Supply Issues

The US is trying to find new supply routes into Afghanistan because the Taliban and their friends are causing trouble for convoys on both sides of the Khyber Pass:
A week ago, a bold Taliban raid on a NATO supply convoy on the Pakistani side of the pass forced authorities to temporarily close traffic through Torkham [...]

Afghan Mission Doubts

The Times of London smells a rat in regard to the timing of the recent convoy battle:
[British commanders] understood that the plan was fraught with political and military problems at the highest levels. The knowledge left many Nato commanders wondering whether the lives of their men were being risked for the sake of little more than [...]

Treading on the Bear’s Turf

Thomas Barnett isn’t happy about the idea of quickly re-arming Georgia, or of allying the US with it:
This is Russia’s border we’re taking about here. Think carefully about the next steps and the “inviolable” U.S. strategic interests you’re casually picking up, because those can quickly get our people dead.

Rule, Britannia

The Telegraph reports that UK forces won a major battle in Afghanistan to deliver material to a hydro project. Interesting sidelight:
The Chinese-made turbine will be installed as part of a project funded by the American development agency USAID to increase the output of the Kajaki power plant.
Chinese engineers already on the ground will install the [...]

Experts Talking Past Each Other

Thomas Barnett turns in a less-than-stellar response to an Edward Luttwak op-ed on the long-term meaning of the Georgia/Russia conflict, reading Luttwak as advocating a rallying behind the former republics regardless of the practicalities. Needless to say, Barnett doesn’t agree:
Go ahead and let Georgia declare war between NATO and Russia. Now, any half-wit small-country leader [...]