Gen. David Petraeus farewell ceremony in Baghdad

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir salute while passing the Iraqi flag during a farewell ceremony in Baghdad for the outgoing American general on September 15, 2008. Petraeus will turn over command of Multi-National Forces - Iraq to Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno on September 16, 2008. Petraeus, who has served in three command positions in Iraq since 2003, will assume command of U.S. Central Command. (UPI Photo/U.S. Army)

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Obama makes good call in retaining Gates as defense secretary

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- President-elect Barack Obama is said to be asking Robert Gates to stay on at least a year longer as U.S. secretary of defense. The move may anger many liberals among Obama's base, but it looks likely to be widely welcomed in the U.S. armed forces and the Pentagon.

Hillary Clinton faces world of problems as secretary of state

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton had better order up lots of late night coffee and round-the-clock pizza when she replaces Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state: Around the world, threats to U.S. national security and global interests have metastasized. Cleaning up those messes will make mucking out the Augean Stables look easy.

Outside View: Talk to the Taliban? Not now

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- As new U.S. Central Command chief Gen. David Petraeus got a firsthand look at the worsening security situation in Afghanistan last week, he heard from some U.S., British and Afghan officials that the best way forward is to engage in peace talks with the Taliban. Such talks have already even tentatively begun. This is a bad idea.

Obama will sign SOFA, pull U.S. troops from Iraq

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- When President Barack Obama takes the oath of office, he will seek to fulfill his campaign pledge to pull U.S. combat forces out of Iraq. The irony is, this will be an evolution rather than a revolution or U-turn in U.S. policy.

Sunni councils handed off to Iraq gov't

BAGHDAD, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Security in Iraq is facing a key moment as control of the Sunni Awakening Councils is transferred to the Shiite-dominated government, officials said.

Report to assess Afghan situation as dire

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A classified United States' review of its Afghanistan policies is likely to conclude the violence-torn country is in a dire situation, sources say.

Suspected strike kills 9 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Nine people died Friday in what Pakistani military officials said they suspected was a U.S. missile strike in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border.

Gen. Petraeus arrives in Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus made his first visit Tuesday to Afghanistan as head of Central Command.

U.S. military role in Iraq still unsettled

SAMARA, Iraq, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The question of whether U.S. military forces will remain in Iraq next year, and, if so, how they will conduct operations, is still unsettled between Washington and Baghdad as wrangling continues over a proposed Status of Forces Agreement.

Petraeus urged to end drone strikes

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is urging a top U.S. military commander to halt drone missile attacks targeting Taliban militants inside Pakistan.