WASHINGTON — It has been eight years since the United States and a coalition of allies first liberated the Afghan people from the horrific grip of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, its terrorist cohorts. It has been a little more than three years since NATO assumed all responsibility for security operations, known as the ISAF [...]

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BERLIN — The new German conservative-liberal government of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her probable future Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will without doubt continue Germany’s commitments in Afghanistan. There is a broad understanding in the government about the negative consequences of a premature reduction or even withdrawal of German troops. The coalition agreement between the two [...]

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WASHINGTON- U.S. General Stanley McChrystal correctly warned — months ago — that unless the international community and its Afghan allies quickly put in place a full-spectrum counterinsurgency strategy to protect the Afghan population while building up Afghan security forces and governing institutions, the conflict there could become unwinnable. Yet victory by the West and its [...]

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