As a Patriotic American and a former Marine, I urge all of us to get realistic about this war. At the rate of 8 billion dollars a month, do Americans want to be in Afghanistan for the next 15 years?
There can sometimes be a case for military intervention or use of drones. But the high costs of these tactics must be recognized and weighed. To reduce terrorism, Washington should do less, not more, abroad.
Author Akbar Ahmed has dedicated himself to building bridges of understanding between worlds. I asked him about the impact of Faisal Shahzad's actions on the larger goal of increasing trust among Muslims and non-Muslims in the U.S. and beyond.
That the Obama administration continues to believe its response to the "almost" Taliban attack in New York will "soften up" Pakistan's Taliban after 9 years of softening is a bad omen for America.
The US is rattling a saber about killing people in Quetta, despite all the inevitable civilian death and mass outrage. Such a move would show the shallowness of the "just war" talk in Obama's disgraceful Nobel paean to Mars.
There are no journalists in Waziristan or the other areas of western Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, so there are therefore no authoritative reports from the ground on the effects of these strikes.
Finding a way to conduct effective tactical counter-terrorism operations without compromising counterinsurgency in Pakistan or Afghanistan should be a U.S. priority.
Americans began to understand tribal culture and tribal codes of honor and hospitality. And they realized that organizations like Al-Qaeda were antithetical to traditional culture.
When we let shock or panic or a lust for vengeance guide us, we are a greater danger to ourselves than terrorists ever could be. Any terrorists. With any weapon.
Over at the Washington Independent, Spencer Ackerman continues his enlightening "Rise of the Counterinsurgents" series with "A Counterinsurgency Guide...