Afghanistan Weekly Reader: Taliban Cuts off Cell Phones in Helmand; New Report Offers Way Out
World attention shifted this week to Libya and coalition involvement in establishing the no-fly zone. At a cost of $100 million per day to the U.S., it raised anew questions as to whether our ten-year involvement and $330 million per day investment in Afghanistan will once again be overshadowed by a different conflict.
New, moderate voices are continuing to emerge as skeptical of our continued involvement, including Democrats like Heath Shuler, who voted last week for the resolution to bring American troops home by the end of the year.
The most important development of the week, however, was the plan for a potential Afghanistan settlement put forth by highly respected policy veterans Thomas Pickering and Lakhdar Brahimi, which was announced this Wednesday as part of the Century Foundation’s International Task Force Report. Pickering, a former ambassador and under secretary of state, and Brahimi, a former United Nations special representative for Afghanistan, have the experience and insight on this issue to warrant Washington’s most serious consideration.
Articles
Could Tea Party Reshape the Afghanistan Debate?
ABS News by Huma Khan
“Tea Party activists have remained quiet on the foreign policy front, but with budget cuts under the limelight, the war in Afghanistan could fracture Republicans at a time they’re already struggling to come to a consensus on what the budget cuts should entail.”
Taliban Stop Cell Phone Signals in Key Afghan Province
Reuters by Ismail Sameem
“KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Mobile phones have fallen silent in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on the orders of the Taliban, telecoms engineers said, a potent reminder of insurgent power in an area chosen as the showcase for a transition to Afghan security.”
How to End the War in Afghanistan?
Foreign Policy by Matthiew Aikins
“Today, the New York-based Century Foundation International Task Force has released its final report on political negotiations in Afghanistan. While on the surface much of it seems relatively anodyne, it goes further than other prominent reports in describing the outlines of a potential settlement, and proposes a high-level peace process lead by a neutral party.”
Opinion
Settling the Afghan War
The New York Times by Lakhdar Brahimi and Thomas Pickering
“DESPITE the American-led counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, the Taliban resistance endures. It is not realistic to think it can be eradicated. Efforts by the Afghan government, the United States and their allies to win over insurgents and co-opt Taliban leaders into joining the Kabul regime are unlikely to end the conflict.”
Conservatives Got Us Out of Vietnam and Korea
Campaign for Liberty by Richard Vague
“Our conservative politicians are letting us down. At a time when we desperately need to cut the deficit, they are standing by while the Obama administration spends $119 billion per year in Afghanistan, which is a country with a GDP of only $16 billion per year.”
Wake-Up! End the Silence on Afghanistan
The Nation by Katrina Vanden Heuvel
“Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan isn’t worth fighting, almost 75 percent want “a substantial number” of US troops withdrawn from Afghanistan this summer, and yet Congressional staffers widely report that Members do not hear from their constituents about this war.”
On Libya, Obama Forgets his own advice
Philadelphia Inquirer by Matthew Leatherman
In June 2008, candidate Barack Obama offered a searing critique of the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq and its neglect of the effort in Afghanistan. “This war,” Obama said of Iraq, “distracts us from every threat that we face, and so many opportunities we could seize.”
From the Blog
“The Kill Team” Photos: the Potential Fallout and The Brutal Reality of War
Afghanistan Study Group by Will Keola Thomas
“Five American soldiers are facing murder charges for their roles in the deaths of three civilians in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province last year. The men are accused of deliberately killing unarmed civilians and then faking combat situations in order to make the murders look like acts of self-defense.”
Taliban To U.S.: “Can You Hear Me Now?”
Afghanistan Study Group by Will Keola Thomas
“As signs of progress in the fight against the Taliban, U.S. officials offer metrics of success ranging from small arms seizures and the capture of opium shipments to body counts. But the most accurate measure of progress may be the number of bars on the screens of Helmand province’s cellphones.”
