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McChrystal Arrives at Pentagon, Fate Uncertain Ahead of Meeting With Obama

June 23, 2010 - Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander and strategist for the Afghan war, is meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon this morning, and will later have a one-on-one meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office. He has been called to account for criticism of President Obama and his national security team over their Afghanistan military policies.The remarks were reported in a Rolling Stones article.

"I think it's clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed a poor -- showed poor judgment," the president said in his first comments on the matter... "But I also want to make sure that I talk to him directly before I make any final decisions."

McChrystal is said to have a resignation letter in hand.

Source: Fox

Update: Obama Relieves McChrystal Over Critical Remarks, Names Petraeus as Replacement - Fox

Pakistan's main spy agency still arms, trains Taliban despite US pressure, research says

June 14, 2010 - A report just issued by the London School of Economics claims that Pakistan's main spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, continues to arm and train the Taliban and is even represented on the group's leadership council. Pakistan has recently fought against Pakistani Taliban who have launched attacks within the country, but not against the Afghan Taliban who are hiding in Pakistan but fighting NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Officially, Pakistan decided to denounce the group in 2001 under U.S. pressure, but the new report indicates that assistance to the group even extends to the highest levels of the Pakistani government.

"Pakistan's apparent involvement in a double-game of this scale could have major geopolitical implications and could even provoke U.S. countermeasures," said the report, which was based on interviews with Taliban commanders, former Taliban officials, Western diplomats and many others.

Source: Fox

Officials: U.S. Strike Kills Taliban Leader's Brother

Feb. 19, 2010 - A U.S. missile strike killed four people Thursday in North Waziristan, Pakistan. One of them was Mohammed Haqqani, the brother of a senior Afghan Taliban commander, Siraj Haqqani. The attack followed the arrests of several Taliban leaders, including their deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Together, the two events are considered the most significant blows in years to insurgents in Afghanistan.

Source: Fox

Pakistan Captures 2 Top Taliban Figures, Militant Chiefs - Fox

Taliban commander Mullah Baradar 'seized in Pakistan'

Feb. 16, 2010 - Though it is unconfirmed at this time, US officials say Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the top Afghan Taliban military commander was captured in Karachi, Pakistan. He is reportedly in charge of all long-term strategic military planning for the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

[If] confirmed, his arrest will have a very big effect on the Taliban's ability to conduct the insurgency there.

Source: BBC

Afghan Surge Begins

Feb. 12, 2010 - After deploying thousands of additional US soldiers to Afghanistan, the Nato-led surge has begun in Marjah, one of the world's biggest opium-producing regions, and one of the Taliban insurgents' last bastions in southern Afghanistan.

Operation Moshtarak ("together" in Dari) is expected to be the biggest push against insurgents since President Barack Obama announced a new surge of US troops in Afghanistan, and is one of the biggest since the 2001 US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban regime.

Before the assault began, helicopters dropped leafelets warning people to remain indoors once the offensive began.

Source: Telegraph - UK