President Obama has officially named Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry as his choice to be the US ambassador to Afghanistan. Eikenberry, a career military man, was the top US commander in Afghanistan until 2007. Though some are concerned about giving such a key diplomatic spot to a military leader, I feel this is an excellent choice. Eikenberry has had productive and cordial relations with Afghan President Karzai and knows the challenges he faces in the conflict as much as anyone could.
During his stint as the lead Commander of US forces in the country, Eikenberry was one of the first to highlight the growing challenge being brought to the counter by a resurgent Taliban and has had strong words to say about the importance of tackling Al Qaeda elements inside of Pakistan, which of course is in accord with Obama’s statements. Eikenberry’s current position as a NATO deputy chairman could also prove useful in negotiations for more European support for the stabilization of the state, emphasis on ‘could’.
It would be wrong to not end this post with an acknowledgement of the fine work done by current US Ambassador William Wood, who has now served in a very difficult position admirably for two years. Here is a recent Q & A with the Ambassador.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
