Top Features
Sustainable Security in Afghanistan
Report from Lawrence Korb, Caroline Wadhams, Colin Cookman, and Sean Duggan provides recommendations for a lasting security in Afghanistan.
Swords and Ploughshares
A report by Reuben Brigety presents the results of a simulation exercise to assess the impact of U.S. foreign assistance in Afghanistan.
Partnership for Progress
Report from Caroline Wadhams, Brian Katulis, Lawrence J. Korb, and Colin Cookman offers a new strategy for prosperity and stability in Pakistan and the region.Other South & Central Asia Features
February 1, 2010
Pursuing Energy Security in Eurasia
Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar dropped by CAP to discuss the Obama administration’s stance on global energy partnerships in the new decade.
January 27, 2010
Administration Objectives and Civilian Critiques
National Security Advisor General James. L Jones and a panel of civilian experts discuss the direction of U.S. security initiatives in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
January 27, 2010
The Urgency of the Moment
Caroline Wadhams offers guidelines for creating international consensus on a civilian strategy in Afghanistan at the London conference.
January 25, 2010
Unanswered Questions on Afghanistan and Pakistan Policy
The Obama administration’s Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy document provides more details but leaves three critical questions unanswered, writes Brian Katulis.
January 25, 2010
Ask the Expert: Determining Success in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Brian Katulis discusses the Obama administration's new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and why we need to know when we get to mission accomplished.
January 21, 2010
The False Promise of Primacy
Nina Hachigian debunks Robert Kagan’s nostalgia for Bush-era foreign policy and argues that our greatest strengths are our ideas, flexibility, and leadership.
December 22, 2009
Paying for the Troop Escalation in Afghanistan
Report from Lawrence J. Korb outlines 10 ways to cut baseline defense spending to fight this war within our means.
December 17, 2009
Overall Strategy Is Needed
Lawrence J. Korb, Laura Conley and Sean Duggan tackle President Barack Obama's many pressing national security decisions that stem from our growing involvement in Afghanistan.
December 14, 2009
Afghan Women Still Need U.S. Support
Peter Juul presents five steps to protect and improve Afghan women’s rights as the United States begins its new strategy there.
December 9, 2009
Obama's New Strategy for Afghanistan
In this clip from Voz de America's El Mundo al Día, Senior Fellow Michael Werz talks to host Gonzalo Abarca about Barack Obama's strategy in Afghanistan in light of his decision to increase troop levels by 30,000. Werz argues that Obama's decision to increase troop levels was made carefully and with the full consideration of our allies. Werz also reaffirms CAP's position that the war must be financed by redirecting funding from next year's defense budget and not be financed by adding to the deficit. Finally, Werz emphasizes the strategic importance of cooperating with Pakistan.
December 2, 2009
Concerns About the Civilian Strategy in Afghanistan
Caroline Wadhams discusses the Obama administration's Afghanistan strategy at Foreign Policy magazine.
December 2, 2009
Lingering Questions for the President
Caroline Wadhams discusses the Obama administrations strategy for Afghanistan at Democracy Arsenal.
December 2, 2009
Ask the Expert: Making it Work in Afghanistan
Caroline Wadhams discusses President Obama's Afghanistan policy and what the administration would need to do for their mission to be successful.
December 2, 2009
Statement on President Obama’s Address to the Nation on Afghanistan
CAP analyzes President Obama's speech last night on the administration's Afghanistan strategy.
December 1, 2009
A Surge of a Different Sort for Afghanistan
The headlines on President Obama's Afghanistan speech have focused on the additional U.S. troops he is sending, but there's another component to the new strategy that is just as vital to achieving some progress and greater stability in that troubled country: the civilian surge. And making this surge a success will be no easy task.
November 24, 2009
The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Is Vital
Colin Cookman and Brian Katulis outline India’s strategic importance to the United States on global and regional issues as India’s prime minister arrives for the first state visit hosted by President Obama.
November 19, 2009
How to Make the Afghanistan War a “Just War”
Susan Thistlethwaite and Brian Katulis argue that moral considerations should shape the Obama administration’s decision on the Afghanistan war.
November 9, 2009
Will the U.N.’s Withdrawal Cancel Out the U.S.’s Civilian Surge?
On Thursday, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan announced that it would relocate hundreds of foreign staff out of the country in response to an attack targeting a U.N. guest house in Kabul last week. U.N. spokesman Dan McNortan told reporters that out of a total of 1,100 expatriate workers, 600 will be temporarily relocated for security reasons.
November 2, 2009
Using U.S. Leverage to Strengthen Afghan Governance
The Obama administration needs to work with its close NATO allies to set a clear plan aimed at outlining expectations for the Karzai government, writes Brian Katulis.
October 28, 2009
Advancing Sustainable Security in South Asia
Don’t let the recent attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan distract from addressing South Asia’s strategic security challenges, writes Brian Katulis.
October 28, 2009
Our Faustian Bargains in Afghanistan
Afghan elections illuminate how ex-warlords’ influence continues to hold back democratic governance and threaten political stability, write Caroline Wadhams, Colin Cookman, and Christina Misunas.
October 26, 2009
Profiles of Afghan Power Brokers
An in-depth look at some of the more powerful figures in Afghan political society.
October 22, 2009
The Changing Climate in India
India brings new hope that developed and developing nations will be able to reach an agreement on emissions reduction, write Andrew Light, Julian L. Wong, and Sabina Dewan.
October 21, 2009
Keep Pushing Effective Governance in Afghanistan
The international community should continue to demand strong government in Afghanistan as the country heads into another round of voting, write Caroline Wadhams, Colin Cookman, and Peter Juul.
October 15, 2009
Don't Put All the Security Eggs in the Al Qaeda Basket
Faced with commander McChrystal's grim new security assessment, the Obama administration stands on the brink of making major reforms to its Afghanistan strategy—one that is further complicated by reports of election fraud that diminish the legitimacy of its partner government in Kabul.
September 28, 2009
The Wrong Question
In his recent assessment of the war in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, argued that focusing on increasing troop levels and resources misses the point. Despite this assertion, the U.S. public debate barrels along focused almost exclusively on one question: should the United States send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan?
September 17, 2009
Faith Experts Discuss Afghanistan
Brian Katulis briefs faith communities on the recent election in Afghanistan and how the United States and faith groups can provide sustainable help to the country.
September 9, 2009
The Imperfect Election Was the Easy Part ...
As members of an international election observation delegation to last month's presidential election and provincial elections, we were impressed that the courage of millions Afghan voters who showed up at the polls despite widespread violence and intimidation. Holding an election in a time of war is never an easy thing, and many Afghans faced the tough choice of going to cast their ballots in a combat zone.
September 2, 2009
Evaluating the Elections in Afghanistan
CAP panelists offer firsthand observations of last month’s Afghanistan elections and what steps the United States needs to take going forward no matter who wins.
August 24, 2009
Avoid the Rush to Judgment in the Afghan Election
Brian Katulis gives an update on the elections in Afghanistan at Foreign Policy.
August 21, 2009
In Afghanistan, Do What We Must
Lawrence Korb argues that it’s time we prioritized operations in Afghanistan over Iraq before the situation deteriorates further.
August 19, 2009
Slideshow: Afghanistan Heads to the Ballot Box
Brian Katulis shares photos and insights from Kabul, Afghanistan, where he is currently helping as a monitor for Thursday's election.
August 19, 2009
Watching the Afghan Elections
No matter the outcome of tomorrow’s elections in Afghanistan, the United States and others will need to move quickly before support fades for the mission there, write Caroline Wadhams and Brian Katulis.
August 17, 2009
Five Things to Watch Around Afghan Elections
With three days until ballots are cast in presidential and provincial elections here, an air of uncertainty hangs over a process that U.S. President Barack Obama has called the most important event of the year in Afghanistan. Threats of violence along with worries about the potential for electoral fraud and possible post-election political violence loom, and no one knows what quite to expect in the coming days and weeks here.
August 10, 2009
Inadequate Afghan Security Forces
Regarding the article “U.S. seeks gauge for Afghan effort” (Aug. 7): The recent American-led operation into Afghanistan’s Helmand Province is long overdue. But the conspicuous shortage of Afghan security forces bodes ill for the current operation and the larger American-led mission in the country. While over 4,000 American marines are part of the operation, only a little over 600 Afghan defense personnel have accompanied them.
July 22, 2009
Interactive Map: Leaders of Pakistan's Militant Groups
Interactive map shows the locations of Pakistan's militant leaders, gives information about their motivations and tactics, and shows where the Pakistani military is fighting them.
July 22, 2009
Faces of Pakistan's Militant Leaders
Militant commanders in Pakistan are often collectively referred to as “Taliban,” but they groups possess varied origins, motivations, tactics, and leadership. These profiles offer insight.
July 21, 2009
Real Economic Development in Afghanistan: Women Rug Weavers Create Hope
Slideshow and Interview with Arzu Rugs CEO Connie Duckworth give an inside look at sustainable security in action in Afghanistan.
July 21, 2009
Understanding the Terrorist Threat
Congress must exercise oversight of the Obama administration’s counterinsurgency strategies in Pakistan, write Brian Katulis and Peter Juul.
June 24, 2009
Nuclear Security Cooperation Between the United States and Pakistan
A survey by Andrew J. Grotto and Michelle Hammer catalogues nuclear security cooperation between the United States and Pakistan from 2000 to 2009.
June 19, 2009
Slideshow: Pakistan's Internally Displaced People
This slideshow shows powerful images of Pakistan's refugees, telling a story of the issues they're facing and the violence that displaced them.
June 19, 2009
Interactive Map: Fighting Pushes Pakistanis from Their Homes and Threatens Further Instability
Pakistan’s displaced people deserve a close look this World Refugee Day—this interactive map shows how fighting has pushed Pakistan’s people from their homes.
June 11, 2009
Price of Success in Afghanistan: What Are the Stakes for the International Community?
The Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress held a luncheon roundtable on June 2, to discuss "The Price of Success in Afghanistan: What Are the Stakes for the International Community?"
May 28, 2009
Timeline: Militants Zero in on the Government
Interactive timeline shows that yesterday’s attack on Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence agency is another in a string of attacks by militants against the Pakistani government.
May 27, 2009
Meeting the Challenges in Pakistan
Lawrence J. Korb, Brian Katulis, and Colin Cookman report on the current situation in Pakistan and how to move U.S. strategy forward.
May 27, 2009
Video: Pakistan: Experts in the Field
Lawrence Korb, Brian Katulis, and Colin Cookman recently returned from a research trip to Pakistan, and this video chronicles what they found.
May 21, 2009
Building Long-Lasting Partnerships with Pakistan
CAP hosts a briefing with a diverse group of faith experts to explore areas where faith-based groups can help achieve sustainable peace in Pakistan.
May 19, 2009
The Security of Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal
During the last week of April, I visited four cities in Pakistan (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi). The purpose of the trip was to discuss a December 2008 Center for American Progress report that I coauthored, Partnership for Progress: Advancing a New Strategy for Prosperity and Stability in Pakistan and the Region.
May 7, 2009
The Missing Piece in the Pakistan Puzzle
Brian Katulis writes for Middle East Progress on this week’s round of trilateral talks between the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
May 1, 2009