Surge

Giving Obama the Benefit of the Doubt

Madeleine M. Kunin | Posted 12.03.2009 | Politics


Madeleine M. Kunin

Will our renewed effort in Afghanistan and Pakistan keep us safe, can we leave a more stable situation in our wake, and can we really pull out in 18 months if we've made little progress?

The Impact Of War: How Departing Troops Say Goodbye To Family

Posted 12.03.2009 | Impact


President Obama's announcement of increased deployments in Afghanistan was sure to elicit strong opinions from around the country. Though all American...

Afghanistan, "So It Goes"

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 12.02.2009 | Politics


Joseph A. Palermo

As with Vietnam, the problem in Afghanistan is political, not military. The United States can stay there forever if we want to -- but is it worth it?

Ten Short Explanations for Obama's Afghan Surge

Barton Kunstler, Ph.D. | Posted 12.01.2009 | Politics


Barton Kunstler, Ph.D.

Many of Obama's supporters are trying to figure out why he keeps pursuing policies we thought we were voting against. I can't figure it out, but I've come up with some possible explanations.

White House Leaning Against Surge In Afghanistan's Police, Army Forces

Wall Street Journal | YOCHI J. DREAZEN and MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS | Posted 11.30.2009 | Politics


The Obama administration has soured on a call from its top commander to double the size of the Afghan police and army, reflecting the White House's co...

Build, Don't Destroy in Afghanistan: An Open Letter to President Obama

Jim Wallis | Posted 11.20.2009 | World


Jim Wallis

Already, thousands of our readers have signed a letter and contacted the White House urging a new way forward in Afghanistan. I encourage you to read it and to endorse this message if you have not done so already.

New Tools for Peace in Afghanistan

Jim Wallis | Posted 11.16.2009 | World


Jim Wallis

Development and humanitarian assistance can no longer be an afterthought; they must be central to any strategy the U.S. government puts forward in Afghanistan.

McClatchy: Obama Leaning Toward 34,000 More Troops For Afghanistan

McClatchy | Jonathan S. Landay | Posted 11.07.2009 | World


President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it unti...

Military Suicides Fuel Worry That Army Is Strained

Wall Street Journal | By YOCHI J. DREAZEN | Posted 11.03.2009 | World


The Army's top generals worry that surging tens of thousands more troops into Afghanistan could increase the strain felt by many military personnel af...

Recognizing the Limits of American Power in Afghanistan

Doug Bandow | Posted 11.03.2009 | World


Doug Bandow

He should not ask, is Afghanistan winnable? Rather, the right question is what should the U.S. attempt to achieve?

Afghanistan: A Whole New Approach

Jim Wallis | Posted 10.29.2009 | World


Jim Wallis

When you massively intervene in a country as much as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, you can't responsibly just walk away. We must lead with what works -- development.

Kristof: More Troops Are A Bad Bet

Kristof | Nicholas | Posted 10.22.2009 | Politics


The United States was born of our ancestors' nationalistic resentment of a foreign power whose troops we saw as occupiers, not protectors. The British...

Tom Ricks And The Military's New Philosophical Embeds

Columbia Journalism Review | Tara McKelvey | Posted 11.13.2009 | Media


Thomas E. Ricks has a photograph of a general--Ulysses S. Grant, looking haggard and defeated in Cold Harbor, Virginia--on the wall of his office. His...

Biden Sends Right Message on Iraq

Jon Soltz | Posted 08.06.2009 | World


Jon Soltz

It's time to start putting pressure on the Iraqi government to settle their internal differences, and make clear that we're no longer going to be their crutch. This weekend, Biden did just that.

The Beginning of the End of the Iraq War?

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.30.2009 | World


Chris Weigant

If our soldiers are out of Iraqi cities, and the Iraqi security forces start shouldering more and more responsibility as a result, do we really need all 130,000 troops sitting in their bases?

First Milestone Approaches In Iraq Withdrawal Timetable

Chris Weigant | Posted 06.13.2009 | World


Chris Weigant

America pulling combat forces out of Iraqi cities is going to have multiple effects within the country. At this point, nobody can accurately predict what those effects are going to be with 100 percent reliability.

What Does Obama's Afghan Command Change Mean?

William Bradley | Posted 06.13.2009 | World


William Bradley

The move from McKiernan to McChrystal also seems to signify an end to nation-building fantasies in Afghanistan.

Good Grief! Comic Characters Leave Newspapers for a Day

Dave Astor | Posted 05.13.2009 | Comedy


Dave Astor

Given that most newspapers still don't publish weekday comics in color, my mistake was putting today's cartoon guests in the green room rather than the black-and-white room.

Gen. Petraeus Implements Military Surge Against Four Somali Pirates in a Lifeboat

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.11.2009 | World


Jeremy Scahill

The most powerful Navy in the world remains in a standoff with four pirates in a small boat. So threatening to US national security are these pirates, Gen. Petraeus is now running the operation.

Blogosphere Must Challenge Obama's War

Ben Cohen | Posted 04.29.2009 | World


Ben Cohen

While Obama will seek to build an international consensus around his plans, the fact is that the war will become another endless pit that will consume more and more money that no one actually has.

Jason Linkins

New Poll Of Iraqis Should Change Media Coverage

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.16.2009 | Politics


Via Taegan Goddard comes the news of a new poll conducted by ABC/BBC/NHK, with the current, on-the-ground opinions of Iraqis. Goddard pulls the juicy...

17,000 Troops Will Be "a Drop in the Bucket" in Afghanistan

ZP Heller | Posted 04.09.2009 | World


ZP Heller

2008 was the bloodiest year of this war to date, though it looks like 2009 will be much worse -- and not simply because our country is committing so many more troops.

Newest US Troops In Dangerous Region Near Kabul

AP | JASON STRAZIUSO | Posted 03.19.2009 | World


LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Close to 3,000 American soldiers who recently arrived in Afghanistan to secure two violent provinces near Kabul ha...

Five Myths About the Afghanistan Escalation

Brandon Friedman | Posted 03.01.2009 | World


Brandon Friedman

If we're going to win back the Afghans' support, then we need to show them that we can protect them from the Taliban -- something that will clearly take more troops -- both U.S. and Afghan.

Obama's Extra Afghan Troops Will Be Used To Buy Time

Washingtonpost.com | By Karen DeYoung | Posted 02.14.2009 | World


President-elect Barack Obama intends to sign off on Pentagon plans to send up to 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, but the incoming administrati...