Summary: The number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan this year has reached at least 500, compared with 521 in all of 2009, according to the independent monitoring site icasualties.org and a tally compiled by Reuters. … One-year retrospective: One year ago today, on September 6, 2009, Aubrey Immelman reported that opinion polls showed support for President Barack Obama and his policies dipping sharply, though he remained personally more popular than his policies. How will those dynamics impact the 2010 election and what do they tell us about President Obama’s personal qualities and leadership style?

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Summary: At least 40 U.S. troops died in Afghanistan in July 2009, by far the heaviest monthly toll in the 8-year-old war. The worst previous month for U.S. forces was September 2008, when 26 were killed. … Three U.S. troops were killed Aug. 1, 2009 in southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan, when roadside bombs ripped through their patrol. … Three U.S. troops were killed Aug. 2, 2009 in eastern Afghanistan in a complex ambush involving a roadside bomb and gunfire. … One-year retrospective: One year ago today, on the 18th day of his 2008 campaign against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, Aubrey Immelman addressed the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where violence had begun to spread to once-stable regions. He also reported economic indicators that the U.S. had begun to slide into recession.

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