If one thing was obvious about President Obama’s speech on Tuesday night it was how complex the United States’ challenges in South Asia are.
As Steve Coll points out, Obama’s speech lacked the oratorical skill to which we have become accustomed in large part because the United States’ strategic situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan is filled with contradictions and does not lend itself to a seamless narrative.
For those of you trying to keep up, I highly recommend Nir Rosen’s latest piece in the Boston Review. Nir has barely come back from the Middle East and South Asia since September 11, and his articles are always full of details and color that so much of the national security analysis out there lacks.
For those interested, The Washington Note‘s Steve Clemons will be participating in a forum tomorrow morning sponsored by the American Security Project called “Beyond the Surge: Assessing America’s Plan for Afghanistan.”
— Ben Katcher
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