Afghanistan Archive

Looks like the Chinese have been paying attention to U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, because construction of this hydroelectric station as part of a poverty-relief program in Xianjing, home to a Muslim insurgency, is certainly sound “hearts and minds” practice. Looks like the U.S. military’s evangelical community in Bagram hasn’t been paying attention to U.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, because distributing Bibles and planning conversion strategies in Afghanistan, home to a Muslim insurgency, is certainly not sound “hearts and minds” practice.

Back in March, Joshua Foust wrote a WPR feature article (sub. req.) examining counterinsurgency in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan. Today, over at his Registan.net haunts, he follows up on some more recent developments. I liked this quote from a Stars and Stripes article he cites: “When you can conduct your operations without shooting any bullets,it’s a good criteria of success,” said Col. Nicolas Le Nen, the Frenchcommander. Reason for cautious optimism, which is good news. If nothing else, Afghanistan will have done wonders for mutual respect between the U.S. and French militaries, because from what I’ve read, there’s quite a bit […]

The top item at President Barack Obama’s two-day mini-summit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani leader Asif Ali Zardari at the White House this week will be “cooperation.” The agenda is also likely to include a pile of other challenges now facing South Asia — like the 40 percent spike in civilian deaths in Afghanistan last year, the popular backlash in Pakistan against the United States’ use of drone missile attacks, and the floor-to-ceiling corruption that pervades President Karzai’s government. With all that to talk about, maybe the summit should last the whole week. Because the three men would […]