• Faster Iraq Pullout:
  The withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq beginning in September could be increased under new considerations by the Bush administration, a quicker plan than expected only months ago. The plan for additional troop withdrawals is a striking contrast to the surge in troops during the darkest part of the war in 2006 and 2007, and might lead to an additional 50,000 troops coming home. While the withdrawals will allow more moments like this, captured yesterday at Fort Bragg, the troops are needed for a more pressing concern in Afghanistan. Casualties in Afghanistan we greater than Iraq in May and June, a trend that is continuing this month.





• Militants Invade Base in Afghanistan:
  More than 100 insurgents invaded a US post in north-eastern Afghanistan yesterday sparking hours of fighting and leaving nine US troops dead. Using rocket propelled grenades and homemade mortars to bombard the base, they attacked the base from several sides near the border with Pakistan. The attack led to one of the single worst losses of life for foreign troops since operations began in 2001.

• Scramble for Jobs Kills 12:
  A recruitment drive for the Nigerian Immigration Service has left at least 12 dead after a stampede, when recruiters closed a gate to the government building where candidates were to sit an aptitude test. More than 130,000 candidates applied for 1,260 jobs in a country where there are few good employment prospects for the thousands of college graduates each year. The government jobs that caused the panic are prized for their regular salaries and good benefits.

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