Commentary

India & China: Key Partners. Raffaello Pantucci writes on the importance of India and China in developing stability for Afghanistan. Both countries are increasing their involvement with Afghanistan in many ways - economically, diplomatically, and more. This is a great article to help one understand the complexities of Central and South Asia and how regional powers can help Afghanistan become stable once again. "India and China key partners in keeping Afghanistan stable", Reuters, February 15, 2016.

Not Getting Better. Joseph Blady writes a pessimistic article about the current situation in Afghanistan - "In Afghanistan, things aren't getting better", The Hill blog, February 15, 2016.

"The number of properly trained Afghan troops has been grossly overestimated. Afghan military and police leaders are collecting salaries for troops and police that don't exist. The government is doing the same for schools, teachers, clinics and doctors. Fraud and corruption are rampant. Contractors are being paid exorbitant amounts of money, but doing little. Intelligence is faulty. Oversight is being done from a distance and without effect. Afghanistan will not survive without help".

Obama's Failure in Afghanistan. Paul D. Miller writes how the President took a bad situation in  Afghanistan and made it even worse. Read "Obama's Failed Legacy in Afghanistan", The American Interest, February 15, 2016.

Civil-Military Divide . . . Does it Exist? Nate Cubra, a columnist, provides us with his thoughts on this topic in "A War Apart: Examining the American Civil-Military Divide", Georgetown Security Studies Review, February 17, 2016.

Drone Warfare. The use of  UAVs to carry out targeting against terrorist targets is an imperfect program that works. Michael V. Hayden, former CIA director, writes his thoughts about the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in "To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare", The New York Times, February 19, 2016.

Enhancing SC Effectiveness. In times of defense spending austerity the use of 'security cooperation' to advance U.S. interests around the world needs further examination. Many programs designed to train and equip armies have been less effective than desired. Thomas W. Ross writes an essay entitled "Enhancing Security Cooperation Effectiveness: A Model for Capability Package Planning", National Defense University Press, January 1, 2016.

Lessons for ANDSF for 2016. Shawn Snow, a former Signals Intelligence Analyst for the U.S. Marine Corps, writes about lessons learned that the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) must remember if they are to be more successful in 2016 than they were in 2015. His analysis seems a bit optimistic but it focuses on the right areas for the most part. Read "Afghanistan: Lessons Learned for the 2016 Fighting Season", The Diplomat, February 15, 2016.

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