In The New York Review of Books, Ahmed Rashid sifts through the conflicting reports of U.S. forces' success in Afghanistan and the distinct perspectives of the many players involved in the Afghan conflict.

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In light of potentially insurmountable challenges to Obama's Afghanistan plan, Michale O'Hanlon and Bruce Ridel express alarm over alternative propositions that emphasize targeted counterterrorism operations, and outline their own fallback option. (Washington Quarterly)

To keep its edge in technological innovation against India and China, the United States must focus on open immigration policies, strengthening political and social networks, and more, says CFR's Adam Segal.

This Rand publication prescribes a course of action that international and domestic actors should prioritize in the massive effort to rebuild the nation.

In The National Interest, Bruce Riedel comments on the al-Qaeda plot to terrorize "Obama's city" of Chicago on the eve of U.S. elections back in 2010, noting that the Saudi spy who defected to our allies underscores the importance of U.S. alliances in the Middle East.

Evan A. Feigenbaum asks, "As Asia rings in 2011, will it ring in a new economic order too?"

The Pakistani government's loss of its parliamentary majority has raised new concerns among some analysts of instability for a country crucial to U.S. efforts to combat Taliban and al-Qaeda militants.