%3Cp%3EThe%20BBC%20gives%20a%20short%20history%20of%20Afghanistan%20and%20the%20major%20events%20that%20have%20shaped%20the%20troubled%20country%27s%20recent%20history.%20The%20last%20thirty%20years%20are%20critical%20to%20comprehend%20the%20current%20state%20of%20conflict%20in%20Afghanistan%2C%20one%20that%20saw%20%20a%20US-led%20war%20in%202001%20following%209%2F11%2C%20and%20the%20country%27s%20first%20presidential%20elections%20in%202004.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20PBS%20--Bill%20Moyers%20takes%20a%20look%20into%20the%20roots%20and%20motivations%20of%20Al%20Qaeda%2C%20from%20its%20beginnings%20during%20the%20invasion%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union%20to%20the%209%2F11%20bombings%20in%20America.%20Even%20now%2C%20while%20operating%20underground%2C%20Al%20Qaeda%20continues%20to%20be%20a%20group%20that%20garners%20attention%2C%20and%20to%20their%20credit%2C%20should%20not%20be%20ignored%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20New%20York%20Times--Encouraged%20by%20the%20success%20of%20recent%20missile%20strikes%20against%20Al%20Qaeda%20and%20its%20allies%2C%20senior%20administration%20officials%20say%20the%20U.S.%20will%20increase%20its%20use%20of%20remotely%20piloted%20aircraft%20%28drones%29%20in%20Pakistan%27s%20tribal%20areas.%20Though%20the%20use%20of%20drones%20reduces%20civilian%20casualties%2C%20several%20U.S.%20and%20Pakistani%20officials%20have%20expressed%20serious%20reservations.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BOn%20Sunday%2C%20a%20senior%20Taliban%20leader%20vowed%20to%20unleash%20two%20suicide%20attacks%20a%20week%20like%20one%20on%20Saturday%20in%20Pakistan%26rsquo%3Bs%20capital%2C%20Islamabad%2C%20unless%20the%20Central%20Intelligence%20Agency%20stopped%20firing%20missiles%20at%20militants.%20Pakistani%20officials%20have%20expressed%20concerns%20that%20the%20missile%20strikes%20from%20remotely%20piloted%20aircraft%20fuel%20more%20violence%20in%20the%20country%2C%20and%20some%20American%20officials%20say%20they%20are%20also%20concerned%20about%20some%20aspects%20of%20the%20drone%20strikes.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20Washington%20Post%20--%20%20Seven%20years%20after%20the%20ousting%20of%20the%20Taliban%2C%20Afghanistan%20remains%20one%20of%20the%20poorest%20countries%20in%20the%20world%2C%20with%20infant%20mortality%20and%20malnutrition%20on%20a%20par%20with%20the%20most%20impoverished%20nations%20in%20sub-Saharan%20Africa.%20%20Now%2C%20according%20to%20the%20U.N.%20%20figures%20are%20growing.%20%205%20million%20Afghans%20are%20slated%20to%20receive%20emergency%20food%2C%20and%20on%20average%2C%20nearly%2080%25%20of%20Afghan%20income%20is%20spent%20on%20food.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BSeven%20years%20after%20the%20fall%20of%20the%20Taliban%20and%20the%20establishment%20of%20a%20civilian-led%2C%20internationally%20backed%20government%2C%20Afghanistan%20remains%20one%20of%20the%20poorest%20countries%20in%20the%20world%2C%20with%20rates%20of%20unemployment%2C%20illiteracy%2C%20infant%20mortality%20and%20malnutrition%20on%20a%20par%20with%20the%20most%20impoverished%20nations%20in%20sub-Saharan%20Africa.%20Most%20homes%20lack%20light%2C%20heat%20and%20running%20water%3B%20most%20babies%20are%20born%20at%20home%20and%20without%20medical%20help.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20New%20York%20Times--The%20psychological%20impact%20of%20the%20United%20States%27%20remote%20missile%20strikes%20in%20Pakistan%20is%20undeniable.%20But%20some%20C.I.A.%20veterens%20believe%20the%20drone%20strikes%2C%20which%26nbsp%3Bunite%20militants%20and%20Pakistani%20citizens%20in%20anti-American%20sentiment%2C%20may%20do%20more%20harm%20than%20good%20in%20the%20long%20run.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%20In%20the%20mountains%20of%20northwest%20Pakistan%2C%20the%20psychological%20impact%20of%20America%26rsquo%3Bs%20drone%20%20strikes%20can%20be%20measured%20by%20this%3A%20Some%20locals%20have%20given%20up%20drinking%20Lipton%20tea%2C%20out%20of%20a%20growing%20conviction%20that%20the%20Central%20Intelligence%20Agency%20is%20using%20the%20tea%20bags%20as%20homing%20beacons%20for%20its%20pilotless%20planes.%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Reuters%20--With%20violence%20continuing%20to%20escalate%2C%20Afghanistan%20is%20reaching%20a%20state%20of%20crisis.%26nbsp%3B%20It%20is%20one%20of%20the%20poorest%20and%20least%20developed%20countries%20in%20the%20world%2C%20and%20drought%20and%20famine%20are%20leaving%20millions%20hungry%20and%20struggling%20to%20survive.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BUp%20to%20five%20million%20Afghans%20face%20food%20shortages%20this%20year%20and%20more%20than%20a%20million%20young%20children%20and%20half%20a%20million%20women%20face%20serious%20health%20risks%20due%20to%20malnutrition%2C%20it%20said.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Cato%20Institute%20--%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThis%20foreign%20policy%20briefing%20describes%20the%20inherent%20paradoxical%20tension%20between%20the%20fight%20against%20terrorism%20and%20counter-narcotics%20policies.%20%20Eliminating%20the%20opium%20through%20prohibitionist%20strategy%20simply%20creates%20a%20massive%20black%20market%20for%20the%20drug%20which%20will%20make%20the%20production%20of%20it%20more%20lucrative.%20%20Also%2C%20denying%20local%20warlords%20of%20their%20income%20made%20off%20the%20heroin%20trade%20might%20drive%20them%20into%20an%20alliance%20with%20terrorists.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20NPR%20--%20Brigade%20Chaplain%20Douglas%20Fenton%2C%20deployed%20to%20Baquba%2C%20Iraq%2C%20%20often%20flew%20to%20see%20the%20wounded%20and%20dead.%20By%20the%20time%20he%20left%20last%20August%2C%20he%20had%20prayed%20over%2088%20dead%20soldiers.%20Eventually%2C%20he%20was%20sent%20home%20because%20he%20was%20suffering%20from%20post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BAnd%20he%20did%20the%20right%20thing.%20He%20took%20the%20box%20and%20sat%20with%20it%20on%20his%20lap%20on%20a%20helicopter%20flight%20as%20pilots%20fired%20flares%20to%20deflect%20potential%20heat-seeking%20missiles.%20That%27s%20the%20unimaginable%2C%20everyday%20horror%20of%20war.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Relief%20Web%20--%20%20Experts%20say%2C%20%22the%20idea%20of%20negotiation%20with%20the%20Taliban%20on%20humanitarian%20access%20has%20to%20some%20extent%20been%20a%20reflection%20of%20the%20Afghan%20government%27s%20policy%20of%20reconciliation%20with%20the%20insurgents.%22%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3B%22Now%20is%20the%20time%20to%20expand%20the%20humanitarian%20agenda%20together.%20I%20appeal%20to%20the%20Taliban%2C%20to%20share%20our%20humanitarian%20agenda%2C%22%20said%20Kai%20Eide%2C%20special%20representative%20of%20the%20UN%20Secretary-General%20for%20Afghanistan.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20--%26nbsp%3BIt%20is%20reported%20that%20significant%20numbers%20of%20Iraq%20and%20Afghanistan%20war%20veterans%20are%20suffering%20from%20post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder%20%28or%20PTSD%29.%20Organizations%20such%20as%20the%20National%20Center%20for%20Post-Traumatic%20Stress%20Disorder%2C%20part%20of%20the%20Department%20of%20Veterans%20Affairs%20Health%20Care%20%2C%20are%20working%20alongside%20the%20military%20in%20an%20effort%20to%20decrease%20the%20impact%20of%20post-traumatic%20stress%20disorder%20on%20returning%20soldiers%20from%20Iraq%20and%20Afghanistan.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BAlready%2C%20according%20to%20the%20most%20recent%20figures%2C%207%2C937%20veterans%20of%20%20campaigns%20in%20Iraq%20and%20Afghanistan%20have%20sought%20help%20at%20community-based%20vet%20%20centers%20that%20specialize%20in%20readjustment%20counseling.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%3Cp%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BSpecialists%20hope%20to%20help%20today%27s%20combat%20veterans%20reduce%20or%20avoid%20the%20kind%20%20of%20debilitating%20mental%20trauma%20that%20afflicted%2C%20even%20defined%2C%20their%20Vietnam%20War%20%20predecessors%2C%20said%20Menlo%20Park%20center%20Director%20Fred%20Gusman.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%0A