Commentary on Afghanistan

STRAFOR Assessment. The folks at STRAFOR have offered their assessment of the war in Afghanistan. They provide the historical context and the current situation the Trump administration finds itself in - devising a strategy that works for Afghanistan (and the United States). Read "In Washington, War Fatigue is Setting In", STRAFOR Worldview, August 2, 2017.

The War Can't be Won by Military Means. Laurel Miller, formerly of the State Department, had a leading role in the Afghanistan conflict during the Obama administration. She is interviewed about the the current security situation in Afghanistan and outlines three courses of action under consideration by the Trump administration. See "America's former envoy to Afghanistan says the war can't be won", Vox.com, August 1, 2017.

It's Time to Leave Afghanistan. Lucian K. Truscott IV writes in a column that it is time to leave Afghanistan. Read "Why we lost the war in Afghanistan",  Salon, August 5, 2017.

Max Boot on Trump and Afghanistan. Max Boot, a constant critic of President Trump, continues his critique in a commentary about Afghanistan, a proposed firing of General Nicholson, advancing McMaster to 4-stars to be RS Cdr, and comparing the Afghan conflict to a restaurant business. Read more in "The Afghan War's Third President", Commentary Magazine, August 3, 2017.

How Trump is Losing Afghanistan. Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic & International Studies, writes on the slowly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan in "How the Trump Administration is Losing Afghanistan", CSIS, August 2, 2017.

Needed Timeline for Success in Afghanistan. James Durso, a retired naval officer, writes about the need for a strategy that isn't 'more of the same' and that will show measurable results. Not facts and figures of how many ANP and ANA were trained in the past year; but something more concrete - like how many districts that Afghan security forces now control vice last year. Read "McMaster and Mattis Have Twelve Months to Succeed in Afghanistan", Real Clear Defense, July 31, 2017.

Evaluating the Privatization of the Afghan War. Rebecca Zimmerman believes we should take a closer look at the plan to use contractors in place of the military in Afghanistan. Read her thoughts in "Is It a Good Idea to Privatize the War in Afghanistan?", RAND Corporation, August 4, 2017.

Private Armies for Afghanistan Conflict? White House advisors Stephen Bannon and Jared Kusher recently had Erik Prince (former Blackwater) and Stephen Feinberg (DynCorp) in for a chat on how using contractors in Afghanistan could take the burden off the U.S. military. Probably not a good idea according to the editorial board of The Times Editorial Board. Read more in "The war in Afghanistan needs a change in tactics. Privatizing the military isn't the answer", Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2017.

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Commentary on Afghanistan Conflict

What the West Must Do. Zabihullah Noori, an Afghan journalist based in London, writes about the desperate situation in Afghanistan and what the international community must do to correct the downward slide of Afghanistan to instability. Read "The West on the Brink of Failure in Afghanistan", Tolo News, July 25, 2017.

Time for a 'Peace Surge'? Laurel Miller, a senior State Department official with the Obama administration, writes on the need to step up the support for negotiations with the Taliban. She believes that is the only strategy that will work to resolve the conflict. Read more in "A Peace 'Surge' to End War in Afghanistan", The New York Times, July 23, 2017. Miller is a senior foreign policy expert at the RAND Corporation. While with the State Department she worked on the peace process for Afghanistan from 2013 to 2017.

Fixing the ANDSF. The international community needs to make some drastic changes on how it does business in Afghanistan. The current approach of the past several years has not worked. Patronage networks, nepotism, ethnic favoritism, corruption, and poor leadership has hobbled the ANDSF and the security ministries. The senior leaders of the ANP and ANA need to be purged - getting rid of the corrupt and inept leadership. Resolute Support leaders need to step up and conduct a house cleaning to set things right. RS advisors need to get below the ANA corps and police zone level to interact with mid and lower-level leaders. In addition the National Security Directorate (NDS) needs to be strengthened as well. Read "Fixing Afghanistan's Struggling Security Forces", The Diplomat, July 24, 2017.

"Just a Little Bit Longer". The new Afghan strategy is still being developed - this after 16 years of conflict and an administration entering its seventh month in office. Read some background on this topic in "$700 Billion and 16 Years at War Is a 'Modest Amount,' U.S. Officers Say", The Daily Beast, July 24, 2017.

Afghanistan and Arab Gulf Countries. The countries in the Gulf region need to look at their policies towards and interaction with Afghanistan. Iran is extending its influence with the Taliban as well as continuing to support the Afghan government. This should be a matter of concern for Arab Gulf countries. Read more in "Where Afghanistan is heading and what it means for the Arab Gulf", UPI.com, July 24, 2017.

Mistrust of Pakistan. One observer examines the issues that poison the relationship between the United States and Pakistan in "Pakistan-United States relations: Mutual mistrust continues", Modern Diplomacy, July 25, 2017.

Identity Politics in Afghanistan. Patricia Gossman provides some insight on how ethnicity and corruption plays a big role in Afghan politics and governance. Read "Afghanistan's Deadly Identity Politics", Foreign Affairs, July 24, 2017.

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Commentary on Afghan Conflict

"Old Wine in a New Bottle". Michael Kugelman writes about Trump's Afghanistan strategy. Says a troop surge of advisors that isn't tied to a broader overall strategy is folly. He recommends four major steps going forward. Kugelman is the Asia program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center. "Trump's Afghanistan Strategy Is Simply Old Wine in a New Bottle", The National Interest, July 16, 2017.

Podcast on China's Role. The huge neighbor to the east of Afghanistan and Pakistan would like to see some stability in the region. So it is attempting to (behind the scenes) broker an agreement between the two nations (AfPak). But its not working too well. Listen to a 40-minute podcast where some observers comment on the topic - Abubakar Siddique of Gandhara Blog, Sune Engle Rasmussen of The Guardian, and Hameed Hakimi of the Chatham House think tank. See "Gandhara Podcast: China and Afghanistan, Pakistan Cooperation", Gandhara, July 19, 2017.

So What's the Plan? Everyone is waiting for the Trump administration to roll out the new 'Afghan war strategy' . . . waiting, waiting, waiting . . . . Fred Kaplan explains what's going on behind the scenes in "Making Afghanistan Great Again", Slate Magazine, July 2017.

Amnesty for War Criminals. A mixed result. Amnesty is a long-accepted practice to end conflicts and solidify peace agreements. Afghanistan is a good (or bad) example of the use of amnesty to bring warring or hostile organizations together to forge a government. But it is a problematic solution. Read more in "Afghanistan: Choosing Peace Over Justice", by Neha Dwivedi, The Diplomat, July 20, 2017.

Contracted Private Army to Fix Afghanistan? Streve Bannon and Jared Kushner, trusted advisors of Trump's White House, recently floated an idea of using a contracted military force to solve Afghanistan's never-ending conflict. They met with the head of DynCorp (Stephen Feinberg) and the former head of Blackwater (Erik Prince) for discussions on this topic. Sean McFate, as senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council - and former military contractor - tells us why this may not be a really good idea in "The Blackwater 2.0 Plan for Afghanistan", The Atlantic Council, July 17, 2017.

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Commentary on Afghanistan

"Corruption, in the end, is the principal threat to our long-term objectives in Afghanistan".

General (Ret) John Allen, former ISAF commander, June 2017 in a Brookings interview.

Political and Electoral Reform Needed. To end the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan the political institutions of the country need to be revamped and the electoral process reformed. Less control over the province and districts by the central government is needed. Read more in "The Key to Ending Afghanistan's Long War - It's Politics, Stupid", The Hill Opinion, July 9, 2017.

Pakistan and the Haqqani Network. One of the most effective insurgent groups in the Afghan conflict is the Haqqani Network. It has sanctuaries in Pakistan and receives strong support from Pakistan's spy agency - the Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI. Rahmatullah Nabil (former Director of the Afghan National Directorate of Security or NDS) and Melissa Skorka - an advisor on the COMISAF Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT) for several years have written an article on this topic entitled "The Terror Problem From Pakistan", The Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2017.

Stopping the Taliban (via Pakistan). The Taliban are better financed, equipped and supported than ever and the results on the battlefields of Afghanistan are proof of that. Pakistan plays a big role in the resurgent Taliban. Read more in "Calling Pakistan's Bluff: The Right Way to Stop the Taliban", Foreign Affairs, July 14, 2017.

Five Experts on Afghanistan and Policy Options. John Allen (Gen Ret), Vanda Felbab-Brown, Tanvi Madan, Michael O'Hanlon, and Bruce Riedel all have something to say about Afghanistan and the way forward. Read Rightsizing Expectations: US Policy Options for Afghanistan, Foreign Policy at Brookings, July 2017. A 25-page report about evolving objectives, endurring challenges, and U.S. policy options.

Reintegration - Not Reconciliation. If the Taliban wanted peace they would be sitting at the negotiation table right now. Notice the empty chair? That's because they are winning on the battlefield. If the leaders of the Taliban can't be reconciled then perhaps the foot soldiers can be reintegrated? Probably not, as the conditions are not quite right for a successful reintegration program. Read more in "With More Troops in Afghanistan, Focus on Reintegration, Not Reconciliation", The National Interest, July 12, 2017.

India Should be Wary of U.S. Afghan Policy. India has become the most reliable regional partner for Afghanistan but the United States will likely demand more of India. But . . . India should be aware of "What Trump's Afghanistan Policy Means for India", The Diplomat, July 15, 2017.

China in Afghanistan - Not in a Big Way Yet. Vinay Kaura, an assistant professor at Sardar Patel University (India), has contributed a column to the Middle East Institute about China's participation in the Afghan conflict. He says that China has a vested interest in a stable Afghanistan. China has it's own security problems (its western province borders Afghanistan and Pakistan), regional stability (especially the Pakistan-India dilemna), and economic objectives ("One Belt, One Road", "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor", and mining concessions in Afghanistan). However, thus far it has managed to stay above the fray in Afghanistan. Read more in "China Makes Diplomatic Play in Afghanistan", Middle East Institute, July 12, 2017.

More Troops for Afghanistan? Why? Dan Depetris writes that investing more time, money, and lives in a country where corruption, violence and patronage determine who wins and who loses is fruitless. Read his thoughts in "Commentary: Steve Bannon is Right on Afghanistan", Reuters, July 9, 2017.

Obtaining Political Stability for Afghanistan. The United States Institute for Peace (USIP) has published a 20-page report by Alex Thier and Scott Worden entitled Political Stability in Afghanistan: A 2020 Vision and Roadmap, July 10, 2017.

Afghanistan, Logistics, and the Tyranny of Geography. Maintaining and logistically re-supplying a military force in a remote, land-locked country surrounded by nations not so friendly to the U.S. poses a daunting challenge. While Pakistan supports the Haqqani Network and other Taliban insurgent groups by providing sanctuaries and other means of support it also allows the U.S. to fly over its territory, use its seaports, and ground lines of communication to supply its troops and feed the war machine in Afghanistan. The U.S. is not on friendly terms with Iran and our relationship with Russia is problematic. Barnett R. Rubin, Director of the Afghanistan Regional Project, provides the details of this topic in "Afghanistan and Considerations of Supply", War on the Rocks, July 11, 2017.

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Commentary on Afghanistan

Haidari on Peace in Afghanistan. The Director-General of Policy & Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has wrote an opinion peace outlining  the path to peace in Afghanistan. He enumerates four key points to achieve Afghan stability. Read "For Peace in Afghanistan, Listen to Afghans", The Diplomat, June 28, 2017.

Diplomatic Effort Needed. The U.S. needs the increase in military advisors but it also needs to employ it's diplomatic tools to put pressure on Pakistan to stop supporting insurgents and on the National Unity Government (NUG) to institute reforms, curb corruption, and work together to govern Afghanistan. See "Deadly Afghanistan: Trump's Imbroglio", Huffington Post, July 7, 2017.

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Commentary

Peace with Honor? Lawrence Freedman, a professor of war studies at King's College London, provides his perspective of victory and defeat in Afghanistan. He believes that America's ". . . definition of peace needs to be defined down." Read "Can There Be Peace With Honor in Afghanistan?", Foreign Policy, June 26, 2017.

Importance of Educating Afghanistan's Youth. Rahmatullah Arman writes that widespread illiteracy undercuts security and development in "Educating Afghanistan's Youth Is the Only True Solution to Terrorism", Defense One, June 27, 2017.

9 Priorities for Peace. A recently held workshop brought together 23 experts from the Afghan government, media, and other organizations to explore the challenges, priorities, and opportunities for building peace in Afghanistan. Read the report entitled "Nine Priorities for Peace in Afghanistan", Conciliation Resources, June 2017.

Afghan Conflict Options - Losing or Not Losing. James Dobbins, a former Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, comments on the options for the new administration in "Trump's Options for Afghanistan: Losing or Not Losing", RAND Corporation, June 23, 2017.

U.S. Military Can't Fix Mess Alone. James Cunningham, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Israel, and the United Nations - and currently a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council - weighs in on the Afghan problem. "There is no guarantee that America can 'win' in Afghanistan, but it is quite clear that it can lose". read "I Was U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. The Military Can't Fix This Mess Alone", The National Interest, June 29, 2017.

Avoiding Perpetual War in Afghanistan. Daniel L. Davis, a retired U.S. Army officer, provides his thoughts on how to avoid 'the long stay' in Afghanistan in "A New Afghanistan Strategy Must Avoid Perpetual War", The National Interest, June 28, 2017.

Haidari on Peace in Afghanistan. The Director-General of Policy & Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has wrote an opinion peace outlining  the path to peace in Afghanistan. He enumerates four key points to achieve Afghan stability. Read "For Peace in Afghanistan, Listen to Afghans", The Diplomat, June 28, 2017.

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Commentary on Afghanistan

Petraeus on Afghanistan. General (Ret) David Petraeus was interviewed by Judy Woodruff on PBS Newshour about the current situation in Afghanistan and possible future strategy. He says that an increase of 3K to 5K troops is an important step to take. He believes the Department of Defense along with other agencies will soon roll out a 'new' strategy that will stop the decline of security in Afghanistan. Read more in "Petraeus: We went to Afghanistan for a reason; and we need to stay", PBS Newshour, June 16,2017.

Pakistan's Anxieties? C. Christine Fair once again identifies Pakistan as the major problem facing Afghanistan in solving its security issues in "Pakistan's Anxieties Are Incurable, So Stop Trying to Cure Them", War on the Rocks, June 21, 2017.

An Alternative Option to Surging Troops. Daniel L. Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, presents his opinion on the expected 'mini-surge' of 3-5K additional troops to Afghanistan. Instead of more troops the U.S. should put pressure on Kabul to make good progress in reducing corruption and engage in a regional diplomatic effort to reduce the Pakistan support to the insurgency. Read his article "Instead of sending more soldiers to Afghanistan, Trump should do this", Washington Examiner, June 21, 2017.

US Strategy Needs China's Support. The new U.S. administration will soon roll out its 'Afghan strategy'; however, it faces a difficult task of getting Pakistan and Afghanistan talking again. China can help. Daud Khattak writes "Whatever the New US Strategy in Afghanistan, It Can't Succeed Without China", The Diplomat, June 21, 2017.

Anthony Cordesman on Afghanistan. Cordesman - of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - offers his perspective and some recommendations about the stability and security of Afghanistan in "One-Size-Fits-All Approach Fails in Afghanistan", The Cipher Brief, June 23, 2017.

U.S. Media Absent on Afghanistan. Pete Metzger, a former Marine officer, feels that the U.S. media is pre-ocuppied with news about Russia and they not covering the Afghan conflict properly in "The Media Miss the Mark on Afghanistan", National Review, June 23, 2017.

Trump's Plan for Afghanistan - a Break from the Past Admin. Peter Bergen, a CNN national security analyst, comments on the new plan for Afghanistan in "Trump's emerging plan for Afghanistan breaks with Obama approach", CNN, June 21, 2017.

Confronting Pakistan. Javid Ahmad writes that the Trump administration should consider new pressure points that increase the pain for Pakistan in "America Must Confront Pakistan's Support of Afghan-Based Terrorism", The National Interest, June 20, 2017.

What is Success? Luke Coffey, of The Heritage Foundation, says that ". . . we need to start measuring success by achievements on the ground and not by unrealistic expectations". Thus far, achievements on the ground have been fleeting. Read more in "What Does America Consider Success in Afghanistan", June 2, 2017.

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Commentary

U.S. Needs to work with Regional Powers for Afghan Peace. Moeed Yusuf believes that American officials need to keep in the forefront of their thinking the goal of obtaining peace in Afghanistan where the country does not harbor or support terrorism. Read "An Afghan Settlement Will Require America to Work with Russia, Iran and Pakistan", The National Interest, June 11, 2017.

Failing Afghan Strategy of Trump Administration. Tom Rogan reports on a lack of an Afghan strategy within the current White House. He provides three recommendations for the Trump admin. Read more in "The Trump administration's (lack of) strategy for Afghanistan is failing", Washington Examiner, June 14, 2017.

Afghans Need More Aircraft. Gary Anderson, who spent time in a remote province of Afghanistan as a civilian advisor, says that Afghanistan needs more helicopters so it can move troops, conduct MEDEVACs, and resupply its far-flung outposts. Read "What the Afghan Army Needs is an Adequate Air Force", The Washington Times, June 8, 2017.

Review of Brad Pitt's 'War Machine'. Netflix is airing a movie about the Afghan conflict. In the movie General Stanley McChrystal is played by actor Brad Pitt. The reaction to the movie by veterans of the Afghan conflict is varied. Some see some redeeming segments while others see it as Hollywood as usual. Whitney Kassel, a foreign policy analyst, provides her take on the movie in "Screw Brad Pitt and the 'War Machine' He Rode in on", Foreign Policy, June 13, 2017.

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Commentary

Does Afghanistan Deserve One More Chance? The White House will soon determine if the request for 3,000 to 5,000 more troops for Afghanistan will be honored. These additional bodies will provide more advisors (some at the tactical level), more close air support, and more Special Forces operators. A key component of the assistance that the Afghans need is in the form of advisors. But the advisors need to be high quality people that are forward deployed with Afghan tactical units. However, this increase in support to Afghanistan should not be unconditional or open ended. 'Conditionality' should be applied to the Afghan security forces and to the Afghan government. Corrupt Afghan security officers and government officials need to be removed. Ineffective and incompetent Army and police senior leaders need to be replaced. Read more in a report by Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) published on June 5, 2017 entitled Giving Afghanistan a Fighting "Last Chance".

Afghanistan: In a State of Chaos. Ben Anderson, reporting in Vice News says that "Afghanistan has Collapsed Into Chaos" in a report dated June 7, 2017. Doom and gloom.

In Interests of Peace Should Afghans Forget the Past? Most insurgencies don't end with a military victory but with reconciliation. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has returned to Kabul with a warm welcome from government officials but many older Kabul residents remember the past. Read "Afghanistan: Is Peace Possible Without Justice?", The Olive Branch, United States Institute for Peace, June 7, 2017.

Pakistan - Afghanistan Relations. One observer tries to make sense of the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Not so sure the article attains this goal. See "Blame Game and Pak-Afghan Relations", Eurasia Review, June 11, 2017.

Kabul in Midst of Political Crisis. Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani journalist and author, provides his perspective on the lack of public confidence in President Ashraf Ghani in "Viewpoint: Can Afghan leader tackle crisis of confidence?", BBC News, June 6, 2017.

Staying the Course in Afghanistan. Helle Dale, writing in The Daily Signal (June 8, 2017) tells us "Why the US Must Stay the Course in Afghanistan".

An Economic Approach to Helping Afghanistan. Jennifer Staats believes that the United States should join India and China in building economic opportunities for Afghanistan. Read "To Help Afghanistan, Leverage China's Investments", The Olive Branch, United States Institute for Peace (USIP), June 6, 2017.

Podcast on Washington's New Afghan Strategy. A 34-minute podcast featuring two observers - Douglas Wissing and Sameer Lalwani - of the Afghan conflict is presented by Gandhara, June 6, 2017.

Killing Mullah Mansour - Did it Achieve Objectives? In May 2016 President Obama authorized a military drone strike against the leader of the Taliban as he was traveling through Pakistan in a vehicle. Did the 'decapitation' strike achieve anything of consequence? Or did it set back the progress of peace talks with the Taliban and cause resentment with the Pakistan government? Read Did Killing Mansour Work?, by Micah Zenko and Jennifer Wilson, Council of Foreign Relations, May 25, 2017.

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Commentary

Balochistan - Set to Explode? The Pakistan province of Balochistan just to the south of Afghanistan is a powderkeg. There are a host of human rights, security, economic and other issues that set this province up for continued strife and perhaps open warfare. Read more in "Greater Balochistan: A Quiet Frontier Set to Explode", Eurasia Review, November 16, 2016.

What's Going On? Annabelle Quince, writing for the Rear Vision - an Australian news show, ponders the situation in Afghanistan. She provides an assessment of the current strength of the Taliban, notes that the Afghan armed forces are extremely corrupt and demoralized, and wonders on the future of Afghanistan. Read "What is going on in Afghanistan and why is the US still involved?", ABC News (Australia), November 15, 2016.

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Commentary

Congressman Adam Kinzinger, representing the 16th District of Illinois, writes about our conflict in Afghanistan and why we must stay the course in assisting that nation in the fight against the Taliban and other terrorists. Read "Why the future of Afghanistan still matters", The Hill, November 8, 2016.

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Commentary

U.S. Counterterrorism Policy in Central Asia. An informative paper has been published takes a good look at the threat that foreign fighters posed to Central Asian regimes and provides recommendations for U.S. counterterrorism policy in the region. Published in Strategic Perspectives 21 on October 29, 2016 this tract by four authors is provided by the Center for Strategic Research, Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defense University (U.S.). Read "The Return of Foreign Fighters to Central Asia: Implications for U.S. Counterterrorism Policy".

Proxy War in Northern Afghanistan? Ajmal Sohail writes about "The beginning of a new chapter of proxy war in Afghanistan", Modern Diplomacy, November 4, 2016. A unique and different perspective on the U.S. and European involvement in Afghanistan.

Learning from the Vietnam War. One writer, Bill Distler, provides an alternative perspective to our involvement in the Afghan War. He believes we are applying lessons learned in the long-ago conflict to the Afghan conflict. His perspective is certainly not mainstream (and his numbers on how many contractors present in the past and now seem skewed). Read "Finally 'Winning' the Viet Nam War - in Afghanistan", Common Dreams, October 30, 2016.

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Commentary

Afghanistan - Absent from U.S. Election Campaign. The fight against the Taliban is now America's longest war but has been all but ignored by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Read "Afghanistan is the dirty little secret of the US presidential campaign", The Guardian, October 27, 2016.

Afghan Refugees - Cold Welcome from Europe. Afghans that have reached Europe were hoping for support from European countries but have been disappointed by their reception on the continent. Read "Afghans Hoping for European Solidarity Find Cold Welcome", Refugees Deeply, October 28, 2016.

Poor Morale of the ANDSF. A recent article cites bad leadership within the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) as a source of poor morale among Afghan police and soldiers. Read more in "Why are Afghan forces losing ground to the Taliban?", Deutsche Welle, October 27, 2016.

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Commentary

Generals Failed Us. Jason Dempsey, a retired military officer with a few tours in Afghanistan, provides us with his perspective on things we did wrong. Unit rotations were not ideal for the counterinsurgency environment, programs like the AfPak Hands not fully supported, and advisor assignments that hinder military careers. While the Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission was the right approach; it was not adequately resources with trained advisors. Take every word he writes as the absolute truth! Read more in "Our generals failed in Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, October 18, 2016.

High Casualties Worrying. The Afghan security forces are again on track for a record year of high casualties. This is a matter of great concern for the Coalition nations supporting the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "Afghan Forces' Battlefield Casualties Worry NATO", Gandara Blog, October 15, 2016.

Obama's Sorriest Legacy. America's longest war will remain a muddle for the next president. Read more in "Afghanistan 15 Years On: Obama's Sorriest Legacy", by Mark Perry, Politico Magazine, October 5, 2016.

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Commentary

Is the Afghan War a "Lost Cause"? A veteran argues why it is hopeless. It is a 15-year-old war, the Taliban is much stronger, the Afghan security forces casualties keep rising, and now we have a few thousand Islamic State fighters in the mix. "We'll Never Win the War in Afghanistan", Task & Purpose, October 7, 2016.

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Commentary

Local Level Participation to Reduce Corruption. Nassir Ahmad Taraki, a university lecturer in Kabul, believes that people's participation at the local governance level is needed to reduce corruption within Afghan government. Read "Transparency, Accountability: People's Agenda",  Eurasia Review, October 5, 2016.

"Making Afghanistan Self-Reliant". Rohullah Osmani and Jan Brecht-Clark write on what needs to happen to improve Afghanistan's self-reliance over the next five to ten years. Foreign Affairs, October 2, 2016.

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Commentary

Panel Discussion. On Monday, October 3, 2016 the Brookings Institution will host a panel of 'experts' on Afghanistan who will discuss "Charting a way forward in Afghanistan". Panel participants will include Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Ambassador James Dobbins, Ambassador Ronald Neumann, General David Petraeus (Ret.), and Michael E. O'Hanlon. This is an in-person event only and requires registration.
www.brookings.edu/events/charting-a-way-forward-in-afghanistan/

Book Review: A Kingdom of their Own. The former Washington Post bureau chief in Kabul, Joshua Partlow, takes a deeper look at Afghanistan, the Karzai family, and the failure of the U.S. to win the Afghan conflict. Read a book review of Parlow's book in The Christian Science Monitor, September 27, 2016.

Why Stay Committed to Afghanistan. This is a question many Americans ask themselves as young service members continue to die in that remote country and billions of dollars are squandered by an Afghan elite more interested in how much money they can steal than in establishing a democratic and secure Afghanistan. A group of "experts" on Afghanistan to include former ambassadors, military commanders, and Afghan scholars have signed a letter that explains American interests and objectives in Afghanistan. Read "Forging an Enduring Partnership with Afghanistan", The National Interest, September 14, 2016.

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Commentary

Afghan's Lacking Air Support? One freelance journalist based in Afghanistan who writes on security and military issues, Franz J. Marty, comments on the supposed lack of close air support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Read "The Fallacious Claim of Lacking Air Support in Afghanistan", The National Interest, September 13, 2016.

NUG Not So Unified. The power sharing agreement of the National Unity Government (NUG) expires on September 30th. Read more in "The Coming Political Crisis in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, by Abdul Basit, September 23, 2016.

Photographer Interview. A photojournalist chats on his time in Afghanistan in "Andrew Quilty: Three years photographing Afghanistan", The Sydney Morning Herald, September 24, 2016.

Afghan Govt Losing Battle of Legitimacy. Christopher D. Kolenda, a former Pentagon senior advisor, is interviewed about Afghanistan. Read "Afghanistan at an Inflection Point", Council on Foreign Relations, September 22, 2016.

"Forgotten War". Max Fisher writes "15 Years Into Afghan War, Americans Would Rather Not Talk about It", The New York Times, September 20, 2016. The topic of Afghanistan is noticeably absent from the election dialogue - neither candidate wanting to talk about it or offer solutions. It seems the "Forever War" is also the "Forgotten War".

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Commentary

Paper - The Afghan National Army After ISAF. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published an 18-page paper (March 2016) about the state of the ANA and the current security situation in Afghanistan.

Worries on Afghanistan. Manoj Joshi writes about the current situation in Afghanistan. The Taliban's recent refusal to participate in peace talks has serious implications for the security and stability of Afghanistan. The Taliban clearly feel that time is on its side - and given its recent gains on the battlefield - that there is little point in engaging in peace negotiations with the Kabul regime. Read more in "Worrying signals from Afghanistan", ORF Online, March 8, 2016.

Developing Emotional Calluses. Nathan K. Finney has wrote a short essay on how military members, as a result of their exposure to years of direct and indirect trauma, develop emotional calluses to the world around them. Read "Consequences of Fear: Callousness", Consequence Magazine, March 6, 2016.

Too Much Mandatory Training. While senior leaders of the military recognized that there are too many mandated training activities it would seem that little is done to lighten the load. Read more in "No Time, Literally, For All Requirements", by Maj. Crispin J. Burke, Army Magazine, March 8, 2016.

Mandatory Training - Part II. There is no doubt that the training requirements for the U.S. Army far exceed the time available to train. Many Soldiers would cut much of the training they receive. For instance, do Soldiers really need to endure a class presentation where they learn that American society attaches privilege to being white, male, and heterosexual. Yep, it happened. Read more in "U.S. Army Lectured Soldiers on Dangers of "White Privilege", Fox News,  March 10, 2016.

Do We Need Better Generals? Michael Vickers, the former under secretary of Defense for Intelligence seems to think so. Read "Vickers: Fastest way to improve strategy is to prepare and pick better generals", Foreign Policy, March 9, 2016. See Mike Vickers testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee entitled Improving the Pentagon's Development of Policy, Strategy and Plans, December 8, 2015.

"Silk Road" and Afghanistan. China is pushing the integration of China economic interests into the Central and South Asian regions. Expanding China's direct interests in Afghanistan would open new avenues for U.S.-China cooperation. Hmmmm. Okay, but I say "Advantage China". Read what Andi Zhou has to say in "Can China's 'One Belt, One Road' Save the US in Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, March 11, 2016.

Australian Documentary. "In their own words and their own extraordinary, never-before-seen helmet-cam battle footage, Australia's fighting men and women lay bare their hearts in an epic series - not just how they waged a war, but why and to what end." If you live in Australia then you can watch "Afghanistan: Inside Australia's War", ABC.net.au, March 8, 2016. Unfortunately, unless posted on YouTube.com, the rest of us can't.
www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/afghanistan-inside-australias-war/

Movie Review - A War. Several weeks back I reviewed the newly released Danish movie A War. Since then numerous reviews have come out. The latest that I have read is by David Franke - who manages to input a bit of commentary at the end of his review. Read "The Danes in Afghanistan", The American Conservative, March 11, 2016.

Recalibrating ROE. In past decade the Rules of Engagement at theater level have seen some changes. Some believe the rules are too tight; sacrificing safety of military members in order to avoid civilian casualties and unfortunate situations that will explode in the world's media. Others see the tightening of ROE necessary in a counterinsurgency environment. Not my favorite topic, but if you are a lawyer you might be interested in a 57-page paper on SROE /SRUF by Colonel Gary P. Corn and published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Vol. 49:1, 2016.

Panel - "What to Do About Afghanistan". The Council on Foreign Relations hosted a panel discussion on the security situation of Afghanistan. Former ISAF commander General (Ret) John Allen, Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham, and Mary Beth Long - a former Assistant Secretary of Defense and President of Metis Solutions were on the panel. You can watch the one hour long video at the link below.
 www.cfr.org/afghanistan/hbo-do-afghanistan/p37591

Hybrid Warriors. The military community (uniformed, academic, think tanks, included) has been struggling with defining the new era of warfare since 2011. The crux of the matter is how to attach a term to the space between peace and war. Lots of terms are out there: unconventional warfare, Gray Zone, Hybrid Warfare, political warfare, etc. One security observer and commentator - Douglas A. Ollivant - has penned a paper that sees past the terminology and concentrates on the participants of this new type of conflict. Read "The Rise of the Hybrid Warriors: From Ukraine to the Middle East", War on the Rocks,  March 9, 2016.

Understanding COIN. Dr. Geraint Hughes, a student of counterinsurgency and formerly of the London Regiment of the Territorial Army, writes that the terminological distinctions between COIN, PSO, 'stabilisation', and 'major combat operations' are potentially becoming increasingly less relevant. Read "Uncertain Coinage", Defense-in-Depth, King's College, London, March 7, 2016.

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Commentary

Ominous Future for Afghanistan. A retired general officer of the Indian Army Forces, Lt. Gen P. C. Katoch,  provides us his perspective on the political and security situation in Afghanistan and the region. Read "2016 for Afghanistan: Ominous spell will continue", South Asia Monitor, March 3, 2016.

Why GITMO Should Stay Open. The latest capture of a high-level operative of the Islamic State in the Middle East highlights the importance of keeping our detention facility in Cuba intact. Read more in an opinion by Max Boot entitled "Thank Goodness for GITMO", Commentary Magazine, March 2, 2016.

Leadership Needed. Some of the recent criticisms of the Afghan police and army is that of its commanding officers. Read more in "Afghan Security Institutions Need Robust Leadership", Gandhara Blog, March 5, 2016.

Human Rights. The western concept of human rights is at odds with local Afghan concepts of human rights. Read more in "Human Rights in Afghanistan Today: Dreams and Realities", The World Post, March 4, 2016.

Kurds Rebellion - 25 Years. Shortly after the U.S. and other coalition nations halted military operations during the Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq (1991) the Shias in southern Iraq and Kurds in northern Iraq revolted. They quickly took fourteen of Iraq's eighteen provinces. However, the United States did not intervene (establishing a no-fly zone for Iraq's helicopters probably would have been instrumental) and both the revolts in the north and south were quickly crushed. In the north almost 2 million Kurds quickly fled to the Iran and Turkey borders - causing a huge humanitarian disaster. Read more in "Remembering the Iraqi Uprising Twenty-Five Years Ago", by Micah Zenko, Council on Foreign Relations, March 5, 2016.

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