Yesterday marked the 11-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, which was launched just three and a half weeks after the 9/11 attacks. Recently, U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan reached the 2,000 mark. These markers—combined with the horror of “insider attacks” by Afghan soldiers against allied fighters—beg an accounting …
During the first presidential debate, President Obama reiterated a policy proposal that barely holds water. His proposal to use so-called war savings from the troop drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan to pay for more domestic spending is nothing short of a budget gimmick. It would also justify continued federal spending …
It’s hard to imagine a worse time to cut defense spending. While new threats emerge around the world, sequestration, mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011, threatens to cut nearly $500 billion from an already slashed defense budget. These impending cuts would have serious repercussions on our military, limiting …
Eleven years ago today, terrorists shattered America’s sense of safety. Generations who did not remember Pearl Harbor suddenly knew the shock of an attack on U.S. soil. Brothers, fathers, cousins, wives, and daughters were lost. And more sisters, mothers, husbands and sons would give their lives in the years that …
In a long-overdue step that will facilitate U.S. objectives in Afghanistan, the Obama Administration formally designated the Haqqani network—based in Pakistan and responsible for some of the most vicious attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan—a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Heritage Foundation analysts have been urging the Administration to make this …
Speaking to veterans at the American Legion conference this week, President Obama said, “Today, every American can be proud that the United States is safer, stronger and more respected in the world.” That’s quite a statement from a President who has granted legitimacy to extremist organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood …
American troops in Afghanistan face an increased threat from “insider” attacks in which the Afghan forces they are there to help and train are turning their guns on their American partners, raising serious questions about the viability of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. The attacks, which have killed 40 U.S. …
In a recent article, well-known CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen claims that al-Qaeda is defeated and that it is time to declare victory over the vaunted terrorist organization. While the elimination of Osama bin Laden and his top deputies over the past year signals major strides against the organization, …
The recent NATO summit in Chicago failed to produce a U.S.–Pakistan transit agreement. The agreement sought would have allowed U.S. forces and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to transport supplies via Pakistan safely and cost effectively, and it would have guaranteed that in 2013–2014, Pakistan would be the safe …
