Monday, February 18, 2013

Commentators, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 18, 2013

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chester Thomson runs up an embankment during a security patrol in a remote village of Khowst province, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2013. Thomson is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division’s Troop B, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Zach Holden

The Afghan Endgame -- Frederick W. Kagan and Kimberly Kagan, Weekly Standard

President Obama’s decision to withdraw another 34,000 troops from Afghanistan over the course of the next year is unwise. It greatly increases the risk of mission failure in that important conflict, jeopardizing gains already made in the Taliban heartland in the south and compromising the ability of Afghan and coalition forces to finish the fight against the Haqqani Network in the east. It also increases the risk that al Qaeda will be able to reestablish itself in limited safe havens in Afghanistan over time. Removing troops and capabilities before Afghanistan’s next presidential election, scheduled for April 2014, further exacerbates the danger that Afghanistan might collapse into renewed ethnic civil war.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Hezbollah Unmasked -- Thomas E. Donilon, New York Times

Death of a General: Top Iranian killed in Syria -- Amir Taheri, New York Post

What Obama faces in Israel -- Barry Rubin, Jerusalem Post

The collapse of Al-Jazeera's credibility
-- Ghaffar Hussain, The Commentator

Another massacre in Quetta
-- Khaleej Times

EU-US Trade Talks : Southern European States Put on the Brakes -- Gregor Peter Schmitz, Spiegel Online

The Strange Return of Hugo Chavez
-- Ben Cohen, Commentary

Red-letter weekend for Latin America's left as Correa wins reelection and Chavez returns home -- Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor

Venezuela's Chavez ruining the country
-- Joel Brinkley, SFGate

Why Latin America Wouldn't Torture for America -- Greg Grandin, Real Clear World

Are We Still at War? Congress should update its military-force authorization. -- Andrew C. McCarthy, NRO

No comments: