> From: director@cda-cdai.ca
> To: director@cda-cdai.ca
> Subject: Afghanistan: "Cautiously Optimistic" - the Pentagon Report (30 Apr. 2010)
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:08:01 -0400
>
>
>
> Please circulate / Prière de circuler
>
> Links may have to be copied/pasted into your web browser in their entirety -
> this is especially true for CF addressees.)
>
> The CDA highly recommends that you read the full copy of this briefing
> online:
> http://www.cdaforumcad.ca/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1272653072/0#0
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> In this week's media briefing, the Conference of Defence Associations
> (CDA) would like to draw your attention to media coverage in the areas
> of:
>
> - AFGHANISTAN
> - CANADA AND AFGHANISTAN
> - NUCLEAR POLICY
> - RECOMMENDED READING
>
>
> --- AFGHANISTAN ---
> The Institute for the Study of War has produced its fifth Report on
> Afghanistan entitled, Politics and Power in Kandahar, which outlines
> key findings and recommendations for the ISAF mission.
> http://www.understandingwar.org/report/politics-and-power-kandahar
>
> Kellie Tranter for National Times criticizes the lack of parliamentary
> debate in Australia about the war in Afghanistan.
> http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/where-is-the-debate-on-the-war-in
> -afghanistan-20100423-thux.html
>
> Thom Shanker, Helene Cooper and Richard A. Oppel Jr.  for The New York
> Times reports that elite US units have stepped up operations in
> Kandahar in anticipation of ISAF’s major, and decisive  campaign for
> the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/world/asia/26kandahar.html?emc=eta1
>
> Seth G Jones for Foreign Affairs argues that centralized governance
> will not rebuild Afghanistan, without ground up development at the
> village level.
> http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66350/seth-g-jones/it-takes-the-villa
> ges
>
> Kim Senguptain The Independent writes that the British military is
> split over a plan to shift British troops from Helmand to Kandahar.
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/british-military-split-over-pla
> n-to-move-troops-to-kandahar-1955139.html
>
> Greg Bruno Staff Writer for the Council on Foreign Relations
> interviews David S. Rohde a reporter for the New York Times concerning
> miscalculations in America’s strategy in southern Afghanistan.
> http://www.cfr.org/publication/21863
>
> Rajiv Chandrasekaran for The Washington Post reports that US Special
> Forces soldiers organized local Afghans into effective village watch
> groups, but scaling the initiative has been barred until it receives
> official Afghan endorsement.
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042604
> 215.html?hpid=topnews
>
> Ahmed Rashid for The Washington Post contends that President Obama
> must decide now, whether he will engage the Taliban.
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042603
> 020.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
>
> Seth G Jones for Foreign Affairs reviews three books that provide a
> deeper understanding of Afghan culture and society, revealing that the
> Taliban have to beaten at the village level.
> http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66350/seth-g-jones/it-takes-the-villa
> ges
>
> Dmitri Trenin and Alexei Malashenko for Carnegie Endowment write a
> report entitled “Afghanistan: A View from Moscow.”
> http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/trenin_afghan_final.pdf
>
> Sabrina Tavernise, Carlotta Gall and Ismail Khan for The New York
> Times write that Pakistan’s seems more willing to attack Pakistani
> militant groups in North Waziristan, representing a marked shift in
> its military thinking.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/world/asia/30pstan.html
>
> AND Kronos International writes that President Karzai rejected a
> Pentagon report that argued he lacks criticial areas of support in
> Afghanistan needed to beat the insurgency.
> http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.1.321263344
>
> Baoky N. Vu for The Washington Times provides a comparative analysis
> of the Vietnam War to the War in Afghanistan.
> http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/30/slow-going-on-the-path-towar
> d-democracy/
>
> Alissa J Rubin for The New York Times writes that a new Pentagon
> report identifies pockets of success in Afghanistan but overall there
> has been little progress in the past six months. Donna Miles for the
> American Forces Press Service writes that Afghanistan’s stability and
> secuirty according to the report, has improved since this time last
> year. The report entitled, “Report on Progress Toward Security and
> Stability in Afghanistan”, can be accessed via the third link.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/world/asia/30afghan.html
>
> http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=58948
>
> http://www.defense.gov/pubs/pdfs/Report_Final_SecDef_04_26_10.pdf
>
>
> --- CANADA AND AFGHANISTAN  ---
>
> Ethan Baron for Canwest News explores the differences between two
> Afghan villages that have received Canadian funding for development
> projects, citing one that has squandered the money and another which
> has made marked progress.
> http://www.canada.com/tale+villages+Stark+differences+between+neighbouring+A
> fghan+towns/2943785/story.html
>
> Murray Brewster for The Canadian Press reveals that Canada’s signature
> projects are not in line with Kandahar’s perceived needs.
> http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100425/national/afghan_cda_development
>
> Murray Brewster for The Canadian Press shares the experience of
> Canadian soldiers, in Charlie Company who have recently returned from
> a tour of duty, some completing their first tour and others veterans
> of the mission.
> http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9016148.html
>
> Allan Woods for The Star recounts the story of Canada’s JTF2 commandos
> participation in Task Force K-Bar, for the first time following a
> Toronto Star investigation.
> http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/afghanmission/article/800296--canada-s-el
> ite-commandos-and-the-invasion-of-afghanistan?bn=1
>
> Andrew Potter for Macleans writes on what “Afghan Canadians think of
> our role in Afghanistan,” following an event organized by the Afghan
> solidarity committee at which former Canadian Ambassador, Chris
> Alexander’s paper was discussed.  The paper, entitled, Ending The
> Agony: Seven Moves To Stabilize Afghanistan, is available through the
> second link.
> http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/27/our-afghan-comrades-have-a-few-things-to-
> say/
>
> http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/Afghanistan_Paper_3_0.pdf
>
> --- NUCLEAR POLICY ---
>
> Victor David Hanson for The National Review posits that the “problem
> is not nuclear weapons, but who has them,” namely North Korea and Iran
> which should be the focus of future non-proliferation summits.
> http://article.nationalreview.com/432763/obamas-nuclear-naivety/victor-davis
> -hanson
>
> John R Bolton for The Washington Times explores the dangers of
> America’s shrinking nuclear umbrella for friends and allies.
> http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/28/folding-our-nuclear-umbrella
> /
>
> Dimitri Simes for Time questions whether Obama is “overselling his
> Russia Arms Control Agreement,” masking the lack of real progress with
> exaggerated pronouncements of historic successes.
> http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1984882,00.html
>
> Frank J. Gaffney Jr. for The Washington Times argues that Russia is
> equipped with an “Arsenal of Roguery,” which it is exporting to
> countries with serious repercussions for American security.
> http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/28/arsenal-of-roguery/print/
>
> --- RECOMMENDED READING ---
>
> Ben Connable, Martin C. Libicki for RAND have produced a study
> examining, “How Insurgencies End,” based on a quantitative and
> qualitative analysis of 89 insurgency case studies.
> http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG965/
>
> Gary Schmitt and William Kristol for The Weekly Standard posit that
> America’s military is aging and does not have the funding to
> modernize.
> http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/our-country%E2%80%99s-battles
>
> Elisabeth Bumiller for The New York Times examines the backlash
> against power point presentations in the American military.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/27powerpoint.html?th&emc=th
>
> Edward Wong for The New York Times writes that China is pursuing a
> strategy termed ‘far sea defense,’ projecting its naval power from the
> Middle East to the Pacific shipping lanes.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/world/asia/24navy.html?emc=eta1
>
> Martin Collacott for The Ottawa Citizen warns readers to heed MP Ujjal
> Dosanjh’s warnings about escalating extremism in Canada.
> http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/must+heed+Dosanjh/2954361/story.html
>
> Michiko Kakutani reviews Richard Clarke’s new book, “Cyber War” which
> depicts plausible doomsday scenarios resulting from cyber attacks
> against America which does not have an effective cyber defensive
> capability.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/books/27book.html?hpw
>
>
> --- TO CONCLUDE ---
>
> The CDA continues to contribute to a non-partisan and informed debate
> about security and defence issues important to Canada and Canadians.
> We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alain Pellerin, Colonel (Retired)
> Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations
>
> 222 Somerset Street West, Suite 400B
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 2G3
> Tel: +1 (613) 236-1252
> Fax: +1 (613) 236-8191
> E-mail: director@cda-cdai.ca
> Web: www.cda-cdai.ca
>