Afghanistan

Smart Reads June 4, 2013

June 4, 2013 3:12 pm by Amie Tsang

♦ While most in Turkey acknowledge that every Turkish ruling class has sought to put its stamp on Istanbul, there is a growing sense that none has done so as insistently as the current government. Philip Stephens thinks Mr Erdogan’s heavy-handed response has only proved the protesters right. However, the protesters themselves have been let down on all sides, says Dani Rodrik: “Sadly, there is no organised political movement that can give voice and representation to the protesters that have made their point so loudly and clearly in recent days.”
♦ As Bradley Manning’s trial continues, he has a strong network of supporters behind him – more than 20,000 people have raised $1.25m for his defence.
♦ When Ben Bernanke spoke to the graduating class at Princeton this year, he seemed to confirm his intention to retire. John Cassidy considers why he would do so despite being in good health and good standing.
♦ US infantry are training Afghan troops to take over Afghanistan’s Wardak province, while trying to protect Highway 1, the lifeline that runs between Wardak and Kabul and, ultimately, their exit route out of the country.
♦ Jonah Blank explains how the US military will have to start negotiating like the Pashtuns: “A Pashtun proverb states: ‘A man with the power to fight doesn’t need to bargain.’ For more than a decade, power and money have shielded America from the necessity of negotiation. That luxury is over.” Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Smart Reads, Turkey, US foreign policy |

Chuck Hagel confirmation session

January 31, 2013 1:53 pm by Ben Fenton
This is a Live Blog transcript. Read more

The former Republican senator can expect a bumpy ride as he answers questions on how he would play the role of President Obama’s new defence secretary. Hagel needs to persuade at least five of his former colleagues to support him to avoid a filibuster that would torpedo his appointment.

Ben Fenton, from the FT’s Live News Desk, and Johanna Kassel follow the hearing.

 

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Posted in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, US foreign policy, US politics, War |

Geoff Dyer Ten questions for Chuck Hagel

January 30, 2013 11:37 pm by Geoff Dyer

Facing a grilling: Chuck Hagel (Getty)

Chuck Hagel’s keenly awaited confirmation hearing on Thursday to be the next US defence secretary is likely to be dominated by the hot-button issues that have already got him into trouble with some of his fellow Republicans (and a few Democrats) – his position on Israel, his opposition to Iran sanctions, his criticism of the Iraq war and his views on gays.

If so, that will be a shame, because it would be both interesting and important to hear him explain what his brand of “principled realism” actually means for US foreign policy. The hearing could provide a seminal debate on America’s global role. Here are ten questions he should be asked.

1) Defence budget. You said in September 2011 that the defence budget was “bloated”. That was before the Pentagon announced $485bn in cuts over the next decade. Is the budget still bloated? Are more cuts possible or necessary?

2) Pentagon cuts. To meet the cuts that have already been announced, will the Pentagon need to axe some important capabilities? Can the US still afford all of its aircraft carrier groups? Is the F-35 jet fighter too expensive to support? Does the US need such a large presence in Europe? Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Asia, China, Foreign affairs, Iran, Middle East, Obama, Terrorism, US foreign policy, US politics, War, World affairs |
From FT.com January 21, 2013

By Gideon Rachman

In their second terms, many American presidents decide to strut the global stage. Richard Nixon had his overture to China. Bill Clinton became obsessed by the Middle East peace process. George W. Bush was embroiled in the Middle East war process. Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Mali, Middle East, Syria, Terrorism, US foreign policy, War, World affairs |

Gideon Rachman Do Hagel and Obama agree on Afghanistan?

January 7, 2013 8:36 pm by Gideon Rachman

It is inevitable that a lot of the commentary and controversy about the nomination of Chuck Hagel as US Defence secretary has centered on his tetchy relationship with the Israel lobby – or the “Jewish lobby”, as Mr Hagel once injudiciously called it.

This argument is undeniably gripping. But the focus on Israel it is also obscuring the fact that Mr Hagel has surprisingly interesting views on a range of other topics – from Afghanistan to the use of military force. Some of these views place him at odds, not just with the politically correct views in Washington – but also, on the surface, with President Obama himself. Read more

Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign affairs |

In the picture: The Petraeus scandal

November 14, 2012 5:15 pm by Lindsay Whipp

Gen David Petraeus and his wife Holly walk into a Senate hearing, watched by amongst others PAula Broadwell (seated). (AFP)

It’s not everyday that serious newspapers get to combine sex, spies and the military into one story. But the escalating scandal surrounding the former head of the CIA David Petraeus over his extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell and the involvement of a growing number of other people, has provided just such an opportunity.

The saga has generated the full range of commentary. The serious questions are being asked: Why is the FBI so deeply involved in what essentially appears to be an email harassment case? Why did it take so long for lawmakers to be told? What does this say about military personalities? What are the implications for US national security? Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign affairs, In The Picture, US foreign policy, US politics, World affairs |

Smart Reads July 9, 2012

July 9, 2012 1:58 pm by Amie Tsang

These are the pieces that got us talking over the weekend and this morning: Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Egypt, Europe, Foreign affairs, Israel, Japan, Middle East, Oil, Smart Reads, US politics |

Smart Reads July 6, 2012

July 6, 2012 1:09 pm by Amie Tsang

We’ve got some gripping reads for you today, from our own pages and elsewhere: Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, Global economy, Russia, Science, Smart Reads, US foreign policy, US politics |

Geoff Dyer The US, Pakistan and that dysfunctional relationship

May 25, 2012 7:25 pm by Geoff Dyer

Shakeel Afridi in July 2010. RAUF/AFP/GettyImages

This was the week when the US and Pakistan were supposed to start patching things up. Instead, it has ended in a new round of mutual recriminations, including a rare bipartisan bout of indignation from the US Senate.

Just as the US and Nato are trying to sketch out long-term strategy to keep Afghanistan stable once most troops leave at the end of 2014, the never-ending downward spiral in US-Pakistan ties is casting those plans into ever-further doubt.

The latest signs of ill-feeling came as a Senate committee voted unanimously on Thursday evening to cut $33m from next year’s foreign aid budget for Pakistan; $1m for every year in the jail sentence that Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi was awarded earlier this week. Read more

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Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign affairs, Pakistan, US foreign policy |
From FT.com March 26, 2012

By Gideon Rachman

Five years ago the Americans were refusing to speak to the Taliban. Now the Taliban are refusing to speak to the Americans. That is a measure of how the balance of power has shifted in Afghanistan. The western intervention there has failed. As Nato prepares to withdraw from the country in 2014, it is only the scale of the defeat that remains to be determined. Read more

Posted in Afghanistan |
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