U.S. Army soldiers question a Katalai village resident in Afghanistan's Khowst province, June 15, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph WatsonObama's Drawdown Disaster -- Zalmay Khalilzad, National Interest
Many factors, both domestic and international, must have shaped the President’s decision to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer. Realities in Afghanistan suggest that his course of action involves excessive risks.
President Obama asserted that “the tide of war is receding” and that troop reductions were taking place from “a position of strength.” It is true that security has improved in southern Afghanistan. In Helmand and Kandahar, civilians are more confident about their safety and therefore more willing to cooperate with NATO and Afghan forces and against the enemy. However, NATO statistics indicate that violence overall is up by 30 percent in Afghanistan in 2011.
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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
Fear and Abandonment in Afghanistan -- Fotini Christia, Foreign Affairs
In Syria, an opening for the West to bring about Assad’s downfall -- Ausama Monajed, Washington Post
Arab uprisings may pave way for extremism -- Mark Donig, Jerusalem Post
Asia’s Maritime Confidence Crisis -- Rory Medcalf & Raoul Heinrichs, The Diplomat
A U.S. role in the South China Sea -- Washington Post editorial
Cambodia After Year Zero -- Joel Whitney, New York Times
China’s “Conflict Handbags” -- Gordon Chang, Forbes
George Soros Explains How The Crisis In Europe Will End: Weaker Economies Will Probably Exit The Euro -- Courtney Comstock, Business Insider
It's not only Greeks who've lost their marbles -- Jeff Randall, The Telegraph
The Phony Tough-on-Terror Crowd -- New York Times editorial
What's happened to America’s leadership role? -- Fred Hiatt, Washington Post