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In Afghanistan, The Odds Are With Us
Despite the enormous challenges facing the United States and NATO in the war in Afghanistan, Michael O'Hanlon believes that there are a number of factors that could lead to a favorable outcome, from improvements in Afghan security forces, to a general desire on the part of the Afghan people to create a better life for themselves.
Categories: Defense Policy
U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Looking Ahead in South Asia
In a December 11 address to a visiting team from the U.S. Marine Corps War College, Stephen Cohen examined the future of South Asia in the larger context of violent Islamic extremism. Cohen outlined a range of policies that America might consider in dealing with Pakistan – a central player in the Afghan war – and in Pakistan's longstanding conflict with neighboring India.
Categories: Defense Policy
Winning the War in Afghanistan on the Home Front
President Obama's recent announcement of an initial troop surge and eventual exit strategy in Afghanistan drew sharp domestic criticism that the president was putting political interests above national security concerns. Michael Fullilove and Anthony Bubalo defend the president's announcement, saying that he must generate popular support on the home front while providing generals with the resources that they need to win the war.
Categories: Defense Policy
What’s Next in Turkish-American Relations?
As Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visited the White House on December 7, Ömer Taşpinar reflects on the current challenges facing Turkish-American relations; including Turkey’s close relationship with Iran, its reluctance to send additional troops to Afghanistan and the growing anti-Americanism among the Turkish people.
Categories: Defense Policy
What President Obama Should Say in His Nobel Peace Prize Speech
On Thursday, President Obama will accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, nine days after announcing his decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan. While the Nobel Committee likely didn’t expect such an announcement so close to the awards ceremony, Brookings President Strobe Talbott says that President Obama should use his acceptance speech to raise confidence that his policy will succeed.
Categories: Defense Policy
A Bold Gamble for Afghanistan
Bruce Riedel examines the President Obama’s plan for a troop surge in Afghanistan, saying that it is now Obama's war and the only way we have to stabilize the Afghan government and the region.
Categories: Defense Policy
President Obama's Afghan Gamble
With the Administration’s decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, some say the Afghan war has now become President Obama's war. Bruce Riedel contends that the stakes are high and that the president will have to invest not only more U.S. and NATO troops, but also his political capital to convince a war-weary country to persevere in the face of great danger and uncertain outcomes.
Categories: Defense Policy
Terrorism in Saudi Arabia: Past and Present
Event Information:
- December 02, 2009, 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
On December 2, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy hosted a policy discussion with author and journalist Yaroslav Trofimov, from the Wall Street Journal. The discussion centered on Trofimov’s book, The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam’s Holiest Shrine and the Birth of Al Qaeda, which details the event and its repercussions on the modern-day battle with Al Qaeda.
Categories: Defense Policy
President Obama’s New Strategy in Afghanistan: Questions and Answers
Following President Obama’s announcement to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, Vanda Felbab-Brown answers questions on the president’s new strategy and its prospects for creating security and stability in this war-torn country.
Categories: Defense Policy
Afghanistan: How Long Until We Know?
In the wake of President Obama's announcement of his new strategy in Afghanistan, Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel contend that the results of this strategy should be clear by the middle of 2011. The first order of business, according to O'Hanlon and Riedel, is to build up the Afghan army and police force.
Categories: Defense Policy
Four Reasons for More Troops in Afghanistan
In anticipation of President Obama's difficult decision about adding more troops to the mission in Afghanistan, Michael O'Hanlon outlines why the president is right to support General Stanley McChrystal in the battle against the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Categories: Defense Policy
Why Obama Should Heed Manmohan Singh's Warning on Afghanistan
On a recent visit to Washington, DC, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh delivered a strong message to the United States: "Don't go wobbly on Afghanistan." Bruce Riedel agrees, indicating that a victory for the Afghan Taliban and its collaborators could have disastrous repercussions worldwide.
Categories: Defense Policy
Afghan Taliban Leader Mullah Omar Breaks His Silence
Bruce Riedel analyzes Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar's bold message to the White House on the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha, warning that any strategy to increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan could lead to "bitterness and pain."
Categories: Defense Policy
Vision for Victory in Afghanistan - Part II
On a recent weeklong visit to Afghanistan sponsored by the U.S. military, Michael O'Hanlon met with Afghan and U.S. officials whose assessments partially countered the current general outlook on the country's status and future. O'Hanlon's visit left him with guarded optimism about U.S. prospects for creating a safe and stable Afghanistan.
Categories: Defense Policy
Vision for Victory in Afghanistan - Part I
On a recent weeklong visit to Afghanistan sponsored by the U.S. military, Michael O'Hanlon met with Afghan and U.S. officials whose assessments partially countered the current general outlook on the country's status and future. O'Hanlon's visit left him with guarded optimism about U.S. prospects for creating a safe and stable Afghanistan.
Categories: Defense Policy
Afghanistan Victory Crucial for President Obama
In an interview with IBA News, Bruce Riedel discusses President Barack Obama's policy in Afghanistan, emphasizing that victory against Al Qaeda and the Taliban is crucial not only for the stability of Afghanistan itself, but also for Pakistan and the entire Islamic world.
Categories: Defense Policy
Corruption Index Today, Election Tomorrow, Aid Revamp the Day After?
In reaction to news of brazen corruption in Afghanistan and the release of the new Corruption Perceptions Index, Daniel Kaufmann asks tough questions about the relationship between aid and corruption and suggests improvements in how development aid effectiveness is reviewed.
Categories: Defense Policy
Police Reform a Reason for Hope in Afghanistan
Lost in the ongoing Afghanistan debate is a promising effort to foster reform in building the Afghan police force, writes Michael O'Hanlon. Just back from a trip to the country, O'Hanlon notes several areas in which new efforts are encouraging and draws on lessons learned from reforms that occurred coincident with the 2007 surge in Iraq.
Categories: Defense Policy
Election Boycotts Don't Work
Matthew Frankel compares Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from Afghanistan's runoff election to other electoral boycotts over the years. Based on independent research of 100 boycotts since 1990, Frankel concludes that they rarely work and often fracture the party involved.
Categories: Defense Policy
U.S. Options in Afghanistan and the Karzai Brothers
Hamid Karzai was declared the winner of the presidential vote in Afghanistan on November 2 and he was quickly warned that he must crack down on rampant corruption. Vanda Felbab-Brown joined several other experts to discuss what should be done about President Karzai's brother, Wali Karzai, who has been linked to Afghanistan's narcotics trade.
Categories: Defense Policy
