Afghan War Rationale Questioned by Some Key Strategists: Analysis

Afghan War Rationale Questioned by Some Key Strategists:

"A few influential strategists here have been arguing, however, that this official rationale misstates the al Qaeda problem and ignores the serious risk that an escalating U.S. war poses to Pakistan.
Those strategists doubt that al Qaeda would seek to move into Afghanistan as long as they are ensconced in Pakistan and argue that escalating U.S. drone airstrikes or Special Operations raids on Taliban targets in Pakistan will actually strengthen radical jihadi groups in the country and weaken the Pakistani government’s ability to resist them..."

Read rest of article

Progressive Think Tank Tells Obama to Escalate

Tom Hayden: Progressive Think Tank Tells Obama to Escalate
Huffington Post

The Center for American Progress has positioned itself as a "progressive" Washington think tank, especially suited to channel new thinking and expertise into the Obama administration. It therefore is deeply disappointing that CAP has issued a call for a ten-year war in Afghanistan, including an immediate military escalation, just as President Obama prepares to unveil his Afghanistan/Pakistan policies to the American public and NATO this week.

It is likely that Obama will follow most of CAP's strategic advice, assuming the think tank to be the progressive wing of what's possible within the Beltway. That means a long counter-insurgency war ahead, with everything from massive incarcerations and detention to Predator strikes that amass increasing civilian casualties...

Read rest of article

U.S. forces kill 13 Afghan civilians in air strike | Reuters

Reuters 2/21/09: U.S. forces kill 13 Afghan civilians in air strike:

"U.S. forces in Afghanistan killed 13 civilians, as well as three militants, in an air strike in western Afghanistan this week, the U.S. military said on Saturday after an investigation into the incident.

"The mistaken killing of civilians by foreign forces is a major source of tension between the Afghan government and its Western backers and has also caused a steady drop in public support for the presence of some 70,000 international troops"

Read rest of article