Afghanistan : NPR

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A U.S. soldier watches members of the Afghan Public Protection Force arrive at the transition ceremony on the outskirts of the Afghan capital Kabul on March 15. The APPF replaces all private security contractors in the country.

View caption Ahmad Jamshid/AP

Afghan Public Protection Force Replaces Contractors

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Nearly two years ago, President Hamid Karzai called for armed private security contractors in his country to be replaced by a state-run force. The Afghan Public Protection Force took over last month, and its off to a rocky start.

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Afghan local police officers wait outside a classroom at a training facility in Marjah. U.S. Marines are training local security forces how to maintain calm in the region.

Former Taliban Stronghold Faces The Post-U.S. Future

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Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, last month in Kabul.

U.S. Ambassador To Afghanistan To Step Down

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At Forward Operating Base Payne in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Odriscoll looks at pictures of his sister on Facebook. Troop access to social media has been both a blessing and curse for the military.

Military Addresses Double-Edged Sword Of Troops On Social Media

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Updated: French President Sticks By Quicker Troop Withdrawal Schedule()

President Barack Obama meets with French President Francois Hollande on Friday in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

May 18, 2012 New French President Francois Hollande said he wants his nation's 3,300 troops home from Afghanistan by year's end. He also said France would support effort in a "different way."

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An Afghan Shoots, A Marine Dies, Mistrust Grows ()

A Marine Corps team carries the remains of Marine Sgt. J.P. Huling, 25, of West Chester, Ohio, at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on May 9. Huling was killed three days earlier by an Afghan soldier in southern Afghanistan, one of a growing number of such shootings.

May 17, 2012 It's not clear what motivated an Afghan sergeant to fatally shoot a U.S. Marine sergeant earlier this month. But American troops are increasingly wary of their Afghan partners after repeated shootings.

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Obama Looks For Help In Paying For Afghan Army()

May 17, 2012 The U.S. and NATO are trying to build an Afghan army to defend the country after 130,000 international troops leave. The alliance's plans for arm's-length support will be a central focus of an upcoming summit in Chicago.

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