afghanistan

Obama to announce plans for Afghan drawdown

By: Hayley Peterson 06/21/11 9:35 AM

President Obama on Wednesday will lay out his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in an address to the nation from the White House. Obama's speech, scheduled for 8 p.m., will outline the speed and scope of the drawdown that the president pledged to start by July 2011. The president will travel to Fort Drum in New York the following day. Gen. David Patraeus has advised the president against drawing down American forces in Afghanistan until fall. Read More

Command failures: US soldiers were ordered into indefensible position

By: Staff report 06/11/11 9:00 PM

WHAT: A U.S. military investigation said command failures put American soldiers in a tactically indefensible position without adequate support when hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked their remote Afghanistan outpost. HOW: Eight troops died and 22 others were wounded in the October 2009 attack. The outnumbered 53 soldiers at Combat Outpost Keating held off a large, heavily armed enemy force until air support arrived hours later. Read More

Our wars almost always create more problems than they solve

By: John M. Crisp 05/26/11 10:56 PM

Consider how far off the radar screen our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen.Both wars proceed, almost on their own, with too little awareness of their objectives, with too little urgency attached to reaching those objectives, and with too much ongoing misery and tragedy suffered by our troops and their families. Read More

US troops in Afghanistan finding ingenious ways to win the peace

By: James Carafano 05/23/11 10:20 PM

In post-World War II Austria, as American and Soviet occupation forces fought for “hearts and minds,” one shrewd U.S. intelligence analyst figured out how to get what he needed — with benefits. He befriended one of Vienna’s best-known opera stars, someone who knew everyone and everything. In exchange for a few sausages from the government mess, the singer was happy to pass along the very best of rumors — and front-row tickets to boot. Read More

This is not the time to reduce forces in Afghanistan

By: Gary Schmitt 05/17/11 10:42 PM

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the American-led counterinsurgency is winning in Afghanistan against the Taliban and its jihadist allies. First, there was the killing of Osama bin Laden. While not directly related to the insurgency, the raid on Abbottabad did eliminate the most notable figure tied to the original reason for invading Afghanistan and deposing the Taliban regime. Read More

Morning Examiner: Why the Osama narrative matters

By: Conn Carroll 05/04/11 4:36 AM

Dead cat bounce: The White House had hoped the death of Osama bin Laden would be a “transformative moment” for President Obama that would strengthen Obama’s hand in all policy areas. But the early polling returns are showing only limited marginal. Read More