Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- June 28, 2011

OPERATION ZAMROD OLAI - U.K. Royal Marine Sgt. Wayne Jackson talks with en elder during Operation Zamrod Olai in northen Nad'Ali district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 25, 2011. The operation involved inserting U.K. commandos into an area that had previously seen very little presence of coalition and Afghan forces to disrupt insurgent operations and engage with locals. Jackson is a troop sergeant with M Company, 42 Commando. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ross

The Coming Afghan Debacle: The Taliban Is Jubilant At Obama's Strategy. So Is Iran. -- Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal

What does it mean that the U.S. will now be withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan on an accelerated and defined timetable in order to focus, as President Obama said last week, on "nation building here at home"?

It emboldens the Taliban, which thanks to Mr. Obama's surge and David Petraeus's generalship had all but been ousted from its traditional strongholds in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. "My soul, and the soul of thousands of Taliban who have been blown up, are happy," Taliban field commander Jamal Khan told the Daily Beast of his reaction to Mr. Obama's speech. "I had more than 50 encounters with U.S. forces and their technology. But the biggest difference in ending this war was not technology but the more powerful Islamic ideology and religion."

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Obama’s Afghanistan withdrawal: another sign of America's decline? -- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Christian Science Monitor
Push and pull in Obama's withdrawal -- Dinesh Sharma, Asia Times
US aims to turn Afghanistan into neutral zone -- Daniel Dombey and Matthew Green, Financial Times
Understanding the Religious Worldview of the Taliban -- James Fergusson, Huffington Post
In Afghanistan, Obama Is Not Listening to His Commanders -- Michael Goodwin, FOX News
Afghanistan -- A Bridge Too Far -- Eric Margolis, Huffington post
The Insurgency in Afghanistan’s Heartland -- International Crisis Group
The Obama Doctrine Defined -- Abe Greenwald, Commentary

Where al Qaeda Is Winning -- Bruce Riedel, The Daily Beast

Myanmar tilts towards civil war -- Brian McCartan, Asia Times

Is Iran killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq? -- Robert Zeliger, Foreign Policy

Exclusive: EU has Plan B if Greece rejects austerity: sources -- Reuters

And if the Greek bailout fails... -- Teri Schultz, CNN

China should listen to Kissinger: You're on top now, start leading -- Nathan Gardels, Christian Science Monitor

America’s Dangerously Out-of-Date View of China -- Patrick Smith, Fiscal Times

China Plays Nationalism Card? -- Matt Anderson, The Diplomat

A foreign policy of empty slogans -- Gideon Rachman, Financial Times

Obama’s illusory ‘peace dividend’ -- Ed Feulner, The Washington Times

How U.S. Budget Cuts Prolong Global Slavery -- E. Benjamin Skinner, Time