Counterinsurgency

Building Confidence Between the US and Pakistan

Lisa Schirch | Posted 11.12.2009 | World


Lisa Schirch

In Pakistan, the United States must ensure that policies, actions and resources focus on population-centric security and a community-based approach to policing.

An Open Letter to President Obama About Afghanistan From William R. Polk

The Nation | Posted 11.11.2009 | World


I was an early supporter of yours. So I hope you will accept the following analysis and proposals as being from a friend as well as a person with cons...

Why A Maximalist Af-Pak Policy Will Not Work

Lionel Beehner | Posted 11.10.2009 | World


Lionel Beehner

Let's turn to Afghanistan. There is a weak and corrupt government, little to no standing armed forces, and parts of the country entirely controlled by the Taliban.

Obama's (In)Decision on Afghanistan

Malou Innocent | Posted 11.10.2009 | World


Malou Innocent

Obama's decision on Afghanistan could define his presidency. If an escalating military strategy leads only to thousands of more deaths, then that is a bitter legacy indeed.

Of Jedi Knights, Death Stars, and Afghanistan

William Astore | Posted 11.09.2009 | World


William Astore

Can one truly be both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, both cunning and courteous Jedi Knight and Dark Lord of imperial power projection?

Obama Faces Revolt From Generals Over Strategy In Afghanistan

Rolling Stone | Robert Dreyfuss | Posted 11.04.2009 | Politics


In early October, as President Obama huddled with top administration officials in the White House situation room to rethink America's failing strategy...

5 British Troops Killed By Afghan Cop, Says UK Military

AP | ELENA BECATOROS and DEB RIECHMANN | Posted 11.04.2009 | World


KABUL — The killing of five British troops by a rogue Afghan policeman underlines concerns about training and discipline within the ranks and po...

Taliban Claims That Canceled Afghan Election Proves Its Success

AP | ROBERT H. REID and KATHY GANNON | Posted 11.04.2009 | World


KABUL — President Hamid Karzai promised to stamp out corruption. The image suggested otherwise. Standing at Karzai's side on Tuesday were his tw...

Basic Truths in Hoh Resignation Letter Were True When He Took His Job

David Quigg | Posted 10.30.2009 | World


David Quigg

The basic grim truths that Matthew Hoh wrote about in his much-quoted resignation letter were all basically true when he took his job a few months ago.

The CIA, The Brothers Karzai and Spinning our COIN Wheels

Richard Allen Smith | Posted 10.28.2009 | World


Richard Allen Smith

We are partnering with a symbol of government corruption, which undermines any trust we might receive from the population. We are funding the insurgency we are attempting to counter.

Senator Kerry Finds A War With Which He Can Flirt

Derrick Crowe | Posted 10.28.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

If you're looking for the man who once asked, "how do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" you better keep looking. The senator seems to have left him behind.

The Winner of the Afghan Election: Electoral Fraud

Derrick Crowe | Posted 10.21.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

We can now stand back in awe as the unpunished perpetrators of massive election fraud vie for control of the criminal enterprise called the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

A Regional Summit on the War in Afghanistan?

Hoyt Hilsman | Posted 10.15.2009 | World


Hoyt Hilsman

A lengthy and focused counterinsurgency effort might eventually produce results, but its chances of success are greatly diminished by the political climate in Afghanistan.

ReThink Interview: Daniel Ellsberg -- the Most Dangerous Man in America Speaks, Part Two

Jonathan Kim | Posted 10.14.2009 | Entertainment


Jonathan Kim

The second part of my interview with Daniel Ellsberg, the true American hero who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971.

After the Peace Prize, Give War a Chance

David Quigg | Posted 10.09.2009 | Politics


David Quigg

Afghanistan represents the opportunity for Obama to serve the American people brilliantly and, along the way, demonstrate that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fighting a War by Objective

Alon Ben-Meir | Posted 10.09.2009 | World


Alon Ben-Meir

Does the United States want to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, or does it want to eliminate Al-Qaeda as a terrorist organization and find some modus operendi with the Taliban?

ReThink Interview with Daniel Ellsberg: The Most Dangerous Man in America Speaks (Part One)

Jonathan Kim | Posted 10.29.2009 | Entertainment


Jonathan Kim

I was enthralled by The Most Dangerous Man in America, and when I was told that Ellsberg would be in Los Angeles for a week in late September and would be available for an interview, I jumped at the chance.

Gen. McChrystal Is No MacArthur

Jeff Stein | Posted 10.07.2009 | World


Jeff Stein

McChrystal is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he's a latter-day MacArthur, with a vast conservative following ready to rally to his side.

Robert Gates Wants War Advice To Obama Kept Private

The Washington Post | Ann Scott Tyson and Scott Wilson | Posted 10.05.2009 | Politics


Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stressed Monday that military and civilian leaders should keep their advice to President Obama on Afghanistan privat...

8 Troops Killed In Afghanistan; Remote Outposts Attacked

AP | ROBERT H. REID and RAHIM FAIEZ | Posted 10.05.2009 | World


KABUL — Hundreds of insurgents armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades stormed a pair of remote outposts near the Pakistan bor...

Officials: Afghan Cop Shoots, Kills 2 U.S. Troops

AP | LORI HINNANT | Posted 10.04.2009 | World


KABUL — An Afghan policeman on patrol with U.S. soldiers opened fire on the Americans, killing two of them before fleeing, officials said Saturd...

"Exit Strategy" Might Not Be What You Mean

Lorelei Kelly | Posted 09.30.2009 | World


Lorelei Kelly

If we want to see this president succeed, a vocabulary shift is vital. The more we use leftover framing and messaging rhetoric from the Iraq War, the easier we make it for the right wing to do the same.

The Counterinsurgency Debate: A Tale of Two Countries

Colin Thomas-Jensen | Posted 09.28.2009 | World


Colin Thomas-Jensen

The sad truth is that a much-needed debate over what an effective counterinsurgency strategy would look like in eastern Congo -- similar to what is going on regarding Afghanistan -- is virtually non-existent.

Gen. McChrystal's Assessment Ignores COIN Doctrine, Reality

Derrick Crowe | Posted 09.23.2009 | World


Derrick Crowe

If the president was looking for a signal that the situation had progressed to a stage in which the military could not offer a credible plan to deal with it, this is it.

Helicopter Shortage Puts Green Berets At Risk In Afghanistan, Pakistan: Newsweek

Newsweek | Mark Hosenball | Posted 09.21.2009 | World


Some U.S. special forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan may be at higher risk than usual of injury and death because the Pentagon has not equipped their ...