Afghanistan

Gaza Backlash Hits Afghanistan

James Joyner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:49:56 -0500

In my post on the transatlantic divide over Israel's Gaza operation, I referred to "America's virtually automatic support of Israel, even for actions that are not only outside the norms of international law but decidedly unhelpful to our own interests."

From Peshawar to Batumi: Time to Realize the East-West Corridor

David Smith — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0500

Hakimullah Mehsud makes an eloquent practical argument for development of the East-West Corridor that runs from the Black Sea to the Caspian, across Georgia and Azerbaijan. His Taliban guerillas are attacking NATO supply convoys traveling from Pakistan to Afghanistan and they recently struck a major logistics depot in the Pakistani town of Peshawar.

A Marshall Plan for Afghanistan?

James Joyner — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:24:21 -0500

Former Afghan finance minister Ashraf Ghani -- a member of the Atlantic Council's International Advisory Board -- calls for a Marshall Plan for his country in an op-ed in today's Independent. He argues that "The Obama Presidency provides a second chance to get Afghanistan right" and that the way to turn around this failed state is to invest in its people.

Taliban Shadow Government Nears Kabul

James Joyner — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:24:41 -0500

The Taliban is in de facto control of an increasing part of Afghanistan, Jason Straziuso and Amir Shah report for the AP.

The Taliban has long operated its own shadow government in the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, but its power is now spreading north to the doorstep of Kabul, according to Associated Press interviews with a dozen government officials, analysts, Taliban commanders and Afghan villagers.

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Pakistan Scales Down Anti-Terrorist Operations

James Joyner — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 07:22:29 -0500

Pakistan has diverted troops away from anti-terrorist operations in order to safeguard against an attack from India. Meanwhile, India and Saudi Arabia are calling for "joint action" against terrorists. BBC:

The Pakistani military has scaled down its operations against Islamist militants in the north-west following tensions with India, officials say.

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U.S. Will Fund Militias in Afghanistan

Peter Cassata — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:50:23 -0500

Echoing similar measures used in Iraq, the U.S. will begin funding militias in remote areas of Afghanistan to help fight the Taliban.

Surge Strategy in Afghanistan

Peter Cassata — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:45:00 -0500

Hopes are high that a new Afghanistan strategy and 30,000 extra U.S. troops will prove to be a turning point in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, much as similar measures changed the nature of the counterinsurgency in Iraq.

NATO a House Divided Against Itself?

James Joyner — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:36:29 -0500

NATO must "find a political voice or collapse," says Times of London defense editor Michael Evans. "It has become so multi-tasked, so desperate to get involved in everything from cyber warfare to anti-piracy and missile defence, let alone a hugely draining and complex campaign in Afghanistan, that it has lost its way."

Britain's Shameful Iraq Withdrawal?

Neil Leslie — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:16:31 -0500

Britain announced that it could withdraw its 4,100 remaining troops from Iraq by June 2009 if Iraqi elections in January go off peacefully. The withdrawal will mark the end of a six-year campaign, and the conclusion of an unpopular war both at home and abroad.

UK Troops to Start Iraq Withdrawal in March

Peter Cassata — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0500

According to the BBC, UK troops will begin pulling out of Iraq in March 2009: