By Mark Memmott

The killings Thursday at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where the death toll now stands at 13, continue to dominate the news this morning.

We just updated that story here. And NPR.org has much more coverage, starting here.

A news conference is expected to begin at the post around 7:30 a.m. ET. Check back with us for news from that.

Here are a few other stories to note:

-- The Associated Press -- Jobless Rate Likely Rose Again In October: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its October employment report at 8:30 a.m. ET. In advance, the AP writes that:

The nation's economy probably lost a net total of 175,000 jobs in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 9.9%, according to a survey of Wall Street economists by Thomson Reuters.

Watch for the BLS report to be posted here.

-- Morning Edition -- "Karzai Must Kick Out 'Cronies' To Succeed, Sen. Kerry Says". Afghan President Hamid Karzai "needs to seize this opportunity in a very clear and tangible way" to institute reforms and improve Afghanistan's government, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., told host Renee Montagne:

Related story by BBC News -- "Brown Warns Karzai On Corruption": British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai he will not put UK troops 'in harm's way for a government that does not stand up against corruption.' "

-- The Associated Press -- "Texas Sect Member Guilty Of Sexual Assault Of Minor": "After being duped by false leads and chastised by a court for its handling of polygamist sect children, the state of Texas has won a criminal conviction in its first trial of a sect member charged with sexually assaulted an underage girl. Raymond Jessop, 38, was convicted late Thursday for having sex with the teen with whom he had a so-called spiritual marriage. He faces up to 20 years in prison when the jury reconvenes Monday to begin deciding his sentence."

By Mark Memmott

The United Nations' decision to move 600 of its international staff either out of Afghanistan altogether or to safer locations within that country is a "wise and short-term effort to shore-up the security situation while continuing vital operations and affirming and sustaining the U.N. and the international commitment to Afghanistan," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice told All Things Considered's Michele Norris a short time ago:

Their conversation, as we reported earlier, is part of a hour-long special report on today's ATC about the situation in Afghanistan and the issues that face President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send more U.S. troops there.

Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts ATC.

By Mark Memmott

As President Barack Obama considers whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan, and how many to send if he does conclude more are needed, many people across the nation are wondering whether it's still in America's interest to be there eight years after U.S. forces toppled the Taliban.

Today, All Things Considered is devoting its first hour to several critical questions:

-- What is the U.S. doing in Afghanistan now?

-- How much, in lives and money, is the war there costing?

-- Who is the enemy?

-- And, perhaps most importantly, what does success look like?

A related issue of late has been whether the president is taking too much time to make his decision and whether the open debate in the U.S. about what to do is damaging America's efforts in Afghanistan. Former vice president Dick Cheney is among many on the right who have accused Obama of "dithering."

In the conversations she's had with newsmakers for today's report, ATC co-host Michele Norris got very different opinions on that topic from former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann and current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Neumann said "an unavoidable price of our debate is this signal of weakness which it sends to Afghans and to Pakistanis." The debate, and any decision by Obama to send substantially fewer troops than recommended by top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, would likely be be seen by many Afghans and Pakistanis as a sign that "the U.S. is on the verge of pulling out," Neumann said. And that, in turn, would make it much more difficult to recruit people in those countries to help in making Afghanistan and Pakistan safer places:

Rice said Neumann is making a "false assumption."

It would be "weak and dangerous indeed" to rush into a decision about what to do next in Afghanistan, Rice said. A more deliberate approach, "projects wisdom and a strength rather than weakness":

Here's a quick question we'll leave open for 24 hours:

And what does success in Afghanistan look like to Rice and Neumann? On that, there's more agreement.

Rice said it's an Afghanistan that is not a safe haven for terrorists, and that has a government that can provide for its own security and a "basic measure of well-being to its people."

Neumann said success "is an Afghan government that can last and stand on its own and fight."

Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts ATC.

By Mark Memmott

On the morning after the morning after the analysis continues about what, if anything, Tuesday's elections say about the mood of the country, the president's popularity and what will happen on Election Day in 2010.

Politico says the results have congressional Democrats "focused like never before on jobs -- their own."

The Boston Globe strikes a similar theme: " Democratic moderates who will determine the fate of much of President Obama's domestic agenda heard an early warning from this week's off-year elections: Congress had better do something about the economy, or sitting lawmakers will lose their jobs in 2010."

The Wall Street Journal says the votes have "left Democrats scrambling to renew the coalition that elected President Barack Obama after independent voters, whose power to determine U.S. elections is rising with their numbers, broke heavily toward Republicans."

At The New York Times, the focus is on the other side: "Energized GOP Looking To Avoid An Intraparty Feud."

And USA TODAY is looking well down the road. It's top political story is headlined "Huckabee Leads Republican Prospects In Poll." Those prospects would be the Republican Party's 2012 presidential hopefuls.

On Morning Edition, Republican political strategist Mike Murphy told host Steve Inskeep that the biggest message from Tuesday's elections was that voters' honeymoon with President Barack Obama is over:

As for other stories making headlines, the include the U.N.'s decision to relocate about half its staff in Afghanistan following last week's attack on a guest house in Kabul.

Also on Morning Edition Andrew Exum of the Center for a New American Security told host Renee Montagne that Obama should use the possibility of sending more troops to Afghanistan as leverage to push President Hamid Karzai to clean up government corruption:

Later today, All Things Considered is planning to spend an hour on Afghanistan and the issues Obama is considering as he debates whether to send more U.S. troops there. Click here to find an NPR station near you.

Other news:

-- The Associated Press -- AARP To Endorse House Health Care Plan: "The House is steaming toward a historic vote on President Barack Obama's remake of the U.S. health care system, with Democratic leaders increasingly confident and the powerful seniors' lobby AARP about to get on board. A debate and vote are expected Saturday on the 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill that would extend coverage to 96 percent of Americans, require employers to insure their employees and bar such insurance company practices as dropping coverage for sick people."

-- The Guardian's Greenslade blog -- Reporter For French News Service Detained In Iran: "An Iranian journalist working for the international news agency Agence France Presse has been detained by Iran's security forces. Farhad Pouladi was taken into custody while on his way to cover a state-sanctioned rally to mark the 30th anniversary of the US embassy takeover. AFP's acting bureau chief in Tehran, Jay Deshmukh, says the reporter's whereabouts are unknown."

And finally, there's the 27th World Series championship for the New York Yankees:

Matsui was the man. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

As NPR's Mike Pesca said on Morning Edition, the Yankees got some clutch performances from some big stars and proved they are "once again the toughest out in baseball":

Some U.N. staffers left immediately after last week's attack. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Increasing violence in Afghanistan, and in particular the attack last month on a guest house in Kabul that left five of its staff dead, has convinced the United Nations to relocate about half of its foreign staff in the country. Many will be leaving Afghanistan at least temporarily.

The U.N. said its decision is " in light of the 28 October attack against U.N. staff in Kabul as well as further ongoing threats. ... It is expected that they will involve short-term relocations for some staff while additional security is being put in place."

The Associated Press says about 600 "nonessential staffers" will be moved. It isn't known how many will leave the country.

The head of the U.N.'s mission in Afghanistan vowed that this does not mean it is ending or scaling back its work there.

"We are not talking about pulling out and we are not talking about evacuation," Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide said. "We are simply doing what we have to do following the tragic event of last week to look after our workers in a difficult moment while ensuring that our operation in Afghanistan can continue."

By Mark Memmott

What's it like for a Westerner to live in Kandahar, Afghanistan, the traditional seat of power and influence for the Taliban?

In the latest issue of Foreign Policy magazine, researchers Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn write about the trade-offs they have to make.

On the one hand, for instance, a trip outside the center of the city could provide wonderful, first-hand research into the way people live. But there's the downside, they write: "We might be captured, beheaded, or worse."

They are, the men add, "the only two Westerners living permanently in Kandahar without blast walls and intrusive security restrictions to protect us." And that leads to "a mix of isolation, boredom, disarmingly potent realizations, and outright depression in the face of what is happening" as violence increases.

All Things Considered co-host Michele Norris has talked with Alex Strick van Linschoten. Their conversation is set for today's broadcast. At one point, the researcher talks about how people in Kandahar -- including government officials -- routinely deal with members of the Taliban:

That willingness to deal with the fundamentalists, he adds, stems from the attitude among many in Kandahar that after soldiers from the U.S. and its allies leave the Taliban will still be there. So conversations, even with those who may want to kill you, continue:

Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts ATC.

By Mark Memmott

The morning-after punditry is in full-swing now that the smattering of elections across the nation are over. As we wrote, Republicans had a good day -- winning the governors' mansions in New Jersey and Virginia. But Democrats managed to take advantage of a split with the GOP to take a New York congressional seat that had been in Republican hands since before the Civil War.

NPR's Political Junkie blog will have much more about the election results as the day continues.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Guardian -- "British Soldiers Killed In Attack By Afghan Policeman": "Five British soldiers have been killed and several others injured in a gun attack by a 'rogue' Afghan policeman in Helmand province, the Ministry of Defense said today. The soldiers -- three from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military police -- were killed by gunshot wounds suffered in the attack, which happened in the Nad-e'Ali district yesterday."

NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul: The Afghan police officer ran from the scene, and "the feeling is that he's crossed over and joined the Taliban."

-- BBC News -- "Iran Police Clash With Protesters": "Police have clashed with opposition supporters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, witnesses and state media say. Police used tear gas and batons, said witnesses. Unconfirmed reports said the authorities had also opened fire."

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Protests Were Widespread Despite Government's Warning: Borzou Daragahi of the Los Angeles Times talks with host Steve Inskeep about this 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, and the remarkably different (anti-government) kind of protests that occurred today:

-- Morning Edition -- Secretary Clinton Says Her Comments About Israeli Settlements Did Not Create A "Long-Term Problem". The secretary of State spoke with NPR's Jackie Northam:

-- CNN International -- "Israel Detains Ship Loaded With Weapons": "The Israeli Navy detained a ship loaded with weapons that was traveling about 100 miles west of the country's coast and headed to Syria, Israeli officials said Wednesday. The ship was detained on Tuesday and was escorted to an Israeli port to be searched, an Israel Defense Forces statement said."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Fears Of A New Bubble As Cash Pours In": "Concerns are mounting that efforts by governments and central banks to stoke a recovery will create a nasty side effect: asset bubbles in real-estate, stock and currency markets, especially in Asia."

Related news to watch for today: Federal Reserve policymakers end two-days of meetings. They're expected to say this afternoon that they aren't going to adjust short-term interest rates, which it how is holding between zero and 0.25%.

-- The Times of London -- "German Government Blasts 'Unacceptable' GM U-Turn": "Germany's Economic Minister today branded a decision by America's General Motors to scrap the sale of its European business as 'totally unacceptable.' ... British unions were delighted with the decision, which was announced late yesterday after a GM board meeting in Detroit."

Related story by The Detroit News -- "GM Calls Off Sale, Keeps Opel": "General Motors Co.'s board of directors Tuesday voted to keep its German carmaker, Adam Opel GmbH, instead of selling it to Canada's Magna International Inc. and its Russian partner, Sberbank. The board based its decision, in part, on an improved business environment in Europe and GM's overall financial health and stability since emerging from bankruptcy court after receiving about $50 billion in federal aid."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

One of the nation's largest cities, as we just reported, is having some mixed emotions today.

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the New York Yankees 8-6 last night to extend the World Series to a game six on Wednesday. The Yankees lead three-games-to-two in the best-of-seven championship.

But at 3 a.m. ET, transit workers in the city went on strike -- bringing a system that averages nearly 930,000 trips a day to a halt.

There's much more than that going on today, of course.

NPR's Dave Mattingly and Isaac-Davy Aronson of NPR member station WNYC report on the voting today in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and elsewhere:

The contests are being closely watched to see what, if anything, they may reveal about voters' attitudes toward President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats.

Looking ahead to next year, by the way, Politico says that "in what could be a nightmare scenario for Republican Party officials, conservative activists are gearing up to challenge leading GOP candidates in more than a dozen key House and Senate races in 2010." They're looking at today's special election in New York's 23rd Congressional district, where Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman pressured the GOP nominee to drop out, as something of a template for 2010.

We'll be combining forces with Ken Rudin of the Political Junkie tonight to "live-blog" election results. So check both The Two-Way and Political Junkie for updates.

Other stories making headlines include:

-- BBC News -- "Karzai Vows To Battle Corruption": "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to remove the 'stigma' of corruption, a day after winning a new five-year term.
In his first remarks since being declared winner on Monday of August's fraud-marred poll, he also pledged to lead an inclusive government."

Related conversation on Morning Edition "Karzai's Team Needs To Establish Strong Government." Former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad tells host Renee Montagne that he has no doubt Karzai will try to reach out to his critics, but that putting together an effective government will be difficult:

Related story by NPR.org -- "Karzai 'Victory' Puts Spotlight On U.S. Troop Decision": "Afghan President Hamid Karzai's victory by default in the contested election may resolve the country's immediate political crisis, but it could complicate the outcome of the Obama administration's much-anticipated decision on sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan."

-- The New York Times -- "Gore's Dual Role In Spotlight: Advocate And Investor": "Critics, mostly on the political right and among global warming skeptics, say (former vice president Al) Gore is poised to become the world's first 'carbon billionaire,' profiteering from government policies he supports that would direct billions of dollars to the business ventures he has invested in. ... Mr. Gore says that he is simply putting his money where his mouth is. 'Do you think there is something wrong with being active in business in this country?' Mr. Gore said. 'I am proud of it. I am proud of it.' "

-- Morning Edition -- "Clinton Clarifies Statement On Jewish Settlements": NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

President Barack Obama congratulated Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his re-election after a runoff election was cancelled when Karzai's challenger dropped out of the race. (Pete Souza / Official White House photo)

By Frank James

President Barack Obama told journalists who were ushered into the Oval Office for a photo op that he spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai by phone Monday and congratulated him on his re-election to another five year term.

Obama said, in part:

I should use this moment to say that, about an hour ago, I spoke with President Karzai and I congratulated him on his election for a second term as president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. You know, although the process was messy, I'm pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law, which I think is very important not only for the international community that has so much invested in Afghan success, but, most importantly, is important for the Afghan people that the results were in accordance with and followed the rules as laid down by the Afghan constitution.

I did emphasize to President Karzai that the American people and the international community as a whole want to continue to partner with him and his government in achieving prosperity and security in Afghanistan. But I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces, so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security.

Continue reading "Obama on Karzai's election: 'I Congratulated Him'" >

By Mark Memmott

Afghanistan, and today's declaration that President Hamid Karzai has been re-elected despite the massive fraud during the August election, was topic No. 1 at today's White House briefing.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Karzai is "obviously ... the legitimate leader of the country" now that he has been "declared the winner of the Afghan election." The U.S. will continue to discuss with Karzai and his ministers, Gibbs added, "governance, civil society and corruption ... to ensure that we have a credible partner in our efforts to help secure the country":

As for whether this means President Barack Obama can now come to a decision about how many, if any, additional U.S. troops to send to Afghanistan, Gibbs said that "the decision is still -- will be made in the coming weeks":

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we just reported, President Hamid Karzai has been declared the winner in Afghanistan's presidential election -- without having to go through the runoff that had been scheduled for this coming Saturday.

His challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the runoff yesterday. Abdullah said he did not think the process would be transparent enough. Already, the results of the country's August election had been set aside because of widespread corruption.

This morning's news comes as President Barack Obama continues to review U.S. policy in Afghanistan and considers whether or not to send tens of thousands of more American troops there. Earlier, the Los Angeles Times reported that:

U.S. and other Western officials, who leaned heavily on Karzai to accept a runoff after the tainted election in August, are now pressing him and electoral officials to find a legally acceptable way to cancel the poll and declare Karzai the winner. Neither the U.S. nor the United Nations is prepared to risk more lives for an election with only one candidate, said a Western official familiar with the talks.

There will surely be lots of reaction and analysis about the news from Afghanistan as the day goes on. We'll pass them along as the story develops.

We also just reported the news that Ford Motor earned $997 million in the third quarter -- a huge turnaround for the automaker.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines include:

The aftermath in Rawalpindi. (Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images)

-- The Associated Press -- "Bomb Outside Bank Kills 30 Near Pakistani Capital": "A suicide bomber killed 30 people outside a bank near Pakistan's capital Monday, as the U.N. said spreading violence had forced it to pull out some expatriate staff and suspend long-term development work in areas along the Afghan border. Islamist insurgents have carried out numerous attacks in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing some 250 people in retaliation for an army offensive in the Pakistani Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, also along the frontier shared with neighboring Afghanistan."

Related report from NPR's Julie McCarthy in Islamabad: Today's attack in Rawalpindi appeared to target both military personnel and civlians. Both groups were in line at the bank at the time of the explosion.

Update at 9:30 a.m. ET: Both Reuters and the Associated Press are now reporting that the death toll from the bombing stands at 35. We've also updated this post's headline, which earlier put the death toll at 30.

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "CIT Files Its Bankruptcy Plan": "CIT Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday, in a final attempt to restructure and keep the doors open at the century-old commercial lender."

Related report from the Associated Press: "The bankruptcy of a key lender that helps retailers stock their shelves is adding to the industry's worries ahead of the critical holiday shopping season."

Related report on Morning Edition: " The government lent CIT more than $2 billion a year ago. Taxpayers will probably lose that money as a result of the bankruptcy."

-- Boston Globe -- "Billions In Aid To Banks Not Reaching Many Seeking Loans": "Many small businesses are having a difficult time getting SBA loans from lenders that took government handouts. In addition to frustrating owners who say they need the money to survive, the banks' reluctance to lend undermines a goal of the federal stimulus program: Ease the credit crunch so companies can grow and hire again."

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bay Bridge Stays Closed": "Pushing traffic turmoil into a second week, Caltrans said late Sunday that the workhorse Bay Bridge will probably remain closed through the morning commute after a fix meant to shore up a cracked beam failed a critical stress test. When the region's busiest span will reopen remains unknown. Caltrans officials refused to speculate."

-- Morning Edition -- Yankees Are One Win Away From 27th World Series Title: As NPR's Mike Pesca reports, a key at-bat by Johnny Damon led to the Bronx Bombers' 7-4 win last night in Philadelphia:

The Yankees lead the series three games to one. Game five is tonight, in Philadelphia, at 7:57 p.m. ET.

Karzai prevails. (Ahmad Masood/AFP/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

News alert from the Associated Press, with confirmation from NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson in Kabul:

"Afghan election commission chairman declares President Hamid Karzai election victor."

AP adds that:

Independent Election Commission chairman Azizullah Lodin announced Karzai as the victor during a news conference in Kabul on Monday.

Reuters says: "Afghanistan's election commission declares Karzai as elected president."

Yesterday, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah dropped out of the runoff election that had been set for this coming Saturday, saying he did not think a transparent election was going to be held.

In August, Karzai won the most votes -- but his total fell below 50% when more than a million were tossed out because of widespread evidence of fraud. That led to the eventual scheduling of the runoff, with Abdullah (who came in second in the August vote) as the challenger.

Then, earlier today, Saturday's runoff was scrubbed since there was no challenger to Karzai.

The Los Angeles Times reported this morning that "U.S. and other Western officials, who leaned heavily on Karzai to accept a runoff after the tainted election in August, (were) pressing him and electoral officials to find a legally acceptable way to cancel the poll and declare Karzai the winner. Neither the U.S. nor the United Nations is prepared to risk more lives for an election with only one candidate, said a Western official familiar with the talks."

Update at 2:45 p.m. ET. At the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs says Karzai is "obviously" the legitimate leader of Afghanistan:

Update at 8:25 a.m. ET: Soraya reports that Karzai must "deliver more on services to his people, and security for his people" if he's going to be seen by most Afghans as legitimate:

Update at 7:10 a.m. ET: On Morning Edition, Soraya reported about Abdullah's decision to drop out of the election -- and Abdullah told NPR's Renee Montagne that it was a "painful" choice. He also vowed to continue calling for reform and the end of corruption in his country:

By Mark Memmott

Challenger Abdullah Abdullah has announced he's withdrawing from next Saturday's runoff presidential election in Afghanistan -- a move that, as the Associated Press writes, raises "doubts about the credibility of the government at a time when the U.S. is anxious for an effective partner in the war against the Taliban."

Abdullah, who was foreign minister in the earlier years following the 2001 toppling of the Taliban, told his supporters today that he was dropping out because President Hamid Karzai refused to fire the top elections official who oversaw the August presidential voting that was marred by massive fraud.

According to the AP, Abdullah "stopped short of calling for an electoral boycott and urged his followers 'not to go to the streets, not to demonstrate.' "

Karzai got the most votes in that August election -- and benefited most from those that were fraudulently cast. But the president did not reach the 50% necessary to avoid a runoff.

From Kabul, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson says that Abdullah gave an emotional speech today, and that he said because the election process is not transparent enough he could not in good conscience continue.

In advance of Abdullah's announcement, The Washington Post wrote that his withdrawal "could make it more difficult for Obama to send additional U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan if the next government is not accepted by the Afghan electorate as a result."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Abdullah's withdrawal does not affect the special election's legitimacy, however, because Karzai gave it credibility when he agreed to take part.

President Barack Obama meets on Afghanistan with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the White House Situation Room on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. (Pete Souza / White House Photo)

By Frank James

CNN is reporting that negotiations for the Afghan runoff presidential election have broken down, with challenger Abdullah Abdullah abandoning the talks and threatening to boycott the election. The news network cites a Western official as its source.

Abdullah came in second in the August election to Afghan President Hamid Karzai in balloting widely considered rife with fraud. A U.N. investigation confirmed the presence of widespread fraud.

After resisting the idea of runoff for months, Karzai finally relented and a runoff was scheduled for Nov. 7. Now Abdullah has walked away from the negotiating table.

The CNN report came as President Barack Obama continued deliberations with his key national security strategists and generals over the next steps in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Afghan Runoff Hits Rocks; Challenger May Boycott: Reports" >

Matthew Hoh. (John Poole/NPR)

By Mark Memmott

Saying that "we just keep going into more valleys and finding more enemies because we're going into their valleys," former U.S. foreign service officer Matthew Hoh just spoke with NPR about the decision he made to leave the State Department because he disagrees with U.S. policy in Afghanistan.

Hoh's resignation, as we predicted, brought him national attention after it became front-page news in The Washington Post on Tuesday. It came, of course, as President Barack Obama continues to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

In an interview, much of which will be broadcast later today on All Things Considered, Hoh told host Melissa Block that he's convinced the U.S. is losing "soldiers and Marines in combat to people who are fighting us, really only because we're occupying them":

Hoh believes most Afghans just want to be left alone in their villages and valleys. "They're concerned with the events in their local area, in their village and valley and that's what they fight for":

American policy has been misdirected, Hoh thinks, because "we only talk to Afghans who come into our headquarters and talk to us. We don't get out and talk to the people who live in the villages and valleys. And you realize that they want is to be left alone":

The U.S. had to go after the Taliban and al-Qaida after the 9/11 attacks, Hoh believes, but now is in danger of making al-Qaida stronger, not weaker:

And, he does not think leaving Afghanistan would turn that country into a "safe haven" for al-Qaida again. He maintains that al-Qaida no longer needs that country. Al-Qaida, he maintains, is an "ideological cloud" that spreads via the Web:

Your opinion?

Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts ATC.

By Mark Memmott

It is "hard to believe" that no one in Pakistan's government knows where al-Qaida's leaders are hiding, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said today in Lahore, Pakistan.

Her remarks are being reported by NPR's Jackie Northam, Reuters, the Associated Press and other correspondents who are with the former first lady on her trip through central Asia and the Middle East.

According to the AP, Clinton's comments came during an interview with Pakistani journalists. The wire service adds that:

Clinton said al-Qaida has used Pakistan as a haven since 2002. She said she finds it hard to believe that nobody in Pakistan's government knows where the leaders of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network are hiding.

She also said she finds it hard to believe that Pakistani authorities couldn't "get them" if they wanted to.

Bin Laden and others -- as well as Taliban leaders -- have long been thought to be hiding on the Pakistani side of the border with Afghanistan.

Update at 12:45 p.m. ET. While in Lahore, Clinton visited the tomb of Pakistan's national poet, Allama Mohammad Iqbal:

(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

President Barack Obama, as we reported earlier, paid a middle-of-the-night visit to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects as the bodies of 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan were returned home.

For a close-up look at the dangers American personnel face in Afghanistan, particularly from improvised explosive devices, NPR's Tom Bowman continued Morning Edition's series of reports on the threats.

Another story that developed overnight: The Lost Angeles Times reports that "Iran's president today appeared to lend support to an International Atomic Energy Agency proposal to ship the bulk of his country's enriched uranium abroad, casting it as a victory for Iranian steadfastness as the world awaits Tehran's formal response to the deal."

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "Obama Seeks Study On Local Leaders For Troop Decision": "President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle."

-- The New York Times -- "Shortage Of Vaccine Poses Political Test For Obama": "Despite months of planning and preparation, a (swine flu) vaccine shortage is threatening to undermine public confidence in government, creating a very public test of Mr. Obama's competence."

-- San Francisco Chronicle -- "Bridge Parts Couldn't Take The Wind": "High winds caused a steel crossbeam and two steel tie rods to snap off the Bay Bridge's eastern span and fall to the upper deck, Caltrans officials said (Wednesday) as commuters unable to drive over the closed bridge jammed alternative routes and crowded onto BART in record numbers."

On All Things Considered, NPR's Richard Gonzales reported that it's not clear when the bridge will reopen:

-- Detroit Free Press -- Mosque Leader Believed He Was At War With Government, FBI Says: The Detroit imam killed in a shoot-out with FBI agents yesterday:

Believed he and his followers were soldiers at war against the government and non-Muslims.

"Abdullah told his followers it is their duty to oppose the FBI and the government and it does not matter if they die," FBI agent Gary Leone said in an affidavit unsealed Wednesday. "He also told the group that they need to plan to do something."

-- World Series -- Phillies Win First Game; 6-1 Over The Yankees.

Honoring the fallen. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

In the dark of night, President Barack Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be there as the remains of 18 Americans who were killed in Afghanistan this week were brought home.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Scott Horsley talked with host Renee Montagne about what it was like at the base. Obama left the White House just before midnight, Scott says, and when he got to Dover the first thing he did was meet with the soldiers' families at a chapel.

Four times, Scott says, Obama went on board the transport plane and then accompanied the remains as they were brought out. The bodies were of 15 military personnel and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents.

Update at 3:15 p.m. ET: At the White House today, the president said his trip to Dover was "a sobering reminder" of the sacrifices of war, the AP reports. The wire service adds that Obama:

Told reporters Thursday that the burden of such sacrifices by U.S. military personnel and their families "is going to bear on how I see" the war in Afghanistan. Obama is in the midst of an intensive review of the war, which could result in him soon ordering more troops overseas.

Update at 12:15 p.m. ET. Jay Tea at the widely read conservative blog Wizbang writes that "if we're lucky, that was not just a photo op, and will help him come to the realization that he has a debt of honor to those men."

Liberal Steve Benen at Washington Monthly's Political Animal says that "for all the talk in recent years about whether American media should be allowed to cover -- and whether the American public should be allowed to see -- flag-draped caskets as fallen U.S. soldiers return home, it was good to see President Obama pay his respects this morning at Dover Air Force Base."

Update at 9:55 a.m. ET. At the conservative National Review Online's The Corner blog, Pete Hegseth writes that:

It was a classy move that I believe underscores the serious nature with which President Obama is approaching his forthcoming Afghanistan decision.

As much as anyone else, I want the president to make his decision as soon as possible -- American lives, and commitment, hang in the balance. But if he has to take a few extra days to get it right -- and become convinced of the rightness of General McChrystal's approach -- then the extra time is worth it.

The liberal Cup O' Joel blog says that "the meaning of Dover" is this: "Afghanistan is Obama's war now."

Update at 9:50 a.m. ET: USA TODAY has a photo gallery here.

Update at 9:45 a.m. ET. ABC News' Political Punch blog reports that:

A senior White House official tells ABC News that President Obama has wanted to do this ever since the policy of media coverage of the return of fallen troops was changed earlier this year, but he wanted to do so "in a way that caused the least amount of disruption." ...

... On the helicopter flight back to Washington, DC, President Obama thanked (military aide, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Clay) Beers for arranging the trip, after which no one said a word for the remainder of the 45-minute flight.

Update at 9:35 a.m. ET. The Associated Press posted this video:

Update at 7:45 a.m. ET. Here is Scott's report:

Afghan soldiers gather as smoke rises from a U.N. guest house after it was attacked by gunmen in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. (Altaf Qadri / AP Photo)

By Frank James

Wednesday's Taliban attack on the United Nations compound in Kabul, Afghanistan which killed 11 has caused Westerners to rethink their security precautions, according to NPR's Soraya Sahaddi Nelson who's in Afghanistan.

Three attackers dressed as Afghan police and wearing suicide belts stormed the compound just before dawn, Kabul-time, firing semiautomatic weapons.

Nelson had a brief conversation with All Things Considered host Robert Siegel.

She told Robert:

"Today in Kabul no foreigners came outside. Everybody basically was ordered to stay indoors. And the UN is going to have to review its procedures to see whether it will be able to go out into the community...

"... The Taliban have made it very clear ... They were going to disrupt this election process and that today was only the start. The problem that is also out there for election workers is how much are they going to be able to prevent fraud from happening if they can't go out and see what's going on? This task has fallen to the Western observers and the Western commission and, again, because of today's attack, everyone is going to have to review their security procedures to see whether or not they can actually be outside and be part of this election process...

In response to Robert's question as to whether people in the capital were "shocked" about the brazen attack, Soraya said:

"It was very shocking especially because you can't recognize these places as being Western compounds. I mean while they do have barbed wire and you do have guards in front, you have a lot of Afghan officials who live in that sort of environment as well. And certainly this guest house was not well known as a UN guest house. It wasn't clear to many Westerners, certainly, that there were in fact UN people living there."

Continue reading "Attack On UN Heightens Kabul Safety Questions For Westerners" >

By Mark Memmott

The 2008 Republican presidential nominee renewed his criticism of President Barack Obama's decision-making process today, saying that Obama "needs to make this decision and soon" regarding whether to send a large number of additional troops to Afghanistan.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told CBS-TV's The Early Show that U.S. military leaders are "becoming frustrated" as the White House continues its policy review:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

NPR's Giles Snyder adds that the president has said he won't rush a decision and does not want to risk additional American lives unless it's necessary:

By Mark Memmott

It's been another deadly day in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In Peshawar, Pakistan, a car bomb devastated a crowded market. At least 80 people were killed and more than 200 others wounded.

According to the Associated Press, the Pakistani government "blamed militants seeking to avenge an army offensive against al-Qaida and Taliban close to the Afghan border."

NPR's Julie McCarthy filed this report from Islamabad:

In Kabul, gunmen attacked a guest house frequented by U.N. aid workers. At least 12 people died during fighting at the scene, including six U.N. staffers and the three attackers. One American is among the dead, according to the U.S. embassy. The attackers did not set off the bombs in the suicide vests they were wearing.

From Kabul, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports that also today, a rocket was fired at one of Kabul's high-end hotels -- but it did not explode:

A wounded man is carried from the scene in Kabul. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Update at 10:15 a.m. ET. The death toll in Peshawar has topped 90 and photos from the scene clearly show the devastation:

(Mohammad Sajjad/AP)

Staff Sgt. Vernon Martin died Oct. 3. (Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Eight more American service personnel were killed in Afghanistan yesterday, the U.S. military says. According to the Associated Press, that brings the number of such deaths this month to 55 -- making October the deadliest month for U.S. forces since they entered Afghanistan eight years ago. Previously, the worst month had been this past August, when 51 U.S. service personnel were killed in Afghanistan.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Bruce Auster kicked off the first in a series of reports about efforts to defeat the toughest weapon being used against U.S. forces in Afghanistan -- improvised explosive devices:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As the day gets started, Reuters offers this news alert from Tehran. It captures the "maybe, maybe not" nature of that country's relations with the rest of the world:

Iran will accept the framework of a U.N.-drafted nuclear fuel deal, but will also demand changes to it, al Alam state television reported on Tuesday. Al Alam, citing an unnamed official, said Iran would present its response to the proposed agreement within 48 hours.

Also in the news this hour: NASA is hoping to launch its newest rocket -- the Ares I-X. But rain could delay the flight. NASA TV is webcasting here.

Meanwhile, the stories making headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- Pakistan Claims Progress In Push Against Taliban: " Pakistan's army says 42 militants have been killed in the latest stage of its offensive against the Taliban close to the Afghan border. A statement Tuesday says that troops were making steady progress in the 11-day old campaign in South Waziristan."

-- Morning Edition -- "No. 3 Man Moving Up In Al-Qaida". NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports on the new face of al-Qaida:

-- The Associated Press -- "Obama Putting $3.4 Billion Toward A 'Smart' Power Grid": "President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing the power grid. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors."

Related report from NPR's Scott Horsley:

-- The New York Times -- "Ex A.I.G. Chief Is Back, Luring Talent From Rescued Firm": "Maurice R. Greenberg, who built the American International Group into an insurance behemoth with an impenetrable maze of on- and offshore companies, is at it again. Even as he has been lambasting the government for its handling of A.I.G. after its near collapse, Mr. Greenberg has been quietly building up a family of insurance companies that could compete with A.I.G. To fill the ranks of his venture, C.V. Starr & Company, he has been hiring some people he once employed."

-- Morning Edition -- Clinics Struggle To Keep Up With Swine Flu. Steve Inskeep talks to clinic staffers in Indiana, Ohio, Maryland and Florida:

Getting the shot in L.A. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Flying over Zabul. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

By Mark Memmott

Here's a name to watch for in coming days: Matthew Hoh.

He could soon be a hero to those who think the U.S. should begin to wind down its efforts in Afghanistan, which means he could soon be all over the cable news airwaves.

As The Washington Post reports, Hoh is a former captain in the U.S. Marines who served in Iraq. Earlier this year, he joined the Foreign Service and was soon assigned to Zabul Province, Afghanistan.

But last month, the Post writes, "in a move that has sent ripples all the way to the White House, Hoh, 36, became the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war, which he had come to believe simply fueled the insurgency."

"I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, according to the Post.

The liberal blogger/commentator Taylor Marsh says "this could turn into a story that will haunt Pres. Obama's decision on Afghanistan every day until the strategy is announced."

The story's also been picked up by the liberal Daily Kos and the liberal Brave New Foundation's Rethink Afghanistan.

Update at 1:45 p.m. ET. More reactions from influential voices in the blogosphere:

-- The "milblog" Blackfive says Hoh deserves to be praised acting on his convictions, though it disagrees with his conclusions.

-- The conservative JustOneMinute writes that "one might think Hoh provides useful cover to the 'Give peace a chance' wing of Obama's base and their natural allies in the media."

-- The liberal MyDD calls it "a big story" and says Hoh's letter "is another reminder that we are persuing the wrong strategy with Afghanistan."

Additional links at Memeorandum.

Update at 11:40 a.m. ET. The Atlantic has posted an embeddable copy of Hoh's letter:

Matthew Hoh first US official to resign over Afghan War

By Frank James

Three agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Afghanistan to combat that nation's poppy production which provides much of the world's heroin were among the ten Americans killed when their helicopter crashed following a firefight.

The DEA casualties were the first for the agency since its agents began anti-narcotics operations in 2005.

The DEA issued a statement:

"Today, the Drug Enforcement Administration mourns the tragic loss of three DEA Special Agents and seven U.S. service members killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan," said Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. "The incident occurred during the early morning hours of October 26, when these heroic individuals were returning from a completed, joint counternarcotics mission."

"We are all saddened by this tragic event. DEA is an extremely tight family, and the death of these three brave agents is a devastating loss for us. No expressions of grief can adequately convey the depth of the collective sorrow that we feel for their loved ones."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members of our fallen heroes. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid and we will forever carry their memories in our hearts."

Besides the DEA agents, who weren't identified, the others killed during this particular operation were uniformed members of the U.S. military, according to U.S. officials.

Officials said the aircraft wasn't taking hostile fire at the time of the crash so they dismissed that as a possibility. The 10 deaths were among 14 Americans who died in helicopter crashes Monday. Two Marine helicopters crashed in Helmand Province, killing four troops.

Sen. John Kerry demonstrated his two-handed approach to Afghanistan at the Council on Foreign Relations. ( Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

By Frank James

Sen. John Kerry, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, provided what he views as the key question against which any future U.S. strategy in Afghanistan must be tested.

... We need to ask ourselves at every turn: "will this help the Afghan people take responsibility for their country?"--and where the answer is no, we probably shouldn't be doing it.

Kerry spoke before the Council on Foreign Relations after returning from Afghanistan last week where he helped to broker an agreement from Afghan President Hamid Karzai to agree to a run-off election against challenger Abdullah Abdullah.

Anyone hoping that Kerry would give a clear exit strategy out of Afghanistan would be disappointed however. It was definitely an on-one-hand, on-the-other-hand kind of speech.

Kerry rejected both the approach of Vice President Joe Biden, who is said to support a significant reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to focus on discrete counter terrorism strikes, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan who is known to want more troops.

The senator said neither approach would deliver the outcomes Americans seek. In short, he appears to be against sending more troops or significantly reducing the current numbers there. But that doesn't mean he's for the status quo. He knows that's untenable.

More Kerry:

Our strategy has to be informed by two basic truths. First of all, we can't draw down large of numbers of troops today in order to shift to a narrow counterterrorism mission. Second, we simply don't have enough troops or resources to launch a broad, nationwide counterinsurgency campaign, nor do we need to...

Continue reading "Kerry Opposes More (And Fewer) U.S. Troops In Afghanistan" >

A dangerous job. (Graham Smith/NPR)

By Mark Memmott

The too-often deadly job of searching for hidden "improvised explosive devices" along the roads and trails of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, is a daily duty for U.S. Marines there. NPR's Tom Bowman, who is with some of those Marines, just got off the phone with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep.

As Tom reports, the Marines know that those IEDs have killed more than 30 of their buddies in recent months -- and wounded many more. They aren't eager to go out looking for more, but do the difficult job every day.

Here's a clip from their conversation. It begins with Steve:

We hope to have better quality audio from Tom's side of the conversation after he and producer Graham Smith are able to send the recording they made on the ground in Helmand.

Much more from the discussion is due on Thursday's broadcast of ME. Click here tto find an NPR station near you.

Graham, you might recall, sent us a report last week on the Marines' search for IEDs.

By Mark Memmott

Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah has called his country's top election official to resign before the Nov. 7 runoff election.

But today, Reuters reports, that official rejected such talk.

"No, why should I resign?" Azizullah Ludin (sometimes spelled Lodin) told Reuters. "I don't know if the constitution gives (Abdullah) authority to ask of such a thing."

Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election was marred by massive fraud. So many of the voters for President Hamid Karzai were eventually tossed out that his share of the total slipped below 50% -- forcing the runoff.

By Mark Memmott

As the day gets going, details are still coming in about two deadly incidents involving U.S. helicopters in Afghanistan. The Associated Press writes that the crashes killed 14 Americans, most of them military personnel.

From southern Afghanistan, NPR producer Graham Smith reported that one of the helicopters had just left the scene of a firefight -- but that U.S. officials do not believe it was brought down by fire from the ground:

In other news involving Afghanistan:

-- The Washington Post reports that "the Pentagon's top military officer oversaw a secret war game this month to evaluate the two primary military options that have been put forward by the Pentagon and are being weighed by the Obama administration as part of a broad-based review of the faltering Afghanistan war, senior military officials said." One involved the hypothetical addition of 44,000 more troops. The other added 10,000 to 15,000.

-- On Morning Edition, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported that some parts of northern Afghanistan have also destabilized in recent months:

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Senate On Verge Of Health Bill": "Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage. Senate leaders plan to submit the bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations."

Related story on Morning Edition -- A "Public Option" Is Looking More Likely" NPR's Julie Rovner talked with host Steve Inskeep:

-- The New York Times -- "U.S. Considers Reining In 'Too Big To Fail' Institutions": "A senior administration official said on Sunday that after extensive consultations with Treasury Department officials, Representative Barney Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, would introduce legislation as early as this week. The measure would make it easier for the government to seize control of troubled financial institutions, throw out management, wipe out the shareholders and change the terms of existing loans held by the institution."

-- The Associated Press -- "Death Toll Rises To 155 In Dual Baghdad Bombings": "The death toll from Iraq's worst attack in more than two years climbed to 155 Monday as Iraqis buried the dead from the twin suicide bombings that devastated the heart of Baghdad. Funerals were held around the city amid heightened security that snarled traffic during the morning rush hour. The bombings targeted two government buildings, calling into question the state's ability to protect itself as it prepares for January elections and the U.S. military withdrawal."

Related report from NPR's Nishant Dahiya in Baghdad -- Iraqi Leaders Blame Al-Qaida And Neighboring Countries:

-- Morning Edition -- "Karadzic Boycotts Start Of War Crimes Trial". The Bosnian Serb claimed he needs more time to prepare his defense. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli filed this report:

From a related report by BBC News: "Karadzic, 64, was taken to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague last year, after 13 years in hiding. ... He was indicted in 1995 on two counts of genocide and a multitude of other crimes committed against Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians during the 1992-1995 war, which left more than 100,000 people dead."

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we just reported, there's word from Vienna this morning that a draft agreement has been reached for Iran to export most of its enriched uranium to Russia for processing. That's been a critical goal of negotiators from the U.S., France and Russia because it could lessen the chances of Iran obtaining enough fuel for a nuclear weapon.

We'll watch for more news on that as the day continues.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines include:

-- USA TODAY -- "White House Neglecting Bioterrorism," Bipartisan Commission Warns: " The Obama administration is working hard to curb nuclear threats but failing to address the more urgent and immediate threat of biological terrorism, a bipartisan commission created by Congress is reporting today. The report obtained by USA TODAY cites failures on biosecurity policy by the White House, which the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction says has left the country vulnerable. ... White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said protecting the nation from deadly weapons is among President Obama's 'top national security priorities.' "

-- The Associated Press -- "Watchdog: Bailout Helped But At A Great Cost": "A government watchdog said the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry played a major role in rescuing the economy over the last year but also engendered anger and distrust among Americans because of secrecy and confusion about the way the program was handled. The mixed and blunt assessment by Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general in charge of oversight for the bailout fund, comes just as the administration is taking steps to wind down and refocus the Wall Street rescue effort. Barofsky's conclusions are in a quarterly report scheduled for release Wednesday." (That report is to be posted here.)

From a related story by USA TODAY:

"The American people's belief that the funds went into a black hole, or that there was a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to Wall Street, is one of the worst outcomes of this program, and that is the reputational damage to the government," said Neil Barofsky, special inspector general of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), in an interview.

-- The Washington Post -- "U.S. Deeply Split On Troop Increase For Afghan War": "As President Obama and his war cabinet deliberate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly and deeply divided over whether he should send 40,000 more troops there, and public approval of the president's handling of the situation has tumbled, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

Related story by the Associated Press -- "Afghan President's Rival Accepts Nov. 7 Runoff": "President Hamid Karzai's chief political rival agreed Wednesday to take part in the Nov. 7 runoff election, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the face of Taliban threats and approaching winter snows. Ex-Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah made his comment to reporters one day after Karzai bowed to intense U.S. and international pressure and accepted findings of a U.N.-backed panel that there had been massive fraud on his behalf in the Aug. 20 vote. Those findings showed Karzai failed to win the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff."

Helping the injured after a train crash today near Agra, India. (AP photo)

-- NPR News -- At Least 21 Killed In Train Crash. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from New Delhi:

-- Morning Edition -- Obama To Increase Credit To Small Businesses. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, some small business owners say they desperately need more help if they're going to stay in business:

-- The New York Times -- Administration Doesn't Always Listen To Volcker: Former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker is a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama, but his advice that the nation's banks "be prohibited from owning and trading risky securities, the very practice that got the biggest ones into deep trouble in 2008," isn't gaining favor within the administration.

-- Morning Edition -- The "Public Option" Is Short On Support In Senate. NPR's David Welna reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

Sharp senses, and a little luck, kept the bomb in that hole from killing anyone. (Graham Smith/NPR)

By Mark Memmott

All Things Considered producer Graham Smith is on assignment in Afghanistan. This past summer, he sent us some dispatches when he was embedded with Marines there. Once again, he's been out with Marines as they patrol the countryside. Here's what he tells us about the deadly explosives the Americans are encountering -- and one engineer's close call:

The IEDs themselves are what they call HME or Home Made Explosives. It's basically a fertilizer bomb, like what was used in Oklahoma City, but smaller -- 30 to 90 pounds is the norm here although a 1,500 pound HME bomb killed four Americans last week in Kandahar. The diesel and fertilizer is mixed and packed inside 3 gallon plastic oil jugs or metal cylinders made from sections of street lamp poles. Sometimes, it's packed inside hollowed out old mortar rounds or artillery shells.

One that was found yesterday was a little different. It was a mixture called "anal" -- some kind of aluminum-based explosive that looks like Silver Surfer poo. When the Marines blew it up, not all of the bomb detonated, because it had been contaminated with water as it was put in place. The crater was filled with the silvery goo, and also various chunks of metal that had been packed into the bomb to create more shrapnel: A length of bicycle chain; a pedal crank; some empty shell casings.

That particular bomb had been found by one of the engineers by accident. He'd already swept the area, and was moving on when he noticed the ground had some give under his foot. He was standing on top of a pressure plate - a crude trigger buried under the earth. Luckily, the bomb hadn't been armed with a battery, or he'd likely have lost a leg at the least. More likely, he'd have been dead. Luck counts too.

By Frank James

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday made life somewhat easier for President Barack Obama by accepting the results an international review that he received less than 50 percent of the votes in Afghanistan's presidential election, requiring a runoff.

So Obama had only positive things to say about Karzai, the leader of a government widely viewed as corrupt who also benefited from widespread vote fraud in the August election.

Karzai's decision to submit to a runoff at least makes a potential decision to send significantly more U.S. troops to Afghanistan less unpalatable than it would have been otherwise.

Obama spoke briefly about Karzai and Afghanistan during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki:

I had the opportunity to speak with President Karzai this morning and I wanted to congratulate him on accepting the certification of the recent election. As we all know, this has been a very difficult time in Afghanistan to not only carry out a election under difficult circumstances, where there were a whole host of security issues that had to be resolved, but also post-election a lot of uncertainty.

Continue reading "Obama Thanks Afghan Prez For Okaying New Vote" >

Abdullah gets a second chance. (Musadeq Sadeq/AP)

By Mark Memmott

There will be runoff election in Afghanistan between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

The vote will be held on Nov. 7, it was just announced in Kabul.

Massive fraud in Afghanistan's Aug. 20 vote has led to this result. While Karzai had initially collected enough votes to get over the 50% threshold that would have avoided a runoff, an independent elections commission threw out hundreds of thousands of ballots -- enough to pull Karzai's total below the 50% line and force a second vote. The commission found that ballot boxes had been stuffed with fraudulent votes in many districts.

Karzai, at a news conference in Kabul, just accepted the commission's findings and endorsed the runoff, according to the Associated Press. He's been joined at a news briefing by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., one of several international diplomats and lawmakers who've been pressing for a resolution to Afghanistan's political crisis.

"We believe that this decision of the (commission) is legitimate, legal and constitutional and that it strengthens the path towards domocracy," Karzai said this morning.

Update at 9:35 a.m. ET. A few moments ago, the White House released a statement from President Barack Obama. He says Afghanistan will be strengthened by the decision to hold a runoff vote.

The president's statement follows:

Continue reading "Runoff Election Set In Afghanistan; Obama Says Nation Will Be Strengthened" >

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

As we reported just a few minutes ago, it's looking more and more like there will be a election run-off in Afghanistan between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Also, as we've already noted, firm director Roman Polanski was told today that he must wait in a Swiss prison while he fights against extradition to the United States.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Washington Post -- Poll Shows Most Americans Support "Public Option" In Health Care: "A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public. ... Sizable majorities back two key and controversial provisions: both the so-called public option and a new mandate that would require all Americans to carry health insurance.

-- The Associated Press -- Talks With Iran Bog Down: "Talks meant to persuade Iran to send most of its enriched uranium abroad -- and thus delay its potential to make a nuclear weapon -- bogged down Tuesday over fierce Iranian resistance to French participation, diplomats said. Tuesday was the second day of talks in the Austrian capital between Iran and the United States, Russia and France over Iran's nuclear program. But discussions were delayed at least two hours in an attempt to resolve the impasse over the French."

Related report from NPR's Eric Westervelt in Vienna:

The talks are aimed at hammering out details of a plan Iran agreed to in principle in Geneva earlier this month. The deal would send about 75% of Iran's declared stockpile of low enriched uranium to Russia and France for processing and would be returned to Iran as fuel for use in a medical research reactor in Tehran.

-- Morning Edition -- "Iran, U.S. Wage A Quiet War Over The Economy". NPR's Tom Gjelten reports:

-- BBC News -- Blast Rocks University In Islamabad: "At least four people have been killed and 18 wounded in bomb explosions at a university in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, officials say. Police say the blasts at the International Islamic University were caused by suicide bombers. The attack is the first since the Pakistani army began its offensive against militants in South Waziristan, in the country's north-west. Pakistan was hit by a wave of bombings in the days before the assault began."

-- Los Angeles Times -- AIDS Vaccine Positive Results Might Have Been Just By Chance: "A secondary analysis of data from the Thai AIDS vaccine trial -- announced last month to much acclaim -- suggests that the vaccine might provide some protection against the virus, but that the results are not statistically significant. In short, they could have come about merely by chance."

Karzai has a decision to make. (Musadeq Sadeq/AP)

By Mark Memmott

It's looking more and more like there will be an election run-off in Afghanistan between incumbent President Hamid Karzai and his main challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

The Times of London is reporting that Karzai has told security and elections officials to prepare for a second round of voting.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported that Karzai's campaign spokesman said the president no longer opposes a run-off:

Still, there hasn't yet been any official announcement from Karzai. Reuters says he will be speaking later today.

Yesterday, a United Nations-backed watchdog group declared that hundreds of thousands of votes for Karzai in the Aug. 20 election were fraudulent. And, the Associated Press writes, "international monitoring groups say the Electoral Complaints Commission has invalidated so many of Karzai's votes that his total has dropped below the more than 50% he needed for an outright victory."

The AP adds this morning that Abdullah is suggesting that an interim government be formed -- which would include him -- until a new election can be held in the spring. Holding a vote during Afghanistan's rough winter could be difficult.

Also on Morning Edition, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said forming a unity government may be a more practical option than a run-off election.

Update at 8:10 a.m. ET: CNN reports that the independent elections commission has set Nov. 7, a Saturday, as the date for the run-off. Karzai, with Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, is speaking with reporters now in Kabul. We'll have more in a moment.

By Frank James

The Associated Press' controversial publication a few weeks ago of a Marine dying on an Afghanistan battlefield has prompted changes to the military policy governing the photographing of wounded or killed troops. The problem is, it's unclear exactly what the military has decided.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard's death spurred the military to revise the rules for photojournalists in a process that's still ongoing. (AP Photo/USMC)

The U.S. military's initial response to the publishing of Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard lying mortally wounded after he was hit by a rocket propelled grenade was a complete ban, in eastern Afghanistan at least, on the photographing of wounded and killed U.S. troops. That decision was made in theater, not Washington.

But the Pentagon thought the new rules too restrictive. So U.S. military officials in Afghanistan were told by the Pentagon to try again.

According to a National Press Photographers Association report dated Friday:

This all started within the last two weeks when journalists arriving at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan discovered language in a Regional Command East new embedding agreement in eastern Afghanistan that said: "Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action."

When news organizations and press freedom groups protested the ban, the Pentagon (we now know) suggested a re-write. While the revision to the revised ground rules were re-issued by Regional Command East, and their press release made it sound like the lifting of the ban was their idea, today's comments by Whitman make it clear the "suggestion" to re-do the embed agreement that banned photographing KIAs instead came from Washington.

Continue reading "Embedded War Photojournalists Get New (Unclear) Rules " >

By Mark Memmott

"Fraud investigators have thrown out hundreds of thousands of ballots for Afghanistan's president from the country's disputed August election," the Associated Press reports from Kabul. That "sets the stage for a runoff" between President Hamid Karzai and his top challenger because Karzai would no longer have 50% or more of the votes cast.

But, allies of Karzai -- who control a separate commission that is charged with certifying the results of Afghanistan's Aug. 20 election -- are rejecting the fraud investigators' conclusions, the AP also reports.

A political crisis, therefore, is deepening -- as Morning Edition reported. NPR's Jackie Northam said that Karzai claims "foreign interference" is behind the claims of fraud:

Also on Morning Edition, that top challenger to Karzai -- former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah -- made the case that a runoff is necessary to restore any sense of confidence in Afghanistan's political process. But Abdullah also signaled he might be willing to join a Karzai-led government in some sort of power-sharing deal:

By Nishant Dahiya

BAGHDAD -- On May 11th, four American soldiers and a sailor were shot to death at the U.S. Army's sprawling Camp Liberty base next to Baghdad International Airport. Army Sgt. John Russell of Sherman, Texas, was arrested at the scene.

It all happened at Camp Liberty's Combat Stress Center. The sergeant had been sent there for treatment. He was nearly finished with his third tour in Iraq.

The nature of the crime -- and especially whether the stress of being deployed had caused the suspect to crack -- led to President Obama himself weighing in on the issue. The president said he would "press to ensure that we fully understand" what led to the killings.

The U.S military has now released the details of its investigation into some of the circumstances surrounding the incident. The report, which is posted online here, is incredibly detailed. It's 325 pages long and hard to read both for the nature of the subject being discussed and because the military uses acronyms to identify some persons; other names are blanked out completely. Entire sections are missing in some cases.

With evidence based on considerable testimony, the report illustrates the stress and pressure that multiple combat tours in Iraq (and Afghanistan) are putting on military personnel, and how that is also straining the staff of the Army's Combat Stress Clinics.

The findings of the report (pg. 302 onwards) are critical of the operational tools and training aimed at preventing such tragedies as occurred at Camp Liberty. The findings show that policies were unclear; those that existed are improperly implemented; and soldiers were unsure of how to deal with fellow soldiers who have behavioral health problems. The findings highlight lapses in dealing with the situation, on or before the day of the incident, right from the soldier's unit, to the Combat Stress Clinic, to the Military Police.

Stars and Stripes summarizes the findings this way: "Despite years of emphasis on mental health issues, commanders in Iraq lack the necessary tools, training and guidance to deal with at-risk soldiers, according to an Army investigation into mental health services."

The recommendations of the report are blanked out.

There are some signs of what's been suggested, though. In an online press release, the U.S. military says that:

Multinational Corps Iraq already has implemented several of the investigation's recommendations, officials said, including a commandwide review of behavioral health care services, updates to all suicide-prevention programs, the training and appointment of two behavioral health advocates per battalion, and new procedures for dealing with servicemembers attempting or threatening suicide.

While homicides like the one on May 11 are rare, suicides in the U.S. Army have spiked as the Afghanistan and Iraq missions head into their 7th and 9th years respectively. At least 128 soldiers killed themselves last year. And, according to the Army, the suicide rate in the military surpassed that for civilians for the first time since the Vietnam War. The number of suicides has seen an upward trend for four years running now. In 2007, 115 soldiers killed themselves; 106 in 2006. Numbers for 2009 will only be available at the end of the year.

The criminal investigation into the case against Russell continues.

(Nishant Dahiya is an NPR producer currently on assignment in Iraq.)

By Mark Memmott

New York Times reporter David Rohde, who along with Afghan journalist Tahir Ludin and driver Asad Mangal was held captive by a Taliban commander in Afghanistan and Pakistan for more than seven months, today begins a five-part series in the Times about their experience. Along with the dramatic tale of their capture, captivity, treatment and the successful escape he and Tahir made, David writes today about what he learned of the Taliban:

Over those months, I came to a simple realization. After seven years of reporting in the region, I did not fully understand how extreme many of the Taliban had become. Before the kidnapping, I viewed the organization as a form of "Al Qaeda lite," a religiously motivated movement primarily focused on controlling Afghanistan.

Living side by side with the Haqqanis' followers, I learned that the goal of the hard-line Taliban was far more ambitious. Contact with foreign militants in the tribal areas appeared to have deeply affected many young Taliban fighters. They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world.

I had written about the ties between Pakistan's intelligence services and the Taliban while covering the region for The New York Times. I knew Pakistan turned a blind eye to many of their activities. But I was astonished by what I encountered firsthand: a Taliban mini-state that flourished openly and with impunity.

The Taliban government that had supposedly been eliminated by the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was alive and thriving.

(Note from Mark: As I've said in previous posts, Tahir is a friend of mine. We worked together during most of my half-dozen trips for USA TODAY to Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003. We've had many conversations in recent months and he is doing remarkably well for someone who went through what they experienced. So is David, who I have come to know through Tahir. Asad, the driver, was released by their captors a few weeks after David and Tahir escaped.)

By Frank James

Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S. gave the strongest indication yet that his government is open to a presidential election runoff.

Speaking Thursday at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Said Tayeb Jawad said a runoff would be the only way to definitively settle the question of who will be Afghanistan's next leader.

The Associated Press paraphrased Jawad's comments:

(Jawad) says all parties must work to hold the runoff vote quickly. He says a two-week deadline set out in the country's constitution is impossible, but that the voting should be held within a month.

Jawad's comment comes as President Barack Obama deliberates on the next steps to take in Afghanistan as the U.S. public's support for the U.S. effort in Afghanistan dwindles.

Continue reading "Afghan Envoy To U.S. Suggests Runoff Likely" >

By Mark Memmott

One of the more disturbing stories of the day, as we noted earlier, is the Times of London report that:

When French soldiers arrived to assume control of the Sarobi area, east of Kabul, in mid-2008, they were not informed that the departing Italians had kept the region relatively peaceful by paying local Taliban fighters to remain inactive.

Western officials say that because the French knew nothing of the payments they made a catastrophically incorrect threat assessment. Within a month, 10 French soldiers had been killed in an ambush by the insurgents.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and others in his government have vehemently denied that any such payments were made.

From Paris, NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports that the French defense ministry is downplaying the story -- calling it an old rumor and saying that French forces have been working well with the Italians for more than two years. Relatives of the French soldiers who were killed, though, say if the story is true it's appalling:

Arianna says maybe Joe should go. (Alex Wong Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Provocative words from political provocateur Arianna Huffington at the liberal commentator's eponymous website:

Vice President Joe Biden should resign.

Arianna says that Biden should underscore his opposition to a build-up of U.S. forces in Afghanistan by stepping down if President Barack Obama decides to send a large number of additional troops to that country. It would be, she writes, something that "generations to come" would be grateful for and a "crowning moment in a distinguished career" for Biden. And Biden could then become "the natural leader of the movement to wind down this disastrous war and focus on the real dangers in Pakistan."

Well?

By Mark Memmott

There have been more attacks on military sites in Pakistan today, as we just reported, and a loud explosion has been heard in the city of Peshawar. We'll keep an eye on events there as the day continues.

The economy will be in the news again this morning. At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September consumer price index -- the most-watched measure of inflation at the consumer level. And at 9:30 a.m. ET, stocks resume trading on Wall Street. Will the Dow Jones industrial index move even higher after cracking the 10,000 mark yesterday?

Also today, President Barack Obama visits New Orleans for the first time since taking office last January. At an early afternoon town hall meeting, he'll get a chance to hear directly from residents about how the long, slow recovery from 2005's Hurricane Katrina is going.

The Times-Picayune asked locals about what things they think the president should see. As the newspaper says:

Though most New Orleans-area residents were heartened by the news that Obama would be making his first presidential visit to the region Thursday, nine months into his first term, there also has been carping that his itinerary is on the light side.

From WWNO in New Orleans, Eileen Fleming reports that some local officials wish Obama was spending more than a few hours in their battered region:

Other stories making headlines include:

-- The Associated Press -- "Italy Denies Paying Off Taliban In Afghanistan": "The Italian government denied a newspaper report Thursday that its secret services paid the Taliban thousands of dollars to keep an area in Afghanistan controlled by the Italians safe. Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office called the report in the Times of London 'completely groundless.' The defense minister said the paper published 'rubbish.' "

Times of London -- "Berlusconi Attempts To Duck Afghanistan Bribe Scandal": "Silvio Berlusconi today sought to duck the blame for a series of secret Italian payments to Taliban fighters that left French soldiers exposed in Afghanistan. The Italian prime minister denied any knowledge of money paid to Afghan warlords in an apparent attempt to divert attention over the clandestine deals to his predecessor's administration. The Times has learned that when French soldiers arrived to assume control of the Sarobi area, east of Kabul, in mid-2008, they were not informed that the departing Italians had kept the region relatively peaceful by paying local Taliban fighters to remain inactive.

Update at 9:25 a.m. ET. The Associated Press now reports that:

In Kabul, a U.S. spokesman for NATO forces in Afghanistan denied the allegations. "We don't do bribes," Col. Wayne Shanks said. "We don't pay the insurgents."

-- Morning Edition -- Zazi Allegedly Made Contact With Top Al-Qaida Operative. "The man arrested last month for allegedly plotting to blow up targets in New York contacted one of Osama bin Laden's right-hand men, U.S. intelligence officials say." NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports:

-- The New York Times -- "Public Option Is Next Big Hurdle In Health Debate": "As the White House and Congressional leaders turned in earnest on Wednesday to working out big differences in the five health care bills, perhaps no issue loomed as a greater obstacle than whether to establish a government-run competitor to the insurance industry."

-- NPR News -- Foreclosures Rose 5% From Summer To Fall. NPR's Jack Speer reports:

By Mark Memmott

Britain will add about 500 more troops to its force in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Gordon Brown told parliament today -- an announcement that had been anticipated, but as NPR's Rob Gifford reports came after intense questioning from lawmakers:

The Guardian writes that:

More will soon be heading to Afghanistan. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

The government is aware of rising public opposition in both the U.K. and U.S. to the counter insurgency war in Afghanistan -- the latest poll, by Populus for the Times, records that more than a third of voters believe British forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Growing opposition to Britain's military presence has been driven by women, with four out of 10 wanting Britain out.

Yet Downing Street has also been under intense pressure from defense chiefs, particularly army commanders, to send in reinforcements. Military commanders say more troops are needed to protect and build up the civil infrastructure of areas captured from the Taliban. There are not enough troops to secure all the populated "green belt" along the river Helmand, they say. When British soldiers launched Panther's Claw, an operation north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, in the summer, several British soldiers were killed in the exposed Sangin valley to the north-east.

The U.K. will have about 9,500 military personnel in Afghanistan once the additional troops get there. The U.S. has about 68,000 troops authorized for action there, and President Barack Obama is debating whether to send tens of thousands more.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

Now that the Senate Finance Committee has passed its version of legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system, work begins on melding that bill with the version passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Meanwhile, as we reported a few minutes ago, there's going to be renewed attention today for the bonuses paid to executives at bailed-out insurance giant AIG. A House committee will hear testimony on the problem that the Treasury Department had trying to understand AIG's compensation plan.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- CBS News -- "Afghan Corruption Could Derail Troop Surge": "Rampant government corruption might derail the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan even if as many as 80,000 additional U.S. troops are sent to the war, the top military commander there has concluded, according to U.S. officials briefed on his recommendations. The conclusion by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal is part of a still-secret document that requests more troops even as he warns that they ultimately may not prevent terrorists from turning Afghanistan back into a haven."

-- The Guardian -- "Gordon Brown To Send More British Troops To Afghanistan": British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "will announce in parliament today that he has agreed to send 500 more soldiers to Afghanistan, straight after reading out a grim roll call of the 37 troops who were killed in the conflict while MPs were on their summer recess."

-- Morning Edition -- "U.S. Lawmakers Tout Aid Plan That's Heavily Criticized In Pakistan": NPR's Michele Kelemen reports:

-- The Washington Post -- "Health Insurers Emerge As Obama's Top Foe In Reform Effort": "Attacks on the leading Democratic reform plan this week by the insurance lobby left little doubt that two of the most powerful institutions involved in the debate -- the White House and the nation's insurance companies -- have abandoned any real hope of forging a compromise."

Related report on All Things Considered -- "Insurance Lobby Group Says Plan Would Spike Costs":

-- Los Angeles Times -- Southern California Battered By Storm: About 12,000 people in Los Angeles were without power last night as a storm pummeled Southern California. "The storm, which battered the northern part of the state with heavy rain and wind, was losing power but could still dump up to 4 inches of rain in mountain areas ravaged by recent wildfires, according to the National Weather Service. About half an inch of rain was expected in coastal areas."

Related report from NPR News -- Record Rainfall In Many Areas:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Drink's iPhone 'App' Gets Anger Flowing": "Energy drinks are meant to be edgy and cool, and drunk by young men. So PepsiCo Inc. decided to release an Apple iPhone application for its Amp Energy drink to appeal to guys out on the prowl. Now the snack and beverage giant is facing a storm of criticism for 'Amp Up Before You Score.' The app, released last Friday, purports to help men pick up any one of 24 types of women, such as the 'sorority girl,' 'cougar,' 'rebound girl' or 'punk rock girl.' "

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Pepsi Apologizes After iPhone App Spurs Complaints". NPR's Laura Sydell reports:

By Mark Memmott

Journalist Steve Coll of The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2004 book Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. He's traveled through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India extensively and just finished talking with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep about the ongoing rivalry between Pakistan and India and what that means for Afghanistan.

Paranoia on the part of many in Pakistan's military has led that nation to do things that continue to destabilize Afghanistan, Coll says. Here's part of their conversation:

Much more from their discussion is due on tomorrow's Morning Edition. Click here to find an NPR station near you.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The top story as the day gets going, as we reported a few minutes ago, is the Senate Finance Committee vote on its version of legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system.

The committee meets at 10 a.m. ET. We'll post an update on the news, and the NPR Health Blog will also be following the action.

Among the other stories making headlines:

-- The Washington Post -- "Support Troops Swelling U.S. Force In Afghanistan": "President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has also authorized -- and the Pentagon is deploying -- at least 13,000 troops beyond that number, according to defense officials. The additional troops are primarily support forces, including engineers, medical personnel, intelligence experts and military police. Their deployment has received little mention by officials at the Pentagon and the White House, who have spoken more publicly about the combat troops who have been sent to Afghanistan."

-- BBC News -- Al-Qaida Faces A "Funding Crisis": Al-Qaida "is in its worst financial state for many years while the Taliban's funding is flourishing, according to the US Treasury. Senior Treasury official David Cohen said al-Qaida had made several appeals for funds already this year. The influence of the network -- damaged by U.S. efforts to choke funding -- is waning, he said. The Taliban, meanwhile, are in better financial shape, bolstered by Afghanistan's booming trade in drugs."

-- The Associated Press -- Pakistani Jets Bomb Militants: "Pakistani jets bombed militant targets in the main insurgent stronghold along the Afghan border Tuesday ahead of an expected ground offensive there, while the army killed 26 insurgents elsewhere in the northwest, authorities said."

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Journalist Rashed Rahman tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that militants may be trying to provoke the Pakistani military into attacking:

-- The New York Times -- "Congress Is Split On Effort To Tax Costly Health Plans": "A proposed tax on high-cost, or 'Cadillac,' health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans."

-- Morning Edition -- After Saying GOP Health Plan Is To Have Folks "Die Quickly," Rep. Grayson Stirs Debate: NPR's Greg Allen reports:

-- Los Angeles Times -- "Schwarzenegger Pens A New Course For California": "After threatening a mass veto to spur a big water deal, the governor reversed course, revved up his ballpoint pen and signed a surprising slate of legislation. It included bills he had vetoed in the past and a flurry of measures that steered sharply away from the socially conservative Republican base the governor has rarely embraced."

-- Morning Edition -- "Arrest For Wearing Pants Galvanizes Women In Sudan": NPR's Gwen Thompkins reports:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. It's Columbus Day, so many folks in the U.S. aren't at work, most schools are closed and the mail isn't being delivered.

But The Two-Way is up and running -- and we've already passed along the news that two Americans (and for the first time, a woman) won this year's Nobel Prize in economics. And, there's been word that North Korea has reportedly test-fired two more short-range missiles.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The New York Times -- "U.S. Can't Trace Foreign Visitors On Expired Visas": "Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country. New concern was focused on that security loophole last week, when Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian who had overstayed his tourist visa, was accused in court of plotting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper."

-- The Associated Press -- "New Blast In Pakistan As Taliban Vow More Attacks": "The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Monday for a weekend siege on army headquarters and vowed to activate militant cells across the country for more attacks as another explosion in a market killed at least 41 people."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Attack On Pakistani Army Spotlights Punjab Province": The region is a terrorist recruitment and training ground, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports:

-- CBS News -- "Gun Troubles For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan": The problems some U.S. troops have had with misfiring weapons during intense firefights raises a question -- "Eight years into the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy? Despite the military's insistence that they do, a small but vocal number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has complained that the standard-issue M4 rifles need too much maintenance and jam at the worst possible times."

-- Morning Edition -- Expert Says Already Strapped U.S. Military Will Be Strained Even Further By Any Ramping Up In Afghanistan. John Nagl, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and president of the Center for a New American Security, spoke with host Steve Inskeep:

Related story in The New York Times -- "Civilian Goals Largely Unmet In Afghanistan."

-- The Associated Press -- "Insurers Mount Attack Against Health Overhaul": "After working for months behind the scenes to help shape health care legislation, the insurance industry is now sharply attacking the emerging plan with a report that maintains Senate legislation would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year."

On the march. (Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images)

-- The Washington Post -- Gay Rights March Pushes Marital, Military Equality: "Tens of thousands of gay-rights activists marched Sunday in Washington to show President Obama and Congress that they are impatient with what they consider piecemeal progress and are ready to fight at the federal level for across-the-board equality, including for the right to marry and the right to serve in the military."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

President Barack Obama meets with his national security team about Afghanistan. (Pete Souza / White House Photo)

By Frank James

U.S. intelligence officials have apparently detected something in Afghanistan that goes against the conventional wisdom.

Many analysts have thought that the Taliban were using Pakistan as a safe haven, swinging across the border into Afghanistan to attack U.S. and NATO troops, then retreating across the border into Pakistan where Western troops can't follow them.

But intelligence officials, according to Reuters, are seeing something different. First, Afghanistan's homegrown Taliban have nearly quadrupled in the last three years. And they don't seem to be using Pakistan as a safe haven as much as was previously thought.

A Reuters excerpt:

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The White House has been presented intelligence estimating Taliban-led forces battling U.S. troops in Afghanistan have nearly quadrupled since 2006 and are increasingly independent of leaders in Pakistan, officials said on Friday.

A U.S. intelligence assessment, showing the number of fighters in the insurgency has reached an estimated 25,000 from 7,000 in 2006, spotlights Taliban gains and the tough choices facing President Barack Obama in trying to reverse the trend.

Some of Obama's advisers see a more concerted crackdown by Pakistan on militants on its side of the border as key to turning the tide in Afghanistan, but U.S. intelligence agencies see little correlation, citing the Afghan insurgency's autonomy and increasing home-grown sophistication, officials said...

Continue reading "Afghan Taliban Less Reliant On Pakistan New Intel Suggests" >

By Mark Memmott

No one can say any longer that President Barack Obama doesn't have the paperwork:

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters a short time ago that an "informal copy" of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's "resource request" has been given to the president.

That resource request is the case that the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is making for the deployment of more American troops to that central Asian nation. It's a critical part of the strategic review that the president and his advisers are now conducting.

McChrystal's request, Morrell said, still has some steps to take in the chain of command before a final copy lands on Obama's desk.

As we reported earlier, a new Quinnipiac Poll signals that most Americans support having troops in Afghanistan if the goal is stopping terrorism -- but most oppose having troops there if the goal is "nation building."

Update at 3:45 p.m. ET. Here's an audio clip of Morrell explaining where the request is:

By Frank James

The ferocious weekend battle in eastern Afghanistan between Taliban fighters and U.S. troops that left eight American soldiers dead has received much attention as President Barack Obama attempts to land on the best strategy for fighting the war going forward.

But the firefight in Nuristan province followed the pattern of other attacks on remote U.S. outposts.

The Washington Post and CBS News this week have focused on an engagement that occurred last year in an Afghan village called Wanat.

It's the kind of reporting likely to raise even more questions about the wisdom of how the counterinsurgency strategy has been waged in Afghanistan.

How is it that U.S. commanders ever thought these posts were a good idea in Afghanistan whose rugged terrain makes getting reinforced so difficult? Why wasn't it more evident to start with that U.S. troops would be sitting ducks?

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The essential facts are that a 49-man Army platoon was manned the outpost in a valley at Wanat with mountainous high ground all around them, giving Taliban fighters the advantage.

Because Wanat was so difficult to reach by ground, with no adequate road, the unit could only be resupplied by helicopter which meant supplies didn't come in as often as they were needed and the soldiers ran low on essentials like drinking water and material to build up defensive positions.

Continue reading "Why Were U.S. Troops Ever On Remote Afghan Outposts?" >

By Mark Memmott

Fresh data from the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute signal that about two-thirds of Americans support having U.S. troops in Afghanistan if their mission is to eliminate terrorist threats.

But if the mission is "building a stable democratic government in Afghanistan" -- or nation-building -- then support for having U.S. troops there evaporates: 39% said that is a worthy goal, vs. 52% who said it is not.

Quinnipiac Polling Institute assistant director Peter Brown told us this morning that the majority of Americans are OK with the idea of shedding blood if it's due to fighting done "over there," so-to-speak:

The poll results, said Brown, underscore the challenge President Barack Obama will have if he decides to add more troops to the effort in Afghanistan -- and how Obama will have to appeal for support to Americans who oppose him on most other policies:

The Quinnipiac data seem to be in line with other recent surveys, including Gallup's conclusion that "Americans Say Afghanistan Going Badly, But Not A Mistake".

Quinnipiac's national telephone survey of 2,630 registered voters was done from Sept. 29-Oct. 5. The margin of error on each result: +/- 1.9 percentage points.

These numbers come out, of course, as the president continues his review of Afghan war strategy and considers the recommendation of his top commander there that additional troops be added to the campaign.

To see more of NPR's coverage of events in Afghanistan, click here.

By Mark Memmott

"We had and have no plan of harming countries of the world, including those in Europe ... our goal is the independence of the country and the building of an Islamic state," the Afghan Taliban says in a new statement posted online, Reuters reports.

According to the news service, the message is posted at shahamat.org. It comes eight years to the day after U.S. forces, working with anti-Taliban militias, began the battle to oust the Islamist extremists from power because the Taliban had harbored the al-Qaida terrorist network that attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001.

Reuters says the Taliban adds that:

"Still, if you (NATO and U.S. troops) want to colonize the country of proud and pious Afghans under the baseless pretext of a war on terror, then you should know that our patience will only increase and that we are ready for a long war."

Click here for much more of NPR News' coverage of events in Afghanistan. The Obama administration is now reviewing its strategy.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

We already passed along word that this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to three scientists who did ground-breaking work on ribosomes, which help translate DNA information into life.

But there's plenty of other news as the day gets going. Among the stories making headlines:

-- The New York Times -- "Obama Rules Out Large Reduction In Afghan Force": " President Obama told Congressional leaders on Tuesday that he would not substantially reduce American forces in Afghanistan or shift the mission to just hunting terrorists there, but he indicated that he remained undecided about the major troop buildup proposed by his commanding general."

Related story by the Los Angeles Times -- "Obama Mulls Middle Ground In Afghanistan War Strategy".

Related story by NPR News -- Congressional Leaders Signal They'll Support President's Decision; But Have Differing Views On What Strategy Should Be.

Related story by Politico -- "Tensions Surface In Afghanistan Meeting": "Sen. John McCain drew a direct response from (President Barack) Obama during the meeting Tuesday afternoon when the Arizona Republican told his former opponent that he shouldn't be making a decision on a strategy for the war in such a 'leisurely' fashion, two sources familiar with the meeting said. A little later in the meeting, Obama told McCain that his decision-making won't be 'leisurely,' because no one feels more urgency to get this right than Obama, the sources said."

-- Morning Edition -- "Amid Afghan Debate, What About Pakistan?" Many analysts say Pakistan is more critical than Afghanistan to long-term U.S. plans for Central Asia, as NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

Related conversation on Morning Edition -- Washington Post columnist David Ignatius talks with host Renee Montagne about his recent visit to Pakistan's Swat Valley, which until recently was under Taliban control:

-- Dallas Morning News -- Inquiry On Hold In Flawed Arson Case That Led To Execution: " The Texas Forensic Science Commission's inquiry into a flawed arson investigation that led to a Corsicana man's execution is on hold for now, and it's unclear how or when it will move forward, the commission's new chairman said Tuesday. Gov. Rick Perry appointed Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley last week, two days before a scheduled public hearing with experts critical of the evidence used in Cameron Todd Willingham's murder-arson case. Bradley canceled the hearing, saying he and another new commissioner needed time to prepare."

-- Morning Edition -- Supreme Court Takes Up Case On Legality Of Memorial Cross On Federal Land. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports:

-- The Associated Press -- Obama's Approval Rating Edges Up In AP-GfK Poll: "President Barack Obama's approval ratings are starting to rise after declining ever since his inauguration, new poll figures show as the country's mood begins to brighten. But concerns about the economy, health care and war persist, and support for the war in Afghanistan is falling. An Associated Press-GfK poll says 56% of those surveyed in the past week approve of Obama's job performance, up from 50% in September. It's the first time since he took office in January that his rating has gone up."

Related chart from Pollster.com. Consensus of polls shows president's approval and disapproval ratings converging since Inauguration Day -- but holding steady in recent weeks:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Frank James

The meeting between President Barack Obama and House and Senate leaders Tuesday on Afghanistan was described positively by lawmakers as they left the White House.

The Democratic and Republican lawmakers appeared satisfied the president listened to them at length, telling them at the end of the meeting, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, that he would personally take their calls if they wanted to further discuss aspects of the evolving Afghanistan policy not brought up at Tuesday's meeting.

But from the way lawmakers described it, there appeared to be very little real news from the meeting. The president reiterated his desire to have the right strategy before significant new resources were invested. He said it would be a matter of weeks not months before he makes his decision on how to proceed.

Worth noting, however, was something Reid said he heard not from the president but his Republican colleagues.

REID: ... The one thing that I think was interesting is that everyone, Democrats and Republicans, said whatever decision you make we'll support it, basically. So we'll see.

Continue reading "Obama's Afghan Meeting Leaves Lawmakers Sounding Bipartisan" >

By Mark Memmott

Bookmark this post for future reference. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was unequivocal today when asked by press corps veteran Helen Thomas whether pulling all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan is among the options being considered by President Barack Obama as he reviews U.S. policy toward that country and discusses what should be done with top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal and others.

Absolutely not, Gibbs said.

"That's not something that's ever been entertained," he said.

"I don't think we have the option to leave, that's quite clear," Gibbs added.

Update at 2:30 p.m. ET. Here's the audio. The briefing room microphone didn't pick up the start of Thomas' question, but you'll get the context as Gibbs responds:

By Mark Memmott

The man who now claims to be leading the Pakistani Taliban reportedly met with a small group of reporters from his clan on Sunday and vowed to avenge the killing of his brother, who preceded him as head of the militant group.

The BBC and other news media outlets say that Hakimullah Mehsud met with about five journalists at an undisclosed location. There have been rumors in recent weeks that he too is dead. Baitullah Mehsud, Hakimullah's brother and then the head of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in August by a U.S. missile attack. Another Mehsud brother, Kalimullah, was killed last month in a clash with Pakistani security forces.

Pakistan's Dawn writes that:

Mehsud said his group would avenge the killing of Baitullah Mehsud and strike back at Pakistan and the U.S. for the increasing number of drone attacks in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

Today in Islamabad, a suicide bomber killed at least five people at the U.N. food agency's headquarters.

On Morning Edition, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told host Renee Montagne that his country "is playing its role" in going after terrorists within its borders. Qureshi also said that if the U.S. knows where key Taliban leaders are in Pakistan, it should share that intelligence so that Pakistani forces can go after them. And, he said the U.S. needs to make a "long-term commitment" to Pakistan and the region:

By Mark Memmott

Good morning. It's the first Monday in October and that means a new Supreme Court session begins today. As NPR's Nina Totenberg reported on Morning Edition, the issues on the court's docket include gun rights, the separation of church and state and the tension between efforts to regulate campaign finance and the First Amendment:

For an interactive look at the major cases in the new term, click here.

Meanwhile, among the stories making headlines are:

-- NPR News -- "Three Americans Share Nobel Medicine Prize": "Three American scientists who made key discoveries about how living cells age have received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The winners are Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco; Carol W. Greider of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; and Jack Szostak of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston." The news of their honor was announced this morning in Stockholm. NPR's Jon Hamilton also filed this audio report:

-- The Associated Press -- Suicide Bomber Kills 5 At U.N. Office In Islamabad: "A suicide bomber disguised as a security officer struck the lobby of the U.N. food agency's Pakistan headquarters Monday, killing five people a day after the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban vowed fresh assaults, authorities and witnesses said."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Says If U.S. Knows Where Taliban Leader Is, His Country Will Catch Him. NPR's Renee Montagne spoke with Shah Mahmood Qureshi:

-- The New York Times -- "Attacks On Remote Posts Highlight Afghan Risks": " Insurgents attacked a pair of remote American military bases in Afghanistan over the weekend in a deadly battle that underscored the vulnerability of the kind of isolated bases that the top American commander there wants to scale back."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Insurgents Are Pouring Across Border From Pakistan, Says Governor Of Afghan Province. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul:

Related story by The Washington Post -- Gen. McChrystal "Faulted On Troop Statements": "National security adviser James L. Jones suggested Sunday that the public campaign being conducted by the U.S. commander in Afghanistan on behalf of his war strategy is complicating the internal White House review underway, saying that "it is better for military advice to come up through the chain of command."

-- BBC News -- "Search Ends For Sumatra Survivors": "Officials in the earthquake-hit city of Padang, Indonesia, have called off the search for survivors in the rubble of buildings five days after the disaster. The focus has turned to bringing aid and medical help to survivors in the city and the surrounding areas. At least 1,000 people have died and at least 1,000 remain missing after the earthquake struck last Wednesday."

Related story on Morning Edition -- "Thousands Still Missing In Wake Of Sumatra Quake." Doualy Xaykaothao reports from Padang, Sumatra:

-- Morning Edition -- First Doses Of Swine Flu Vaccine Start Arriving This Week. Have Questions? NPR Will Try To Answer Them:

Click here at noon ET for an online chat, hosted by the NPR Health Blog, with NPR's Richard Knox and Dr. Richard Wenzel, professor and chair of internal medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

It's already been a busy morning, there's much more news expected as the day gets going and there are several interesting stories from overnight to pass along. So let's get right to it.

As we just reported, President Barack Obama has made his in-person pitch to the International Olympic Committee on behalf of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games. The IOC's decision is due around 12:30 p.m. ET.

While Air Force One was still on the ground in Copenhagen, Obama met with the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The general has said he needs more troops. Obama is reviewing U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Coming up at 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on September job losses and that month's unemployment rate. As NPR's John Ydstie told Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep, economists say it's likely the jobless rate inched up from August's 9.7%.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Associated Press -- 3,000 May Be Trapped Under Quake Rubble In Indonesia: "Indonesia's Health Ministry says nearly 3,000 people may still be trapped under rubble after a powerful earthquake two days ago. Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for the ministry's Disaster Management Agency, said Friday 715 people have been confirmed dead and 2,400 hospitalized."

Related story from BBC News -- "Indonesia Awaits World Quake Aid": "International rescue teams are heading to Indonesia in a last-ditch effort to free trapped earthquake survivors. Experts from the U.K., Australia and South Korea were en route to Sumatra, hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake two days ago. Others pledged emergency cash. More than 1,000 people are already known to have died, the U.N. says, with thousands thought to remain trapped. But one survivor was found on Friday: a young woman pulled, barely conscious, from within a collapsed school."

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "Comcast, NBC In Deal Talks": "Talks to merge Comcast Corp.'s cable networks and General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal are the latest sign of a big shift in television, with cable channels becoming more valuable than broadcast networks and companies rethinking their strategies for making and delivering content to consumers in a digital era."

-- Las Vegas Review-Journal -- Reid Says Health Care Legislation Will Have "Public Option": "Any health insurance reform bill that lands on the desk of President Barack Obama will include a so-called 'public option,' Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday. What that public option will be remains unclear. 'We are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president's desk,' (the Senate majority leader) said during a conference call with Nevada residents."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

President Barack Obama just spent 25 minutes with the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal met with the president aboard Air Force One as the jet set on a tarmac in Copenhagen. Obama had been in Copenhagen to urge the International Olympic Committee to award the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago.

McChrystal has urged that more troops be sent to Afghanistan. Obama and his top advisers are reviewing U.S. policy. The Washington Post writes this morning that:

Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, continued assassinations of al-Qaida leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.

Air Force One is now on its way to Washington.

Update at 9:10 a.m. ET. Aboard Air Force One before it took off from Copenhagen, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that because McChrystal was already in Europe (the general spoke in London yesterday):

"The president realized that he would be close and thought it was a good opportunity to continue the conversation and discussion about Afghanistan and Pakistan that happened -- at least started in the middle of September in a meeting and continued in the Situation Room for three hours on Wednesday."

By Mark Memmott

The death toll continues to rise in Indonesia, where it's thought that more than 1,000 people were killed during yesterday's earthquake off West Sumatra. We've rounded up the latest news from there in this post.

There's much more news to pass along this morning, of course, from the multi-nation talks underway in Geneva between Iran, the U.S. and other nations, to the ongoing discussions within the Obama administration over the appropriate strategy to pursue in Afghanistan.

Among the top stories:

-- NPR.org -- "U.S. Allies Open Nuclear Talks With Iran": "While the U.S. and other powers want to press Iran on its nuclear aspirations and uranium-enrichment program, Iranian officials insist that they will not discuss the issue if it veers beyond a general conversation about nuclear technology amid a host of other unrelated topics."

Related story by The Washington Post -- "Iranian Opposition Warns Against Stricter Sanctions": "As the United States and its allies consider further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fear that such punishment could have unintended consequences, strengthening the government's hand against domestic dissent and triggering an even harsher crackdown on political foes."

Related story on Morning Edition -- U.S. Has Relatively Low Expectations, But Might Hold One-On-One Talks With Iran. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from Geneva:

-- The Washington Post -- "On War, Obama Could Turn To GOP": "With much of his party largely opposed to expanding military operations in Afghanistan, President Obama could be forced into the awkward political position of turning to congressional Republicans for support if he follows the recommendations of the commanding U.S. general there."

Related story on Morning Edition -- Differing Views On What To Do. NPR's Steve Inskeep, Tom Gjelten and Don Gonyea talk about the options in Afghanistan:

From a related story by the Associated Press -- McChrystal Reiterates That "Neither Success Nor Failure Can Be Taken For Granted": In a speech today in London, Reuters reports, the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan said today of the task ahead in Afghanistan that "I discount immediately anyone who simplifies the problem or offers a solution...or says 'this is what you have got to do' because they absolutely have no clue about the complexity of what we are dealing with." Gen. Stanley McChrystal was speaking to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

-- Morning Edition -- Obamas Lead Final Push For Chicago's Olympics Bid. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports from Copenhagen:

Related story from All Things Considered -- Some In Chicago Don't Want The Games:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Frank James

We earlier reported that Peter Galbraith was fired as the United Nations' special envoy to Afghanistan because of disagreements with the UN's top envoy there and the organization's secretary general over how to handle Afghanistan's fraudulent presidential election.

Galbraith spoke with All Things Considered host Robert Siegel about the differences of opinion that wound up costing him his job.

Asked by Robert if there was any truth to what some have said, that the firing was actually die to a personality clash, Galbraith rejected that notion.

No, that's totally inaccurate and it's an effort to obscure the issues that were at stake. This was a serious, long-running disagreement about how to handle fraud in the Afghan elections. It dates back to July when I recognized that the risk to this election was going to come from ghost polling centers, that is to say, polling centers in areas that were so insecure that they would never actually open. But they could be used to produce a lot of votes that were never cast by voters.

I tried to get the Afghan government to reduce the number of polling centers and to remove from the list those in these insecure areas. An effort, incidentally supported by the U.S., the UK and NATO.

But the Afghan government naturally complained. They were the beneficiaries of the fraud and Kai Eide, the head of the mission, decided we would say nothing more about polling centers.

Continue reading "Fired UN Special Envoy To Afghanistan Explains Disagreements That Cost His Job" >

This picture from the early 1980s in Kabul shows Afghan leader Babrak Karmal and his Soviet patron Mikhail Gorbachev. The sign in red reads: 'Strong be the unshakable Afghan-Soviet friendship.' ( AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

By Frank James

As President Barack Obama and his national security team met Wednesday to strategize about the way forward in Afghanistan, they have no shortage of advice on what the next steps should be.

Steve Coll who writes on intelligence and national security issues for the New Yorker and once the Washington Post's managing editor, has weighed in with his own suggestion: that the Americans might want to review what then Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev did in the 1980s to end his nation's involvement in Afghanistan.

Coll observes that Gorbachev "Afghan-ized" the war by turning it over to Afghan security forces in the same way Americans are trying now.

Continue reading "U.S. In Afghanistan Faces Endgame Challenges Similar To Those Soviets Saw" >

By Frank James

Peter Galbraith, the United Nation's special envoy to Afghanistan, was fired by Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon.

Peter Galbraith, now the former UN special envoy to Afghanistan, just fired by Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon. (JOERG KOCH / AFP/Getty Images)

Galbraith found himself on the losing end of a key Afghanistan argument. Following that country's irregular elections, Gabraith called for the entire election to be redone. Ban and the senior U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, thought that went too far supporting instead a partial recount.

As recently as a few hours ago, after rumors started swirling that Galbraith was getting the ax, he said he hadn't heard. This from the BBC:

Mr Galbraith, a US diplomat, said: "The secretary general appointed me and has not fired me so far as I know."

Mr Galbraith angered Afghan President Hamid Karzai by reportedly calling for a complete recount of the vote.

Last week the top UN Afghan envoy, Kai Eide, said Mr Galbraith had left the country after a row between them.

But he denied he had ordered him to go.

Here's the brief statement from Ban:

The Secretary-General has decided to recall Mr. Peter Galbraith from Afghanistan and to end his appointment as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan).

Continue reading "UN Leader Ban Gives Hook To Afghan Special Envoy Galbraith" >

By Mark Memmott

Once again reaching back to the Vietnam War era for an analogy, Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts just said that those who criticize President Barack Obama for taking more time before he decides whether to send additional troops to Afghanistan are advocating a rush to decision that would run the risk of repeating mistakes made by U.S. policymakers in that earlier war.

"I've seen that movie before ... it didn't turn out well," said Kerry, who famously came home from service with the Navy in Vietnam to wonder at a Congressional hearing; "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam?"

All Things Considered's Melissa Block spoke with Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, just a short time ago:

Much more from Melissa's conversation with the senator is due on today's ATC. Click here to find an NPR station near you.

By Mark Memmott

Don't mistake "normal discussion on the right approach" for "lack of resolve" when it comes to policy on Afghanistan, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said just a short time ago.

Sitting beside President Barack Obama at the White House, Rasmussen said the U.S. and NATO "will stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes to finish our job."

Obama, Rasmussen also said, is right to be reviewing the alliance's strategy before making decisions on whether to commit more troops to Afghanistan:

By Mark Memmott

A bus packed with civilians hit a land mine in southern Afghanistan today and at least 30 people were killed by the resulting blast, authorities tell the Associated Press.

According to the AP, Kandahar provincial police chief Sardar Mohammad Zazai says nine women and seven children are among the dead. Agence France Presse says it has been told that 10 children and seven women died.

At least another 39 people are said to have been wounded, AP reports.

The death toll has risen sharply in just the last few hours. Earlier, officials were estimating that 12 people had been killed and about 15 wounded.

Update at 7:50 a.m. ET. From Kabul, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports that Afghan soldiers and passersby took the wounded to hospitals in Kandahar. The most seriously injured were taken to a NATO-run hospital. Soraya says the bus was traveling from the western Afghan city of Herat to Kabul. Meanwhile, in western Afghanistan a joint U.S.-Afghan force is said to have killed about 30 anti-government fighters in new fighting:

Earlier this morning, NPR's Scott Horsley filed this report about the strategy sessions President Barack Obama is holding regarding what to do next in Afghanistan:

On Morning Edition:

-- NPR's Jackie Northam reported that Obama's aides say now is the time to stop and ask key questions about the strategy to pursue in Afghanistan:

-- NPR's Julie McCarthy, reporting from Islamabad, reported that some Pakistanis fear the U.S. is about to pull out of Afghanistan and are nervous about what that could mean for their country:

-- Host Renee Montagne talked with The New Yorker's George Packer about Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Packer says Holbrooke's oversized personality is both a help and a hindrance:

By Mark Memmott

Al-Qaida's second-in-command is believed to be the voice calling President Barack Obama a "fraud" in a new audio tape, the Associated Press reports.

The 28-minute message, discovered on Islamist websites today, is thought to be from Ayman al-Zawahri. In it, the man also memorializes Baitullah Mehsud, who until being killed by U.S. forces in early August had led a group of Taliban fighters based in Pakistan.

"He went to his God a martyr as we assume, but you have not killed Islam or jihad," says the voice heard on the recording.

Obama is decried for not convincing Israel to completely freeze the construction of buildings in the West Bank.

Al-Zawahri is thought to be hiding in mountains along the Pakistani-Afghan border.

By Mark Memmott

There's word from Iran as the day begins that it has test-fired a long-range missile capable of reaching Israel and U.S. bases elsewhere in the Middle East. NPR's Carl Kasell introduces this report:

Sticking with news about Iran, The New York Times reports that the Obama administration "is scrambling to assemble a package of harsher economic sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program that could include a cutoff of investments to the country's oil-and-gas industry and restrictions on many more Iranian banks than those currently blacklisted, senior administration officials said Sunday."

Also this morning, the death toll continues to climb in the Philippines, where at least 140 people have died after a tropical storm caused massive flooding.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

-- The Washington Post -- "U.S., Allies Vow Support For Karzai": "The United States and NATO countries fighting in Afghanistan have told President Hamid Karzai's government that they expect him to remain in office for another five-year term and will work with him on an expanded campaign to turn insurgent fighters against the Taliban and other militant groups."

Related story by CBS News' 60 Minutes -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal lays out his case for more troops.

-- USA TODAY -- "Confidence, Optimism Grow In Pockets Of U.S.": In communities such as Paris, Ill., unemployment remains high but some people are heading back to work. And "there is growing confidence as workers who are getting paychecks spend money, spreading optimism to small-business owners and city leaders."

-- Morning Edition "Honduras Restricts Liberties To Prevent Rebellion". NPR's Jason Beaubien reports from Tegucigalpa that the current government is allowing warrantless arrests and has banned "unauthorized" public meetings as ousted president Manuel Zelaya remains holed up in the Brazilian embassy (ME co-host Renee Montagne introduces his report):

-- The Associated Press -- "Merkel Vows Quick Deal On German Coalition": "Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to press ahead quickly with forming a new center-right German government following her election victory. Sunday's election gave the conservative Merkel a second four-year term. It allows her to dump her 'grand coalition' with the center-left Social Democrats and form a new government with the pro-business Free Democrats."

-- The New York Times Safire Was "Oracle Of Language": "William Safire, a speechwriter for President Richard M. Nixon and a Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for The New York Times who also wrote novels, books on politics and a Malaprop's treasury of articles on language, died at a hospice in Rockville, Md., on Sunday. He was 79." He was, among many other things, "an unofficial arbiter of usage."

Related story on Morning Edition -- It Was "Hard Not To Love" Safire. NPR's David Folkenflik reports:

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The U.S., Britain and France will this morning accuse Iran of secretly operating a second facility that produces nuclear fuel, NPR, the Associated Press, The New York Times and other news media are reporting.

President Barack Obama is expected to make the announcement at 8:30 a.m. ET in Pittsburgh, where he and other leaders of the so-called G-20 nations are meeting to talk about global economic issues.

As the Times says:

"The revelation ... appears bound to add urgency to the diplomatic confrontation with Iran over its suspected ambitions to build a nuclear weapons capability."

Iran has long insisted that it is pursuing peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Yesterday, as we reported, Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep interviewed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. For complete coverage of their conversation, click here. And here's what was on ME this morning:

Update at 8:25 a.m. ET: Iran has acknowledged the facility's existence, the International Atomic Energy Agency says.

As for the G-20, NPR's John Ydstie says the leaders have agreed on new compensation rules for executives at financial institutions:

The Wall Street Journal says the leaders will announce today that the G-20 is becoming "the permanent council for international economic cooperation, eclipsing the Group of Eight."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is following the protests in the Steel City. Yesterday, more than 60 people were arrested.

Later today, by the way, Obama is due to hold a news conference. It's scheduled for 4:40 p.m. ET, after the close of the G-20 summit.

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- NPR News -- Zazi Due In Court Again Today; Arrests Made In Separate Plots Involving Alleged Attempts To Bomb Targets In Texas And Illinois: NPR's Dina Temple-Raston and Giles Snyder report:

Related story by The Denver Post -- Feds Say Zazi "Shopped For Bomb Materials At Beauty-Supply Stores": "For nearly a week, Najibullah Zazi told the FBI, reporters and even his own attorney that he had nothing to do with plotting a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. But an FBI affidavit and indictment unsealed Thursday charge that for weeks Zazi had been following bomb-making instructions, collecting chemicals from beauty-supply shops and testing the preparation of a hydrogen peroxide bomb in a metro-area hotel room."

Related story by the Dallas Morning News -- "Man Arrested In Alleged Attempt To Bomb Dallas Skyscraper": "A 19-year-old Jordanian citizen was arrested Thursday in a dramatic FBI sting operation after he parked a vehicle laden with government-supplied fake explosives at an iconic downtown Dallas skyscraper and attempted to detonate it, authorities said."

Related story by The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. -- "Alleged Downtown Terrorism Plot Defused": "Over the two years that authorities tracked Michael C. Finton, accused Thursday of trying to bomb Springfield's federal courthouse, they gave Finton plenty of chances to drop the idea. According to a 25-page affidavit filed in support of the charges against Finton, however, he would not be deterred. Authorities say Finton tried Wednesday to ignite what he thought was a huge quantity of explosives contained in a van parked near Sixth and Monroe streets."

-- CBS News' 60 Minutes -- "McChrystal: Violence 'Worse' Than Expected": "As the news from Afghanistan moves to the front pages of Americans' newspapers, the general tasked with turning things around there tells 60 Minutes that the spread of the violence in Afghanistan was more than he expected. Gen. Stanley McChrystal's interview with CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin will be broadcast on the 42nd season premiere of 60 Minutes this Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Related report on Morning Edition -- McChrystal Moves To "Reposition" Forces. NPR's Jackie Northam reports:

Related story by USA TODAY -- "Poll: 50% Oppose U.S. Surge In Afghanistan".

-- The New York Times -- "In Poll, Public Wary Of Obama On War And Health": "President Obama is confronting declining support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan and an electorate confused and anxious about a health care overhaul as he prepares for pivotal battles over both issues, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."

-- The Associated Press -- "Justice Ginsburg Hospitalized": "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 76-year-old Supreme Court justice who underwent pancreatic cancer surgery earlier this year, fell ill at work after a treatment for anemia and was hospitalized overnight. Ginsburg was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m. ET Thursday and would remain there for the night as a precaution, a statement from the court said."

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

Advice from 42 to 44. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

As he considers whether to send more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan, President Barack Obama should wait to see whether Afghan President Hamid Karzai builds a new government that the U.S. can partner with, former president Bill Clinton just told NPR's Linda Wertheimer.

Saying that he respects the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Clinton said that the general's much-discussed wish for more troops is based in part on the success of the "surge" in Iraq.

"But let's remember why the Iraqi surge worked," Clinton told Linda, for a story due to air on tomorrow's Morning Edition. "It worked because the United States and our allies performed well -- but they performed well in partnership with the Anbar arising ... with the Sunni Iraqis being sick and tired of what al-Qaida in Iraq did and willing to put their own necks on the line."

Clinton said that "in the sports parlance, Afghanistan -- like Iraq -- is an away game for the American team. We've got to have a hometown partner. ...

"I think that what the president may want to do is to take a little time and wait until the results of the Afghan election are finalized and then see what decisions the Afghan political leaders are going to make after the results. If President Karzai is judged to have prevailed, but there's a lot of questions about the ballot, will he take Mr. Abdullah into the government? What about a couple of those other people who ran for president and have enormous skills -- should they be put into the government?"

Those would be signs, Clinton said, of a government that the U.S. could partner with.

"Then the president might say 'OK, well we can put more troops in certain areas as a result of that,' " added Clinton.

"This is a weighty decision for him and he wants to make the right one," Clinton said of Obama. The president, he added, "asked us to give him the time to see how the Afghan political situation resolves itself and how that might affect his decision. I think that's time we ought to give him."

The former president spoke to Linda from the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

Click here to find an NPR station that airs Morning Edition.

By Frank James

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Central Command, have sent letters to Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorsing Gen. Stan McChrystal, NPR's Tom Bowman has learned from someone familiar with the letters.

Tom tells us:

"Gates, meanwhile, is supportive of McChrystal, though is still wary of a large American footprint of troops in Afghanistan.

McChrystal's second report, which includes various options for troop increases, is expected to reach Washington by week's end. Sources say the high end is 40,000 troops, with 60 percent trainers and the rest combat troops."

U.S. soldiers stand atop their armored MRAP vehicles before a mission in Afghanistan's Wardak Province. (Maya Alleruzzo / AP Photo)

By Frank James

As he reconsiders the way forward for the U.S. in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama has come up with a new formulation to explain his thinking.

Viewers of "The Late Show with David Letterman" heard it last night when he said:

And what I'm trying to do at this point is to make sure that, both on the military front, on the diplomatic front, on the civilian front, training Afghan military and police, that on all these elements that we've got a coherent strategy that can work, because the most important duty I've got is, before I send some young men and women in uniform over there -- and I'm answerable to their parents, and if they don't come back, I've got to write a letter to them saying that their child has sacrificed on behalf of America.

Before I make those decisions, I've got to make sure that the policy in place is worthy of their sacrifice. (Applause.) And that's something that we're going to take -- (applause) -- that's something that we are going through work through systematically in the coming weeks and months. We're not going to make a decision about any further troop deployments until we know what exactly is our strategy, what are the tactics, how will troops be used. Can we justify taking those steps? And I'm going to be asking some very hard questions.

What's interesting about this statement is that even though the president doesn't want to now send any additional troops to Afghanistan because he's not sure the current policy would be worth their deaths, he does have more than 60,000 U.S. troops already there.

Continue reading "Obama's Afghan Doubts Mean No New Troops But What Of Those There Now?" >

Afghan President Hamid Karzai may have harmed his own cause by misreading American intentions and overseeing the kind of fraudulent election that now makes it harder for the U.S. to extend its commitment to Afghanistan. (Manish Swarup / AP Photo)

By Frank James

Afghan President Hamid Karzai may have unwittingly shot himself in the foot in his effort to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan and all because he mistakenly read U.S. intentions.

How so? According to the Washington Post, President Obama is largely reconsidering his approach to Afghanistan because of the rampant fraud in the recent Afghan elections in which Karzai maintains the dubious vote lead.

A WaPo excerpt:

The principal game-changer, in the view of White House officials, was Afghanistan's presidential election last month, which was compromised by fraud, much of it in support of President Hamid Karzai. Although the results have not been certified, he almost certainly will remain in office, but under a cloud of illegitimacy that could complicate U.S. efforts to promote good governance.

This re-examination of his administration's previous stance, which leaned towards significantly increasing U.S. troop strength to attempt a strong counterinsurgency effort, comes as the leaked report of the U.S.' top general for Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, is being widely reported as saying success in that war-stricken nation will require more troops.

Continue reading "Afghan Election Fraud Favoring Karzai May Have Boomeranged" >

By Mark Memmott

As we reported first thing this morning, the top story of the day is Bob Woodward's scoop in The Washington Post that the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has delivered a very sober assessment of conditions in Afghanistan that warns of failure unless more troops are sent and a new strategy is soon implemented.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirms that the president has seen McChrystal's report, but also says that the general isn't expected to make a formal request for more troops for "a little bit longer."

How's the news about what McChrystal thinks playing in the political blogosphere? Here's a sampling:

-- Ed Morrissey at the conservative Hot Air says "it's not a pretty picture, and McChrystal's report clearly defines this as a fish-or-cut-bait moment. If we hope to prevail, we will need a political commitment for more resources over a much longer period of time than most politicians have been willing to report."

-- The liberal Taylor Marsh says "Woodward's story is golden. Remains to be seen who leaked it, beyond saying it came from someone who definitely wants to keep the mission going in Afghanistan."

-- Also from the liberal side, Siun at firedoglake writes that the McChrystal report's bottomline is "give me more troops or it will be your fault, Obama, that we lose the war."

-- Back with the conservatives, Jillian Bandes at Townhall says "this won't be happy news to politicians listening to an American populace that is strongly against continued involvement in Afghanistan, or the usual budgetary issues."

Update at 11:50 a.m. ET. At the widely read "milblog" Mudville Gazette, there's this:

This isn't "new" -- it's the McChrystal report the Obama administration has attempted to keep from public view since its late-August delivery. And frankly, it contains no surprises for those who've been paying attention to Afghanistan. But if it isn't new, it most definitely is news, and most definitely is big: the day following President Obama's appearance on five Sunday news talk shows, in which he expressed his concerns over "mission creep" in Afghanistan, Bob Woodward publishes a declassified copy of General McChrystal's commander's assessment.

By Mark Memmott

Good morning.

The lead headline on the front of The Washington Post is getting quite a bit of attention. "McChrystal: More Forces Or 'Mission Failure' ", it reads, and the story starts this way:

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post.

The New York Times summarizes the news with this:

The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a confidential assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict "will likely result in failure."

The Post has put a copy of McCrystal's assessment online here.

Update at 8:45 a.m. ET: In that copy of the assessment put online by the Post, McChrystal writes that "success is achievable, but it will not be attained simply by trying harder or 'doubling down' on the previous strategy. Additional resources are required, but focusing on force or resource requirements misses the point entirely. The key take away from this assessment is the urgent need for a significant change to our strategy and the way that we think and operate."

McChrystal also says that:

"Our campaign in Afghanistan has been historically under-resourced and remains so today. ... Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it. ... Ideally, the (Afghan National Security Force) must lead this fight, but they will not have enough capability in the near-term given the insurgency's growth rate. In the interim, coalition forces must provide a bridge capability to protect critical segments of the population. The status quo will lead to failure if we wait for the ANSF to grow."

On Morning Edition, NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman told host Steve Inskeep that it's no surprise that Gen. Stanley McChrystal wants more troops for the war in Afghanistan -- and notes that there's growing opposition in Congress to the idea of sending more combat forces:

Sticking with news about the war on terror, there's more to report about the arrests of three men over the weekend in connection with a cross-country probe into a possible plot to bomb transportation hubs in New York City. On Morning Edition, NPR's Dina Temple-Raston told guest host Linda Wertheimer that law enforcement officials feared the plotters "actually had the capacity and expertise to launch a credible attack." So far, the men have been charged with lying to authorities:

As The Denver Post reports, "today, 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi and his father, Mohammed, 53, are scheduled to make initial appearances in federal court." The third man facing charges is New York imam Ahmad Wais Afzali.

One more story to pass along, from Sunday's Los Angeles Times: "CIA Expanding Presence In Afghanistan".

As for other stories making headlines this morning, they include:

-- The Hill -- "Obama Frames G-20 Meeting As Debate Over Future Global Economy": The G-20 summit of world leaders in Pittsburgh on Thursday and Friday "is shaping up as a debate over what the world economy of the future should look like." On Sunday, President Barack Obama "made it clear he wants to talk about fostering a new era in global economic affairs."

Related story by Politico -- Highlights From Obama's Sunday TV Marathon.

Related story on Morning Edition -- At U.N., Obama Will Continue Effort To Mend Fences. NPR's Michele Kelemen looks ahead to the president's appearance this week at the United Nations:

-- The Wall Street Journal -- "IRS Extends Deadline To Declare Foreign Accounts": "In an effort to keep its doors open to tax evaders, the Internal Revenue Service will extend until Oct. 15 its limited amnesty program for U.S. taxpayers with undeclared income on foreign accounts, according to government officials. The special voluntary disclosure program was to have ended Wednesday. It began in March after UBS AG in February turned over the names of more than 250 account holders as part of a criminal settlement."

-- BBC News -- Thai King In Hospital; Condition Stable: "The 81-year-old king of Thailand has been admitted to hospital suffering from a fever. Doctors said King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch, had shown signs of fatigue and was being treated with antibiotics. ... Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters there was 'nothing to be concerned about.' "

-- NPR News -- "FCC Chief Seen Edging Toward 'Net Neutrality' Rules". "A speech scheduled for Monday by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is being closely watched by both sides of a debate over 'network neutrality' -- a term describing a world in which Internet service providers can't charge different rates for different levels of service." NPR's Laura Sydell reports:

Finally, if you're looking for a lively minute-by-minute recap of last night's Emmy Awards, check out Planet Money.

Contributing: Chinita Anderson of Morning Edition.

Make sure the strategy's right before committing more troops, Gates says. (David Gilkey/NPR)

By Mark Memmott

The series of decisions facing President Barack Obama as he considers whether to send more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan "are some of the most important he may face in his presidency" and "should not be rushed," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters this morning.

"We need to take our time and get this right," said Gates, who signaled that the president's decision may not come for weeks.

Here's the audio:

As has been widely reported, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal -- is expected to ask for additional forces.

Click here to see all of NPR.org's coverage of news about Afghanistan.