As General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, prepared to face the music over his criticism of high-ranking members of the US administration, he had some unlikely supporters in his corner.
LASHKAR GAH -- Aziz Ahmad is a deeply worried man. With two wives and seven children at home, the 30-year-old farmer depends entirely on his opium-poppy crop to make a living.
This year, it's proving to be an increasingly difficult task. First, falling water tables stunted his crop. Then a mysterious blight emerged to destroy most of what remained.
One of Pakistan's most wanted militant leaders is back. And with the return of Hakimullah Mehsud and his brash rhetoric, comes decision time for the Pakistani military.
The fight against militant extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of the major foreign policy and security challenges facing US President-elect Barack Obama, and campaign insiders say his administration plans to reassess US strategy on the region as one of its first priorities.
