Top Military News Headlines | October 27, 2010

Osama bin Laden threatens in a new audio tape to kill French citizens to avenge their country’s support for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. And, FBI claims Pentagon and museum shootings are linked.

U.S. military campaign to topple resilient Taliban hasn’t succeeded

An intense military campaign aimed at crippling the Taliban has so far failed to inflict more than fleeting setbacks on the insurgency or put meaningful pressure on its leaders to seek peace, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials citing the latest assessments of the war in Afghanistan.

Afghan ban on security firms delayed by 2 months

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan president said Wednesday that he will extend a Dec. 17 deadline for private security firms to disband by at least two extra months.

Bin Laden warns France over Afghan war, veil ban

CAIRO (AP) — Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden threatens in a new audio tape to kill French citizens to avenge their country’s support for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and a new law that will ban face-covering Muslim veils.

FBI: Pentagon, Museum Shootings Linked

WASHINGTON — The same gun was used to shoot at the Pentagon and the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Northern Virginia last week, the FBI said Tuesday.

Accused Faker Faces 16 Years, $605K Fine

A man accused of falsely wearing the uniform of a decorated Marine colonel faces more than 16 years in prison and up to $605,000 in fines, officials said Tuesday.

Leaked Docs Raise Questions on Obama Policies

LONDON — President Obama stepped into the White House pledging to end George W. Bush’s gloves-off approach to interrogations and detention — but a flood of leaked documents suggests that some old habits were hard to break.

NATO Likely To Send More Trainers To Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO nations are likely to contribute roughly 850 more trainers for Afghanistan’s police and army in coming weeks, filling a long-standing shortfall that has slowed the development of the Afghan forces, a top U.S. general said in an interview.

U.S. operations in Kandahar push out Taliban

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN – With 2,000-pound bombs, 12,000 troops, and one illiterate but charismatic Afghan border police commander, the American military has forced insurgents to retreat from key parts of this strategically vital region, according to U.S. and Afghan commanders.

How Karzai Got Bags of Cash

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan acknowledged Monday that he has received cash from Iran – and he said the United States knows about it and does the same thing.

Mother of accused soldier asks ‘Where was the Army?’

Five American soldiers have been charged with killing Afghan civilians for sport and staging the slayings to look like legitimate war casualties. The youngest of those five — a now 20-year-old private from Idaho — came home a changed man, his mother says.