to the polls across Afghanistan on Sunday, choosing representatives to fill national and provincial legislatures.

September 15, 2005
Parliamentary Elections Mark Critical Step for Afghan Government
Afghans are holding long-awaited parliamentary elections, but some experts worry the lack of viable parties and a continuing insurgency may hamper attempts to build an effective government.

September 14, 2005
Insurgents Launch Assaults Aimed at Derailing Elections
As Afghanistan's 11.7 million voters and nearly 6,000 candidates prepare for upcoming landmark parliamentary elections, insurgents have launched an intensified wave of attacks.

September 2, 2005
Challenges Plague Afghanistan's Efforts to Combat Opium Trade
In the six months since Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared a jihad against his country's poppy industry, the success of eradication efforts has been tempered by political and economic challenges.

June 30, 2005
Downing of U.S. Helicopter Highlights Continued Battle in Afghanistan
The apparent shoot-down of an American helicopter is the latest setback in the ongoing effort to defeat Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in the South Asian nation. Two experts assess the battle to stabilize Afghanistan.

June 29, 2005
Helicopter Hit by Gunfire Before Crashing in Afghanistan
The U.S. military has confirmed that enemy fire hit a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan before it crashed June 28 during a clash with insurgents.

May 23, 2005
President Bush Pledges to Keep U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Under American Command
A dispute over Afghan influence over American forces and reported maltreatment of prisoners by U.S. interrogators weighed on Monday's meeting between President Bush and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai.

May 16, 2005
Newsweek Retracts Flawed Quran Report
Newsweek magazine on Monday retracted its report about an alleged desecration of the Quran by U.S. interrogators at the jail in Guantanamo Bay that sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan and other nations.

May 13, 2005
Afghans Protest Against U.S. Presence
Anti-American protests in Afghanistan continued for the fourth day as nine people were killed in clashes. The riots were sparked by a report U.S. interrogators in Guantanamo Bay had defiled the Quran.