Afghanistan

Talking to the Taliban

Negotiations are the only way forward in Afghanistan. But that doesn't mean they will be easy -- or that the more pragmatic wing of the Taliban will have the upper hand.

BY RICHARD BARRETT | AUGUST 20, 2012

Putting the Vice Back in Vice President

Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate may be controversial. But it's safe to say he's probably less trouble than these five veeps.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | AUGUST 13, 2012

PTSDland

How do you heal an entire country suffering from shell shock?

BY ANNA BADKHEN | SEPT/OCT 2012

The Generals' General

What Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno takes with him to the war zone.

INTERVIEW BY BENJAMIN PAUKER | SEPT/OCT 2012

Word Is Bond

Has President Obama kept Candidate Obama's campaign promises?

BY MICHAEL A. COHEN | JULY 23, 2012

Does China Want to Dominate Afghanistan?

If only.

BY STEVE LEVINE | JUNE 26, 2012

Life Inside Little America in Afghanistan

Photos from a time when tiki bars and afternoons at the pool dominated the lives of Americans in Afghanistan.

BY RAJIV CHANDRASEKARAN | JUNE 26, 2012

Deadwood

Forget the best and brightest. Why did America send its C team to Afghanistan? An exclusive excerpt from the new book Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan.

BY RAJIV CHANDRASEKARAN | JUNE 26, 2012

Can't We All Just Not Get Along?

Why the push for bipartisan consensus in foreign policy is a dumb idea.

BY MICHAEL A. COHEN | JUNE 22, 2012

Debating the Failed States Index

Was this year's ranking of the world's most fragile states on target? Five countries respond.

JUNE 22, 2012

What's Wrong with Pakistan?

Why geography -- unfortunately -- is destiny for South Asia's troubled heartland.

BY ROBERT D. KAPLAN | JULY/AUGUST 2012

Requiem for a Russian Spy

A CIA veteran remembers his Soviet counterpart.

BY MILTON BEARDEN | JULY/AUGUST 2012

Please, Don't Send Food

A new study suggests that food aid could actually prolong conflict rather than resolve it.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JULY/AUGUST 2012

An Annotated Guide to All Those White House Leaks

The 10 Obama administration disclosures that Attorney General Eric Holder should investigate.

BY URI FRIEDMAN | JUNE 13, 2012

The View From Kandahar

Photographer Louie Palu's portraits of the war down south.

BY LOUIE PALU | JUNE 13, 2012

Life After Karzai

America might not be able to pick a winner in Afghanistan, but at least it can try to block a loser.

BY MICHAEL O'HANLON | JUNE 13, 2012

The Patience Runs Out

The United States has put up with Pakistan's insidious double game for a decade now. Not anymore.

BY SHAMILA N. CHAUDHARY | JUNE 12, 2012

Killing It

Why President Obama's kill list controversy is only good news for his reelection campaign.

BY MICHAEL A. COHEN | JUNE 6, 2012

The Obama Paradox

A conversation with David Sanger, author of a new book on Obama's secret wars. 

INTERVIEW BY DAVID ROTHKOPF | JUNE 4, 2012

Kill the Kill List

The Obama administration is grossly misreading international law when it comes to targeting terrorists.

BY DAPHNE EVIATAR , GABOR RONA | MAY 31, 2012

Where the Drones Are

Mapping the launch pads for Obama's secret wars.

BY MICAH ZENKO AND EMMA WELCH | MAY 29, 2012

Romney: Year One

What would happen if you took Mitt Romney's foreign-policy promises extremely literally?

BY DANIEL DREZNER | MAY 25, 2012

This Week at War: Does the U.S. Need More Aircraft Carriers?

The Pentagon sure wants more $15 billion boats, but it may have to look for other options. 

BY ROBERT HADDICK | MAY 25, 2012

Amateur Hour in Chicago

Obama knows that he can't succeed in Afghanistan without coming to terms with Pakistan. So why is his diplomacy so lousy?

BY ARIF RAFIQ | MAY 23, 2012

Damned if You Do

Obama hasn't made a peep about cutting U.S. support to NATO -- though everyone agrees it's necessary to get Europeans to pay their fair share. And yet, Romney attacks him for it.

BY MICHAEL A. COHEN | MAY 23, 2012

Dereliction of Duty

Despite the rhetoric, the NATO summit offers no concrete plan to protect Afghan rights.

BY KENNETH ROTH | MAY 22, 2012

Obama's Debacle

The president has protected his right flank for now, but history won’t be so kind.

BY DAVID ROTHKOPF | MAY 21, 2012

The Government We Deserve

Americans are sick and tired of Washington's dysfunctional politics. But it's not Congress they should be angry at -- Americans got exactly the system of government they asked for.

BY ALASDAIR ROBERTS | MAY 21, 2012

Sonnets for the Mujahideen

The militant movement has a little-examined sensitive side.

MAY 18, 2012

Guarding Route Jeep

Haunting photos of the young Afghan recruits charged with guarding one of the country's -- and the Taliban's -- crucial supply routes.

BY SUCHITRA VIJAYAN | MAY 16, 2012