Commentary

U.S. Counterterrorism Policy in Central Asia. An informative paper has been published takes a good look at the threat that foreign fighters posed to Central Asian regimes and provides recommendations for U.S. counterterrorism policy in the region. Published in Strategic Perspectives 21 on October 29, 2016 this tract by four authors is provided by the Center for Strategic Research, Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defense University (U.S.). Read "The Return of Foreign Fighters to Central Asia: Implications for U.S. Counterterrorism Policy".

Proxy War in Northern Afghanistan? Ajmal Sohail writes about "The beginning of a new chapter of proxy war in Afghanistan", Modern Diplomacy, November 4, 2016. A unique and different perspective on the U.S. and European involvement in Afghanistan.

Learning from the Vietnam War. One writer, Bill Distler, provides an alternative perspective to our involvement in the Afghan War. He believes we are applying lessons learned in the long-ago conflict to the Afghan conflict. His perspective is certainly not mainstream (and his numbers on how many contractors present in the past and now seem skewed). Read "Finally 'Winning' the Viet Nam War - in Afghanistan", Common Dreams, October 30, 2016.

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