Holiday News| More...
 

Nato

Getting the Vietnam Analogy Right in Afghanistan

Leon T. Hadar | Posted 10.21.2009 | World

Read More: Nazi Germany, President Obama, Lebanon, Iran, Hitler, China, History, Muslim, Saudi Arabia, Nato, Vietnam War, John Kennedy, Chechnya, Munich, Analogies, Czechoslovakia, Syria, Xinjiang, West Germany, South Vietnam, Hamas, Soviet Union, Hizbollah, Afghanistan War, Al Quaeda, Kashmir, Shiites, Iraq War, Communism, North VIetnam, Taliban, India, Lyndon Johnson, Cuba, Ospolitik, Detente, World News
Leon T. Hadar

The ghosts of the Vietnam War seem to be hanging around the White House Situation Room as President Obama and his national security aides debate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

Read Post

New York Times: Military Establishment Frustrated With Pace Of Obama's Deliberations On Afghan War

New York Times | ELISABETH BUMILLER | Posted 10.19.2009 | World

Read More: White House, Karzai, Troop Levels, Kabul, Afghanistan War, Afghan Election, Pentagon, Afghanistan, Obama, Afghan War, War Dead, Nato, Robert Gtes, Mcchrystal, Stanley McChrystal, Department of Defense, More Troops, Died, Obama Troops, Casualties, World News

After nearly a month of deliberations by Mr. Obama over whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan, frustrations and anxiety are on the rise ...

Read Whole Story

John Kerry On Afghanistan: Sending More Troops Is "Irresponsible" Until Afghan Election Is Settled

Reuters | Posted 10.17.2009 | World

Read More: Pentagon, Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan War, Department of Defense, Troops, Afghanistan, Troop Levels, Pakistan, Kerry, Kabul, Taliban, Hamid Karzai, John Kerry, Nato, Stanley McChrystal, Gen. McChrystal, Afghanistan Election, Gates, Robert Gates, World News

In an interview with CNN's "State of the Union," Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should not proceed ...

Read Whole Story

Counter-Factual History: McCain Is President and Bono Wins the Nobel Prize

Leon T. Hadar | Posted 10.14.2009 | World

Read More: Straits of Hormuz, Syria, Shanghai Treaty Organization, Mongolia, Vaclav Havel, Lithuania, Bono, Kosovo, China, Cold War, Robert Kagan, Putin, Iran, Nato, Joe Lieberam, Russia, Lech WałęSa, Czech Republic, Latvia, John McCain, Serbia, League of Democracies, Nobel Peace Prize, Colombia, Chuck Hagel, Barack Obama, Medvedev, Cnn, Poland, Georgia, Israel, Wolf Blitzer, Tawian, Lita, World News
Leon T. Hadar

"I have to admit that I'm beginning to miss George W. Bush," is the way former Republican Senator "Chuck" Hagel responded when being asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer to assess the foreign policy record of the administration of Republican President John McCain.

Read Post

Obama Quietly Authorized 13,000 Support Troops For Afghan War

Washington Post | Ann Scott Tyson | Posted 10.13.2009 | Politics

Read More: How Many Troops Are in Afghanistan, Pentagon, White House, Afghanistan, Troop Levels, Kabul, Obama, Taliban, Barack Obama, Afghanistan War, Mcchrystal, Nato, More Troops, Gates, Politics News

President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has a...

Read Whole Story

Kai Eide: UN Official Defends Afghanistan Election Despite Widespread Fraud

Los Angeles Times | Laura King | Posted 10.12.2009 | World

Read More: Kabul, Abdullah Abdullah, Election Fraud, Election Results, Gen. McChrystal, Galbraith, Voter Fraud, Karzai, Afghanistan War, Nato, Mcchrystal, Ban Ki-Moon, Afghanistan Election, Taliban, Afghan Election, Afghanistan, Recount, Un, Peter W. Galbraith, Kai Eide, Peter Galbraith, World News

Days before the outcome of Afghanistan's contentious presidential vote was expected to be announced, the head of the United Nations mission in the cou...

Read Whole Story

Mullah Omar Leading Afghan Insurgency In Extraordinary Military Comeback

New York Times | SCOTT SHANE | Posted 10.11.2009 | World

Read More: Afghanistan War, Afghanistan, Mullah Omar Afghanistan Insurgency, Nato, War, Mullah Omar, Afghanistan Insurgency, Taliban, World News

Eight years later, Mullah Omar leads an insurgency that has gained steady ground in much of Afghanistan against much better equipped American and NATO...

Read Whole Story

The United States Must Stay in Afghanistan

Sam Sedaei | Posted 10.08.2009 | World

Read More: Afghanistan, Nato, George W. Bush, President Obama, Stanley McChrystal, Taliban, Iraq, Opium, Barack Obama, Afghanistan Exit Strategy, War in Afghanistan, World News
Sam Sedaei

As President Obama is getting ready to live up to his promise, renew American efforts in Afghanistan and make a number of critical decisions regarding an increase of troops, an ever-growing chorus of liberals is pressuring him to abandon Afghanistan and withdraw without any regards to what will happen next.

Read Post

Obama Must Heed McChrystal's Plea

Akbar Ahmed | Posted 10.07.2009 | World

Read More: Politics, Islam, Nato, World, Afghanistan, Pakistan, US Foreign Policy, Stanley McCrystal, Barack Obama, World News
Akbar Ahmed

The aim needs to be to build an administrative and judicial infrastructure in Afghanistan that will deliver security and stability to the population and, as a result, marginalize the Taliban.

Read Post

Our Best Way Forward in Afghanistan is Out

Mary Ellen McNish | Posted 10.06.2009 | Politics

Read More: Hamid Karzai, Kabul, President Obama, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Washington, US Troops, Afpak, Soviet Union, Cold War, Barack Obama, Osama Bin Laden, Foreign Policy, Afghan People, War in Afghanistan, Nato, Stanley McChrystal, Al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, Politics News
Mary Ellen McNish

Afghans and Americans deserve is a full, public discussion of the policy choices looming in the next weeks. We must choose to demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law, and not violence.

Read Post

100 Militants Killed in Huge Afghan Battle, NATO Says

Reuters | Peter Graff & Nick Macfie | Posted 10.06.2009 | World

Read More: Afghan Battle, Nato, Afghan Taliban, Afghan War, Deadliest Battle, Afghanistan War, World News

NATO forces said Tuesday they had killed more that 100 fighters in a huge weekend battle in eastern Afghanistan in which eight Americans died, the dea...

Read Whole Story

Push Into Helmand Triggered Severe Spike in Civilian Death Rate, Failed its Objectives

Derrick Crowe | Posted 10.06.2009 | World

Read More: Improvised Explosive Devices, Civilian Deaths, Nato, Suicide Bombings, Operation Khanjar, Rethink Afghanistan, Ieds, Mcchrystal, Civilian Casualties, Isaf, Afghanistan, Afghan Election, World News
Derrick Crowe

More troops are not the answer in Afghanistan. We need to lower the overall level of military conflict as quickly as possible, and the only way to do that is to sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops.

Read Post

Robert Gates Wants War Advice To Obama Kept Private

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

Read More: Kabul, Pentagon, Troop Surge, Gen. Jones, Strategy, Troop Levels, Afghanistan War, Nato, Counterinsurgency, Robert Gates, General Jones, Stanley McChrystal, Taliban, Gen. Stanley Mcchrystal, Military, Afghanistan, Insurgency, General Mcchrystal, James L. Jones, Terrorism, White House, Obama, Politics News

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

Read Whole Story

Gates: Advice To Obama On Afghan War Should Stay Private

google.com | Dan De Luce (AFP) – 5 Hours Ago | Posted 10.05.2009 | World

Read More: War Wire, Afghan War, Stanley McChrystal, James Jones, Obama Afghan War, Gates, Afghanistan, Nato, Gates Mcchrystal, World News

WASHINGTON US military officers and civilians advising President Barack Obama on Afghanistan should keep their views private, Defense Secretary Robert...

Read Whole Story

General Jones: General McChrystal's Call For More Troops Is McChrystal's "Opinion" (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | Posted 10.05.2009 | World

Read More: White House, Nato, Gen. Jones, Mccrystal, General Jones, Face the Nation, Strategy, Gen. McChrystal, State of the Union, Afghanistan, Obama, Troop Levels, World News

President Obama's national security adviser Gen. James L. Jones appeared on CBS' Face The Nation Sunday and weighed in on comments made by Gen. Stanle...

Read Whole Story

8 Troops Killed In Afghanistan; Remote Outposts Attacked

AP | ROBERT H. REID and RAHIM FAIEZ | Posted 12.03.2009 | World

Read More: Hamid Karzai, Kabul, Pentagon, U.S. Troops, US Troops, Dod, Col. Randy George, Outposts, Nato, Military Deaths, Tribal Militia, Counterinsurgency, Coalition, Mcchrystal, Department of Defense, Taliban, Afghanistan, Insurgency, American Troops, Nuristan, World News

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

Read Whole Story

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

AP | LORI HINNANT | Posted 12.03.2009 | World

Read More: Kabul, Nato, Anp, Wardak Province, Counterinsurgency, Mcchrystal, Afghanistan Police Officer, Afghanistan Cop, Afghanistan, Afghan National Police, Training, US Troops, Military, World News

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

Read Whole Story

Jumpin' Jack Verdi, It's a Gas, Gas, Gas: Iran and the Pipelineistan Opera

Pepe Escobar | Posted 12.01.2009 | World

Read More: Russia, South Stream, Oil Industry, Eurasia, Nato, Nabucco, Afghanistan Pipeline, Oil, Central Asia, Brussels, Foreign Affairs, Turkmenistan, Nord Stream, Natural Gas, World News
Pepe Escobar

Whatever Washington thinks, the Europeans know that energy independence from Russia is, in reality, inconceivable. Bottom line when it comes to natural gas: Europe needs everything.

Read Post

Afghanistan: NATO's Graveyard?

John Feffer | Posted 11.29.2009 | Politics

Read More: Obama NATO, Nato-60-Anniversary, NATO Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Nato, Afghanistan War, Politics News
John Feffer

Celebrating its 60th birthday this year, NATO is looking peaked and significantly worse for wear. Aggressive and ineffectual, the organization shows signs of premature senility.

Read Post

McChrystal On 60 Minutes: Afghanistan "A Little Worse" Than Gen. Stanley M. McChrystal Expected (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | Posted 11.27.2009 | World

Read More: Kabul, Strategy, Iraq, Troop Levels, Afghanistan War, Stanley M. McChrystal, Video, Nato, Interview, Mcchrystal, Conditions, Military, Afghanistan, Morale, General Mcchrystal, 60 Minutes, Worse Than Expected, Command, World News

Things in Afghanistan are "probably a little worse" than Gen. Stanley M. McChrystal expected. 60 Minutes aired its interview Sunday night with Gen. M...

Read Whole Story

Taliban's Diverse Funding Might Make It Impossible To Restrict Cash Flow

Washington Post | Craig Whitlock | Posted 11.27.2009 | Politics

Read More: White House, Kabul, Cia, Black List, Taxes, Pakistan, Gen. McChrystal, Obama, Iraq, Treasury Blacklists, CIA Blacklists, Afghanistan War, Pakistan Military, Donations, Iran, Nato, Black Listed, Mcchrystal, Funding, U.N., Opium, Iraq War, Taliban, Afghanistan, Un, Insurgency, Donors, Politics News

KABUL -- The Taliban-led insurgency has built a fundraising juggernaut that generates cash from such an array of criminal rackets, donations, taxes, s...

Read Whole Story

Shifting Gears on Missile Defense Marks a Shift in U.S. Policy Toward Russia, with Immediate Impact on Iran

David Paul | Posted 11.27.2009 | World

Read More: Russia, Missile Defense, George W. Bush, Joe Biden, Russia Georgia Conflict, Ukraine, Dmitry Medvedev, Realism, Foreign Policy, Dick Cheney, Kosovo Independence, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sergei Lavrov, Nato, Chechnya, Vladimir Putin, Gwot, Ukraine Gas, World News
David Paul

Ahmadinejad's normal swagger has been muted, perhaps with the realization that his days of manipulating Russia against the West have ended.

Read Post

Vive l'Amerique! Carla and Sarkozy in NYC

Prune Perromat | Posted 11.25.2009 | World

Read More: France, Nato, President Obama, Carla Bruni, Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama and Sarkozy, World News
Prune Perromat

As his wife continued her gradual takeover of the New York papers' style sections, Nicolas Sarkozy did his best to convince the U.S. that his love for the "most powerful country in the world" was deeper than ever.

Read Post

NATO Heralds New Post-Cold War Relations with Russia

Louise Blouin | Posted 11.16.2009 | World

Read More: Russia, Nato Secretary General, Cold War, Nato, World News
Louise Blouin

Cold War reflexes and Cold War-era systems of global agencies still dominate international relations. In international relations, that means we do not always make the most impartial judgment.

Read Post

Power in the Post American World

Kal Raustiala | Posted 11.12.2009 | World

Read More: Russia, Kosovo Independence, India, Kosovo, Nato, Brazil, South Ossetia, Power, Russia Georgia War, Post-American World, China, World News
Kal Raustiala

In the 21st century it is no longer enough to wield great military force, as the U.S. itself has learned on recent occasions. Nor is economic wealth alone enough

Read Post