Festival of Sacrifice
This year, the American Thanksgiving holiday falls on the same evening as the Muslim Eid-ul-Adha. The festive occassion celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for his God. In Kabul, a man visits the market in preparation for the days of prayers, visits with family and friends and meals with special dishes, including the traditional slaughter of a sheep or goat.
NATO chief hopes allies 'step up to the plate'
Berlin, Germany (CNN) - NATO's secretary-general is confident that "all allies will step up to the plate" and provide more soldiers to the fight in Afghanistan after President Barack Obama announces his decision next week on an extra U.S. troop deployment.
"We are right now in the final phase of consultation and we all know that the Americans are the biggest troop contributors so it's quite natural that we wait for an American decision," Anders Fogh Rasmussen told CNN.
"I think it's of utmost importance for the alliance and certainly for our operation in Afghanistan that the allies follow suit once the Americans have made their decision."
Obama calls troops
On Thursday, President Obama placed a phone call to 10 U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. Two members in each of the five military branches got the call from the commander-in-chief.
Thanksgiving turkeys for the troops
In Afghanistan, turkeys and other food – wrapped and secured in large green containers – wait in Chinook helicopters for the "turkey drop." It's a way the U.S. military makes sure troops on the battlefield get a Thanksgiving dinner.
Check out more photos from Thanksgiving with the troops in Afghanistan and watch as CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins a helicopter crew delivering meals.
U.S. troops abroad get taste of home on Thanksgiving
By CNN's Elaine Quijano
WASHINGTON (CNN) - On a day when Americans sit down for Thanksgiving dinner with family members and friends, the Pentagon is trying to provide a taste of home to thousands of U.S. service members who are far away from loved ones this year.
The Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency has made plans to ship Thanksgiving meals to roughly 180,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, according to Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell. In order to accommodate military personnel working different shifts, the meals are to be served around the clock today at many of the larger military dining facilities in both countries, Morrell said.
Providing those Thanksgiving feasts requires huge quantities of food, including 63,000 pounds of potatoes, 8,700 cans of cranberry sauce, 61,000 pounds of stuffing and more than 465,000 pounds of turkey, according to Morrell.
And for dessert, there will be 67,000 pies and cakes.
Morrell says the men and women of the armed forces deserve America's thanks.
"With this we send to our troops a small reminder of our immeasurable gratitude for all they do to serve our country. We also, of course, convey our hopes for their safe return home."
German army chief quits over airstrike claims
Berlin, Germany (CNN) - The head of the German army has resigned after a news report that he knew civilians could be killed in a September airstrike in Afghanistan, Germany's defense minister told Parliament Thursday.
Gen. Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the army's chief of staff, asked to be relieved of his duties following the report in Germany's Bild newspaper, said German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
The Sept. 4 NATO airstrike in the northern province of Kunduz killed at least 90 people. The German commander in the area called in the strike after Afghans tried to siphon fuel from two tankers hijacked by the Taliban a day earlier. FULL POST
