‘Strategic confusion’ in Afghanistan: Special Inspector General says ‘every agency experienced annual lobotomies’ for 20 years

J Michael Waller / American Greatness / August 19, 2021. A new inspector general report eviscerates the entire 20-year U.S.-led reconstruction effort in Afghanistan, revealing a constant interagency rotation of “annual lobotomies,” ensuring that the same mistakes were repeated again and again.  The August 2021 Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report shows failure … Read more

We lost an extraordinary friend and ally: Paul Behrends, 1958-2020

I wrote this as a tribute to one of my best friends who just died. In another age and place, Paul Behrends would have been straight out of Rudyard Kipling. The extraordinary life of the retired US Marine Corps reserve lieutenant colonel and longtime congressional staffer ended December 12 when Paul died from injuries near … Read more

Partnership against heroin: Contractors help US combat narcotraffickers in Afghanistan

by J Michael Waller / Serviam / March 1, 2008. Download PDF: Contractors_Afgh_Serviam Kabul, Afghanistan—“I used to wear a burqa. I will never wear one again. Except to fight drug traffickers.” That’s what a female police officer of Afghanistan’s Narcotics Interdiction Unit (NIU) says with a shy smile. The bad guys can’t recognize a heavily armed cop under … Read more