Tag: afghanistan

Loya Jirga To Decide Whether U.S. Troops Stay Or Go

RADIO FREE EUROPE 11/20/13 By Frud Bezhan For both Kabul and Washington, having a traditional gathering of Afghan tribal chiefs and political leaders decide the fate of a contentious bilateral security deal offers strategic advantages. The Loya Jirga, which opens on November 21, can provide legitimacy to the decision-making process, […]

Discerning US Design in Afghanistan and Repercussions

EURASIA REVIEW 11/17/13 By Brigadier (Retd.) Dr. Ahsan ur Rahman Khan At long last, after more than a decade of extreme human misery in Afghanistan and adjoining Pakistan inflicted by the US in the name of ‘war on terror’, there had been some hope of an end to this ‘human […]

The Only Way Forward in Afghanistan

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 11/13/13 By Michael Shank Tribal elders in Afghanistan are preparing to meet next week to discuss the Bilateral Security Agreement between the U.S. and Afghanistan, which governs details of the relationship between the countries after 2014. But news this week of Afghans protesting against the […]

Why the White House Won’t Win the Afghanistan War

WASHINGTON TIMES 11/07/13 By Michael Shank WASHINGTON, November 7, 2013 — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry desperately needs a win on the Afghanistan war. Unfortunately, however, it appears increasingly unlikely he will get one. Despite repeated visits and discussions, Kerry has so far failed to secure a clean Bilateral […]

Report: Food Insecurity Rising as Crop Production Falls

WASHINGTON TIMES 11/03/13 By Michael Shank WASHINGTON, November 3, 2013 — America’s food security is at immediate risk, according to a report leaked this month by the New York Times. Americans should expect crop production to fall by as much as 2 percent each decade for the rest of the […]

Drones Strikes in Pakistan Are Hurting America

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 10/25/13 By Michael Shank Irrespective of the latest reports on possible collusion between U.S. and Pakistani spy agencies, Amnesty International’s newest report on the unlawful American drone killings in Pakistan – that kill more civilians than the White House admits and could amount to war […]

Why You Should Care About Tajikistan’s Election

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 10/23/13 By Michael Shank and Kimairis Toogood On November 6, 2013, the post-Soviet republic of Tajikistan is slated for another round of presidential elections and Washington would be wise to take note. The country’s current trajectory is deleterious for democracy and has serious implications for […]

In Afghanistan, End the Fighting and Stop the Meddling

WASHINGTON POST 10/18/13 By Michael Shank Regarding the Oct. 15 editorial “Afghanistan’s future”: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will ultimately favor a deal allowing a U.S. force to remain in Afghanistan after 2014 because he knows that the Kabul administration would otherwise fall within months of the United States pulling out. […]

Why the Kerry-Karzai Afghan Security Deal Won’t Work

HUFFINGTON POST 10/17/13 By Michael Shank The Bilateral Security Agreement deal, forged by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will be quickly undone since the U.S. is not focused on the right kind of settlement. Attacks on Afghan officials in the last week show how […]

No Immunity for US Troops: Why Hamid Karzai Punted to Loya Jirga

HUFFINGTON POST 10/14/13 By Michael Shank As U.S, Secretary of State John Kerry heralds the near-complete negotiations over a Bilateral Security Agreement with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, one thing is certain: immunity for U.S. troops post-2014 isn’t going to happen. It’s a political non-starter. No Afghan presidential candidate, queuing for […]