Transition of power in Afghanistan won’t just run on some pre-determined calendar schedule arranged by outside forces. This is a messy and difficult battle and Afghans still need training, writes Russell Robinson.
War in Afghanistan
Mungo MacCallum: Gillard’s safe but her ability to legislate isn’t
Julia Gillard can afford to be reasonably satisfied with the first week of the rest of her government. But the crossbenchers are ready and eager to exploit their temporary power bases, particularly on climate change and the war in Afghanistan.
Support the Afghanistan troops by bringing them home
Australian troops could simply pack up and leave Afghanistan, as other countries have done, and no-one else will much notice or care. It’s a better idea than escalating the military action.
Killing civilians then keeping their fingers as momentos
Chilling new video of a US solider being interviewed, talking about Afghanistan civilians being killed for sport and then dismembering their corpses, emerged in the US this week. What will happen now to the war in Afghanistan?
USA: now at war with Pakistan?
Officially the US and its international troops in Afghanistan are not fighting a war in Pakistan. But with air strikes launching into Pakistan last week, Pakistan is angry with the cross-border invasion. The Atlantic Wire wraps the latest.
The benefits of Ahmadinejad
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gets a lot of — rightly deserved — flak from the Western media. But Esquire offers up five reasons why Ahmadinejad is good, like he could help stabilise Afghanistan and also serves as constant comedy fodder.
The US “kill team” killing civilians
A dozen US soldiers are currently under court-martial proceedings for horrific abuse to civilians they were supposedly protecting in Afghanistan, including killing them and then maiming the corpses. What went wrong with the US troops?
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The book the Pentagon doesn’t want you to read
A former US spy’s memoir revealing the poor handling of the Afghanistan War and how the US military stuffed it up, called Operation Dark Heart, is so damaging to the Pentagon that it is buying all 10,000 copies in order to pulp them.
Australia starts punching in the right weight division
With long US-led wars involving Australian troops, our role in East Timor’s independence and China as a rising military power in Asia, Brian Toohey examines where Australia’s power now stands in the Asia-Pacific region.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: honour killings of women keep the war off the front page
Though we condemn the horrific floggings and prospect of stonings in Iran, similar laws in Saudi Arabia, our political and military ally, attract no attention.
Obama: Don’t pop the champagne just yet
As US involvement winds down in Iraq, with troops staying on predominantly in training and advisory roles, President Obama has warned that America remains a far cry from “mission accomplished.”
6 out of 10 Americans want the war to end
Opposition to the Afghanistan war is no longer just a liberal issue in the US. As US troops leave Iraq, will the Afghanistan conflict be ended shortly as well?
Should we still be in Afghanistan?
The two Australian soldiers killed on the weekend take Australia’s death toll in Afghanistan to 20. The Greens — who are likely to hold the balance of power — are now calling for a parliamentary debate into Australia’s involvement in the war.
Time cover sparks war and publishing debates
Time Magazine’s recent controversial cover depicting an 18-year-old Afghan woman without a nose has fueled debates about the Afghanistan war and the ethics of publishing hard-hitting photographs.
Gillard wants answers on WikiLeaks’ Australian troop info
Julia Gillard has ordered the Defence Department to establish a taskforce to examine the impact of the Wikileaks Afghan War Diary on the Australian Defence Force, writes Luke Miller.
The WikiLeaks documents are hardly The Pentagon Papers
Some commentators have likened the Afghanistan WikiLeaks documents to Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers leak in the 70’s but very little about the Afghanistan “revelations” are surprising, says Fred Kaplan.
Washington changes tune on talks with Taliban
The official line from the White House is that America does not negotiate with the Taliban. Behind the scenes, however, attitudes are shifting and the Obama administration are exploring options to negotiate through third parties.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: How much for carbon?
Crikey readers weigh in on carbon prices — how much should it be? Plus, why exactly Australia is fighting a war over in Afghanistan and did we get it wrong on our Paul the octopus scoop?
Crikey Says: Telling the truth on Afghanistan
As casualty numbers go up, and community support goes down, it’s worth reminding ourselves again why Australia is losing lives and spending billions in a far-away-land called Afghanistan …
Lessons of Vietnam continue to ring true for Obama
The strength of pro-war sentiment in the GOP was demonstrated by the angry reaction to Last week Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele’s bid for the anti-war vote.
Hitchens on Iraq: once more, with feeling
There is something pitiable about the end of General Stanley McChrystal’s career in the wake of his controversial Rolling Stone interview. McChrystal ought to be sent back to Baghdad for one final mission before he retires, writes Christopher Hitchens.
PHOTO GALLERY: Afghanistan’s deadliest month yet
This June proved to be the most deadly month for foreign troops in Afghanistan ever since the war began a decade ago. Which means lots of sad photos of grieving families from all sides of the war.
Gillard government sails past Afghanistan exit strategy
Julia Gillard reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to the war in Afghanistan less than 24 hours after becoming PM. The government appear to be uninterested in an exit strategy - just like the public and the media, writes Kellie Tranter.
Splits fracture the G20
When it comes to Iran sanctions, withdrawing from Afghanistan and international aid, many of the G20 and G8 leaders are divided over what should be done.
Meet the new US Commander to Afghanistan
The Rolling Stone article on Stanley McChrystal, the top US Commander to Afghanistan, managed to lose McChrystal his job and now General David Petraeus has taken over. Was he the right choice?
