The debate about drones continues on the pages of Cato Unbound. You can check out the site and become part of the conversation here. In my most recent posting I counter Daniel Goure’s assertion that drones do not increase the temptation to intervene militarily. I and many others have argued to the contrary, that drones [...]
Archive for the ‘Afghanistan/Pakistan’ Category
Drones and the human cost of war
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, Drones on January 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »
License to Kill
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, tagged counterterrorism policy, drone, panetta, political solutions on January 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Do drone weapons make war more likely? Evidence suggests that countries may indeed be more inclined to use military force when they have highly accurate weapons that can be used without risking the lives of their service members. Drone warfare has become a centerpiece of U.S. counterterrorism policy. Secretary of Defense Panetta has called drone [...]
Why not give peace a chance in Afghanistan?
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan on November 9, 2011 | 2 Comments »
If there is no military solution to end the war in Afghanistan, as many agree, then a negotiated political agreement is the only way out. So what’s being done to advance the peace process? Very little, according to everyone we interviewed on a recent research trip to Kabul. The Kabul government’s peace and reconciliation process, [...]
Just Back from Kabul II: Women’s Rights
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Women's Rights on November 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Real progress has been achieved over the past decade in improving the status of Afghan women, especially in the areas of education and health care. Girls and women are now able to go to school and many are taking advantage of that opportunity. Access to health services and maternal care has improved substantially across the country. [...]
Just Back from Kabul
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, Women's Rights on October 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Last week I traveled to Afghanistan as part of a delegation from the Dutch development agency Cordaid. I was there to update the findings of our report last year, Afghan Women Speak, and learn how the security transition and initial stages of Western troop withdrawal are affecting the prospects for peace and human rights. Entering [...]
Debating Drones: Convenient Killing?
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, Drones on October 21, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Last week I was on The News Hour debating the question of drone weapons. Drone technology is spreading rapidly. As many as 50 countries are developing or purchasing these systems, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Even non-state actors are involved. Hezbollah reportedly has deployed an Iranian-designed drone. Iran is developing a new drone warcraft with [...]
Afghanistan’s Funding Failure
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan on September 26, 2011 | 2 Comments »
The government of Afghanistan and its armed forces are almost totally dependent on outside funding and could not survive without massive outside financial support from the United States and other donors. This was confirmed in a revealing report issued last week from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report was released quietly, but it [...]
Time to Face the Facts in Afghanistan
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan on September 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
General David Rodriguez, recent commander of international forces in Afghanistan, claims in the current issue of Foreign Affairs that American troops have achieved “indisputable gains everywhere we have focused our efforts.” There are clear signs, the General writes, that U.S. and Afghan forces have “regained the initiative” and that the current counterinsurgency strategy is working. [...]
Reflections on the 10th anniversary
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Counterterrorism, Iraq and Iran, Nonviolence on September 9, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I’ve been invited to The Hague this week by the International Center on Counter-Terrorism for the presentation “Reflecting on the Effects of Counter-Terrorism Measures since 9/11: A Civil Society Perspective.” My talk focuses on the erosion of political freedom and human rights in many parts of the world resulting from repressive counter-terrorism measures. It feels [...]
Henry Kissinger against war?
Posted in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Peace History on June 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
President Obama will announce soon the beginning of US troop withdrawals from Afghanistan. This is a crucial turning point for American foreign policy. Many of us are urging the President to make a substantial reduction as part of a coherent transition strategy to enhance security in the region. Even Henry Kissinger is now discussing the [...]
