Posted by Tina
From the AP:
Islamabad – Militants battling security forces in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan have forced families to give up sons to fight alongside Islamist extremists, a Pakistani military official said. Meanwhile, new violence in the region Saturday reportedly killed 16 insurgents. *** All families were asked to give their one male child to this (militant) movement, and this was done forcibly, and if somebody doesn’t do it, his house would be destroyed
Kabul, Afghanistan — A top U.S. general said he expects militant violence in Afghanistan to rise some 30 percent this winter compared with last year, but that he does not think insurgents have the ability to mount a massive campaign during the country’s harsh weather. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser said the U.S. will attack militant cells in areas of Afghanistan where U.S. forces in some cases haven’t operated before.
From Deutsche Presse-Agentur:
Beirut – The Damascus car bombing that killed 17 civilians Saturday was carried out by an Iraqi suicide bomber with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, a Lebanese news website said. The Now Lebanon website quoting well-informed Syrian sources said that the bomber had recently entered Syria and had been in communication with al-Qaeda members in the capital. The sources confirmed earlier speculation that the attack was targeting a security installation.