Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 29, 2014

A U.S. soldier from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment waits for a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after an advising mission at the Afghan National Army headquarters for the 203rd Corps in the Paktia province of Afghanistan on Dec. 21, 2014. Lucas Jackson—Reuters

War In Afghanistan Officially Over. Does That Mean End Of Fighting For US? -- Anna Mulrine, CSM

Although combat operations ended Sunday, America will continue advisory and counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan. The ongoing international military campaign will have some 13,000 service members, most of them US troops.

Washington — The US military officially ended its combat operations in Afghanistan in a small Sunday ceremony that made it clear that NATO was not interested in calling a great deal of attention to the occasion.

With the new name of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel – it’s no longer Operation Enduring Freedom – the ongoing military campaign will now consist of some 13,000 service members, most of them US troops.

“For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan,” President Obama said in a statement. Now, he said, “our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 29, 2014

The Forever War Was Supposed to End This Year. Instead, Obama Doubled Down. -- Jessica Schulberg, New Republic

America’s Uneasy Path Abroad in 2015 -- Ian Bremmer, Time

If you thought things were bad this year, wait until 2015 -- Tony Karon, The National

The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan -- Umar Farooq, Daily Beast

Pakistan’s New Leaf? -- Brahma Chellaney, Project Syndicate

The Geopolitics of South Asian Political Stability -- Akhilesh Pillalamarri, The Diplomat

Russian Rublette -- Matthew Stevenson, New Geography

Russia's Natural Gas Sales Plummet: Is Russia Captive To European Buyers? -- Paul Roderick Gregory, Forbes

Trouble ahead? Europe winces as Greece fails to find a president. -- Sara Miller Llana, CSM

Cuba-US detente upends life for Cuban dissidents -- Michael Weissenstein and Andrea Rodriguez, AP

Iraq Could Be Oil Market Linchpin -- Nick Cunningham. OilPrice.com

Here is how low oil prices will shake things up in 2015 -- Steve Levine, Quartz

World economy: Past and future tense -- The Economist

Do buffer zones deter wars? -- Lionel Beehner, USA Today

Why planes don't live stream data -- Logan Whiteside, CNN

Are airlines keeping us safe? The fate of AirAsia flight is once again raising questions about air safety. -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera