Of 22 of troops that were killed were members of the elite navy seals and many of them were also members of the SEAL team 6 which was the unit that conducted the Bin laden raid only three months ago.

Afghan officials say that the Taliban may have tricked the helicopter carrying United States forces to the scene by tipping them off that a Taliban meeting was going to be held.

Very sad news for all Americans.

CNN

All week there has been anticipation for President Barack Obama’s announcement on Wednesday. In December of 2009, Obama sent 33,000 soldiers to Afghanistan to help fight off the growing problems in the terrorist ridden state. Ever since, the voice of the American people has gone from demanding that American presence in Iraq decrease to American presence in Afghanistan decrease.

This week President Obama made his official announcement on when the “surge” troops would be coming homing and the overall count of American soldiers in Afghanistan would be coming down by 33,000.

Wednesday, Obama made it official that the withdrawal is going to take at most fifteen months. The deadline for the withdrawal of the over 30,000 American troops is set at September of 2012. Furthermore, Obama said that by January of 2012, ten thousand of those troops would be out of Afghanistan.

One thing that should not be surprising is that the withdrawal is going to be slow. For obvious reasons, it would be unwise to remove 33,000 soldiers from a not completely stable state all at once.

Obama said that sending the extra troops in 2009 was not an easy decision to make. However, Obama made it clear that a year and a half later the progress in Afghanistan is undeniable and that the troop surge has proven to be successful.

Obama went on to tout the recent success in the Middle East. He said, “al Qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al Qaeda’s leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and special forces we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al Qaeda had ever known. This was a victory for all who have served since 9/11.”

The President of the United States then refocused attention on what is going to happen once the presence in Iraq is minimized even more and begins to be scaled back in Afghanistan.

As a result of having less troops and obligations in the Middle East, there will be more money and more time to “refocus attention and resources on efforts to resolve economic and other problems and to unify a politically divided nation. America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home,” said Obama.

With the troop withdrawal set to begin in July of this year and conclude in September of 2012, the total number of American soldiers in Afghanistan will sit at under 70,000 after that deadline.

Ever since the number of troops in Iraq began to be scaled back, the focus on the military front in the United States switched over to the conflict in Afghanistan. Many people who are not in tune with the process of American warfare and how foreign affairs work do not realize that a full and immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan is not realistic.

But a slow and thought out strategy that would over the course of a few years remove American troops from the battlefields of the Middle East and leave the nations of the Middle East in good hands is realistic. And that is exactly what President Barack Obama has been doing since he first stepped foot into office over two years ago.

The process is well under way in Iraq. And now, reports coming out of Washington indicate that on Wednesday President Obama will announce that the withdrawal of American soldiers is going to begin in Afghanistan.

According to Jay Carney, the Press Secretary of the White House, “The President is still in a process of finalizing his decision on the pace and scope of the drawdown that will being in July of 2011. He’s finalizing his decision. He’s reviewing the options and the assessments and will have an announcement to make soon.”

Around one hundred thousand troops are currently serving within the borders of Afghanistan. Obama said that a “significant” amount of troops are going to begin coming back to the United States as soon as July.

The overall goal set out by President Obama is to remove most of the troops in Afghanistan while leaving the Afghani government, military, and police forces prepared to control the Middle Eastern state without any needed help from the United States military officials.

In December of 2009, Obama increased the number of troops in Afghanistan by about thirty thousand. The decision was part of an elaborate plan to restore proper authority in Afghanistan and rid the government of terrorists. The final goal is to “transfer full security lead over to the ANSF in 2014,” according to Jay Carney.

Is this a sign that the American presence in the Middle East is going to minimize in the next three years? Is it a sign that the American government is going to move focus to the next state that is dominated by a terrorist regime? Or is it a sign that the American government is adamant about refocusing resources on domestic needs? Only time will tell.

Michel Euler/AP

Since the middle of the twentieth century, polio has been on the fast track to being an extinct disease. When the cure was first found, the numbers of reported cases began to drop off dramatically. Since 1988, the number of countries reporting cases of polio has went from 125 nations to just four: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

As far as Bill Gates in concerned, that is four countries too many that are still dealing with the disease.

Gates wants the illness to no longer just be a contained disease, but one that no longer exists. He said that the world is “on the threshold of eliminating polio once and for all.”

Recently, the illness has afflicted people in the four nations where it is still active, as well as Tajikistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bill Gates believes that the recent reports are a sign that if the leaders of the world do not band together to take out the disease for good, all of the work that has already been done will be put at risk.

The Global Eradication Initiative has come up short in their funds by $720 million for 2011 and 2012.

Gates said that now is the time to work together to finish the job we started a half-century ago.

Gates said, “I’m betting money, reputation, energy, everything we have to help polio eradication this year.”

After meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates last week, Gates announced that the prince of Abu Dhabi would donate $17 million.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister of England, announced that after meeting with Gates, his nation would be donating $62 million.

Gates himself will be donating $302 million this year via the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gates is also intending to work closer with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan to get more support for the Pakistani government to help eradicate the disease that is effecting the children of the Middle Eastern state.

As David Oshinsky, the author of Polio: An American Story said, “If you increase the number of unvaccinated children, you increase the chance that this virus will find new subjects. Polio’s only a plane ride away.”

Polio is no longer at the forefront of the minds of Americans as the disease is practically unheard of in the United States, but the illness still exists in the world. And as Gates, along with many others, knows, if we do not eradicate it for good now, there’s no telling of how strongly the disease might come back.

AP

President Barack Obama held his second State of the Union address on Tuesday. It was the 222^nd to ever be held.

Obama began the address by “congratulating the men and women of the 112^th Congress,” especially John Boehner, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Arizona congresswomen, Gabby Giffords, was not present due to the tragic shooting that she became a victim of in Tucson. However, she was not forgotten by Obama or any of the other members of Congress on Tuesday.

The President said that despite the differences between Democrats and Republicans over the last two years, the shooting in Tucson reminded everyone “we are part of the American family.”

Obama said that the moments of unity we are currently experiencing need to be continued into the future for the United States to prosper.

President Obama said he has faith in the new Congress. He said, “We will move forward together, or not at all,” as with how Congress is now split, all new laws will require bipartisan support to pass.

Now is a crucial time for Congress to make sure that the economy continues to grow. Since the 2008 economic crash, “the stock market has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again,” said Obama.

However, Obama said that to truly measure the success of the economic resurrection, we must make sure that Americans are prospering on every level and are getting the jobs that will help them maintain the American standard of living.

Obama touted the work done by Republicans and Democrats in December to help Americans by extending tax cuts, tax breaks, and unemployment benefits, among other measures.

The President sympathized with how the job market went from a place where “if you worked hard, chances are you’d have a job for life, with a decent paycheck, good benefits, and the occasional promotion,” to a place where businesses are shutting down, people are losing money, and others are losing their jobs all together.

Obama credited the advances in technology to the shrinking of the job market. Factory jobs no longer need as many workers and some jobs don’t require humans at all anymore.

President Obama then complimented China and India on their economic successes and their ability to act quickly to educate their children on the necessary skills to succeed in the new world.

But Obama made it clear that Americans are still leading the pack. “America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. No workers are more productive than ours. No country has more successful companies, or grants more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs. We are home to the world’s best colleges and universities, where more students come to study than any other place in the world,” said Obama.

Obama then reminded the men and women of Congress, as well as the millions watching at home, that they should not forget that once upon a time, the United States was a new nation founded on “the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny.”

He then told his audience that we must work to maintain our success. He quoted Robert Kennedy when he said, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.”

Obama said that the keys to success were innovation, education, and production. In addition, Obama also focused on taking on the national deficit.

Obama emphasized the need to promote imagination and creativeness. Obama told Americans that we cannot become stagnant in our innovations. From the Wright brother and Thomas Edison to the Internet and Google, we must take a note from our past that innovation is necessary.

“Biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology,” as the areas that Obama is investing in.

Obama is challenging the United States to become a nation of clean energy. To do so Obama has suggested to Congress that the tax money that goes to oil companies goes to those working on clean energy instead. As Obama put it, “instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s.”

To make sure that Americans are ready for the new technologies and to take the jobs that will come with the innovations, Obama stressed progressions in education, especially in math, science, and graduation levels.

Obama challenged parents to make sure that the knowledge of why learning is important is instilled in every child. Obama has also challenged schools to raise the standards for students and teachers with programs such as the Race to the Top.

Obama is also working on providing more grants for college students as the rates of a college education grow. The work Obama is putting in will benefit students from Harvard Law to the local community college.

Obama then alluded to his disappointment with the DREAM Act not passing. He then asked Congress to work with him to settle the issues of illegal immigration so that intelligent young adults with good moral character don’t get deported when they could instead contribute to the American economy and society.

Obama then directed focus on improving the speed of American technology and the quality of American infrastructure. Part of the additions will be high-speed rail to increase the speed that Americans can travel.

In addition, faster Internet signals and phone signals will also be made a priority to connect Americans.

Obama is also calling on Congress to change the way businesses are taxed in order to help out the small businesses of America.

Obama then address the health care law. He said the door is open to discuss any ideas for improvements with him at any time as his top concern is providing the best possible plan for the American people.

Finally, Obama addressed the issue of the national deficit. To tackle the issue, the President offered up ideas from freezing annual domestic spending for the next half-decade as well as freezing federal and military salaries.

Obama concluded his address by asking the men and women of Congress to work together for the good of the American people. Obama also spoke of the issues in the Middle East in Iraq and Afghanistan and in Tunisia.

Obama touted the American Dream. He reiterated the need to dream in order to succeed in the future.

To cap off his speech, Obama said, “Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong.”

After two years of a divided Congress, it is now clear that Republicans and Democrats have no choice but to work together. And President Obama knows that. With foreign affairs, the economy, energy, jobs, education, and health care all needing attention from Congress, it is now time for the men and women of the House and the Senate to come together and resolve the issues that have been holding back Americans for far too long. And President Obama is leading the way.

AFP/Getty

For the last decade, Osama bin Laden has sent warnings to the United States of America and other nations in the free world through videotapes and audiotapes. And despite rumors that he is no longer alive, a new tape was released on Friday that allegedly features the voice of Osama bin Laden.

In the audiotape, bin Laden allegedly tells the French government that the two journalists who were captured by his organization would only be released if the French pull out of the war in Afghanistan. The two journalists, Herve Ghesquiere and Stephanie Taponier have been held captive since December of 2009.

The message said, “We repeat the same message to you. The release of your prisoners from the hands of our brethren depends on the withdrawal of your soldiers from our countries.”

Much like many of the other tapes released by bin Laden over the years, the lives of innocent people who were captured by his group are being threatened and held as ransom.

In the audio clip, bin Laden also tells the French that their association with the United States will only work against them.

Bin Laden said, “The dismissal of your President Sarkozy to get out of Afghanistan is the result of his subservience to the United States and this is considered to be the green signal to kill your prisoners without delay,” but “we will not do that at the time that suits him and this position will cost you dearly on all fronts, in France and abroad.”

Essentially, bin Laden is suggesting a possible attack on France that would happen on French soil.

However, the French government has announced that bin Laden’s threats are not going to be enough to keep them from keeping their commitments in Afghanistan.

Much question remains as whether or not bin Laden is still influencing his group. Experts are suspecting that he is simply putting out tapes to remind people that he is around and has power, but that the true purpose of his presence is to inspire his forces, not to give them a calling order.

Bin Laden is still believed to be hiding somewhere on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

With 3,750 soldiers in Afghanistan, France is making it clear that they will not be removing their troops anytime soon and that they will not negotiate with terrorists. Even with the threat coming from bin Laden himself, many recall all of the threats made in the past that were never fulfilled.

AP/Alex Brandon

San Francisco (Obama.net)- The federal budget in the United States covers a wide spectrum of departments. From Education to Health Care, the United States government provides the country and its citizens with numerous services. And the biggest department covered in the budget is the military.

While the military is one of the most important departments in the United States and is vital to the safety of the American people, the cost of it cannot be ignored.

For years, people have complained that the military budget is simply too high and now Congress and the Obama Administration are working to address those concerns.

In response, Robert Gates, the Defense Secretary, has come up with a plan that would see both the Army and the Marines cut their number of troops.

The total plan would cut the military budget by $78 billion. However, the plan would not go into effect for another four years. The hope is for American soldiers to be completely withdrawn from Iraq and at least be deep in the withdrawal process from Afghanistan.

It was less than five years ago that the number of troops in the Middle East was increased in order to fight both wars. However, now it is becoming clear that the high amount of troops is no longer as necessary and that the cost is becoming much greater than the need.

The hope behind the plan is for the withdrawal from Iraq and the beginning of the withdrawal from Afghanistan to occur by the troop decrease so that there is no shortage of troops in the Middle East in 2015. If the conflict in Afghanistan does not settle down by then, the need for the troops will not decrease as it is currently expected to.

The decreasing of the number of troops will only save the government $6 billion. The rest of the savings will come from a salary freeze for soldiers, who are not serving overseas, the elimination of a battle vehicle used by the Marines, and a revisiting of the F-35 fighter project, in addition to other program changes that would save even more money.

With the necessary costs for the military increasing every year, especially since the year 2000, and the need to come up with new technologies and new weaponry as fast as possible, the reduction of troops and cutting of unnecessary aspects of the military is highly important in order to make sure that the budget does not continue to spiral out of control.

CNN

San Francisco (Obama.net)- With rumors circulating around for the past few months that al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are targeting various European nations for attacks in the coming months, all of the citizens in Europe are keeping their eyes open.

Saturday, it was not too difficult to see that an attack on Europe quite possibly had taken place.

There were two distinct explosions in Stockholm on Saturday, which are potentially connected to email messages that talk about links to Afghanistan and were of a threatening nature. The emails threatened the lives of the Swedish and were sent just ten minutes prior to when the explosions went off.

The attack took place in a highly populated sector of the city where many were doing their holiday shopping. While, one person were killed because of the attack and two more were hurt, the potential for the damage the explosions could have caused was much higher. As Carl Bildt, the Foreign Minister of Sweden said, the incident “could have been truly catastrophic.”

Police forces in Sweden said that other than the emails, which came just moments before the incident, there was no warning that the attacks were coming. In addition, no immediate plans to raise the terror threat in the state are being made.

The emails spoke of the Swedish presence in Afghanistan and of a cartoon by Lars Vilks that portrays the prophet Mohammad in the form of a dog. Furthermore, the email, which was in the form of text and audio files said, “Now your children, daughters, and sisters will die like out brothers and sisters and children are dying. Our actions will speak for themselves. As long as you don’t end your war against Islam and the humiliation against the prophet and with your stupid support to Lars Vilks the pig.”

The explosions took place just five minutes apart.

The first explosion took the form of a car blasting repeatedly at a busy Stockholm intersection. The second explosion also took place at a busy intersection, but the reason for it has yet to be determined. The second blast was also the one where the one dead person was found.

The two explosions did not cause significant damage, but certainly had the potential to.

More attacks are feared by Swedish authorities as the email also suggested a full attack take place “in Europe and Sweden,” and the email called for the terrorists to “fear no one, fear not prison, fear not death.”

Reuters

San Francisco (Obama.net)- For months now, WikiLeaks has been releasing classified documents against the wishes of the United States government, as well as governments from around the world. After giving away important intelligence and military information, WikiLeaks has now released very critical information regarding the government of Afghanistan.

The overall report suggests that corruption is evident all over Afghanistan. The cables have been sent over the past two years from the American Embassy in Afghanistan.

The reports say that the American ambassador located in Kabul has spoke very poorly about Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan. The documents stated that the United States ambassador said the President has an immense “inability to grasp the most rudimentary principles of state building.”

According to the documents, the only official in all of Afghanistan that has not been corrupted through bribes is Asif Rahimi, the agriculture minister.

Other allegations include the claims that members of the Afghani parliament were selling their votes for one thousand dollars each.

Information is being reported claiming that an Afghani minister said that Karzai is “under great pressure from political leaders to accept a number of ministerial candidates whose technical skills are lacking.” And “that these political leaders are only thinking of dividing up the spoils rather than the quality of government needed to tackle Afghanistan’s problems.”

Other documents suggest that Afghanistan and members of NATO, including England, are on opposite ends on numerous issues.

The use of money secured from the trade of heroin and other drugs has also affected Afghanistan. One cable said that the money laundering network “is facilitating bribes and other wide-scale illicit cash transfers for corrupt Afghan officials and is providing illicit financial services for narco=traffickers, insurgents, and criminals through an array of front companies in Afghanistan and the UAE.”

In addition, reported indicate that of $200 million collected from traffic fees, only 15% actually got spent on government measures.

Other unusual reports pertaining to finances include a sudden $600 million withdrawal just prior to the election on August 20^th.

Money was also reportedly taken from numerous projects for developing the infrastructure of the state as well as other projects.

As the government of Afghanistan has already been seen to be very unstable and is need of much guidance of the United States and other world powers, with the newfound elements of corruption throughout the state and its government, there is no telling how this will effect Afghanistan’s relationships with other states.

San Francisco (Obama.net)-

He is supposedly living in a house in northwestern Pakistan. Also in the area is Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s right hand man. However, the two are reported to not be in the same location.

A NATO official who chose to remain nameless for his own safety made it clear that “nobody in al Qaeda is living in a cave.” In fact, bin Laden and his associates are said to be living in fairly comfortable homes. They are also reported to be receiving protection by the Pakistani government, but the government is shooting down such reports.

Bin Laden’s current location has been predicted to be somewhere between the Chitral region and the Kurram Valley. The total possible area is about a few hundred square miles of difficult land to travel through.

Richard Holbrooke of United States government told reporters that nothing is really special about the recent claims made by the unnamed NATO official. Holbrooke said, “We hardly have a day that goes by where somebody doesn’t say they know where Osama bin Laden is.”

Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, has said that similar reports have been released in recent years and have all been proven to be incorrect. He further said that to his knowledge, neither bin Laden nor al-Zawahiri are in Pakistan, but if they are, then more information needs to be given to the Pakistani government so they can take action as soon as possible.

The unnamed source expressed his fears over the fact that al Qaeda is growing in manpower as more and more young men are joining as a means to gain financially. He said that the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan need to stabilize and provide their people with security and jobs in order to keep them away from joining terrorist organizations like bin Laden’s or any other one.

Osama Bin Laden has not been seen by American officials in years. As reports like this one trickle in more often than the American people know, the search for one of history’s biggest terrorists goes on.