What Was the War About?

by James A. Russell The sight of Afghans lining up in droves on April 5 to cast their ballots braving threats of violence offers us some heartening images in a world that seems awash in bad news with Russia’s destructive… Continue Reading

The CIA-SSCI Feud and US Capacity for Self-Reflection in the “War on Terror”

by Derek Davison The CIA and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) have been embroiled for several weeks in a dispute over the declassification of a sweeping Senate report, the product of an investigation into the George W. Bush-era CIA’s so-called “enhanced interrogation” program. The SSCI’s… Continue Reading

Dealing with Defeat in Afghanistan

by Charles Naas President Barack Obama and the United Nations have again warned President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan that, unless he signs a bilateral security agreement, which gives all foreign troops complete immunity from Afghan law, these troops will be withdrawn at… Continue Reading

Drone Strikes on the Decline?

by Tyler Cullis The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that January was the first month without a U.S. drone strike in the Pakistani tribal areas since 2011. The Washington Post argues that this is the result of a request from Pakistan’s government after ongoing… Continue Reading

Drones Aplenty

How the White House Flung the Door Wide Open by Tyler Cullis It is a trope among foreign policy elites that the Obama administration lacks a coherent strategy for dealing with conflict and chaos in the Middle East and South… Continue Reading