The U.S. will immediately cut assistance to the government of Afghanistan by $1 billion because of leadership failures at the top ranks in Kabul, with plans to cut another $1 billion next year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced March 23. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ...
The Taliban has continued attacks on Afghan forces in the wake of the negotiated agreement with the U.S., steps that are “not consistent” with a future settlement for peace, the head of American forces in the Middle East said March 10. For the peace deal ...
The United Kingdom needs to able to address threats without U.S. support, as the Pentagon continues its push toward the Indo-Pacific under the National Defense Strategy, the head of the U.K. military said March 5. U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, speaking alongside U.S. Defense Secretary ...
US aircraft targeted Taliban fighters who had attacked an Afghan military checkpoint on March 4, just days after a peace deal to end the war in Afghanistan was signed. The strike in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province—the first against the Taliban in 11 days—came one day ...
U.S. forces have the green light to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan under the recently signed deal with the Taliban, even though some pockets of violence have already returned. Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged Gen. Austin Miller, the commander of Operation Resolute Support, to “get moving ...
All foreign troops could be out of Afghanistan in 14 months, under an agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, on Feb. 29, which Defense Secretary Mark Esper called “the best chance Afghanistan has had in 19 years to achieve peace.” The agreement between the Taliban and ...
The U.S. and Taliban are negotiating a seven-day “reduction in violence” so peace talks can move forward, though the specifics of the proposal aren’t being released as American officials discuss the proposal with allies, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said. Speaking at the conclusion of a ...
Enemy attacks on U.S., coalition, and Afghan forces in the fourth quarter of 2019 reached the highest level since the U.S. government’s watchdog for the war began keeping track in 2010, resulting in increased air operations in the country. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan ...
The US effort in Afghanistan to reconstruct the country and train its military has been undercut by the motivation to lie to supervisors and limited by the amount of time American personnel have to directly work with Afghan forces, a top watchdog told lawmakers Jan. ...
The Afghanistan War remains a “strategic stalemate” 18 years after it began, the Pentagon's top uniformed officer said Dec. 20, defending the conflict's main mission as successful from the beginning. “This is a very difficult, complicated situation," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. ...
The US may soon drawdown forces in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Dec. 16. Commanders on the ground say they can accomplish their mission with a smaller footprint allowing the Defense Department to shift troops to higher priority locations. “I would like to go ...
Two pararescuemen on Dec. 13 were awarded Silver Stars for their actions during separate battles in Afghanistan in 2018 and earlier this fall. TSgt. Gavin Fisher, a PJ with the 350th Special Warfare Training Squadron at JBSA-Lackland, Texas, received the medal for a two-day fight ...