Aust commits extra 150 troops to afghanistan's 'black hole'
The Obama administration is ramping up its military presence in Afghanistan at a time of political and international instability, including an ongoing crackdown on critics.
A White House official on Friday spoke of the new deployment of about 150 additional U.S. troops as a means of backing Afghan troops and boosting the nation's stability. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly, and spoke on condition of anonymity.
But the announcement came a day after the Afghan president announced a plan to introduce a sweeping military "black hole" that will include more than 3,000 U.S. troops, nearly half of them in a "defensive zone" outside Helmand province, the heartland of the insurgency.
The surge will continue until the end of 2016.
The surge has already prompted calls among Afghans for more American troops, as well as a surge in U.S. airstrikes in southern Afghanistan and the broader campaign against the insurgents.
President Hamid Karzai has been pressing for years for increased U.S. military assistance that would allow the U.S. to combat the Taliban while reducing the threat from the Taliban's top leaders, Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The White House decision comes amid ongoing calls to provide more security to Afghanistan amid growing threats by al Qaeda in Pakistan. Afghan officials say insurgents are targeting the security forces in the capital Kabul to destabilize the country and force them to withdraw.
The top U.S. general in Afghanistan, Robert M. Gates, visited Pakistan to brief the government and troops about the fight against the Taliban, the Pentagon said.
"It was an historic visit," Gates said of his visit this week. "The president and I spoke at length about the ongoing Taliban assault against our forces in Afghanistan and shared the common objective of ensuring that Afghanistan was safe and secure until we can be confident that we are leaving.
"And the success of our mission in Afghanistan is an important part of that success. But the president told me he believes the long-term success of the U.S. mission to our troops in Afghanistan requires a significant level of U.S. leadership in this war in the region," Gates said in a written statement.
After Afghan President Hamid Karzai made news of the new surge efforts last month, Obama visited with the Taliban leader on May 11 and said the U.S. had to respond to al Qaeda in Pakistan's increasing attacks against Afghan forces and people.
"The president made clear that the U.S. is there to help the Afghan people succeed and that the Taliban, not a U.S. ally, was behind the surge, which has forced Afghan forces to abandon their strongholds and continue to fall,"
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Police recruit facing assault charge after stabbing in Stony Plain neighbourhood
CHESTERFIELD, Ill. — A 14-year-old youth has been charged with assault after allegedly stabbing a man and wounding his girlfriend in the back of the head while they were riding their bike in the Stony Plain neighbourhood late Friday night, according to Champaign County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.
The 16-year-old was taken to Homan Square Regional Medical Center where he was in stable condition with several cuts and abrasions, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office. He was being held without bond at the same time.
Police say the incident started as the pair were riding in the 6800 block of South Elston around 11:30 p.m. when a 14-year-old girl pulled up behind them and asked the two to ride by without giving a license plate number.
When the two left the area, the girl followed, then the suspect called for her, the CHS's report said. She was walking on the sidewalk when the suspect came up behind her and kicked her in the face, knocking her to the ground, according to a police report. She was taken to the hospital in serious condition, police said.
The young girl said she felt her hand get punched in the back of the head and she was hit in the mouth, the police report said. The girl's head started hurting. She said she saw her attacker get back in her vehicle and drove away, the report said.
After the driver returned, the victim grabbed a knife and ran after him before she was caught in a tree at the intersection of S. Elston and North S. Elston, according to the report.
The suspect was described as a black male, 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with black hair. He was wearing a white sweater, blue jeans and a black hat.
At 11:37 p.m. police responded to reports of a single-car accident and found a 22-year-old male victim who was unconscious, having been attacked by a suspect in a red BMW sedan on S. University Avenue and W. University Boulevard.
The suspect, who was wearing a yellow shirt, black pants and green shoes, had serious but non-life threatening injuries, according to the report. Police were also looking for a gray male in his early 20s who was seen on campus leaving school in the car with the victim.
Police said the car did not make a left turn and never turned onto W. University, before rolling up to a stop in the path of the car, apparently to avoid the intersection of N. State St. and S. University Avenue, police said.
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