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	<title>Breaking News &#187; Central Asia</title>
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	<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n</link>
	<description>News and incisive Views 24/7/365</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:50:48 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Defense Department: Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to head to Afghanistan in 2010</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-head-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247347/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-head-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247347/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:50:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Fort Campbell]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kentucky]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-head-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247347/</guid>
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Fort Campbell brigade headed to Afghanistan
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will deploy 3,400 soldiers to Afghanistan in the early summer of 2010.
The Department of Defense announced the deployment Tuesday as part of the 30,000 additional troops ordered to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-head-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247347/">Original article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Defense Department: Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to head to Afghanistan in 2010</a>.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-head-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247347/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Defense Department: Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to deploy to Afghanistan in 2010</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-deploy-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247345/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-deploy-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247345/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Fort Campbell]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kentucky]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-deploy-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247345/</guid>
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Fort Campbell brigade to deploy to Afghanistan
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will deploy 3,400 soldiers to Afghanistan in the early summer of 2010.
The Department of Defense announced the deployment Tuesday as part of the 30,000 additional troops ordered to Afghanistan by President Barack ... Read the original article on Gaea Times at  : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-deploy-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247345/">Defense Department: Fort Campbell&#8217;s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to deploy to Afghanistan in 2010</a>.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.taragana.com/n/defense-department-fort-campbells-2nd-brigade-combat-team-to-deploy-to-afghanistan-in-2010-247345/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Karzai asks for investigation into killing of cousin in reported family feud</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-asks-for-investigation-into-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-247161/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-asks-for-investigation-into-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-247161/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:12:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kandahar]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Russia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-asks-for-investigation-into-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-247161/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Karzai orders investigation into cousin&#8217;s slaying

KABUL — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that he has asked the Interior Ministry to investigate the slaying of a young relative in a possible revenge killing connected to a family feud.
The October killing of 18-year-old Waheed Karzai in southern Afghanistan had apparently attracted little attention in Afghanistan before .... Source &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-asks-for-investigation-into-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-247161/" title="Karzai asks for investigation into killing of cousin in reported family feud">Gaea News Network</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Karzai says killing of cousin in reported family feud will be investigated</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-says-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-will-be-investigated-247111/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-says-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-will-be-investigated-247111/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:03:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-says-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-will-be-investigated-247111/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Karzai to investigate cousin&#8217;s killing
KABUL — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday he has asked the interior ministry to investigate the killing of one of his young relatives in what was reportedly a family feud.

Waheed Karzai, 18, was shot to death in October in Karz, the president&#8217;s hometown. He was the son of the president&#8217;s .... Read the original article &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/karzai-says-killing-of-cousin-in-reported-family-feud-will-be-investigated-247111/">here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>US ambassador rejects Austrian charge of &#8216;improper&#8217; pressure to send troops to Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-ambassador-rejects-austrian-charge-of-improper-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-246940/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-ambassador-rejects-austrian-charge-of-improper-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-246940/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:44:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Austria]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Vienna]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Western Europe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-ambassador-rejects-austrian-charge-of-improper-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-246940/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
US rejects Austrian criticism over Afghanistan

VIENNA — The U.S. ambassador is rejecting Austrian suggestions that Washington has pushed too aggressively for more Austrian troops in Afghanistan.
William C. Eacho III is responding to comments last week by Defense Minister Norbert Darabos, who told the daily Der Standard the U.S. had exerted &#8220;improper&#8221; pressure on Austria.
Eacho, in ... Read more : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-ambassador-rejects-austrian-charge-of-improper-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-246940/">US ambassador rejects Austrian charge of &#8216;improper&#8217; pressure to send troops to Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Taliban clash with police in eastern Afghan city, 2 militants die</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-clash-with-police-in-eastern-afghan-city-2-militants-die-246838/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-clash-with-police-in-eastern-afghan-city-2-militants-die-246838/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:51:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-clash-with-police-in-eastern-afghan-city-2-militants-die-246838/</guid>
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2 Taliban die in clash with police in Afghan city
KABUL — Police fought a three-hour gunbattle in the center of an Afghan provincial capital Monday, finally killing two Taliban militants who stormed a multistory market with dozens of civilians inside, an official said.
During the shootout, terrified shopkeepers shuttered their doors and ... Original source on Gaea Times at  : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-clash-with-police-in-eastern-afghan-city-2-militants-die-246838/">Taliban clash with police in eastern Afghan city, 2 militants die</a>.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-clash-with-police-in-eastern-afghan-city-2-militants-die-246838/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Taliban gunmen assault downtown building in eastern Afghan city; gunbattle ongoing</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-gunmen-assault-downtown-building-in-eastern-afghan-city-gunbattle-ongoing-246708/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-gunmen-assault-downtown-building-in-eastern-afghan-city-gunbattle-ongoing-246708/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:14:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-gunmen-assault-downtown-building-in-eastern-afghan-city-gunbattle-ongoing-246708/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Taliban clash with police in eastern Afghan city

KABUL — Five militants armed with guns and suicide vests attacked a building in an eastern Afghan city early Monday, officials said, sparking a battle with police that left at least three of the attackers dead.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which was still continuing at midday ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/taliban-gunmen-assault-downtown-building-in-eastern-afghan-city-gunbattle-ongoing-246708/">Original article on  : Taliban gunmen assault downtown building in eastern Afghan city; gunbattle ongoing</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Three strikes by Afghan and NATO forces in Afghanistan kill 21 militants</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/three-strikes-by-afghan-and-nato-forces-in-afghanistan-kill-21-militants-246680/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/three-strikes-by-afghan-and-nato-forces-in-afghanistan-kill-21-militants-246680/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:43:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/three-strikes-by-afghan-and-nato-forces-in-afghanistan-kill-21-militants-246680/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
21 militants killed in Afghan operations
KABUL — The Afghan Defense Ministry says 21 militants have been killed in three separate operations in the Central Asian country&#8217;s fight to combat the resurgent Taliban.

The ministry said in a statement that attacks by Afghan and NATO forces on Sunday killed eight insurgents in southern Helmand province and six .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/three-strikes-by-afghan-and-nato-forces-in-afghanistan-kill-21-militants-246680/">Source article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Three strikes by Afghan and NATO forces in Afghanistan kill 21 militants</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>UN aid agencies battle hunger in Afghanistan where some children are too weak to cry</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/un-aid-agencies-battle-hunger-in-afghanistan-where-some-children-are-too-weak-to-cry-246629/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/un-aid-agencies-battle-hunger-in-afghanistan-where-some-children-are-too-weak-to-cry-246629/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:19:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alfred De Montesquiou</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Human Welfare]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Humanitarian Crises]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Aqcha]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/un-aid-agencies-battle-hunger-in-afghanistan-where-some-children-are-too-weak-to-cry-246629/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Hunger still stalks Afghan children despite aid

AQCHA, Afghanistan — While international forces in Afghanistan battle militants hiding in the mountains, aid agencies are fighting an even more elusive enemy: malnutrition.
The World Food Program and UNICEF have launched a project to feed thousands of mothers and children — some too weak to cry. Aid workers hope .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/un-aid-agencies-battle-hunger-in-afghanistan-where-some-children-are-too-weak-to-cry-246629/">Read the original article &nbsp;: UN aid agencies battle hunger in Afghanistan where some children are too weak to cry</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>ON THE ROAD WITH MULLEN: Parking concerns in Iraq, missing chance to see Anna Kournikova</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/on-the-road-with-mullen-parking-concerns-in-iraq-missing-chance-to-see-anna-kournikova-246443/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/on-the-road-with-mullen-parking-concerns-in-iraq-missing-chance-to-see-anna-kournikova-246443/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:46:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Gearan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Abu ghraib]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Arts And Entertainment]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Celebrity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/on-the-road-with-mullen-parking-concerns-in-iraq-missing-chance-to-see-anna-kournikova-246443/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
ON THE ROAD WITH MULLEN: Parking concerns in Iraq

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq — The merchant who buttonholed the top U.S. military officer at a street market on the outskirts of Baghdad wasn&#8217;t worried about car bombs or infiltrators in suicide vests.
It was the parking.
There isn&#8217;t enough of it and it&#8217;s too far away, the man told .... Source article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/on-the-road-with-mullen-parking-concerns-in-iraq-missing-chance-to-see-anna-kournikova-246443/">ON THE ROAD WITH MULLEN: Parking concerns in Iraq, missing chance to see Anna Kournikova</a>.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.taragana.com/n/on-the-road-with-mullen-parking-concerns-in-iraq-missing-chance-to-see-anna-kournikova-246443/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Nominees for Afghanistan&#8217;s new Cabinet</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/nominees-for-afghanistans-new-cabinet-246380/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/nominees-for-afghanistans-new-cabinet-246380/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:39:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/nominees-for-afghanistans-new-cabinet-246380/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Nominees for Afghanistan&#8217;s new Cabinet
Afghan President Hamid Karzai&#8217;s nominees for his new Cabinet, presented Saturday:

Incumbents:
— Defense, Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak
— Interior, Hanif Atmar
— Finance, Omar Zakhilwal
— Public Health, Dr. Mohammad Amin Fatemi
— Agriculture, Muhammad Asif Rahimi
— Justice, Mohammad Sarwar Danish
— Education, Ghulam Farooq Wardak
— Women&#8217;s Affairs, Husn Bano Ghazanfar
— Communications, Amirzai Sangeen
— Counternarcotics, Gen. Khodaidad, .... Read the original article &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/nominees-for-afghanistans-new-cabinet-246380/">Nominees for Afghanistan&#8217;s new Cabinet</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Suicide bomber strikes near mosque used by police in NW Pakistan, killing 10, wounding dozens</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-strikes-near-mosque-used-by-police-in-nw-pakistan-killing-10-wounding-dozens-246012/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-strikes-near-mosque-used-by-police-in-nw-pakistan-killing-10-wounding-dozens-246012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:06:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Munir Ahmad</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-pakistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Bombings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Terrorism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-strikes-near-mosque-used-by-police-in-nw-pakistan-killing-10-wounding-dozens-246012/</guid>
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Suicide bomber near Pakistan mosque kills 10
ISLAMABAD — A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives near a mosque inside a police compound in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing 10 people in the latest attack by suspected Taliban militants waging war against the Pakistani government.
The Taliban have stepped up their campaign of violence since .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-strikes-near-mosque-used-by-police-in-nw-pakistan-killing-10-wounding-dozens-246012/">Original source &nbsp;: Suicide bomber strikes near mosque used by police in NW Pakistan, killing 10, wounding dozens</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Austrian defense minister rejects US pressure to send troops to Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/austrian-defense-minister-rejects-us-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-245844/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/austrian-defense-minister-rejects-us-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-245844/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:42:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Austria]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Vienna]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Western Europe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/austrian-defense-minister-rejects-us-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-245844/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Austria rejects US pressure to send Afghan troops

VIENNA — Austria&#8217;s defense minister says his country will not give in to strong U.S. pressure to send troops to Afghanistan.
Norbert Darabos says Austria is a sovereign state that makes its own decisions about where to send soldiers. He says that while the Alpine nation is not prepared  [..] <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/austrian-defense-minister-rejects-us-pressure-to-send-troops-to-afghanistan-245844/">Read the original article: here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>French Army: 800 Legionnaires spearhead military offensive in east Afghanistan against Taliban</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/french-army-800-legionnaires-spearhead-military-offensive-in-east-afghanistan-against-taliban-245835/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/french-army-800-legionnaires-spearhead-military-offensive-in-east-afghanistan-against-taliban-245835/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:12:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/french-army-800-legionnaires-spearhead-military-offensive-in-east-afghanistan-against-taliban-245835/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
French troops lead Afghan attack on Taliban

PARIS — Some 800 French Legionnaires backed by 200 U.S. special forces and Afghan soldiers have gone on an offensive in a valley in Afghanistan where the Taliban killed 10 French soldiers last year, the French military said Thursday.
Spokesman Rear Adm. Christophe Prazuck said several American soldiers were wounded ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/french-army-800-legionnaires-spearhead-military-offensive-in-east-afghanistan-against-taliban-245835/">Read : French Army: 800 Legionnaires spearhead military offensive in east Afghanistan against Taliban</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Pakistan, US at odds over pursuit of Afghan militants based in Pakistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/pakistan-us-at-odds-over-pursuit-of-afghan-militants-based-in-pakistan-245803/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/pakistan-us-at-odds-over-pursuit-of-afghan-militants-based-in-pakistan-245803/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:50:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kathy Gannon</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asif Ali Zardari]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Rawalpindi]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Troop Withdrawals]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/pakistan-us-at-odds-over-pursuit-of-afghan-militants-based-in-pakistan-245803/</guid>
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Pakistan, US at odds on enemies in terror war
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Bristling at criticism from Washington, Pakistan&#8217;s army dismissed U.S. pressure to open a front against Afghan militants operating on its territory, saying Thursday it was stretched to the limit in a bloody war against its own Taliban.
The disagreement is an early sign  [..] <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/pakistan-us-at-odds-over-pursuit-of-afghan-militants-based-in-pakistan-245803/">Read the original article: here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Spain says it will send 511 more troops to Afghanistan, boosting deployment above 1,500</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/spain-says-it-will-send-511-more-troops-to-afghanistan-boosting-deployment-above-1500-245778/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/spain-says-it-will-send-511-more-troops-to-afghanistan-boosting-deployment-above-1500-245778/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:02:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Madrid]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/spain-says-it-will-send-511-more-troops-to-afghanistan-boosting-deployment-above-1500-245778/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
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Spain to send 511 more troops to Afghanistan
MADRID — Spain&#8217;s defense minister has announced plans to send 511 more soldiers to Afghanistan in response to President Barack Obama&#8217;s request for more allied help to fight the Taliban.
Carme Chacon says most of the soldiers will train Afghan soldiers so the Kabul government can eventually ... Read : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/spain-says-it-will-send-511-more-troops-to-afghanistan-boosting-deployment-above-1500-245778/">Spain says it will send 511 more troops to Afghanistan, boosting deployment above 1,500</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Suicide bomber attacks tribal leaders meeting, 9 wounded</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-attacks-tribal-leaders-meeting-9-wounded-245277/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-attacks-tribal-leaders-meeting-9-wounded-245277/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:53:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Terrorism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-attacks-tribal-leaders-meeting-9-wounded-245277/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Suicide bomber attacks tribal leaders meeting

KABUL — A suicide attacker has wounded five Afghan soldiers and four tribal leaders in the central province of Uruzgan.
Provincial police chief Jama Gul Hamit says a suicide bomber on foot tried to enter a gathering of tribal elders Thursday in Dihrawud district.
Afghan National Army soldiers identified the threat and ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomber-attacks-tribal-leaders-meeting-9-wounded-245277/" title="Suicide bomber attacks tribal leaders meeting, 9 wounded">Read more &raquo;&raquo;</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Top US military officer visits small base on front line of Afghanistan war</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-visits-small-base-on-front-line-of-afghanistan-war-245158/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-visits-small-base-on-front-line-of-afghanistan-war-245158/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:33:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Forward Operating Base Frontenac]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-visits-small-base-on-front-line-of-afghanistan-war-245158/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Mullen visits front line of Afghanistan war

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan — The top U.S. military officer on Thursday visited the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, where he advised troops to &#8220;focus on the people of this country.&#8221;
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first stop at a ... Read more : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-visits-small-base-on-front-line-of-afghanistan-war-245158/">Top US military officer visits small base on front line of Afghanistan war</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Afghan anticorruption office said to be suffering from shortcomings in authority, personnel</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-anticorruption-office-said-to-be-suffering-from-shortcomings-in-authority-personnel-245018/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-anticorruption-office-said-to-be-suffering-from-shortcomings-in-authority-personnel-245018/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:23:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Washington]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-anticorruption-office-said-to-be-suffering-from-shortcomings-in-authority-personnel-245018/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Audit finds Afghan anticorruption unit ineffective

WASHINGTON — A U.S. government watchdog says the organization created to spearhead Afghanistan&#8217;s battle against corruption has too little authority, independence and personnel to be effective.
In an audit released Wednesday, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction says the leaders of the country&#8217;s High Office of Oversight have conflicts of  [..] <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-anticorruption-office-said-to-be-suffering-from-shortcomings-in-authority-personnel-245018/">Read the original article: here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Pentagon says first troops among planned surge of 30,000 have begun arriving in Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/pentagon-says-first-troops-among-planned-surge-of-30000-have-begun-arriving-in-afghanistan-244961/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/pentagon-says-first-troops-among-planned-surge-of-30000-have-begun-arriving-in-afghanistan-244961/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:27:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/pentagon-says-first-troops-among-planned-surge-of-30000-have-begun-arriving-in-afghanistan-244961/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
First of 30,000 new troops arriving in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says the first of 30,000 additional troops being sent to Afghanistan have begun to arrive.
In a Pentagon press briefing, Morrell told reporters that a Marine battalion ordered to deploy earlier this month already has &#8220;some boots on the ground,&#8221; with the rest .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/pentagon-says-first-troops-among-planned-surge-of-30000-have-begun-arriving-in-afghanistan-244961/">Source article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Pentagon says first troops among planned surge of 30,000 have begun arriving in Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>How the new AP-GfK poll on Obama was conducted</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/how-the-new-ap-gfk-poll-on-obama-was-conducted-244955/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/how-the-new-ap-gfk-poll-on-obama-was-conducted-244955/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:16:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Society]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/how-the-new-ap-gfk-poll-on-obama-was-conducted-244955/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
How the AP-GfK poll on Obama was conducted

The Associated Press-GfK Poll on President Obama and the direction of the country was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs &#038; Media from Dec. 10-14. It is based on landline and cell phone telephone interviews with a nationally representative random sample of 1,001 adults. Interviews were conducted with ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/how-the-new-ap-gfk-poll-on-obama-was-conducted-244955/">Read the original article on Gaea Times at  : How the new AP-GfK poll on Obama was conducted</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Terrorism tracking group: Taliban to release new video of US soldier captured in Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/terrorism-tracking-group-taliban-to-release-new-video-of-us-soldier-captured-in-afghanistan-244857/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/terrorism-tracking-group-taliban-to-release-new-video-of-us-soldier-captured-in-afghanistan-244857/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:20:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/terrorism-tracking-group-taliban-to-release-new-video-of-us-soldier-captured-in-afghanistan-244857/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Terror monitor: Tape of captured US soldier due

KABUL — The Taliban have announced they will release a new video of a U.S. soldier captured in Afghanistan, a U.S.-based terrorism monitoring group said Wednesday.
SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based terrorist tracking organization, said the media arm of the Afghan Taliban made the announcement Wednesday on their Web ... Read more : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/terrorism-tracking-group-taliban-to-release-new-video-of-us-soldier-captured-in-afghanistan-244857/">Terrorism tracking group: Taliban to release new video of US soldier captured in Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Troop shortage hampers US effort to stem flow of Taliban from Pakistan into Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/troop-shortage-hampers-us-effort-to-stem-flow-of-taliban-from-pakistan-into-afghanistan-244536/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/troop-shortage-hampers-us-effort-to-stem-flow-of-taliban-from-pakistan-into-afghanistan-244536/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:55:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sebastian Abbot</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Khan Neshin]]></category>

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Taliban sneak past Marines in southern Afghanistan
KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — Only a few hundred American troops are policing the southern border of one of Afghanistan&#8217;s major smuggling areas, leaving open a vast expanse of desert that the Taliban use to shuttle in weapons and fighters from Pakistan.
This dusty hamlet .... Source article &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/troop-shortage-hampers-us-effort-to-stem-flow-of-taliban-from-pakistan-into-afghanistan-244536/">Troop shortage hampers US effort to stem flow of Taliban from Pakistan into Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Town marks return of 100th British soldier killed in Afghanistan this year</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/town-marks-return-of-100th-british-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-this-year-244336/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/town-marks-return-of-100th-british-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-this-year-244336/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:53:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jennifer Quinn</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[England]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Veterans]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Wootton Bassett]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/town-marks-return-of-100th-british-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-this-year-244336/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Body of British soldier returns to England

WOOTTON BASSETT, England — The road out of this quiet market town was strewn with red and yellow roses on Tuesday, flowers that fell from the hearse carrying the body of Lance Corporal Adam Drane — the 100th British soldier to die this year in Afghanistan.
The grim milestone struck ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/town-marks-return-of-100th-british-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan-this-year-244336/">Read more : Town marks return of 100th British soldier killed in Afghanistan this year</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>VP Biden: US cannot afford &#8216;chaos&#8217; in wartorn Afghanistan, calls country strategic necessity</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/vp-biden-us-cannot-afford-chaos-in-wartorn-afghanistan-calls-country-strategic-necessity-244289/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/vp-biden-us-cannot-afford-chaos-in-wartorn-afghanistan-calls-country-strategic-necessity-244289/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:36:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/vp-biden-us-cannot-afford-chaos-in-wartorn-afghanistan-calls-country-strategic-necessity-244289/</guid>
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Biden: US policy seeks to promote Afghan stability
WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States had no choice but to substantially increase its presence in Afghanistan because America would be &#8220;in real trouble&#8221; if the Karzai government fails.
But Biden also acknowledged in a nationally broadcast interview that much of ... Read : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/vp-biden-us-cannot-afford-chaos-in-wartorn-afghanistan-calls-country-strategic-necessity-244289/">VP Biden: US cannot afford &#8216;chaos&#8217; in wartorn Afghanistan, calls country strategic necessity</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Top US military officer: Most of surge troops will arrive in Afghanistan by August</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-most-of-surge-troops-will-arrive-in-afghanistan-by-august-244218/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-most-of-surge-troops-will-arrive-in-afghanistan-by-august-244218/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:52:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Gearan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-most-of-surge-troops-will-arrive-in-afghanistan-by-august-244218/</guid>
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Mullen: Most of surge troops will arrive by August
KABUL — The top U.S. military officer said Tuesday that he&#8217;s confident that most of the 30,000 additional troops that are being sent to Afghanistan will be there by August.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters traveling with ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-most-of-surge-troops-will-arrive-in-afghanistan-by-august-244218/">Original article on  : Top US military officer: Most of surge troops will arrive in Afghanistan by August</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Red Cross makes first visit to Afghan detainees held by Taliban in northwestern Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/red-cross-makes-first-visit-to-afghan-detainees-held-by-taliban-in-northwestern-afghanistan-244185/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/red-cross-makes-first-visit-to-afghan-detainees-held-by-taliban-in-northwestern-afghanistan-244185/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:48:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<category><![CDATA[Geneva]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/red-cross-makes-first-visit-to-afghan-detainees-held-by-taliban-in-northwestern-afghanistan-244185/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Red Cross in first visit to Taliban-held detainees

GENEVA — The international Red Cross says it has for the first time visited Afghan prisoners held by the Taliban in the northwest of the country.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it visited three members of the Afghan security forces detained by the Taliban in Badghis ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/red-cross-makes-first-visit-to-afghan-detainees-held-by-taliban-in-northwestern-afghanistan-244185/" title="Red Cross makes first visit to Afghan detainees held by Taliban in northwestern Afghanistan">Read more >></a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Afghan Interior Ministry official: 8 killed, about 40 wounded in suicide bombing in Kabul</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-interior-ministry-official-8-killed-about-40-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244109/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-interior-ministry-official-8-killed-about-40-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244109/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:53:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accidents and Disasters]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Bombings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Terrorism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-interior-ministry-official-8-killed-about-40-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244109/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Afghan official: 8 killed in suicide bombing

KABUL — A suicide car bomber struck a heavily guarded neighborhood Tuesday near the home of a former Afghan vice president and a hotel favored by Westerners, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, officials said.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said the target of the bombing was unclear, but ... Read more : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-interior-ministry-official-8-killed-about-40-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244109/">Afghan Interior Ministry official: 8 killed, about 40 wounded in suicide bombing in Kabul</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Afghan Public Health Ministry says 5 killed, 31 wounded in suicide bombing in Kabul</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-public-health-ministry-says-5-killed-31-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244103/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-public-health-ministry-says-5-killed-31-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244103/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:15:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-public-health-ministry-says-5-killed-31-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244103/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Afghan ministry: 5 killed in suicide bombing

KABUL — The Afghan Public Health Ministry says five people were killed and 31 others wounded in a suicide car bombing in a heavily guarded neighborhood in the Afghan capital.
The blast on Tuesday occurred near a hotel favored by Westerners, but it was unclear if the hotel was the ... Original source on Gaea Times at  : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/afghan-public-health-ministry-says-5-killed-31-wounded-in-suicide-bombing-in-kabul-244103/">Afghan Public Health Ministry says 5 killed, 31 wounded in suicide bombing in Kabul</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Suicide bomb explosion near hotel in Kabul</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomb-explosion-near-hotel-in-kabul-244071/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomb-explosion-near-hotel-in-kabul-244071/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:01:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rahim Faiez</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomb-explosion-near-hotel-in-kabul-244071/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Suicide bomb blast near hotel in Kabul
KABUL — A suicide bomb explosion Tuesday in Afghanistan&#8217;s capital damaged a hotel frequented by foreigners, a government official said. The extent of casualties was not immediately clear.

The mid-morning blast damaged the Heetal Hotel in Kabul&#8217;s Wazir Akbar Khan district.
Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/suicide-bomb-explosion-near-hotel-in-kabul-244071/">Read the original article &nbsp;: Suicide bomb explosion near hotel in Kabul</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Large explosion near hotel frequented by foreigners in Afghan capital</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/large-explosion-near-hotel-frequented-by-foreigners-in-afghan-capital-244059/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/large-explosion-near-hotel-frequented-by-foreigners-in-afghan-capital-244059/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:29:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accidents and Disasters]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Explosions]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/large-explosion-near-hotel-frequented-by-foreigners-in-afghan-capital-244059/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Large explosion near hotel in Kabul
KABUL — A large explosion hit in the vicinity of a hotel in Kabul that is frequented by foreigners.

The blast struck near the Heetal Hotel in the city&#8217;s Wazir Akbar Khan district at midmorning Tuesday.
Windows on nearby buildings were shattered and a large cloud of smoke rose from the area.
There .... Read the original article &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/large-explosion-near-hotel-frequented-by-foreigners-in-afghan-capital-244059/">here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Top US military officer says Taliban insurgency harder to defeat than a year ago</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-says-taliban-insurgency-harder-to-defeat-than-a-year-ago-244055/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-says-taliban-insurgency-harder-to-defeat-than-a-year-ago-244055/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:08:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Gearan</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-says-taliban-insurgency-harder-to-defeat-than-a-year-ago-244055/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Top US officer: Taliban harder to defeat
KABUL — The top U.S. military officer said the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan is harder to defeat now than it was a year ago, and said he will take up concerns about strengthening ties to al-Qaida with government leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint ... Read more <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-us-military-officer-says-taliban-insurgency-harder-to-defeat-than-a-year-ago-244055/" title="Top US military officer says Taliban insurgency harder to defeat than a year ago">>>></a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Big new US deployment to Afghanistan could take nearly a year, not six months, general says</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/big-new-us-deployment-to-afghanistan-could-take-nearly-a-year-not-six-months-general-says-243951/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/big-new-us-deployment-to-afghanistan-could-take-nearly-a-year-not-six-months-general-says-243951/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:34:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anne Gearan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[District Of Columbia]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/big-new-us-deployment-to-afghanistan-could-take-nearly-a-year-not-six-months-general-says-243951/</guid>
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Afghan troop surge will take a little longer
KABUL — The military may not finish its surge of 30,000 American troops to Afghanistan until nearly a year from now, a senior U.S. commander said Monday — a slower pace than President Barack Obama has described. The White House insisted it was sticking with a ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/big-new-us-deployment-to-afghanistan-could-take-nearly-a-year-not-six-months-general-says-243951/">Original article on  : Big new US deployment to Afghanistan could take nearly a year, not six months, general says</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>US general in Afghanistan says some American troops will arrive there late than expected</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-general-in-afghanistan-says-some-american-troops-will-arrive-there-late-than-expected-243837/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-general-in-afghanistan-says-some-american-troops-will-arrive-there-late-than-expected-243837/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:11:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-general-in-afghanistan-says-some-american-troops-will-arrive-there-late-than-expected-243837/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Gen: Some troops will arrive later in Afghanistan

KABUL — The second-highest ranking U.S. general in Afghanistan says it will take longer to send some troops to the ramped-up war there, indicating it will probably be nine to 11 months before all are in place.
Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez says logistical challenges involved in bringing so many .... Original source &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-general-in-afghanistan-says-some-american-troops-will-arrive-there-late-than-expected-243837/">US general in Afghanistan says some American troops will arrive there late than expected</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Top Pentagon military officer visits Afghanistan as US military buildup begins</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-pentagon-military-officer-visits-afghanistan-as-us-military-buildup-begins-243654/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-pentagon-military-officer-visits-afghanistan-as-us-military-buildup-begins-243654/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:09:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-pentagon-military-officer-visits-afghanistan-as-us-military-buildup-begins-243654/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Top Pentagon officer visits Afghanistan
KABUL — The Pentagon&#8217;s top military officer is visiting Afghanistan just as the first of the 30,000 U.S. reinforcements are starting to deploy to the 8-year-old war.

Adm. Mike Mullen arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Monday morning for a series of meetings with the government of President Hamid Karzai.
The .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-pentagon-military-officer-visits-afghanistan-as-us-military-buildup-begins-243654/">Source article &nbsp;: Top Pentagon military officer visits Afghanistan as US military buildup begins</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Obama: Success of Afghan strategy evident in a year, changes will be made in case of failure</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-success-of-afghan-strategy-evident-in-a-year-changes-will-be-made-in-case-of-failure-243616/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-success-of-afghan-strategy-evident-in-a-year-changes-will-be-made-in-case-of-failure-243616/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:05:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve R. Hurst</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-success-of-afghan-strategy-evident-in-a-year-changes-will-be-made-in-case-of-failure-243616/</guid>
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Obama: Success of strategy evident in a year
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he&#8217;ll know by the end of 2010 if his Afghan strategy is working, and pledges to change direction if the U.S. military is not on course &#8220;in terms of securing population centers&#8221; from Taliban militants.
The president also says his Dec. .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-success-of-afghan-strategy-evident-in-a-year-changes-will-be-made-in-case-of-failure-243616/">Original article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Obama: Success of Afghan strategy evident in a year, changes will be made in case of failure</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>In visit to southern Afghanistan, British PM works to smooth relations with Afghan president</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/in-visit-to-southern-afghanistan-british-pm-works-to-smooth-relations-with-afghan-president-243522/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/in-visit-to-southern-afghanistan-british-pm-works-to-smooth-relations-with-afghan-president-243522/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Noor Khan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/in-visit-to-southern-afghanistan-british-pm-works-to-smooth-relations-with-afghan-president-243522/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
PM Gordon Brown smooths British-Afghan relations

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Britain&#8217;s prime minister worked Sunday to smooth relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and renew Britain&#8217;s commitment to the war despite its unpopularity back home.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would ship helicopters, equipment and roadside bomb surveillance devices along with 500 reinforcements he recently announced will ... Read more : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/in-visit-to-southern-afghanistan-british-pm-works-to-smooth-relations-with-afghan-president-243522/">In visit to southern Afghanistan, British PM works to smooth relations with Afghan president</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>British Prime Minister Gordon Brown travels to Kandahar in restive southern Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-travels-to-kandahar-in-restive-southern-afghanistan-243507/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-travels-to-kandahar-in-restive-southern-afghanistan-243507/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:56:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Noor Khan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[As-afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kandahar]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Troop Deployments]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Western Europe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-travels-to-kandahar-in-restive-southern-afghanistan-243507/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
British PM Gordon Brown in southern Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown worked Sunday to smooth relations with President Hamid Karzai after making a surprise visit to Afghanistan and renewed his nation&#8217;s commitment to the war despite its unpopularity in Britain.
Brown spent Saturday night at an airfield in Kandahar — the first time ... Read more <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-travels-to-kandahar-in-restive-southern-afghanistan-243507/" title="British Prime Minister Gordon Brown travels to Kandahar in restive southern Afghanistan">>>></a>.]]></description>
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		<title>British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits troops in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243460/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243460/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:37:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243460/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
British prime minister in southern Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is visiting troops in the volatile part of southern Afghanistan where thousands more coalition forces are to be deployed.
More than 9,000 British troops are stationed in southern Afghanistan, mostly in Helmand province. Brown met with President Hamid Karzai and members of his .... Source article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-prime-minister-gordon-brown-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243460/">British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits troops in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>British PM minister visits troops in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-pm-minister-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243457/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-pm-minister-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243457/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:35:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-pm-minister-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243457/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
British PM in southern Afghanistan
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is visiting troops in the volatile part of southern Afghanistan where thousands more coalition forces are to be deployed.

More than 9,000 British troops are stationed in southern Afghanistan, mostly in Helmand province. Brown met with President Hamid Karzai and members of his administration ... Read : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/british-pm-minister-visits-troops-in-kandahar-southern-afghanistan-243457/">British PM minister visits troops in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>9 killed and villagers flee as fighting rages in NW Pakistan, officials say</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/9-killed-and-villagers-flee-as-fighting-rages-in-nw-pakistan-officials-say-243448/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/9-killed-and-villagers-flee-as-fighting-rages-in-nw-pakistan-officials-say-243448/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:39:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Hussain Afzal</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[As-pakistan]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/9-killed-and-villagers-flee-as-fighting-rages-in-nw-pakistan-officials-say-243448/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Fighting in Pakistan kills 7 militants, 2 troops

PARACHINAR, Pakistan — Pakistani soldiers battled militants in a tribal region close to the Afghan border Sunday, killing seven insurgents but losing two of their own in skirmishes in an area where al-Qaida and the Taliban have long sought sanctuary, officials said.
The fighting overnight in the Kurram tribal .... Source &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/9-killed-and-villagers-flee-as-fighting-rages-in-nw-pakistan-officials-say-243448/">9 killed and villagers flee as fighting rages in NW Pakistan, officials say</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Portrait of 5 young Americans detained in Pakistan blurred by roots in conflicting worlds</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/portrait-of-5-young-americans-detained-in-pakistan-blurred-by-roots-in-conflicting-worlds-243329/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/portrait-of-5-young-americans-detained-in-pakistan-blurred-by-roots-in-conflicting-worlds-243329/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:25:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lolita C. Baldor</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Virginia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Washington]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/portrait-of-5-young-americans-detained-in-pakistan-blurred-by-roots-in-conflicting-worlds-243329/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Americans held in Pakistan straddled 2 worlds

WASHINGTON — They had grown up in the same Virginia neighborhood and been friends for years. Some were in college now. Some had jobs. Some had Facebook pages filled with friends.
Young Americans on the cusp of adulthood, they never revealed a hint of extremism, their families insist.
Then came a .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/portrait-of-5-young-americans-detained-in-pakistan-blurred-by-roots-in-conflicting-worlds-243329/">Original article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Portrait of 5 young Americans detained in Pakistan blurred by roots in conflicting worlds</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>AP source: CIA has canceled Blackwater Predator missile-loading contract</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-source-cia-has-canceled-blackwater-predator-missile-loading-contract-243098/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-source-cia-has-canceled-blackwater-predator-missile-loading-contract-243098/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:20:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Pamela Hess</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[
AP source: Blackwater missile contract ended

WASHINGTON — CIA Director Leon Panetta has canceled a secret contract with the former Blackwater security firm that had allowed the company&#8217;s employees to load missiles on Predator drones in Pakistan.
A person familiar with the contract says Panetta canceled the contract earlier this year and the work is being transferred ... Read more <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-source-cia-has-canceled-blackwater-predator-missile-loading-contract-243098/" title="AP source: CIA has canceled Blackwater Predator missile-loading contract">>>></a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Vt woman who lost stepson to war: &#8216;We&#8217;re like the ghost that hovers in the background&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/vt-woman-who-lost-stepson-to-war-were-like-the-ghost-that-hovers-in-the-background-243094/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/vt-woman-who-lost-stepson-to-war-were-like-the-ghost-that-hovers-in-the-background-243094/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:13:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Curran</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Vermont]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/vt-woman-who-lost-stepson-to-war-were-like-the-ghost-that-hovers-in-the-background-243094/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
more images


more images

Vt families of war dead deal with mixed emotions
BURLINGTON, Vt. — They know well the wages of war.
Kathrine Muller lost her son, Pvt. Adam Muller, to a roadside bomb in 2007. Stephen Gray and his wife lost their son the same way, in 2004.
Still grieving, but determined to show their support for Vermont .... Read the original article &nbsp;: <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/vt-woman-who-lost-stepson-to-war-were-like-the-ghost-that-hovers-in-the-background-243094/">here</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>AP sources: FBI questions some of US students held in Pakistan, conspiracy charge weighed</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-sources-fbi-questions-some-of-us-students-held-in-pakistan-conspiracy-charge-weighed-243082/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-sources-fbi-questions-some-of-us-students-held-in-pakistan-conspiracy-charge-weighed-243082/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:08:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lolita Baldor</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Law and Order]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Alexandria]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Conspiracy]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-sources-fbi-questions-some-of-us-students-held-in-pakistan-conspiracy-charge-weighed-243082/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
AP sources: FBI questions students, eyes charges

WASHINGTON — FBI agents have questioned some of the young Americans arrested in Pakistan as U.S. investigators gather evidence that could lead to a conspiracy charge against them, an American official and another person familiar with the case said Friday.
Agents are working to see if there is enough evidence ... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/ap-sources-fbi-questions-some-of-us-students-held-in-pakistan-conspiracy-charge-weighed-243082/">Original article on  : AP sources: FBI questions some of US students held in Pakistan, conspiracy charge weighed</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Experts: foreigners helping Somali Islamist insurgents to improve tactics, technology</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/experts-foreigners-helping-somali-islamist-insurgents-to-improve-tactics-technology-243019/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/experts-foreigners-helping-somali-islamist-insurgents-to-improve-tactics-technology-243019/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:28:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Katharine Houreld</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Bombings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[East Africa]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kenya]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Nairobi]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Somalia]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/experts-foreigners-helping-somali-islamist-insurgents-to-improve-tactics-technology-243019/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Experts: Somali Islamists improving tactics, bombs

NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali Islamist insurgents have imported terrorist tactics and technology used with deadly results in Iraq and Afghanistan, threatening the African country&#8217;s beleaguered government and causing alarm as far as Washington.
Somali fighters over the past two years have gone from simply throwing grenades into crowded rooms to building ... Read more <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/experts-foreigners-helping-somali-islamist-insurgents-to-improve-tactics-technology-243019/" title="Experts: foreigners helping Somali Islamist insurgents to improve tactics, technology">>>></a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Obama says start of drawdown necessary to show Afghanistan not US &#8216;protectorate&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-says-start-of-drawdown-necessary-to-show-afghanistan-not-us-protectorate-242991/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-says-start-of-drawdown-necessary-to-show-afghanistan-not-us-protectorate-242991/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:19:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[
more images



more images

Obama says Afghanistan not US &#8216;protectorate&#8217;
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he needed to set a deadline to start withdrawing U.S. forces so the Afghans wouldn&#8217;t assume their country would be &#8220;a permanent protectorate&#8221; of the United States.
Obama told CBS&#8217;s &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; that his decision to start bringing forces home by July 2011 ... Original source on Gaea Times at  : <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/obama-says-start-of-drawdown-necessary-to-show-afghanistan-not-us-protectorate-242991/">Obama says start of drawdown necessary to show Afghanistan not US &#8216;protectorate&#8217;</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>US official: Pakistan expected to deport Americans detained over suspected terror links</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-official-pakistan-expected-to-deport-americans-detained-over-suspected-terror-links-242982/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-official-pakistan-expected-to-deport-americans-detained-over-suspected-terror-links-242982/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:49:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Lee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Arrests]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North America]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Washington]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-official-pakistan-expected-to-deport-americans-detained-over-suspected-terror-links-242982/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
US official: Pakistan expected to deport US youths

WASHINGTON — A senior State Department official said Friday the U.S. expects Pakistan to deport five young Americans detained after they allegedly sought to join up with terrorist groups and left behind a video saying fellow Muslims must be defended.
While Pakistani officials have said the men admitted trying .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-official-pakistan-expected-to-deport-americans-detained-over-suspected-terror-links-242982/">Source &nbsp;: US official: Pakistan expected to deport Americans detained over suspected terror links</a>.]]></description>
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		<title>Top UN official in Afghanistan wants to leave when 2-year contract expires in March</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-un-official-in-afghanistan-wants-to-leave-when-2-year-contract-expires-in-march-242890/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-un-official-in-afghanistan-wants-to-leave-when-2-year-contract-expires-in-march-242890/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:17:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
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		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Kabul]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-un-official-in-afghanistan-wants-to-leave-when-2-year-contract-expires-in-march-242890/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Top UN official in Afghanistan wants to leave

KABUL — The top U.N. official in Afghanistan said Friday he will not renew his two-year contract when it expires in March.
Kai Eide, a Norwegian diplomat, said he is not stepping down but has asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to start searching for a replacement.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not resigning,&#8221; Eide .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/top-un-official-in-afghanistan-wants-to-leave-when-2-year-contract-expires-in-march-242890/">Original article on Gaea Times at  &nbsp;: Top UN official in Afghanistan wants to leave when 2-year contract expires in March</a>.]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Report: top UN official in Afghanistan Kai Eide to step down</title>
		<link>http://blog.taragana.com/n/report-top-un-official-in-afghanistan-kai-eide-to-step-down-242863/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.taragana.com/n/report-top-un-official-in-afghanistan-kai-eide-to-step-down-242863/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:41:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>AP</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Norway]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Oslo]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Western Europe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.taragana.com/n/report-top-un-official-in-afghanistan-kai-eide-to-step-down-242863/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Top UN official in Afghanistan to resign
OSLO — Norwegian news agency NTB says the top United Nations official in Afghanistan is stepping down from his post.

NTB quotes Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide as saying that he has asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to begin looking for a replacement. He says there was &#8220;no drama&#8221; involved in the .... <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/n/report-top-un-official-in-afghanistan-kai-eide-to-step-down-242863/">Source article &nbsp;: Report: top UN official in Afghanistan Kai Eide to step down</a>.]]></description>
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		</item>
	</channel>
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