Iraq: 20 years after the invasion
1′ Alissa J. Rubin, “20 Years After U.S. Invasion, Iraq Is a Freer Place, but Not a Hopeful One; Conversations with dozens of Iraqis offer…
Alissa J. Rubin
In France, Hollande government assumes some of the powers of a police state
France has extended the Executive’s emergency powers under a “state of exception” or “état d’urgence”, which gives the police unchecked powers not–subject to judicial review–including…
The real problem with U.S. policy toward Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai and the CIA
It is sometimes stunning to observe how journalists at leading U.S. newspapers can write about some recent action Hamid Karzai has taken against U.S. interests…
Corrupt-istan Update: Karzai’s Brazen Defiance
When someone like Karzai persistently directs lies and insults against you, while you are funding the very security that enables him to stay in power, you must either stand up and burst the bonds of a dependent and abusive relationship, or suffer the consequencdes of being a wimp.
In this case, the consequnces of being a wimp are likely to be the continued loss of American and Allied lives and treasure, to no avail, and eventually the collapse of the Afghan government.
Fighting corruption and other challenges in Dexter Filkins’ Corrupt-istan
To the Observer, the idea of trying to make Karzai a more central player in efforts to root out corruption in his own government sounds like giving Al Capone a more central role in cleaning up Chicago.
Intelligence Matters: In Afghanistan, Karzai Ousts Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and Intelligence Chief Amrullah Saleh
DEVELOPING STORY Hamid Karzai has ousted the two top intelligence officials in his government, on the stated ground that they failed to prevent the Taliban…
Afghanistan: Controversy Over Live TV Coverage of Attacks, Deafening Silence on Karzai’s Electoral Coup
The government of Hamid Karzai has proposed a ban on live television coverage of militant attacks and active security operations in response. In the meantime,…