Not One Afghan Army Unit Was Able to Operate Independently of U.S.-Led Coalition
(CNSNews.com) – Not one Afghan army unit was able to operate independent of U.S.-led coalition troops as of September 2010, according to assessments by NATO’s international force highlighted in a government report. Nevertheless, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama maintained that U.S. troops will begin withdrawing in July 2011.

At Least 25 U.S. Troops Died in Afghanistan in January
(CNSNews.com) – At least 25 U.S. soldiers died in Afghanistan last month – five fewer than the 30 recorded in the same period last year, according to CNSNews.com’s tally. As of Feb. 2, an overall 1,383 American military deaths had been reported in and around Afghanistan since the U.S.-led war started more than nine years ago. The majority of American military deaths in Afghanistan have occurred since Obama was inaugurated on Feb. 20, 2009.

Iran Seeks to Put Islamic Stamp on Egyptian ‘Revolution’
(CNSNews.com) – In Iran, the same establishment that vilified and cracked down on Iranian opposition supporters who took to the streets after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election in 2009 is hailing the protests in Egypt. Tehran’s prayer leader Ayatollah Seyyed Khatami said in a sermon the revolts heralded the establishment of a “new Islamic Middle East,” one based on Islam, the Qur’an and religious popular rule.