Smoke and Mirrors in Kabul -- Andrew Exum, Foreign Policy
Don't believe the hype about reconciliation talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban -- this war isn't even close to over.
For the past two weeks, reputable U.S. and British newspapers have been filled with articles touting progress in negotiations between the government in Kabul and Afghanistan's major insurgent groups. On Oct. 20, for example, the New York Times reported that Afghan reconciliation talks "involve extensive, face-to-face discussions with Taliban commanders from the highest levels of the group's leadership." These articles have been accompanied by optimistic reports that the United States and its NATO allies have decimated the Taliban's leadership in southern Afghanistan.
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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
Four More Years of War -- Leslie H. Gelb, Daily Beast
Iraq slowly builds a stable, prosperous democracy -- Thomas Raleigh, Washington Post
Iraq Through Night-Vision Goggles -- Christopher Hitchens, Slate
Eastern Islam and the 'clash of civilizations' -- Robert Kaplan, L.A. Times
Bullish on the Bear -- Richard Lourie, Moscow Times
Will China keep rising or succumb to its paranoia? -- David Ignatius, Washington Post
An Indefensible Defense -- New York Times editorial
Time to reboot our push for global Internet freedom -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
The Online Threat: Should we be worried about a cyber war? -- Seymour M. Hersh, New Yorker