U.S. Says Taliban Has A New Haven in Pakistan

By Pamela Constable

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- As American troops move deeper into southern Afghanistan to fight Taliban insurgents, U.S. officials are expressing new concerns about the role of fugitive Taliban leader Mohammad Omar and his council of lieutenants, who reportedly plan and launch cross-border strikes from ... (The Washington Post)

U.S., Allies Vow Support for Karzai

By Karen DeYoung

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. (The Washington Post)

Top General Denies Rift With Obama on Afghan War

By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT
The senior American commander in Afghanistan said in an interview that he welcomed the fierce debate that has emerged over how to carry out the war. (The New York Times)

Inquiry Into CIA Practices Narrows

By Carrie Johnson, Jerry Markon and Julie Tate

The Justice Department's review of detainee abuse by the CIA will focus on a very small number of cases, including at least one in which an Afghan prisoner died at a secret facility, according to two sources briefed on the matter. (The Washington Post)

First Full Afghan Tally Gives Karzai 54% of Vote

By Pamela Constable

KABUL, Sep. 16 -- The Afghan national election commission, in its first full tally of ballots cast in last month's presidential race, announced Wednesday that incumbent Hamid Karzai had won 54.6 percent of the vote, a margin large enough for him to win reelection and avoid a runoff against his to... (The Washington Post)

Pakistan's Army Said to Be Linked to Many Killings By JANE PERLEZ and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH Two months after the Pakistani Army gained control of the Swat V

By JANE PERLEZ and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH
Two months after the Pakistani Army gained control of the Swat Valley, bodies have been dumped on the streets in what rights advocates and residents say is the work of the military. (The New York Times)

U.S. Gives New Rights To Afghan Prisoners

By Karen DeYoung and Peter Finn

Hundreds of prisoners held by the U.S. military in Afghanistan will for the first time have the right to challenge their indefinite detention and call witnesses in their defense under a new review system being put in place this week, according to administration officials. (The Washington Post)

U.S. in Delicate Spot as Fraud Claims Mount in Afghan Vote

By MARK LANDLER and HELENE COOPER
The Obama administration is trying to balance an effort to investigate vote fraud allegations with its interest in maintaining good relations with President Hamid Karzai.(The New York Times)

NATO Airstrike in Afghanistan Kills Up to 90

By FRANK JORDANS

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan -- An American war jet blasted two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing up to 90 people, including insurgents and dozens of civilians who had rushed to the scene to collect fuel, Afghan officials said. (The Washington Post)

Gates May Be Open To Troop Increase

By Ann Scott Tyson

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates indicated Thursday that he is open to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, voicing a shift in his position as the administration ponders a military assessment expected to lead to a formal request for additional forces. (The Washington Post)

U.N. Agency Finds Evidence of Drug Cartels Forming in Afghanistan

By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
But the U.N. report also says that Afghanistan's production of opium declined by 10 percent this year, a rare bit of good news. (The New York Times)

Taliban Surprising U.S. Forces With Improved Tactics

By Karen DeYoung

The Taliban has become a much more potent adversary in Afghanistan by improving its own tactics and finding gaps in the U.S. military playbook, according to senior American military officials who acknowledged that the enemy's resurgence this year has taken them by surprise. (The Washington Post)

Accusation of Brazen Ballot-Stuffing Casts New Doubt on Karzai

By DEXTER FILKINS
Allegations by tribal elders in a southern Afghan district represent the most serious that have so far been publicized against Hamid Karzai.(The New York Times)