Challenger poised to quit race

By Pamela Constable and Scott Wilson

KABUL -- The top challenger to President Hamid Karzai in the Nov. 7 election prepared Saturday to withdraw from the race, complicating President Obama's deliberations over whether to expand the war effort in Afghanistan at a critical moment. (The Washington Post)

Bombings kill 8 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan

By Joshua Partlow

KABUL -- October became the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the eight-year-old war in Afghanistan when two powerful bombs killed eight soldiers and an interpreter in separate attacks Tuesday. (The Washington Post)

14 Americans killed in two helicopter crashes in Afghanistan

By Pamela Constable and Joshua Partlow
KABUL -- In a day of military tragedy and political drama, 11 American troops and three U.S. civilians died Monday in two helicopter crashes in rural Afghanistan, while President Hamid Karzai and his top political rival escalated their dispute over conditions for holding a runoff election scheduled... (The Washington Post)

U.S. tested 2 Afghan scenarios in war game

By Greg Jaffe and Karen DeYoung

The Pentagon's top military officer oversaw a secret war game this month to evaluate the two primary military options that have been put forward by the Pentagon and are being weighed by the Obama administration as part of a broad-based review of the faltering Afghanistan war, senior military... (The Washington Post)

Pakistan Launches Full-Scale Offensive

By Karin Brulliard

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 17 -- The Pakistani military launched a major ground offensive Saturday in the insurgent haven of South Waziristan, starting a much-awaited fight that could define the nation's increasingly bloody domestic struggle against Islamist extremism. (The Washington Post)

In Afghan Stability, Abdullah Is Pivotal

By Karin Brulliard

KABUL -- Abdullah Abdullah stood before a roomful of supporters at a hotel here last week, slamming the failings of the Afghan government like a man still on the campaign trail -- which, the presidential candidate insists, he is. (The Washington Post)

A Dogged Taliban Chief Rebounds, Vexing U.S.

By SCOTT SHANE Mullah Muhammad Omar's prospects seemed bleak in 2001. Now, he leads an insurgency that has gained ground in much of Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO forces. (The New York Times)

U.N. Envoy: Accusations of Pro-Karzai Bias Are Untrue

By Joshua Partlow
KABUL, Oct. 11 -- The embattled head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan on Sunday defended himself against allegations from his former American deputy that he chose to ignore evidence of fraud in last month's disputed elections and acted in a biased manner towards President Hamid Karzai. (The Washington Post)

In Pakistan, Militants Attack Army Bastion

By Shaiq Hussain and Karin Brulliard

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Oct. 10 -- Militants staged a deadly attack on the Pakistani army headquarters Saturday in the most audacious indication yet of their willingness to battle the government -- even at the doorstep of the nation's large and powerful security forces. (The Washington Post)

Emerging Goal for Afghanistan: Weaken, Not Vanquish, Taliban

By Scott Wilson

As it reviews its Afghanistan policy for the second time this year, the Obama administration has concluded that the Taliban cannot be eliminated as a political or military movement, regardless of how many combat forces are sent into battle. (The Washington Post)

Afghan Strategy Divides Lawmakers

By Scott Wilson

Congressional leaders left a rare bipartisan meeting with President Obama on Tuesday divided over what strategy the administration should adopt to fight an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan and how quickly it must do so to protect U.S. forces already on the ground. (The Washington Post)

The Distance Between 'We Must' and 'We Can'

By JAMES TRAUB
The war in Afghanistan reignites a classic debate: on one side an imperative for victory, on the other the risks of overreach. (The New York Times)

Eight U.S. Troops Die in Attack on Afghan Outpost

By Joshua Partlow

KABUL, Oct. 4 -- Firing rockets and rifles, Taliban militiamen attacked American and Afghan military outposts in a daylong siege on Saturday that killed eight U.S. soldiers and two Afghan security forces in one of the deadliest battles in months, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. (The Washington Post)