Program Related Publication Feeds

Half a Meaningful Human Rights Report is a State Department Disgrace

sherry — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. government likes to talk about “transparency” on the part of other governments, but it has a long record of cutting back on key unclassified reports and failing to properly update others. The latest set of State Department country reports on human rights is a good example.

Afghanistan: The Uncertain Impact of a Year of Transition

Mon, 07 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Previous Burke Chair reports have addressed the fact that it has now been a year since U.S. and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat forces formally left Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: The Uncertain Impact of a Year of Transition

pmeylan — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

A previous Burke Chair report has addressed the fact that it has now been a year since U.S. and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat forces formally left Afghanistan.

Afghanistan and Failed State Wars: An Update

pmeylan — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Afghan conflict has become steadily more complex with time, and also steadily more difficult to assess. The process of Transition during 2014 withdrew outside combat forces, and many aid, consular, and NGOs had to withdraw in the process.

Afghanistan and “Failed State Wars”: The Need for a Realistic Transition

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

President Obama has decided on a limited change in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. He will keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan through 2017, rather than reduce the number to a nominal 1,000 or less deployed around Kabul at the end of 2016.

The Tragedy in Kunduz, the Real Threat to Afghan Civilians, and the Need for Changes in U.S. Strategy

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

It is only natural that the tragedy surrounding the air attack on the hospital in Kunduz should have dominated the headlines and news coverage of events in Afghanistan, as well as General John F. Campbell’s testimony this week before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

General Campbell, the SASC, and the Last Chance for Afghanistan

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0400

There is no certain path to success in Afghanistan. In fact, its political problems, failures in governance, economic problems, corruption, and the weaknesses in its security forces all make any U.S. effort uncertain and any success difficult at best. There are, however, certain paths to failure and this is the path we are now on.

Afghanistan and the Defeat in Kunduz: The Crisis in Transition

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The Taliban’s capture of Kunduz does mark its first major capture of a major urban area, but it is only a symptom of a much broader crisis in the Transition process in what has begun to approach a forgotten war.

The Broader Crisis in Afghanistan and a Failed Transition Plan

The Afghan Campaign and the Death of Mullah Omar

sherry — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0400

The exact circumstances surrounding the reports of Mullah Omar’s death remain unclear, and some facts remain uncertain. It does seem likely, however, that the central power structure of the Taliban covered up his death in 2013 in an effort to preserve its influence, motivate Taliban fighters, and take advantage of the loyalty oath that those who join the Taliban took to Omar.

Key Combat Trends in Afghanistan: Violence vs. Population

sherry — Mon, 18 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Afghanistan at Transition

jdunton — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400

This new study covers the civil and military lessons of the war in Afghanistan as of 2015, the trends at the time of transition, and the risks inherent in the current approach to supporting Afghanistan. The report focuses on the lessons to be learned from the US experience in Afghanistan to date and the problems Afghanistan faces now that most US and allied combat forces have left.

Clash For Civilization

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The new outburst of violent terrorism in Paris, the threat of plans for other attacks in Belgium, and reports of other planned attacks by ISIS have all raised the specter of Jihadist attacks throughout Europe. They have also renewed all the fears and concerns that the tragedy of “9/11” caused in the United States.

Boots on the Ground: The Realities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

The Obama administration and its strongest opponents in Congress may not have all that much in common, but one thing they do share is the constant misuse of the word “strategy.” Strategy does not consist of stating a broad policy goal and empty rhetoric.

The Metrics of Terrorism and Instability in Pakistan

sherry — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0500

Every American has to sympathize with the Pakistani people in the horror that befell them at the killings of so many school children. Every American parent can imagine the heartbreak of the Pakistani parents who suddenly lost their children for an extremist cause that offers only hatred instead of hope.

The Civil Transition in Afghanistan: The Metrics of Crisis?