Topic: Anthony Cordesman

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Palestinian statehood: why Arabs have turned on Obama

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Tough US question for Pakistan: How did Osama bin Laden hide in plain sight?

The positive spin emanating from Pakistan and the US after Osama bin Laden's death barely masks the recent lack of cooperation and deep mistrust between the countries.
Why Obama agreed to unleash Predator drones on Qaddafi forces

President Obama has approved the use of Predator drones in Libya. The drones represent a 'unique' capability that NATO needed in an increasingly urban war, Pentagon officials say.
US aid to Libyan rebels: How effective are nonlethal supplies?

As NATO allies send military advisers to Libyan rebels, Obama approves direct US aid in the form of nonlethal supplies. Will that be enough to prevent a humanitarian disaster?
Will Libya stalemate force US out of its back-seat role?

Pressure rises on the Obama administration to take action in Libya. Officials weigh the humanitarian costs of holding back against the economic and political costs of action.
US Air Force chief: Libya no-fly zone would be too little, too late

Many experts agree with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who told Congress Thursday that a no-fly zone in Libya 'would not be sufficient.' But there are other options short of putting troops on the ground, which President Obama has ruled out.
Pentagon's quiet shift on Afghanistan war: Maybe safe havens aren't crucial

For years, the Pentagon has stressed the importance to the Afghanistan war of eradicating safe havens for the Taliban and other insurgents in Pakistan. Now, it's easing off those claims.
US faces difficult situation in Bahrain, home to US Fifth Fleet

The US has important strategic interests in Bahrain, including the US Navy's Fifth Fleet – patrolling oil shipping lanes, keeping an eye on Iran, and involved with the war in Afghanistan. But US officials also worry about Bahrain's violent response to pro-democracy demonstrators.
US-Egyptian military ties: How much leverage does the Pentagon have?

The Egyptian military could play a pivotal role in resolving the crisis, but the Pentagon must weigh carefully how hard a line it wants to take with its Egyptian counterparts.
Regime vs. protesters: Which will Obama back in Arab world?

It's a tricky moment for the US, as demand for reform spreads in the Arab world from Tunisia and Lebanon to Egypt and Yemen. Obama appears to be taking a dual track of backing the street protesters as well as regimes willing to undertake reforms.
WikiLeaks list of 'critical' sites: Is it a 'menu for terrorists'?

WikiLeaks releases a 'secret' US diplomatic cable on 'critical infrastructure' around the world. Was it an overlong 'raw list' of obvious key sites, or a menu for 'every extremist group in the world'?
New Afghan war plans could cost US taxpayers an extra $125 billion

At the NATO summit, President Obama's push to soften troop withdrawal deadlines could bring remaining war costs to $413 billion, according to one independent analyst.
Deadly Baghdad church siege highlights threat to Iraqi Christians

At least 37 people were killed when Iraqi forces stormed a Baghdad church that was seized Sunday afternoon by Al Qaeda-linked gunmen.
Rogue security companies threaten US gains in Afghanistan war

The Pentagon is dependent upon contractors in the Afghanistan war. But many of the security companies are undermining – or even working against –the US war effort.
NATO backs Taliban talks: Sign of a shift in Afghanistan war?

NATO said Thursday that it is allowing Taliban leaders to travel to Kabul for talks with the government, suggesting that the West might be considering new options in the Afghanistan war.
How arms deals are shaping the Mideast

A record U.S. arms deal with Saudi Arabia is part of an effort to put pressure on Iran, partly by strengthening alliances with oil-rich neighbors also concerned by Iran's rise.
Blockbuster US arms sale to Saudi Arabia: Will it deter Iran?

The Pentagon says the largest sale ever of US arms, worth more than $60 billion, is aimed at bolstering Saudi Arabia on a number of fronts, Yemen included. While the threat from Iran appears to be the main motivation for the sale, its deterrent effect won't be known for some time.
'Mission accomplished'? Joe Biden gives upbeat assessment of Iraq.

Vice President Joe Biden told the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Indianapolis on Monday that ‘politics, not war, has broken out in Iraq.’ But experts caution against excessive optimism.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks: Why are they resuming now?

The short answer may be that an Israeli freeze on settlement construction is set to expire soon. But other Israeli-Palestinian factors may be at work, too.
WikiLeaks: Why classify mundane data?

WikiLeaks released 92,000 pages of classified documents on Sunday, but much of it has viewers wondering why it needed to be kept secret in the first place. Yet there may be compelling reasons, say others.
Afghanistan war: Are Afghan forces loyal enough to take control by 2014?

The beheadings of six Afghan police have raised questions about the true loyalties of some Afghan forces during a crash program to recruit and train more locals in the Afghanistan war.
Gen. David Petraeus takes over in Afghanistan: Will it make a difference?

Gen. David Petraeus, who replaced ousted Gen. Stanley McChrystal, is a widely respected officer who wrote the Army's counterinsurgency manual and helped craft US policy in Afghanistan.
McChrystal Rolling Stone remarks spotlight Afghanistan withdrawal timeline

General McChrystal's Rolling Stone remarks, which were critical of US officials, have turned the spotlight on disputes over Afghanistan withdrawal timeline.
For good of Afghanistan war, US seeks truce with Hamid Karzai

The US and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have sniping at each other as a new Afghanistan war offensive nears. But the Obama administration offered an olive branch Sunday.
In Marjah, Afghanistan, allied offensive going well so far

But in many ways, the harder part is still ahead. In the 'clear-hold-build' counterinsurgency strategy under Obama and his top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the 'hold' phase - sustaining security - is much more difficult.
New study argues war deaths are often overestimated

A new study, the Human Security Report, argues that politics and fund-raising priorities often lead to overestimates of war deaths, touching off a controversy among the researchers who work on the issue.