The upcoming Afghan runoff election has some hoping for a popularly elected legitimate government. However, most Afghans don't like their options enough to vote, and it will be easy for officials to fabricate the results.
The cultural misunderstandings between Western forces and the Afghan people make it unlikely any counterinsurgency mission in the countryside will succeed.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's upcoming visit to the U.S. will bolster prospects for long-term bilateral cooperation, especially on such issues as globalization, terrorism, and nuclear nonproliferation.
India is home to a number of dissident Hindu extremist groups, who aim to set up parallel regional governments to satisfy their ethno-religious fanaticism, and who are often comparable to radical Islamist groups. These extremists are increasingly resorting to violence as a means for change.
A Taliban victory in Afghanistan would enable al-Qaeda to use Afghan cities as a base. The United States can prevent that outcome by changing its military strategy and by helping to build a strong Afghan state.
Public debate on sending troops to Afghanistan is focused on the wrong issue. The United States needs to abandon its current strategy and instead prioritize securing the cities and key roads.
The United States must look beyond short-term goals if it hopes to maintain its economic vitality in Asia. Its regional stake will be challenged by China, whose relative rise has been accelerated by its effective response to the global crisis.
Afghanistan's hybrid form of governance, which draws on a mix of formal institutions and warlord-administered informal power, may be the only viable model for Afghanistan at present.
The Taliban should not be underestimated. They are an organized and coordinated enemy, and the United States must change its strategy if there is to be any hope of success.
President Hamid Karzai has placed many warlords in positions of authority. Their use of informal powers has proven to be successful in areas ranging from security and reconstruction to counternarcotics.