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.
Important as preventing nuclear proliferation is, it’s second to nuclear risk.
New hospitals and air bases built in Georgia have led to speculation they’re to support U.S. attack on Iran.
In September 2011, Vladimir Putin announced a program to begin offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in the Russian Arctic. Putin is also interested in creating new sea terminals, which he said would rival the Suez and Panama Canals. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas lay beneath the Arctic Seas. The United States, Canada, Norway, Greenland, and Russia, which make up the Arctic 5, are each interested in tapping these Arctic energy reserves.
Complicated historic grievances between groups or inconvenient timing are no justification to fail to act against genocide.
Many countries have contributed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction. But it’s only been since 2007 that China has attracted attention with its investments. In November 2007, the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) won the tender to invest over $2.9 billion to develop the Aynak copper mine, which is the second-largest copper deposit in the world. This was not only the second-largest investment in Afghanistan in recent years – equivalent to one-third of all foreign aid spent in the country between 2002 and 2007 – but it also raised China to the top tier of investors. In a more recent deal in October 2011, the PetroChina Company Ltd (CPNC) plans to invest about $300 million in three oil fields in northern Afghanistan.
The United States attacks rescuers of its own drone attacks as well as mourners at funerals of their victims.
Pakistan walks a tightrope between the United States and the Taliban.
The Project for Government Oversight appeals to Secretary of Defense Panetta to cease deploying U.S. nuclear weapons to Europe.