There may be a responsible way to fight the Islamic State, but the U.S. will have to leave its boots in the closet and the drones in the hangar.
How to Confront ISIS
read more
Insurgency
Five Lies Washington Tells Itself about the Middle East
Five bedrock delusions keep America mired in the Middle East, to everyone’s detriment.
Accountability and Insurgency in Afghanistan
Although the war in Afghanistan—with its tally of U.S. combat deaths now exceeding 2,000—has largely faded from the news, it is useful to consider why the conflict is so intractable. Why has a campaign that initially seemed so hopeful resulted in a country that is politically fractured and increasingly deadly for Afghans and foreign militaries alike?
Method to the Madness of Iraqi Insurgents’ Mindless Violence
You’d think that insurgents who strike out at both Shia and Sunni would alienate most Middle-Easterners, but they may know what they’re doing.
The Costs of War
Five years ago the United States attacked and occupied Iraq. It has lost militarily, politically and morally. The end of the war may be in sight. But the consequences will endure, as will the deep-seated impulse among America’s leaders for global intervention without constraint.
KQED Forum: Iraqi Elections
Adapted from a session of KQED’s Forum hosted by Michael Krasny. Four guests from across the political spectrum debate the meaning of the results of the elections and the future of Iraq and U.S. military involvement there.
Can the Iraqi Insurgency be Neutralized?
In the wake of the 2,000th U.S. soldier dying because of the Iraq War, the Bush administration has begun to count the number of Iraqi dead and captured. These metrics, reminiscent of those used in the Vietnam War, will be touted by the administration as an indicator of success for military operations and to give the impression that the insurgency can be neutralized.
Iraq: Stop Intervening in the Civil War
While the news media have covered every twist and turn in the negotiations over a constitution, it has largely ignored the most important development in Iraq since the January 2005 election – the emergence of a sectarian civil war between Sunnis and Shiites.