The Hill: The Trump administration has fallen prey to the pitfalls of ending long wars. In the American experience, exit strategies begin as conditions-based plans but quickly become irresistible departure schedules. To hasten withdrawal from war-torn Afghanistan, the United States has signed an unenforceable agreement with the Taliban and left our Afghan allies holding the
Michael Hughes: President Donald Trump, down in the polls, has been aggressively trying to find an “October Surprise” – a news bomb or development that will shake the electoral terrain with less than three weeks until the November 3 election. His “Hail Mary” passes have included recycling the Ukraine nepotism scandal against Democratic rival Joe
Deccan Herald: With the changing geopolitical dynamic in the land of the Hindu Kush, the jury is still out in India on what its Afghanistan policy should be. Surprisingly, many former diplomats and geopolitical analysts opine that India must respond to the changed… Click here to read more (external link).
Michael Hughes: Pakistani officials recently had a golden opportunity to provide Afghan counterparts a glimmer of hope that a ceasefire with the Taliban was a possibility. A gesture of any sort would have been uplifting, considering the militant group has shown no signs that they will let up on their offensives inside Afghanistan, despite the
Bloomberg (Editorial): Trump would clearly prefer to get troop levels to zero. That’s the wrong goal. The U.S. still has important interests in the region, including preventing terrorist attacks, keeping oil supplies flowing and limiting Iran’s sway beyond its borders. Click here to read more (external link).
Michael Hughes: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a speech at a virtual think tank event in Washington suggested that the U.S. accomplished its chief objective in Afghanistan because it has decimated al-Qaeda. Pompeo, who certainly has a clear motive for painting a rosy picture, misleads by suggesting al-Qaeda’s strength is reducible to the number of
Xinhua: Afghan political experts have described the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan as a failure. “The so-called U.S.-led war against the Taliban, al-Qaida and terrorist groups has failed to root out the insurgents and bring about peace in Afghanistan,” renowned analyst Shamsul Haq Arianfar told Xinhua. Aimed at dethroning the Taliban regime, demolishing al-Qaida
TRT World: The Taliban denies any involvement in targeting Saleh, but experts think the latest attack was aimed at ‘poisoning’ the upcoming intra-Afghan talks. Saleh, the 46-year-old former intelligence chief, has fought with different enemies ranging from the communist Soviet Union occupiers, to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. In the past decade, he has shown
Michael Hughes: The road to peace in Afghanistan, whether anyone likes it or not, runs through Kashmir, Rawalpindi and Islamabad – and in that order. However, there are recent signs that elements within this chain may be willing to contribute to the advancement of reconciliation in Afghanistan. But are these signs legitimate or simply Michael Jordan
Michael Hughes: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Afghan authorities reached an agreement that would provide the country access to $364 million in credit over the next 3.5 years if actions are taken to improve transparency and reduce corruption. The announcement comes as the Afghan government is under fire again for rampant corruption, including allegations of abusing