Closing smaller bases is the first step in what the military calls retrograde–the arduous and complex process of bringing …
troops
The Obama-Karzai Meeting: But Who Really Gets to Decide Afghanistan’s Future?
The end-game in the war torn country is complex–and troop levels may be the simplest piece of the puzzle
Afghans Without Americans: A Preview of Soldiering When the U.S. Withdraws
The curtailment of U.S.-Afghan patrols because of so-called “green on blue” killings focuses attention on how ready local troops are
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 12, 2012
The world news you need to know on June 12: Putin cracks down on opposition as protesters mass; the U.S. hands India, but not China, a waiver allowing it to temporarily circumvent sanctions and import Iranian oil; and the debate …
Must-Reads From Around the World, May 28, 2012
Syrian Massacre – The U.N. Security Council on Sunday condemned Bashar al-Assad’s government for its use of tanks and artillery against civilians during Friday’s Houla massacre that left at least 108 villagers dead. …
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 25, 2012
Bo Fallout - Reuters reports (exclusively) that Chinese President Hu Jintao has demanded senior Communist Party officials stifle tensions over the ousting of ambitious politician Bo Xilai and show unity as they prepare for a …
Why Iraq’s Terror Uptick Won’t Affect Decisions on U.S. Troops
The 32 terror attacks that killed 70 people across Iraq on Monday prompted a knee-jerk question in much of the media: Would or should the uptick in violence prompt a rethink of plans to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by New Year’s Eve?
The short answer is no, and the longer answer is probably not.
U.S. withdrawal from Iraq …
The Afghanistan Drawdown: The Limits of American Power
Swampland’s Michael Crowley examines the politics and regional implications of President Obama’s announcement last night that the U.S. will withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer. While the decision might have been inevitable, many Republicans have already begun to call the president a ‘declinist.’ Crowley contends, …
The U.S. Is Spinning Its Wheels in Afghanistan, No Matter What Troop Levels Obama Maintains
President Obama will announce on Wednesday the size of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that he will order in July in keeping with the symbolic drawdown he has promised. His top military men appear to want to keep most combat troops in the field for at least another two years; other advisers want the withdrawal to involve …
