Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 21, 2009

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Erik Buendia meets with local Afghan national police officers at their police station in Kohi Safi district, Afghanistan, Sept. 6, 2009. Buendia is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company B, Special Troops Battalion. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade

US Wins Minds, Afghan Hearts Are Lost -- Ann Jones, Asia Times

The big Afghanistan debate in Washington is not over whether more troops are needed, but just who they should be: Americans or Afghans - "us" or "them". Having just spent time in Afghanistan seeing how things stand, I wouldn't bet on "them".

Frankly, I wouldn't bet on "us" either. In eight years, American troops have worn out their welcome. Their very presence now incites opposition, but that's another story. It's "them" - the Afghans - I want to talk about.

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COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS

U.S. now wary of Afghanistan mission -- Salim Mansur

Invite Russia to the war -- Daniel Gallington, Washington Times

Back to Bagram -- New York Times editorial

Now, ‘Reset’ With the Poles and Czechs -- Mark Brzezinski, New York Times

Our Missile-Defense Race Against Iran -- Ilan Berman, Wall Street Journal

For the Benefit of All (Missile Defense) -- Alexander A. Pikayev, Moscow Times

Of Polish Angst and NATO -- Roger Cohen, New York Times opinion

Did America betray us? Or it was just Obama? -- Michal Wisniewski, American Thinker

The War on Terror Goes On -- Wall Street Journal editorial

Iran's Allies Have Reached the Tipping Point -- Tariq Alhomayed, Asharq Alawsat

Last Chance for Iran -- Daniel R. Coats, Charles S. Robb and Charles F. Wald, Washington Post

India, America: Looking Beyond the Nuclear Deal -- Siddharth Srivastava, Asia Sentinel

Why the US Needs Africa -- Paul Kagame, Washington Post opinion

Time to stop being chicken and talk about China -- Bill Emmott, Times Online

Is South America in an Arms Race? -- Nadja Drost, Global Post