It’s not that Afghans are inherently untrustworthy. Rather, the United States has put them in an untenable position. They must choose between supporting unpalatable insiders and unpalatable outsiders.
But it’s actually worse than this.
Nearly a decade into the Afghanistan war, foreign forces continue to demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of Islamic culture.
Apparently, national security is like money: you can never have too much.
It takes an irrational actor to know one.
The Obama administration’s opposition to arming the opposition in Syria appears to be weakening.
On February 24, representatives from the United States and North Korea will meet for the first time since talks halted following the death of Kim Jong-il in December. Shortly after talks broke off, the two sides were reportedly close to brokering a deal that would have seen the DPRK halt uranium enrichment in return for much needed food aid. Such a deal would have represented a major diplomatic breakthrough, particularly in light of the tumultuous events of the last year and a half and a major step towards restarting the Six Party Talks. However, the death of Kim Jong-il prevented finalization of the agreement as North Korea inevitably shifted all its focus to ensuring the stability of the regime now centered on Kim Jong-il’s third son and heir, Kim Jong-un.
The evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons doesn’t exist. But what if it did?
Wars are fought because some people decide it is in their interests to fight them. World War I was not started over the Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination, nor was it triggered by the alliance system. An “incident” may set the stage for war, but no one keeps shooting unless they think it’s a good idea. The Great War started because the countries involved decided they would profit by it, delusional as that conclusion was.
Important as preventing nuclear proliferation is, it’s second to nuclear risk.
The prospect of steep nuclear arms cuts, no matter how unlikely, has conservatives in an uproar.