Afghanistan

The Pentagon counts 2,445 U.S. casualties as a result of the war in Afghanistan, a figure recently exceeded by those killed domestically by COVID-19.

Afghanistan will free 100 Taliban prisoners "on humanitarian grounds—including health, age and vulnerability to COVID19," but new ISIS-claimed violence threatens to upend a delicate peace process.

The U.S. top negotiator in Afghanistan said that COVID-19 "makes prisoner releases urgent" as the Taliban's spokesperson urged "world's humanitarian and health organizations to pay special attention" to their plight.

The sad truth is women's rights are far down the agenda for the U.S. They're not even mentioned in the Doha accord, despite pressure from international rights groups and the media.

Sen. Chris Murphy said the security guarantees offered by the Taliban "are so vague as to be effectively void."

Local Islamic State branch ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the suspected rocket attack, which did not shake Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls the ICC's decision to approve the Afghan war crime probe "a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution, masquerading as a legal body."

President Donald Trump said he "had a very good talk" with the Taliban, which released details of the conversation.

"Al-Qaeda and ISIS will come forward again to threaten us," the South Carolina lawmaker said, arguing against a full withdrawal of U.S. troops.

The deal could see all U.S. and NATO troops leave the country within 14 months, ending America's longest-running conflict.

This deal will completely demoralize the current Afghan government and military by conveying undue legitimacy on the wrong factions within the Taliban that are seeking to set the U.S. up for failure

The agreement, signed in Doha, Qatar, marks the first step in the process for achieving more durable peace, a goal that has remained elusive for nearly two decades.

There is a curious lack of recognition in Washington of just how effective the U.S. intelligence and military apparatus has become since 9/11.

Even if the current "reduction of violence" holds, there is no guarantee that full talks between the Taliban and the government will succeed.

"What I cannot support is politicians' nation-building effort following that victory that continues nearly two decades later and leaves our troops embedded in a quagmire."

The week-long "reduction in violence" could—if successful—be a prelude to the end of the 18-year conflict.

An Iranian official told Newsweek that Tehran was willing to support a future Afghan government if asked, saying that "the security of Afghanistan is the security of Iran."

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said the peace deal would be signed by the end of February.

The two officers were part of a group of U.S. personnel from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group and members of the allied Afghan Special Operations Forces.

Two U.S. and nine Afghan special operations forces soldiers are dead, with more wounded after a suspected green-on-blue attack in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province, a U.S. official told Newsweek.

A U.S. government contractor has been captured by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network in Afghanistan's Khost province and is being held hostage by the Islamist militant group.

The current cost to the federal government for operations in Iraq is an estimated $1.922 billion, including interest and additions to the base budget.

Every year, PETA receives hundreds of fur coats donated by people who learn how "cruel and violent" the industry is, spokesperson Moira Colley said.

Department of Defense officials released the names of two airmen killed in a Air Force plane crash in Afghanistan on Monday.

Special operation forces recovered two sets of remains from the wreckage of a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in Taliban-held territory of Afghanistan, Newsweek has learned.

"The crash is under investigation, there are no indications the crash was caused by enemy fire," said U.S. Army Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan.

State-owned carrier Ariana Airlines denied initial reports that one of their aircraft crashed in Afghanistan's Ghazni province.

Staff Sgt. Ian P. McLaughlin, 29, of Virginia and Pfc. Miguel A. Villalon, 21, of Illinois were killed in action when their vehicle was struck by an IED in Kandahar Province.

The senator said generals privately complain they "can't be won."

Two were killed and two others were wounded after their military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near the Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.