US war aim: protect civilians first, then troops - AP

-- WASHINGTON - A key to the U.S. approach to fighting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan is this seemingly backward logic: The more aggressively you protect your own troops, the less secure they may be.

The idea is that troops who put themselves at risk to protect innocents will ultimately help decrease violence against Americans. That's because every time U.S. forces inadvertently kill or wound a noncombatant, it outrages the families and communities of the victims and erodes support for the battle against militants, strategists say. - US war aim: protect civilians first, then troops

What's next for Afghanistan
Free-market Afghanistan - Ashraf Ghani