South Asia

General Gurganus: There’s Still More to Do in Afghanistan

With ISAF’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 fast approaching, it is useful to look back and see what failures and successes there have been. Have certain challenges been overcome? How do the Afghans see ISAF’s mission? On April 17, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted Major General Charles Gurganus, commanding general, […]

India’s Tough Road to the Security Council

By Rajan Menon

Something President Obama said in his speech to India’s parliament in 2010 gladdened lots of Indian hearts.

Building BRICS

By Julian Lindley-French

They represent 25.9 percent of the world’s land mass, 43 percent of the population and 17 percent of global trade. The UN Development Program states that by “2020, the combined economic output of three leading developing countries alone Brazil, China, and India–will surpass the aggregate production of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States.”

Was Afghanistan Worth It? Part II

By Derek Reveron

Last week, James Joyner posed the question, “was Afghanistan worth it?” He offered a compelling strategy-based assessment concluding “while the goal may be just, the mission still isn’t defined and the objectives are far from clear.” If this was not enough, Karzai’s recent charge that the Taliban are in service of the United States challenges […]

Was Afghanistan Worth It?

By James Joyner

 As his Marines prepare to leave Helmand Province, General James Amos, the commandant, says the mission has “paid off.” He cites several metrics: “The number of violent events, from gunshots to roadside bombs, has dropped in almost every district since 2010.” “Roads have been paved and markets secured, allowing commerce to grow in places like […]