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← Older posts Newer posts →Afghanistan Weekly Reader: Controversy over Karzai Airstrike Ban
February 22, 2013Although 34,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan over the next year, the war is far from over. NATO and Afghan forces continue large-scale operations, with a recent strike killing 25 insurgents. Earlier in the week Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s order … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Leave a commentAsking the Right Questions on Afghanistan
February 21, 2013In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama announced that 34,000 of the 66,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by this time next year. The announcement clarifies the pace of the drawdown, but it doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Long-term Plan Unclear Despite Drawdown Announcement
February 14, 2013In the State of the Union address, President Obama announced that 34,000 of the 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn over the next year. The post-2014 military presence is still unclear, though the Pentagon reportedly favors a phased … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Leave a commentReport: Afghans Paid $3.9 Billion in Bribes Last Year
February 11, 2013Half of Afghanistan’s population paid at least one bribe to public officials over the past year, for a total of $3.9 billion, according to a recent UN report on corruption. $3.9 billion is twice Afghanistan’s domestic revenue, and one quarter … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, aid, drawdown, strategy | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Afghanistan, Pakistan Commit to Talks with Taliban
February 8, 2013At a meeting in London this week, Afghan and Pakistani leaders agreed to a six-month timeline to reach a agreement with the Taliban. However, ongoing violence in Afghanistan, including a recent bombing in that left five dead, indicates that peace negotiations will … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Leave a commentBillions of Dollars at Risk in U.S. Reconstruction Efforts in Afghanistan
February 6, 2013Congress has appropriated close to $90 billion for Afghanistan reconstruction projects, but the U.S. has yet to see a return on the investment. The latest report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found “delays, cost overruns, and poor … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, aid, COIN, Congress, corruption | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Commander Calls for Sustained Military Presence
January 31, 2013General John Allen, the outgoing commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, recommended maintaining a substantial military presence in Afghanistan through the summer, according to a Wall Street Journal interview. The White House has yet to announce a plan for the drawdown … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan Weekly Reader, aid, drawdown, strategy | Leave a commentAfghanistan War Takes a Toll on the U.S. Economy
January 28, 2013“The true cost of the [Afghanistan] war is only just beginning,” Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes recently wrote in Financial Times. “Indeed, the costs after withdrawal may exceed those during the war. Choices made in the past decade mean high … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, aid, COIN, drawdown, economy, exit strategy, War costs | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Insurgent Attacks in Afghan Capital
January 24, 2013Last week’s suicide bomb attack on Afghanistan’s intelligence agency was followed by an attack on the headquarters of the Kabul traffic department a few days later. The coordinated assaults have raised questions about Afghanistan’s security forces and intelligence capabilities, and … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan Weekly Reader, aid, Taliban | Leave a commentReport: U.S. spent $6.8 million on nonexistent equipment
January 22, 2013The U.S. has provided some 30,000 vehicles to the Afghan National Police (ANP). Since the ANP cannot afford maintenance costs, and likely will not be able to do so for several years, the U.S. has been picking up the tab. … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged aid, defense spending, drawdown, military contractors, nation building | Leave a comment ← Older posts Newer posts →