U.S. Army 1st Lt. Erik Buendia meets with local Afghan national police officers at their police station in Kohi Safi district, Afghanistan, Sept. 6, 2009. Buendia is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company B, Special Troops Battalion. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy WadeUS Wins Minds, Afghan Hearts Are Lost -- Ann Jones, Asia Times
The big Afghanistan debate in Washington is not over whether more troops are needed, but just who they should be: Americans or Afghans - "us" or "them". Having just spent time in Afghanistan seeing how things stand, I wouldn't bet on "them".
Frankly, I wouldn't bet on "us" either. In eight years, American troops have worn out their welcome. Their very presence now incites opposition, but that's another story. It's "them" - the Afghans - I want to talk about.
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COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS
U.S. now wary of Afghanistan mission -- Salim Mansur
Invite Russia to the war -- Daniel Gallington, Washington Times
Back to Bagram -- New York Times editorial
Now, ‘Reset’ With the Poles and Czechs -- Mark Brzezinski, New York Times
Our Missile-Defense Race Against Iran -- Ilan Berman, Wall Street Journal
For the Benefit of All (Missile Defense) -- Alexander A. Pikayev, Moscow Times
Of Polish Angst and NATO -- Roger Cohen, New York Times opinion
Did America betray us? Or it was just Obama? -- Michal Wisniewski, American Thinker
The War on Terror Goes On -- Wall Street Journal editorial
Iran's Allies Have Reached the Tipping Point -- Tariq Alhomayed, Asharq Alawsat
Last Chance for Iran -- Daniel R. Coats, Charles S. Robb and Charles F. Wald, Washington Post
India, America: Looking Beyond the Nuclear Deal -- Siddharth Srivastava, Asia Sentinel
Why the US Needs Africa -- Paul Kagame, Washington Post opinion
Time to stop being chicken and talk about China -- Bill Emmott, Times Online
Is South America in an Arms Race? -- Nadja Drost, Global Post