South Asia

Will COIN Work in Afghanistan?

By Don Snow

The Obama administration has invested a great deal (one can argue too much) of its national security capital in the war on Afghanistan, and the chief instrument for realizing that investment has been the application of counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine to the situation. This application, in turn, is based on putting into action the Army and […]

Afghanistan Caveats Coming to End?

By James Joyner

General John Craddock, the outgoing SACEUR, says the caveats that constrain how some countries’ NATO forces are used “increase the risk to every service member deployed in Afghanistan and bring increased risk to mission success” and are “a detriment to effective command and control.” 

Where are the Local Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq?

By Bernard Finel

In both Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has more expansive and ambitious goals than our local allies.

Europe’s Dwindling Interest in Afghanistan: The Case of Germany

By Brendan Boundy

European interest in supporting NATO’s Afghanistan mission is low and getting lower.  Recent events in Germany are a case in point.

Contradictions in Counterinsurgency: U.S. Drone Strikes in the Tribal Areas

By Brendan Boundy

U.S. and Pakistani anti-Taliban operations along the AfPak border are plagued by contradiction, recent reports say.  A counterinsurgency doctrine emphasizing population protection that also relies upon unmanned armed drones will inevitably kill innocents in addition to terrorists.

General Jehangir Karamat Event Transcript

  SHUJA NAWAZ:  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.  My name is Shuja Nawaz; I’m the director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.  On behalf of Fred Kempe, the president of the council, I’d like to welcome all of you to our very special ambassadorial discussion today on the challenge of militancy for […]

China-India Relations: An Unresolved Border and 60,000 Troops Deployed

By Damien Tomkins

When two countries have gone to war over an unresolved border and one of these announces the deployment of 50,000-60,000 troops and nuclear-capable combat planes along this border, the reader would likely expect the second country to sit up and take notice.  This is exactly what happened over the last month between India and China.

The Americanization of Afghanistan Continues

By James Joyner

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and senior American officials have sought for months to allay European fears about an “Americanization” of the mission in Afghanistan.  Today, however, it became all but a fait accompli.