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)

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.

Writing in The New York Times , Zbigniew Brzezinski cautions against a a drift into escalating reciprocal demonization on the verge of Hu Jin Tao's upcoming visit to the United States.

The human costs of today's small wars are difficult to get one's head around. It's a powerful reason to seek to avoid such conflicts in the future, writes Robert D. Kaplan, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Michael Asulin criticizes Paul Kennedy's assessment of U.S. decline for his failure to recognize the importance of the morality that plays into U.S. foreign policy, and the potential consequences of a weaker U.S. position in the world. (CBS)

Writing in The Moscow Times, Mikhail Gorbachev laments 2005-06 changes in Russian electoral processes that reduced transparency and closed off Russian politics from societal feedback.

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In the autumn of 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began deploying new technologies and procedures for screening passengers at airport checkpoints. Reports of negative public reaction to some of these changes have prompted intense congressional interest in TSA passenger screening. This report addresses some of these concerns.

In The New Yorker , John Cassidy discusses investment banking's use in the economy.