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Breitbart promised #war, and Monday night, after Donald Trump accepted the advice of the Joint Chiefs and committed the United States to an indefinite engagement in Afghanistan, it delivered. Within minutes of Trump leaving the lectern at Fort Myer, surrounded by men and women in uniform, the sites infamous all-caps, orange headlines came fast and furious: TRUMPS AMERICA FIRST BASE UNHAPPY WITH FLIP-FLOP AFGHANISTAN SPEECH read one. IS TRUMPS AFGHANISTAN POLICY THAT DIFFERENT FROM OBAMAS? blared another. By Tuesday morning, the tone was more measured, but the hand of Stephen Bannon was clear. Two articles singled out Paul Ryan and Lindsey Graham for approving a likely troop surge, while another highlighted how the government had wasted $160 million on a failed anti-corruption program in Afghanistan. In a particularly cheeky bout of trolling, there was also a video of CNN pundit Fareed Zakaria reacting to the speech, critiquing Trumps decision. Where is Steve Bannon when you need him? he asked rhetorically.

Bannon, of course, was at Breitbart, where he returned as executive chairman shortly after being pushed from the White House. As my colleague Gabriel Sherman reported on Sunday, Breitbart staffers has warned that they were ready to go to war with the globalist wing of Trumps White House if the president deviated too far from Bannons nationalist agenda, and, if necessary, Trump himself. On Monday, the assault began in earnest. The headlines were consistent with the sites anti-interventionist, pro-isolationist stances, and the content even more so. H.R. McMasters voice was clear to hear, wrote Breitbart London editor Raheem Kassam. Its a voice that appears to have been carried over from the George W. Bush administration, and even the Obama White House. Accusing the president of flip-flopping, Kassam pinned the blame on an external influence: This isnt about changing his perspective on the war. POTUS is a remarkably astute and stubborn individual. This was about the swamp getting to him.

The site had gone after Trump for breaking his campaign promises before, famously melting down when Trump dropped bombs on Syria, a country he previously urged Obama not to intervene in. But eventually, it and the rest of the populist-nationalist movement backed off, hoping that this was a one-off moment in the Trump administration. This time, however, was different: with Bannon no longer in the White House as a populist-nationalist voice, either mitigating the generals influence or wringing a concession out from them in exchange for his support, there was no hope for their agenda. The Afghanistan troop surge isnt going to be a one-off mission, or a one-off air strike, Mike Cernovich, an ideological ally of Bannon, told me over the phone. Its going to be further going into the quagmire.

With Trumps Afghanistan decision, the fissures on the right are widening. As Breitbart ferociously pushed its stories into the world on Monday night, other Trump-defending figures and outlets decided to take the presidents side: on Fox News, Sean Hannity gushed over Trumps plan, calling the delivery the right tone, the right cadence, the right pitch. Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton agreed, saying, I think this is a dramatic change from the Obama administration. The Drudge Report, whose namesake reportedly has an intense hatred of Bannon, went with a headline echoing Trumps tough-guy rhetoric: WE WILL FIGHT TO WIN. With Bannon at Breitbart, the war will have to be fought on multiple fronts.

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Bannon's Breitbart Slams Trump for Afghanistan Flip-Flop - Vanity Fair

President Donald Trump made the right decision by recommitting the U.S. to the Afghanistan war, former Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley told CNBC on Tuesday.

"The most stunning aspect of the president's speech was the acknowledgment that 16 years into this war ... the prospect of a political negotiation is still a long-term challenge," Crowley, who served in the Obama administration, said on "Squawk Box."

Also on "Squawk Box," retired Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said Trump's speech made Afghanistan "his war."

"There's been a lot of questions for quite some time, not only among the general public but the troops, about which way we're going in Afghanistan, and I think to a great extent he put that to rest," said Kimmit, who advises U.S. firms in the Middle East.

In a prime-time address to the nation Monday, Trump said he would ramp up engagement in Afghanistan, reversing his past calls to pull American troops out of the country.

The president did not provide details on how many more troops he would dispatch or what he felt it would take to achieve victory.

"America will work with the Afghan government as long as we see determination and progress," Trump said. "However, our commitment is not unlimited, and our support is not a blank check."

James Carafano, vice president of foreign and defense studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told CNBC he would give Trump credit for his message.

"The fundamental principle of his foreign policy is America first. And what that means is I'm going to put interests of the country first," said Carafano, who worked on Trump's transition team.

"And the interests here are really twofold: We don't want Afghanistan to be a source of regional instability. It's bad for us. It's bad for our friends and allies in the region and makes our job harder. And the other is we don't want it to be a platform for transnational terrorism."

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Trump made the right choice on Afghanistan, former Obama aide says - CNBC

Military and intelligence officials in Pakistan said the new U.S. strategy might worsen relations between the countries. And our bureau chief in Kabul examined how the enemy in Afghanistan, the Taliban, has evolved into a more tenacious foe.

Read what the other side thinks: We compiled the best writing from the right and left on Mr. Trumps speech. Above, a view in Bamiyan Province.

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3. The commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Scott H. Swift, above, confirmed that divers found the remains of missing American sailors in the flooded compartments of the Navy destroyer John S. McCain, which collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore.

The commander declined to say how many bodies had been located. Ten sailors had been missing since the accident.

A string of Navy accidents on the Pacifics western edge not only has raised doubts about its operations, but damaged U.S. prestige and added to fears from Asian allies about Washingtons commitment to the region.

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4. The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on China and Russia as part of its campaign to pressure North Korea to stop its development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

The new sanctions affect six individuals and 10 organizations with financial ties to Pyongyangs weapons program. We tried to answer a big question in the standoff: Can North Korea actually hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon?

And an American soldier, James Joseph Dresnok, who defected to North Korea in 1962, died after living there for more than 50 years, two of his sons told a pro-North Korea website. Above, a military parade in Pyongyang in April.

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5. With talks over renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement underway, our economic columnist takes a look at a proposal from the U.S. labor movement: raising Mexican wages.

The A.F.L.-C.I.O. is demanding a living wage for Mexican workers that covers basics like food and housing, but also other essential needs, like saving for retirement. The union argues this would protect U.S. workers from unfair competition. While our writer calls the idea fairly loopy, the debate is just getting started.

Above, a protest against the deal in Mexico City earlier this month.

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6. Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act starts Nov. 1.

But recruiters are already hard at work trying to persuade the uninsured to buy coverage through the law, which remains in effect despite Republicans best efforts to repeal it.

The uncertainty surrounding the law and the presidents continued attacks on it are making it much harder than in the past years to enroll new recipients.

This is going to be the heaviest lift we have ever tried to undertake, one health program coordinator said.

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7. A grisly development in the search for a missing Swedish journalist in the sea off Denmark: A womans torso was discovered in the water, and investigators are trying to identify the remains.

Theres fear that its Kim Wall, who vanished after boarding the self-designed submarine of a Danish inventor, Peter Madsen, on Aug. 10.

Mr. Madsen, above, a celebrated figure with a reputation as ill-tempered, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. He first said he dropped her at port, but then changed his story to say that she died in an accident on board his ship and that he buried her at sea.

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8. Join us on a visit to the M.N. Rumyantsev State School of Circus and Variety Arts, created in 1927 by the Soviet Peoples Commissariat of Education.

Its a real four-year college, with 180 students who attend free. At the final performance of the semester, they displayed hair-raising feats of flight and balance.

It is a blast of emotion, one acrobat said. You give to people, and they give back to you, and it is such a joy.

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9. The depths of the ocean are a lot brighter than you might think.

Scientists are finding that bioluminescence is so common in the oceans that it is one of Earths dominant traits.

The deep sea, of course, is the planets largest habitat. Scientists say that creatures there use light much as animals on land use sound to lure, intimidate, stun, mislead and find mates.

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10. Finally, of course he looked.

That was President Trump, peeking up at the sun during the eclipse without protective glasses. He did it after they told him not to, Conan OBrien said. So afterwards, everyone started advising him: Whatever you do, dont resign.

Another photo getting lots of shares this week: an Instagram post by Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in which she described her designer outfit in hashtags, then mocked a commenter.

She became, you might say, a Real Housewife of the Treasury.

Have a great night.

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Phoenix, Afghanistan, Louise Linton: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing - New York Times

The new sanctions affect six individuals and 10 organizations with financial ties to Pyongyangs weapons program. We tried to answer a big question in the standoff: Can North Korea actually hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon?

And an American soldier, James Joseph Dresnok, who defected to North Korea in 1962, died after living there for more than 50 years, two of his sons told a pro-North Korea website.

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The commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Scott H. Swift, above, confirmed that divers found the remains of missing American sailors in the flooded compartments of the Navy destroyer John S. McCain, which collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore.

The commander declined to say how many bodies had been located. Ten sailors had been missing since the accident.

A string of Navy accidents on the Pacifics western edge not only has raised doubts about its operations, but damaged U.S. prestige and deepened doubts from Asian allies about Washingtons commitment to the region.

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In a major victory for womens rights, Indias top court voted to outlaw a legal provision that allowed Muslim men to instantly divorce their wives by saying the word talaq Arabic for divorce three times.

Men could do the triple talaq in person, by letter or even over the phone. By contrast, a Muslim woman in India seeking a divorce must generally gain the permission of her husband, a cleric or other Islamic authorities.

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An expected visit by Pope Francis to Myanmar has set off intense debate about how hard-line Buddhist nationalists will react to any support he may pledge to the Rohinyga.

There had been speculation in recent weeks about whether the popes visit, which would precede his trip to Bangladesh, would include a side trip to Rakhine State and how hard-line Buddhist nationalists such as Ashin Wirathu might react.

The visit would be the first to Myanmar by any pope.

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And Frederik, the Crown Prince of Denmark, above left, was barred temporarily, at least from a bar in Brisbane.

The episode drew more attention to a new state law that has disappointed Australians and tourists alike by requiring that their identification be scanned to get into certain bars after 10 p.m.

China is struggling to revive its industrial heartland where unproductive, debt-laden factories are losing business as Chinas growth slows. The city of Shenyang is a crucial test.

Company names in China must now meet official criteria on taste, political sensitivity and length to win approval. Hangzhou Looking for Trouble Internet Technology could not be reached for comment.

Hackers have discovered that a central element of online security the mobile phone number is also one of the easiest to steal.

Three Chinese shoemakers must pay New Balance $1.5 million for infringing the American sportswear companys signature logo. Lawyers say is the largest trademark infringement award ever granted to a foreign business in China.

U.S. stocks were up. Heres a snapshot of global markets.

An earthquake in Italy struck near the island of Ischia, a tourist spot off the coast of Naples, killing two women and injuring dozens of other people. [The New York Times]

A Chinese human rights attorney, Jiang Tianyong, confessed to trying to overthrow the Communist Party in a trial that was choreographed as an attack on liberal political ideas. [The New York Times]

In Australia, a new chemical treatment could help wombats from scratching themselves to death because of a skin disease that is decimating populations. [ABC]

For half a century, stories have endured of an American aviator who was lost in the mountains of rural China during World War II. [The Los Angeles Times]

Wary people in Chinas Shandong Province will soon be able to use a smartphone app to hire personal bodyguards. [China Daily]

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

Your guide for back-to-school essentials.

Who really needs to be gluten free?

Recipe of the day: Embrace the meatless meal with roasted cauliflower and broccoli with salsa verde.

For Taiwanese, Chiang Kai-shek is a divisive figure, so debate has raged over what to do with thousands of statues of the former leader of the Republic of China.

A study suggests that an extinction crisis can be averted by linking together the worlds remaining forest islands, allowing native animals and plants to spread and become more resilient.

Finally, the deep seas are actually alive with light. Bioluminescence is so common in the oceans that it ranks as one of Earths dominant ecological traits.

They were a dissatisfied group of Americans, determined to break away.

Not Californians in 2017. Or Texans for decades. But on this day in 1784, settlers in western North Carolina declared an independent state. They were concerned that the state and national governments, which were in a debate over debts related to the Revolutionary War, did not have their best interests at heart.

The State of Franklin, in what is now eastern Tennessee, adopted a constitution with power divided among three branches, like the national government that its leaders hoped one day to join.

The state made treaties, levied taxes and set salaries, but not in currency. Instead, those salaries included 1,000 deer skins a year for the governor, 500 raccoon skins for the governors secretary and a single mink skin for the constable for each warrant signed, according to one account published in The Times in 1852.

Officials sought the help of Benjamin Franklin, but hopes of national recognition were never realized. The state only lasted a few years because of internal dissent and external pressure.

But it had an impact. Franklin was eventually absorbed into Tennessee, and its leader, John Sevier, became Tennessees first governor when it joined the union in 1796.

Sarah Anderson contributed reporting.

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Instant Divorce, North Korea, Afghanistan: Your Wednesday Briefing - New York Times

US President Donald Trump was due to make an announcement Monday evening about his plans for the future of America's commitment in Afghanistan. Analysts believe that whatever he decides, there will be no swift end to the conflict.

The United States first invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Bush administration accused the country's then Taliban government of sheltering al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, who had masterminded the previous month's September 11 terrorist attacks.

The Taliban offered to hand over Bin Laden for trial, but only to a third country, rather than directly to the United States. Washington refused the offer and launched air and ground attacks, joined shortly thereafter by US allies.

Although al Qaeda was quickly pushed out of Afghanistan, and the Taliban government easily removed by the end of 2001, the war dragged on.

"The focus shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq -- that was a major strategic error," Rodger Shanahan, research fellow at Sydney's Lowy Institute West Asia Program, told CNN.

"You can't fight two wars simultaneously in those two complex environments. So you could say it was an opportunity lost."

The new US President poured troops into the country -- at one point there were as many as 100,000 --- but by the time the troops started to withdraw in late 2011, the Taliban, though diminished, remained undefeated, and began once again to grow.

Now, in 2017, with fewer than 10,000 US troops left in in Afghanistan, mostly working as trainers, the war continues to drag on into its 16th consecutive year, with no end in sight.

And so the question arises, if the war has become seemingly unwinnable, why doesn't the United States just leave?

Shanahan said one of the reasons is Washington wants to avoid leaving a free space in Afghanistan for terrorists to plan and execute attacks, such as existed in the lead-up to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

"You need to destroy that safe-haven element and as part of that strategic aim, you want to build Afghan governance so that it can control the areas it supposedly has sovereignty over," he said.

"So ultimately, if you achieve the second aim, you achieve the first."

Hameed Hakimi, research associate at the London-based Chatham House Asia Program, said the US military only wanted one thing. "The military side in Afghanistan would tell you they don't want all these years to have been wasted," he said.

There was a sense of optimism in Kabul around Trump, said Hakimi, who visited Kabul earlier this year. "There was an expectation that he will do things a bit different from Obama. There was a sense in Afghanistan that (Obama) is overcautious, he's slow," he said.

A new President though does not necessarily translate into new solutions.

Shanahan said defeating an insurgency through force alone is incredibly difficult.

"They have safe areas they can transition in and out of and if you have adjoining areas that give you freedom of action, it makes it virtually impossible to wipe out an insurgency," he said.

The Taliban, he said, "can drop over the border into neighboring Pakistan and wait out whatever surge comes your way."

Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said Trump's options were limited. "This much is clear -- there are no good options in Afghanistan," he said.

Trump can't hope to "win," he said. "The best we can hope for is some type of negotiated end to the war, but it's hard to imagine the US, Afghanistan, or any other stakeholder offering incentives that are sufficiently enticing to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. The Taliban is scoring big victories on the battlefield. Why would it want to quit when it's ahead?"

But Hakimi said there is a divide within the Taliban now between the older leaders, who remember the days when they were in power, and the hot-headed young fighters.

"You might be able to quite successfully reconcile a bunch of old men -- they've been in the business 20 years -- but it's a different story when you talk about a young man with a gun," he said.

All agreed a surge of US troops onto the front line would be no solution at all.

"You can't simply end it by pounding these people," Hakimi said.

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Afghanistan: 16 years, thousands dead and no clear end in ...