The Afghan president went on a tirade supposedly about how the Taliban were virtually in collusion with the U.S.—just in …
Afghanistan
How to Dismantle an Occupation: U.S. Soldiers Tear Down Afghan Bases, Take Home Memories
Closing smaller bases is the first step in what the military calls retrograde–the arduous and complex process of bringing home all of the U.S.’s equipment in Afghanistan.
America’s Long Withdrawal from Afghanistan
With the help of photographer Yuri Kozyrev, TIME documents the winding down of the twelve-year war.
The U.S. Dismantles in Afghanistan: Lessons from a Logistical Nightmare
After dismantling and repatriating the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, the guidelines for the next war – or humanitarian catastrophe, will be more clear.
Afghan Troops Numbers: How Low Can the U.S. Go?
The central question boils down to this: if the U.S. military and CIA can keep terrorists at bay in western Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen— with handfuls of special operations troops— why can’t that work in Afghanistan?
The IED That Turned A Senior Republican Against The War
Last Thursday the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee held a hearing on the Pentagon’s efforts to defeat improvised explosive devices, the homemade bombs that are now the leading cause of death among U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Lieut. General Michael Barbero, director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization, told …
At NATO Summit, Obama Seeks Clean Break from Afghanistan Conflict
President Obama’s goal at the NATO summit this week is looking increasingly clear: wrap up U.S. troops’ combat role over the coming year, and get the allies to pay more money to enable the Afghan military to fill the gap.
All signs are that NATO will agree to the first of those two goals Monday in Chicago.
On Unannounced Visit, Obama Outlines ‘New Chapter’ for U.S. Role in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama on Tuesday made his third unannounced trip to Afghanistan – the first in more than two years — this time to sign a strategic pact that will guide U.S. relations with the country for the next decade. The …
The Afghanistan Attacks
I think Max Boot is on the right track, dismissing the coordinated Haqqani Taliban attacks in Kabul and elsewhere as no big deal–and while I’m sure Max sees this as a reason for staying the course in Afghanistan, I see it as the exact opposite: another good argument for speeding our withdrawal. Why? Three reasons:
Afghanistan Opinion Reaching Peak Anti-Iraq Levels
Just how unpopular has the war in Afghanistan become? In the latest CBS News-New York Times poll, 69% of respondents said they didn’t think the U.S. should be at war there. Just 29% say we’re “doing the right thing” by continuing …
Republicans Stay to Obama’s Right on Afghanistan
The massacre of sixteen Afghan civilians near Kandahar has thrust Afghanistan back into the political debate. (Yes, there is a real war going on, and it’s not the one for bound delegates in Tampa.) For a moment early this week it …
“Green-on-Blue” Violence Could Alter U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
Pentagon officials won’t concede it, but privately defense officials say the spate of “green-on-blue” killings by Afghans of their purported U.S. allies over the past two weeks could lead to major changes in U.S. strategy. If they continue, the U.S. will face a brutal choice: pull out, or double down.
Afghan Reality
Two more Americans were killed today in Afghanistan–in Zhari district, just outside Kandahar, a place I know well, having embedded twice with U.S. units there. This has become business as usual in Afghanistan, especially since U.S. troops accidentally burned some Qurans a few weeks ago. It is, of course, infuriating. And it raises a …
