Cold War Project

cartoonpolitics: until the next time ..

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:54:28 -0400

until the next time ..

A NYT article on British Prime Minister Cameron's visit today.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:54:57 -0400

A NYT article on British Prime Minister Cameron's visit today.:

On the issue of Afghanistan, both agree that their countries will stick to the timetable for ending the war by the end of 2014. Cameron says that, “If you compare where we are today with where we’ve been two, three years ago, the situation is considerably improved.” He states that insurgent attacks have declined and security tightened in the Helmand region.

cartoonpolitics: references (I think) the US soldier who...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:23:03 -0400

cartoonpolitics:

references (I think) the US soldier who recently went on a murderous rampage outside his base in southern Afghanistan killing 16 civilians, 9 of them children.

cartoonpolitics: when .. ?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:22:55 -0400

cartoonpolitics:

when .. ?

An interactive timeline from the NYT of the Afghanistan war.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:01:54 -0400

An interactive timeline from the NYT of the Afghanistan war.

The conflict in Afghanistan

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:58:00 -0400

1979 The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. Mujahedeen — Islamic fighters — from across the globe, including Osama bin Laden, come to fight Soviet forces.
1989 Last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan.
1996 The Taliban take control of Afghanistan, imposing fundamentalist Islamic law. Osama bin Laden takes refuge in the country.
Sept. 2001 After the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush gives the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over bin Laden; the Taliban refuse, and in October the U.S. leads a campaign that drives the Taliban out of major Afghan cities by the end of the year.
2002 Hamid Karzai becomes interim president of Afghanistan. The Taliban continue to wage guerrilla warfare near the border with Pakistan.
2004 New constitution is ratified, making Afghanistan an Islamic state with a strong president. Later, Mr. Karzai wins the country’s first presidential election.
Feb. 2009 President Obama orders 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.
Aug. 2009 President Karzai wins re-election in a vote marred by fraud.
Dec. 2009 President Obama issues orders to send 30,000 troops in 2010, bringing the total American force to about 100,000.

Pakistan at a glance

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:54:00 -0400

Official Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Capital: Islamabad (Current local time)

Government Type: Federal republic

Population: 164.74 million

Area: 310,527 square miles; almost twice the size of California

GDP Per Capita: $2,600

Year of Independence: 1947

Web site: Pakistan.gov.pk

Afghanistan at a glance

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:54:00 -0400

Official Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Capital: Kabul (Current local time)

Government Type: Islamic republic

Chief of State: President Hamid Karzai

Population: 33.609 million

Area: 249,935 square miles; slightly smaller than Texas

GDP Per Capita: $800

Web site: President.gov.af

BBC:Another hammer blow to US-Afghan relations

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:51:28 -0400

BBC:Another hammer blow to US-Afghan relations

The US's view on Afghanistan

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:51:00 -0400

The US department of state describes on its website that “The United States has made a long-term commitment to help Afghanistan rebuild itself after years of war.”

Afghanistan humanitarian relief efforts

infrastructure projects
Counter narcotic programs
Capacity building
Security need
They want them to be economically and politically stable/successful

They want democracy

American’s public views towards Afghanistan are 50% favoring removing U.S. and NATO troops as soon as possible while 44% favor maintaining the troops in Afghanistan until the situation is stabilized

Pakistan and United States relations: article

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:50:01 -0400

Pakistan and United States relations: article

The State Department's website for Pakistan.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:48:47 -0400

The State Department's website for Pakistan.

The State Department's website for Afghanistan.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:48:13 -0400

The State Department's website for Afghanistan.

maps of both Afghanistan and Pakistan

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:46:35 -0400

maps of both Afghanistan and Pakistan

Afghanistan humanitarian relief efforts by the US

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:44:00 -0400

Infrastructure projects
Counter-narcotic programs
Capacity building
Security need
More general help

US wants Afghanistan to be economically and politically stable/successful
US wants a democracy in Afghanistan

Link to NYT article on Pakistan

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:37:42 -0400

Link to NYT article on Pakistan

A NYT article on Leon Panetta visiting Afghanistan in the aftermath of the article previously posted.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:35:00 -0400

A NYT article on Leon Panetta visiting Afghanistan in the aftermath of the article previously posted.:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta landed in Afghanistan on Wednesday. This was a long-planned visit, although coming at an urgent time in the wake of the massacre there on Sunday.

Pakistan: economic system

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:34:36 -0400

The United States is concerned with Pakistan’s economic growth. While there was economic growth in 2001 in Pakistan, 2008 saw economic conditions decrease. Between 2002-2010, Pakistan received approximately 18 billion dollars of military and economic aid.

n February 2010, US President Barack Obama sought to increase funds to Pakistan to “promote economic and political stability in strategically important regions where the United States has special security interests”.Obama also sought $3.1 billion aid for Pakistan to defeat Al Qaeda for 2010.

Afghanistan: the economic system

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:34:00 -0400

improved significantly since 2002 due to the infusion of multi-billion dollars in international assistance and investments
About 35% of its population is unemployed and live below the poverty line
the current trade between Afghanistan and other countries is at US$5 billion a year
Since the collapse of the Taliban government in 2001, new trade relations are emerging with the United States, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, the EU, Japan, Uzbekistan, India and other countries

A NYT article on the soldier who killed 16 civilians in Afghanistan.

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:31:00 -0400

A NYT article on the soldier who killed 16 civilians in Afghanistan.:

A US Army sergeant killed 16 civilians, 9 of them children, in southern Afghanistan on Sunday. This is only making the tension there thicker, in the wake of ’the Koran burning by American personnel last month and an earlier video showing American Marines urinating on dead militants.’

President Hamid Karzai deemed the attacked an ‘inhuman and intentional act’ and demanded justice. President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta expressed condolences and thorough investigations.