AfPak Channel

Fogh of War

Is the new secretary-general of NATO a slippery opportunist or just a good negotiator?

BY CAMERON ABADI | SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

The Real Winner of Afghanistan's Election

Meet Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the unsavory Tajik warlord whose grip on Afghanistan just got a whole lot tighter.

BY HILLARY MANN LEVERETT | AUGUST 31, 2009

Is the Chance of Success in Afghanistan Better Than a Coin Toss?

A detailed analysis of 20th-century counterinsurgencies suggests not.

BY ANDREW J. ENTERLINE, JOSEPH MAGAGNOLI | AUGUST 27, 2009

Cheney's Jihad

Why "enhanced interrogation techniques" don't enhance U.S. interests.

BY PETER BERGEN | AUGUST 26, 2009

How Russia Can and Can't Help Obama

In hindsight, KGB analysts and Soviet officials were extraordinarily prescient about the perils of Islamist terrorism and the fallout from the Afghan jihad. But could Russia, for all its faults and foibles, be a more valuable counterterrorism partner today?

BY BRIAN MICHAEL JENKINS | AUGUST 26, 2009

Doubting Afghanistan

A compelling case for continued U.S. involvement in Afghanistan can be made, but only by answering these 10 questions.

BY BERNARD I. FINEL | AUGUST 25, 2009

Saigon 2009

Afghanistan is today's Vietnam. No question mark needed.

BY THOMAS H. JOHNSON, M. CHRIS MASON | AUGUST 20, 2009

Voting Day in Afghanistan

Despite the milestone achievement of those Afghans who voted in the recent election, the country still has a long war ahead.

BY MICHAEL WILKERSON | AUGUST 20, 2009

The AfPak Crystal Ball

Our experts predict Afghanistan's election results.

AUGUST 19, 2009

The Day After

The Taliban will still be winning -- unless what comes after the election is real change.

BY J ALEXANDER THIER | AUGUST 18, 2009

This Week at War: The Drones Take Over

What the four-stars are reading -- a weekly column from Small Wars Journal.

BY ROBERT HADDICK | AUGUST 14, 2009

Meet Afghanistan's Biggest Blogger

How 26-year-old Nasim Fekrat helped create Afghanistan's blogosphere out of thin air.

BY ANNIE LOWREY | AUGUST 12, 2009

How America Is Funding Corruption in Pakistan

Graft is on the rise in Islamabad, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

BY AZEEM IBRAHIM | AUGUST 11, 2009

Why the Taliban Are Winning -- for Now

The last few years have been a strategic fiasco, but this war is still winnable. Here's how.

BY KIMBERLY KAGAN | AUGUST 10, 2009

Tough Questions Nobody Wants to Ask

It's time to scrutinize the basic assumptions behind Obama's escalation in Afghanistan -- before it's too late.

BY MORTON ABRAMOWITZ | AUGUST 10, 2009

The Surge That Could Defeat al Qaeda

Is al Qaeda and its ideology dead, dormant, or ascendant? While the United States debates the question, it should work on discrediting jihadists.

BY SEBASTIAN GORKA | AUGUST 10, 2009

Afghan Elections: The Contenders

Only one will win -- but all five look certain to figure on the Afghan political scene for years to come.

BY JEAN MACKENZIE | AUGUST 10, 2009

Afghanistan’s Long War

With presidential elections approaching and a wave of U.S. troops who entered last month, Afghanistan has been struggling to establish itself as a stable state. The war that began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has dragged on, and the only thing certain is that there's still a long road ahead.

BY BRIAN FUNG, MICHAEL WILKERSON | AUGUST 7, 2009

What the Death of Pakistan's Public Enemy No. 1 Means

If Baitullah Mehsud is really dead, it's great news for Pakistan and the United States, and bad news for the militants.

BY IMTIAZ GUL | AUGUST 7, 2009

The Militarization of Afghan Aid

The most dangerous threat to “winning hearts and minds” in Afghanistan could be the counterinsurgency itself.

BY ANNA HUSARSKA | JULY 31, 2009