Michael Hughes: From the grave existential philosopher John Paul Sartre can shed light on why US politicians, such as Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham – two warmongers who never came across a Muslim country they would not bomb – continue to call for more troops in Afghanistan despite clear impediments, ranging from sanctuaries in Pakistan
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 16, 2017 A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on March 15 proposed providing another 2,500 visas to Afghans who worked for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, often at the risk of their own lives. “We simply cannot win this war without the assistance of the Afghan people who put their lives
Politico: When Donald Trump said in late January that America should have “kept the oil” after invading Iraq — “To the victor go the spoils,” he declared — foreign governments were horrified. But one country is now actively promoting its natural resources to win Trump’s attention for its desperate cause: Afghanistan. The government, led by President
Paul Alexander VOA News March 11, 2017 John Sopko’s message to the Afghan people is simple: Corruption kills. It kills soldiers and citizens alike. And if it’s not brought under control, it could kill the country’s fragile future. “People have to understand that corruption isn’t about just money,” said Sopko, who heads corruption watchdog Special
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 10, 2017 A U.S. senator is vowing to revive a lapsed special-visa program for Afghan interpreters and others who served U.S. forces in the country, often risking their lives. The U.S. State Department said on March 9 that it is running out of special-visa slots and stopped scheduling interviews on
Tolo News: Endemic violence in Afghanistan continues to be fueled by serious societal divisions, The United States Department of State has said in its report on Human Rights Practices for 2016. The report sets out what is termed “most significant human rights problems in Afghanistan” as the main cause of the widespread violence in the country.
Michael Hughes: President Donald Trump wants the United States to prevail in more wars, like the good old days. This is a dangerous mindset in the face of the unwinnable conflict in Afghanistan, especially given Trump has surrounded himself with security advisors eager to boost troop levels and hawks in Congress willing to fund their designs.
Evening Standard (UK): Internal instability in the war-torn country is being made far worse by the unhelpful policies of its neighbours. President Trump’s three major security appointments all have a profound interest in the country, which separates them from President Obama’s. Defence Secretary James Mattis, National Security Adviser H R McMaster and Homeland Security chief John Kelly all
VOA News: Like other Afghan immigrants, Faisal Razmal thought he was leaving violence behind for a new life in the United States, considered the land of opportunity. After all, he survived an IED (improvised explosive device) blast in Kabul during five years as an interpreter for U.S. forces. Threats to his life were worth it, in
Masood Farivar VOA News February 20, 2017 They both call themselves the Taliban. They regularly carry out deadly suicide bombings, kill civilians with impunity and, in many respects, behave like brutish terrorist groups. So why is one — the Tehrik-I Taliban of Pakistan — on the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, while the