This week, the President marked the death of Osama bin Laden with a self-congratulatory campaign ad. If Lincoln had spent the entire Gettysburg Address talking about himself, it wouldn’t have been quite that crass. Now, the President zips to Afghanistan—coincidentally on the anniversary of the Seal Team Six raid. House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon (R–CA) wryly noted that the visit came “[a]fter nearly a year of not speaking about the war and 17 months of not visiting the war zone.” Obama’s remarks from “an undisclosed location” at Bagram Air … More
No Comments »
By Malou Innocent
President Obama’s arrival in Afghanistan and signing of the strategic partnership agreement with President Karzai supposedly represents yet another corner turned in our nearly eleven year (and counting) war. The commander-in-chief’s arrival in secrecy, under darkness, and without live coverage of the signing is reminiscent of Bush the Younger’s many trips to war-torn Iraq and [...]
Security Pact Ensures America’s Presence in Afghanistan is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
By Christopher Preble
President Obama’s surprise visit to Afghanistan shows that he is determined to use the bin Laden killing to his political advantage. He also hopes to win points for ending two unpopular wars. That is understandable. If nothing else, it allows him to draw distinctions between both his predecessor, who failed to find bin Laden, and the eventual GOP nominee, [...]
Obama Visits Afghanistan, Perpetuates Misguided Policy is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
By Malou Innocent
The killing of Osama bin Laden marked a significant achievement in America’s long war against al Qaeda. Yet, following last year’s Navy SEAL raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, it became clear that disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda did not require the occupation of distant lands. Indeed, even in the absence of the terrorist leader’s death, the [...]
Bin Laden’s Death, One Year On is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
By Doug Bandow
On May 20, the 2012 NATO Chicago summit will bring together the heads of state from the alliance. The agenda reads like a rundown of major world events in the past two years: the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, the global financial crisis, and the war in Afghanistan. It seems no problem is too [...]
NATO: An Alliance Past Its Prime is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
By Malou Innocent
For the sake of Afghanistan, U.S. officials routinely invoke the importance of nurturing economic growth across South and Central Asia. But when it comes to advancing policies meant to increase regional trade, Washington has shown little effort to ease the geopolitical differences between itself and one of Afghanistan’s key neighbors: Russia. Secretary of State Hillary [...]
Great Gaming Russia in Central Asia is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
Despite serious setbacks for the U.S. in Afghanistan over the last three months, the two countries were able to conclude a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) over the weekend that lays a broad framework for U.S.–Afghan relations following the end of U.S. and NATO combat operations in 2014. The agreement will both demonstrate to the Afghans that the U.S. will remain committed to the country long after 2014 and provide a framework for the U.S. to maintain a residual presence to train Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism missions. The details of … More
No Comments »
Despite serious setbacks for the U.S. in Afghanistan over the last three months, the two countries were able to conclude a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) over the weekend that lays a broad framework for U.S.–Afghan relations following the end of U.S. and NATO combat operations in 2014. The agreement will both demonstrate to the Afghans that the U.S. will remain committed to the country long after 2014 and provide a framework for the U.S. to maintain a residual presence to train Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism missions. The details of … More
No Comments »
By Malou Innocent
The U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership framework agreed to on Sunday extends America’s presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014 in a desperate attempt to stave off disaster. The pact allows policymakers to perpetuate our military involvement despite assurances that we are withdrawing. Social and economic development programs will also continue with limited gains. The United States intends to nation-build on the cheap, [...]
U.S. Offers to Defend Afghanistan Indefinitely, Afghanistan Accepts is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »
By Christopher Preble
It appears some Republicans want to return to their familiar national security play book in their pursuit of the White House, accusing a Democratic president of gutting defense spending and undermining national security. An Associated Press story predicts that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign may feature the “hawkish and often unilateral foreign policy prescriptions that guided [...]
Romney’s National Security Problem is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
No Comments »