Hillary Clinton arrives in Kabul

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is looking for a new candidate to lead American and allied forces in Europe after his first choice, Marine Gen. John Allen, bowed out Tuesday and announced his intention to retire for what he called personal reasons. The move further clouds the picture for Obama as he repositions key figures on his national security team and in key military leadership roles. The White House is fighting for Senate confirmation of Chuck Hagel as defence secretary; a confirmation vote was stalled last week by Republicans but is expected to happen next week.

US Vice President Joe Biden was due to meet President Hamid Karzai Tuesday on day two of a surprise visit to Afghanistan six months ahead of the planned start of limited troop withdrawals.Biden will hold talks and have lunch with Karzai in Kabul after visiting a training facility for Afghan security forces. He is also expected to meet US troops serving in the country later.Shortly after arriving late Monday, he spent nearly two hours with the commander of international troops in Afghanistan, US General David Petraeus, and US ambassador Karl Eikenberry.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan forces have taken over the lead from the U.S.-led NATO coalition for security nationwide, President Hamid Karzai announced Tuesday in a significant milestone in the 12-year war. The announcement came amid a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s daily violence. A few miles from where Karzai was speaking a bomb targeted a prominent lawmaker, missed him but killed three civilians.

An emotional Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday told international troops to "stop their operations in our land", his strongest remarks yet over mistaken killings of civilians.Karzai's comments came after a week in which a relative of his was killed in a raid by foreign forces and he rejected an apology by the US commander of troops General David Petraeus for the deaths of nine children in a NATO strike.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday for the first time that German troops were fighting a war in Afghanistan, as she addressed them on a surprise visit to the country, reporters with her said.Her office said that she had arrived in Kunduz in northern Afghanistan to meet German troops serving there ahead of the Christmas celebrations.She then went on to Mazar-i-Sharif for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the US commander of international forces fighting Taliban insurgents, General David Petraeus.

Joshua Partlow and Karen DeYoung report that General David Petraeus is none too happy with Afghan President Hamid Karzai: