Ramping up
The week's news at a glance.
Kabul
After nine months of British leadership, NATO troops in Afghanistan are back under U.S. command. Gen. Dan McNeill is expected to push a more aggressive approach than his predecessor, British Gen. David Richards, who favored brokering cease-fire deals with village elders. Last week, one of those deals collapsed when the Taliban overran a key village. The appointment of McNeill, one of only 11 four-star generals in the Army, comes as U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan have reached their highest point. Some 26,000 U.S. troops are now there, up from 9,500 in 2002, a year after the Taliban was toppled.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.