Lots and lots of news:
I recommend you start here, with Mr. Robichaud's interview about security, hostages, and other aspects of Afghanistan.
U.S. Wind and Fury:
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This week I talked about loose lips in the U.S. presidential race that can, well, sink ships of state. My collegue James Nadel at the FPA Elections 2008 blog also covered this, including links to Mr. Obama's clarified position. And Josh Foust picked up the remarks by Ms. Clinton. I missed them earlier: if you also missed them, then here they are.
–Monday's post: U.S. aid will be cut from 10.1 to 4.7 billion; last year's expenditure on poppy eradication was USD 1 billion, and another record-breaking crop is in sight.
–Mr. Karzai comes to Camp David for strategy sessions; he and current President Bush disagree on Iran's role in Afghanistan security and reconstruction. They also disagree on Pakistan's contribution to Afghanistan's stability, with Mr. Karzai most unhappy with Pakistan.
As a result of Mr. Karzai's assessment, more pressure from the U.S. that almost backfires. Mr. Musharraf reluctantly decides against “a state of emergency“.
— Now bilateral Afghanistan/Pakistan talks, which the Taliban calls “a farce.” Still, one has to try.
NATO Friction:
–Edward Gomez blogs that Great Britain isn't happy with U.S. efforts in Afghanistan; Britain's opium eradication plan has failed. There and elsewhere, reports made that one UK general calls for the U.S. to change troop tactics or get the heck out of the way.
–Australia's PM Mr. Howard says Afghanistan has been more dangerous to its troops than Iraq; and the next day, a group of Aussie military engineers ended up in a two-hour battle instead of the reconstruction project they had expected.
–Thanks to Peter Marton's My State Failure blog, I have a good link to what Mr. Wells has written about Canadian and Dutch troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2009 (or earlier?!), and what this means for NATO efforts: “a test for cohesion.”
–Twenty Taliban members killed, two Afghanistani soldiers wounded, four little girls wounded, one U.S. soldier killed in Uruzgan near Force Base Anaconda.
Hostage, Inc.:
–ROK-Taliban talks become formal, with negotiations on venue, and then first meetings. Big hostage dollars to be exchanged.
–The Pakistan Daily Times reports that after Mr. Karzai chided Taliban rebels for kidnapping women, the Taliban offered to trade them for female detainees. . . and that they are offering the hostages a chance to convert to Islam. You can get mad about that exchange, or you can read it for cultural clues and Taliban capability . . . they aren't stupid, and they can play to the audience, yes? This is one of the battles we aren't winning.
–In the meantime, ROK aid workers have been ordered to leave Afghanistan.
Reconstruction and repatriation dilemmas
–What does it mean to be ex-Taliban? A biography of Governor Munib of Uruzgan; and another biography of Mullah Rocketi, translated for us by Mr. Marton.
–Mr. Foust at Registan.net on poppy legalization advocacy and –the economy.
That's enough for now. . . have a great weekend, everyone!
Photos: Borsheim.com (a sculptor)
