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New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2009

Taliban Targets Pashtun Expats

By Luv Puri

On a Saturday morning, 38-year-old Khalid Khattak is packing his luggage to move to Virginia in a last-ditch attempt to land a job appropriate to his skill set. A few months ago, Khattak was working as a recruiter in the human resource department of a large company and earning a decent salary. His wages covered […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2009

Testing Obama’s Predicament in AfPak

By Harlan Ullman

After eight years of war and huge expenditures of national treasure, is the United States really serious about succeeding in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Afghanistan Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2009

Afghanistan Exit: Follow The Gorbachev Plan

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Did Mikhail Gorbachev launch glasnost and perestroika in the mid-1980s with the aim of bringing about genuine democratic change in the Soviet Union? That’s what he says in two interviews on both sides of the Atlantic — Euronews’ Maria Pineiro and Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel — to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 9, 2009

Critical Decision Point in Afghanistan

By Don Snow

Although supporters of the Afghan War (including the Obama administration) hate the comparison, the outcome of the recent runoff election fiasco in Afghanistan suggests a parallel with the American experience in Vietnam.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2009

Afghanistan: Not a Question of Dither or Decide

By Harlan Ullman

The debate over what to do next in Afghanistan has been politically polarized between those who attack the Obama administration for “dithering” and supporters who believe the president needs ample time to be a “decider.” Unfortunately, this is a wrong and false debate.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 3, 2009

Electoral Transparency in Afghanistan

By Don Snow

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the half-Tajik opthamologist who finished second in the first round of the Afghan presidential election and who led the push for this coming Saturday’s runoff, dropped out of the race Sunday. His stated reason for doing so was the Karzai government’s refusal to revamp the existing electoral process, and notably Karzai’s refusal […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 30, 2009

Afghanistan: Cutting Our Losses

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Not one of the 42 nations involved on the ground in Afghanistan wants to stay the course until the birth of a new nation, cleansed of Taliban insurgents, and a reasonable facsimile of democratic rule. To begin with, no one believes this would be possible short of another 10-year commitment. And untold billions more in […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2009

Where is Richard Holbrooke on Afghanistan?

By Harlan Ullman

As the Obama administration agonizes over Afghanistan and a flurry of insurgent attacks in neighboring Pakistan rocks that country, Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke has become, surprisingly, nearly invisible. When it came to convincing, cajoling or coercing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept the inevitability of a runoff election, who did the heavy lifting?

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2009

Afghanistan: A Modest Case for Dithering

By Alex Massie

My old chum, and former boss, Iain Martin writes that time is, in fact, of the essence in Afghanistan and that Barack Obama needs to make a decision:

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2009

While Obama Dithers

By James Joyner

An incredibly junior contractor-for-hire has resigned over disagreement with our AfPak policy, prompting a high level scramble within the administration and a long feature in the Washington Post.

Afghanistan Pakistan

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