Five Myths to Dispel About An Afghan Peace
Five Myths to Dispel About An Afghan Peace by Christopher Kolenda, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Peace in Afghanistan is possible, but first the parties need to let go of five pernicious myths.
- Those serious about peace will immediately stop violence...
- The Afghan government and Taliban need a power-sharing deal…
- Preconditions separate the reconcilable from the irreconcilable…
- Pakistan can force the Taliban to sue for peace…
- The initiative is with the Taliban…
Analysts Say New, Old Challenges Shifting Pacific Military Power Against U.S.
Analysts Say New, Old Challenges Shifting Pacific Military Power Against U.S. by Paul Alexander, Stars & Stripes
The regional balance of power in the Pacific is slipping away from the U.S. because President Barack Obama’s “pivot” to Asia has been hampered by budget cuts, lack of clear policy goals and China’s willingness to take risks to assert territorial claims, a new U.S. study warns.
That trend has been accelerated by North Korea’s continued provocations, Russia’s growing interest in the region and the threat from the Islamic State that has drawn away U.S. military assets, according to a report prepared for the Defense Department by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
Unless the trend is reversed, the report warned that the South China Sea will be “virtually a Chinese lake” by 2030, capable of “overawing … lesser powers.”
“Actions by countries in the region routinely challenge the credibility of U.S. security commitments, and U.S. capability development is not keeping pace with challenges by potential competitors, resulting in the regional balance of military power shifting against the United States,” the report said…