LT Scott Cheney-Peters, a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and the former editor of Surface Warfare magazine, gives his opinions on private maritime security in Asia: In a week-long operation in June 2010, six vessels were attacked and robbed over a 130-mile span while in a nearby strait armed security contractors kept […]
The US-led NATO coalition’s inability thus far to negotiate a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the Afghan government, necessary for the US and NATO to maintain military forces in Afghanistan beyond 2014, has led many analysts to speculate that Afghanistan’s national security will markedly deteriorate if the country is left to its own devices. While […]
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — United States Forces-Afghanistan has seen the inaccurate media reports stating that excess military equipment that is part of the U.S. transition is given to Pakistan. These reports are not correct. USFOR-A does not provide or intend to provide any such equipment, including MRAPs, from Afghanistan to Pakistan. “Our commitment to the Afghan […]
Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified before Congress on the status of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) development assistance and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. According to the GAO, USAID has invested more than $15 billion in Afghanistan since 2002, but continues to face major oversight challenges. As an example, the GAO […]
The President’s budget this past year reflect a unified approach to budgeting for the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operations in conflict areas. By aligning priority missions across these agencies, the Budget takes advantage of the efficiencies, improves coordination, and reduced overall costs. Further, isolating the military and civilian costs related […]