Topic: Anthony Cordesman
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Backchannels Taliban attacks in Afghanistan not down after all
The NATO-led coalition said a data entry error led to a claim last week that Taliban attacks had fallen 7 percent last year. In fact, there's little change. So what did we get for the surge?
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As Obama meets Karzai, future troop level in Afghanistan isn't only big issue
The meeting Friday at the White House between Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai may lay a foundation for the coming year's negotiations over US role in the country after 2014.
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US 'fully committed' in Afghanistan, Panetta says. But no troops after 2014?
Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets with President Obama Friday in the wake of a 'zero option' being floated for US troops. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Mr. Karzai met at the Pentagon Thursday.
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Mitt Romney wants to arm Syrian rebels: What are the risks?
Extremist elements, some affiliated with Al Qaeda, appear to be playing a growing role in the fight against the Assad regime, posing a challenge to proposals, such as Romney's, to arm the Syrian rebels.
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Afghanistan: Why don't we leave now?
The rise in attacks by Afghan forces against Western troops is threatening US-Afghan military cooperation – a key reason to stay until 2014. The trend could affect the US exit strategy.
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Terrorism & Security Aleppo on the verge of full-scale battle as UN vote on Syria looms
The UN warned that the long-building battle for Aleppo is 'about to start' in earnest. Kofi Annan blasted UN Security Council inaction on Syria as he stepped down as peace envoy yesterday.
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Backchannels Deadly Iraq bombings and a reawakening insurgency
The Iraq war is over for the US, and the country is a more stable place than at the height of its civil war. But the Sunni insurgency never really died, and Syria is adding some fuel.
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US sends troops to Yemen as Al Qaeda gains ground
Civil unrest in Yemen has enabled Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which perpetrated the foiled underwear bomb plot, to expand its reach. US troops are arriving to train Yemeni soldiers.
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Defending Afghanistan: are Afghan forces ready?
An extended occupation and ever-shifting objectives could leave Afghanistan shakier in 2014 than when US-led forces arrived.
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Afghanistan massacre: How rising tensions could cost Obama politically
The tragic killing of the villagers is likely to complicate US efforts to negotiate future bilateral relations with Afghanistan. It's also a potential stain on Obama's foreign policy record.
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In event of an Iran-Israel showdown, what would US military do?
Iran was top of the agenda Monday at the Obama-Netanyahu meeting. A recent war game gave US military officials a sense of the threat exposure from operating in a narrow waterway such as the Strait of Hormuz, off Iran's coast.
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Backchannels Afghan troops keep killing US troops
Two more US soldiers were killed in a gunfight with an Afghan soldier today, bringing the total to six Americans killed in incidents since Qurans were burned at a US base.
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Special Forces in Afghanistan: not just taking out terrorists anymore
As conventional forces withdraw from Afghanistan, US Special Forces will take the lead in training Afghan soldiers and police – a task that takes Special Forces back to their roots.
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Reports on Afghanistan war too rosy? Army officer, others say yes.
An Army officer sets the Pentagon, Capitol Hill buzzing with a published complaint that US military leaders are not being honest about slow progress in the Afghanistan war. He's not the only doubter.
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US Navy rescues Iranians from Somali pirates – no 'thank you' expected
A US Navy search-and-seizure team rescued the crew of an Iranian fishing vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates in November. Maybe Iran will send a fruit basket.
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New Pentagon strategy recasts military in Obama's image (VIDEO)
The new Pentagon strategy unveiled Thursday is aimed at trimming defense spending. But Obama took the opportunity to overhaul the military's priorities so they match his own.
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Obama hails end of Iraq war, but is it a victory for Iran? (VIDEO)
President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met in Washington Monday to mark the approaching end of the Iraq war. But Iran is happy to see US troops go and will bear watching.
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What secrets can Iran learn from intercepted US drone?
A missing US drone may indeed be in Iranian hands, experts say. Just studying its futuristic wedge shape could prove helpful for those trying to exploit US military technology.
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A decade on, what can the US accomplish in Afghanistan?
As senior US officials head to a major meeting on Afghanistan this coming week, underlying their talks will be a simple question: what can Washington hope to accomplish there with fewer troops, less money, and less time?
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After war in Iraq, Biden heralds new era of US involvement
Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise trip to Baghdad yesterday to honor US sacrifices in the war in Iraq.
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After NATO strike, can US-Pakistan relations be patched up one more time? (VIDEO)
Pakistan announced it was closing its borders permanently to the transport of NATO supplies into Afghanistan. The move was one more retaliatory measure in a long-troubled relationship.
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Palestinian statehood: why Arabs have turned on Obama
A year ago, President Obama wowed the United Nations General Assembly by announcing that he looked forward to welcoming an independent Palestine into the community of nations in 12 months. Yet there he was last week, explaining why he would veto a Palestinian statehood bid in the UN Security Council. Mr. Obama, who made Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority from the outset of his administration, is now the US leader with incongruously bad relations with the Arab world. Here are three key causes of the deterioration in relations – and three steps that the United States can take to mend ties.
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US Embassy attack raises concerns of a shift in Taliban strategy
The US Embassy attack and others around Kabul cause few casualties but may signal the Taliban's desire to engage in a politically and psychologically effective war of attrition.
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Has Obama's approach to Libya been vindicated?
Only weeks ago, some critics were complaining that the White House appeared to have involved the nation in another endless conflict. But others pushed for more forceful US intervention in Libya.
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In Afghanistan war, Navy SEALs and special ops playing more central role
Navy SEALs and special operations forces are not being withdrawn from Afghanistan war at the same rate as other forces, meaning their duties in the region will only grow. With the Aug. 6 helicopter shoot-down, the SEALs lost 1 percent of their operational population.
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