In brief: Ghani orders review of Afghan military

KABUL, Afghanistan – President Ashraf Ghani has ordered a top-to-bottom review of the operations of Afghanistan’s defense forces, including discussing the resumption of controversial night raids banned by his predecessor.

The move appears aimed at revamping the military for the fight against the Taliban amid new indications that U.S. and international forces will play a greater role than initially envisaged after the 13-year U.S.-led combat mission formally ends next month.

The wholesale review is already underway, presidential spokesman Nafizullah Salarzai told the Associated Press, saying Ghani had instructed the National Security Council to “work on a manual of guidelines and standards for military operations.”

Under new guidelines quietly approved by President Barack Obama, U.S. troops may once again engage Taliban fighters, not just al-Qaida terrorists, U.S. administration officials confirmed last week. Until Obama broadened the guidelines, U.S. forces were to have limited Afghanistan operations to counterterrorism missions against al-Qaida after this year, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Obama’s decisions by name.

Iran leader OKs extension of talks

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s supreme leader Tuesday gave his indirect approval for a continuation of talks over its disputed nuclear program, criticizing world powers who many frustrated Iranians believe could have worked harder to reach a deal with the country.

The remarks were the first by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, since Iran and the major powers agreed Monday to decide by March 1 about what agreements must be reached on what schedule. A final deal is meant to follow four months later.

“On the nuclear issue, the United States and European colonialist countries gathered and applied their entire efforts to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees but they could not and they will not,” the supreme leader said, according to his website. His reference to the future signals indirect approval of the talks.

Mojtaba Fathi, a Tehran-based analyst, believed the extension of the talks means that current international sanctions “will not increase against Iran and a reduction of the sanctions is possible while it has its own nuclear program on the ground. This has added to hopes for solving the case.”