Afghanistan

News You Need to Know

Trump Declares U.S.-Taliban Talks Dead, Makes New Threat

September 10, 2019

by Vivian Salama, Michael C. Bender | The Wall Street Journal

President Trump declared that talks were dead between the U.S. and the Taliban, the insurgent movement in Afghanistan, and warned the U.S. could do “certain things” that would cost millions of lives in a move to end the war, a step he said he doesn’t want to take.

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How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart

September 9, 2019

by Peter Baker, Michael Crowley, Mujib Mashal | The New York Times

For Mr. Trump, ending the war in Afghanistan has been a focus since taking office, a signature accomplishment that could help him win re-election next year. For nearly a year, Mr. Khalilzad, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, has engaged in talks with the Taliban to make that happen.

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Trump Meets With Advisers to Consider Deal With Taliban

August 17, 2019

by Nancy Youssef, Craig Nelson | The Wall Street Journal

President Trump met with his top national security advisers Friday to consider a deal with the Taliban that could lead to the withdrawal of most U.S. forces from Afghanistan and the end of America’s longest military engagement abroad, U.S. officials said.

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At Least Three Americans Killed in Afghanistan Blast

April 9, 2019

by Nancy Youssef, Gordon Lubold | The Wall Street Journal

At least three American service members and a civilian contractor were killed in a Taliban attack on a convoy in Afghanistan on Monday, U.S. military officials said.

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U.S. bungled $70 billion mission to train Afghan forces: report

September 22, 2017

by Nancy Youssef | The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. has invested 16 years and more than $70 billion to train Afghan security forces, but the effort has been undermined by poor planning, training and oversight, a government watchdog said in a report Thursday.

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U.S. Acknowledges More Troops Are in Afghanistan

August 31, 2017

by Nancy Youssef | The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. military said Wednesday it maintains 11,000 troops in Afghanistan, 2,600 more than it has previously disclosed.

This week on Washington Week: President Donald Trump offers Afghanistan strategy, holds rally in Arizona

August 24, 2017

President Donald Trump debriefed the country this week on his plan to expand the U.S. role in the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan. The president offered few specifics in terms of a timeline or how many additional troops will be deployed. The strategy is a sharp reversal from Mr. Trump's campaign promise to pull out of Afghanistan.

Washington Week-ly News Quiz: August 25, 2017

August 24, 2017

A big week for President Trump, who announced his military strategy for the U.S. war in Afghanistan. He also held a rally in Arizona and signed new legislation during a speech in Nevada. Have you been keeping up with the headlines? Test your knowledge of all that and more with our Washington Week-ly News Quiz.

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Military leaders consolidate power in Trump administration

August 23, 2017

by Robert Costa, Philip Rucker | The Washington Post

High-ranking military officials have become an increasingly ubiquitous presence in American political life during Donald Trump’s presidency, repeatedly winning arguments inside the West Wing, publicly contradicting the president and even balking at implementing one of his most controversial policies.