Afghanistan

Early results show a two-man race in Afghan presidential election

The two frontrunners in Afghanistan’s presidential election are locked in a tight race, though neither appears to have received the majority support needed to avoid a second round of voting, according to initial election results released Sunday by Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission.

Ethnic divisions playing lesser role in Afghan elections

Ethnicity is an “inevitable” factor in Afghan politics, but the makeup of the presidential campaigns indicates Afghans aren’t looking to be divided again. Read our report here.

More coverage of the Afghan election

US aid agency accused of coverup in Afghanistan

The U.S. Agency for International Development withheld information from Congress showing the Afghan government's apparent inability to prevent its ministries from doing business with people tied to terrorism, according to a letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and documents obtained by USA TODAY.

Congress created the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to provide independent and objective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction projects and activities.

UK lawmakers slam lax security in Taliban attack on Camp Bastion

British lawmakers said Wednesday that U.K. commanders' complacency and inadequate security were partly to blame for the failure to stop a Taliban attack on a U.S-British base in Afghanistan that killed two U.S. Marines.
Gunmen abduct Afghan deputy minister in Kabul

Gunmen abducted the Afghan deputy public works minister in Kabul on Tuesday, officials said, a grim reminder of the insecurity plaguing Afghanistan as most foreign troops prepare to withdraw from the country at the end of the year.
Early results show a two-man race in Afghan presidential election

The two frontrunners in Afghanistan’s presidential election are locked in a tight race, though neither appears to have received the majority support needed to avoid a second round of voting, according to initial election results released Sunday by Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission.
Lawyer: Former Marine gets 10-year sentence in Iran

An Iranian appeals court has overturned a death sentence of a former U.S. Marine convicted of working for the CIA, instead sentencing him to 10 years in prison, his lawyer said Saturday.
Army chaplain enters busy period in Afghanistan as Easter approaches

Col Mike Charles, an Army chaplain who will leave Afghanistan and the 18th Airborne Corps shortly after Easter, has deployed four times to either Iraq or Afghanistan. He says the week before Easter is one of the busiest times of the year for chaplains.
2013 F/A-18 crash: Out of fuel, out of time and one chance to land

The pilot of the F/A-18 Super Hornet hurriedly flipped switches and pushed levers. The jet’s right engine had locked up, its landing gear jammed, the main fuel tank almost empty.
Fort Bragg troops work to change thinking of Afghan military

The commander of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan says they're focused on ensuring that the country's military and police forces can stand on their own without western aid.
82nd Airborne Division soldiers fight traffic, avoid ambushes in streets of Kabul

Gone are the days of regular patrols in Afghan villages. But a group of paratroopers with the 1st Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division's 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment is filling a niche that puts the soldiers in the heart of Kabul on a daily basis.
Afghan probe begins in attack on AP journalists

The shooting was the first known case of a security insider attacking journalists in Afghanistan, part of a surge in violence targeting foreigners.
Afghan official: Vote successful, not fraud free

An Afghan election official said Wednesday that national elections held last weekend were a success in terms of turnout and enthusiasm, but he cautioned that there may have been significant fraud.
Officials: Despite Afghan election success, insurgents remain active

Contrary to initial reports, Afghanistan saw unusually high levels of violence during Saturday’s presidential vote, according to analysts and military officials, putting a dent in the prevailing narrative of a largely peaceful election.
Bomb blast in Pakistani capital kills 22

A bomb ripped through a fruit and vegetable market on the outskirts of Islamabad on Wednesday, killing 22 people and wounding dozens more in a new attack in the Pakistani capital, which until recently had remained relatively removed from shootings and bombings that plague other parts of the country.
With votes cast in Afghanistan, next question is which ones to count

With the vote finished, the next key for Afghan presidential hopefuls is how many ballots will actually be counted.
Corpsman awarded Commendation Medal for valor in Afghanistan

During Petty Officer 1st Class Lance Wyatt’s deployment, according to the citation, he was credited with treating 32 wounded Afghans, many of whom suffered amputations, gunshot wounds and traumatic brain injuries.
Egypt arrests a top aide to al-Qaida chief

Egyptian authorities arrested a top aide to al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri in a Nile Delta city on Monday and are interrogating him in an undisclosed location, officials said.
US, partners hope for thaw in relations with Afghanistan
Roadside bomb kills 15 people in Afghanistan
Afghan election hailed as Taliban threat remains
Who wants to become Afghanistan's next president, anyway?
Taliban fail to disrupt Afghan elections, but future still uncertain
Obama on Afghan vote: ‘These elections are critical’
AP reporter shot in Afghanistan in stable condition
A day of hope, as Afghans vote, but a long process ahead
Syria ordnance disarming effort will be bigger job than Afghanistan, UN says
From the eye of Anja Niedringhaus: Afghanistan, war and life
Afghan policeman shoots, kills AP photographer, wounds reporter
Afghans face election with hope and fear
Ethnic divisions playing lesser role in Afghan elections
US aid agency accused of coverup in Afghanistan
After explosive took her arm, Afghan girl now paints with prosthetic
Afghans largely left to monitor their own election
Politics in Panjshir: Life on the Afghan campaign trail
Fort Bragg officer dies in Afghanistan
Diplomats: Despite crisis, NATO to keep working with Russia in Afghanistan
Bomb kills 6 at well-guarded area in Afghanistan
Probe: CIA's harsh interrogation tactics more widespread than thought
Afghanistan presidential candidates key to fate of nation, legacy of US
March fatality-free for US forces in Afghanistan
1 sniper, 1 bullet, 6 Afghan insurgents dead
Robotic technology saves life and limb
USS Truman strike group concludes Middle East mission
After attack on Roots of Peace house in Kabul, Heidi Kuhn prays for an angel of healing
Another election headquarters attacked in Kabul ahead of Afghan vote
Insurgents target US group’s guesthouse in latest Kabul attack
Deployed troops become American citizens in Afghanistan
Egypt's top general el-Sissi says he will run for president
Report: Officials fear Pakistani militants plan to train Westerners in Syria
9 killed in attack on Afghanistan election commission
Fear of violence sends foreigners packing ahead of Afghanistan’s presidential election
Small surgery team from Fort Carson filled in as big hospitals were leaving Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Mideast

Pakistan

"Wives" are off duty

Dramatic series had a positive impact for 7 years, says “Army Wives” author Tanya Biank
Weight training in Afghanistan? Build a gym
Spouses speak out

We’re concerned about more than commissary cuts: Readiness, retention and the future of the military are at stake.
Hump Daaaaaayyyyyyyy!
Yes, I said it

We can do without the commissary -- if it helps to keep other more important benefits for military families and veterans.