The Afghan surge begins in earnest
U.S. and British forces are in the process of taking control of the town of Marja in Helmand province. Marja is a key Taliban stronghold and, indeed, is considered its last bastion in the Helmand River Valley, a strategic region of the south that until this past summer was largely held by the Taliban. [...]
Empiricism or dithering?
President Obama has asked senior advisers for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to help him determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which need increased foreign troop support. Obama reportedly will base his decisions about adding U.S. troops at least in part on this analysis.
On its face, this sounds admirable. [...]
Blending in with the locals
It may not be the great Washington novel we’ve been waiting for, but this story by Washington Post writers Mary Beth Sheridan and Del Quentin Wilber about the couple accused of spying for Cuba will do for now The first paragraph alone, though it may seem like a parody to out-of-towners, presents a [...]
