Headlines October 21, 2015

Headlines

• America tries to restrict Pakistan Nu

• US invades Cameroon

• America's Afghan Dilemma

Details

America tries to restrict Pakistan Nu

The NYT reported this week the US administration has been is exploring a deal with Pakistan that would limit the scope of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the fastest-growing on earth. The discussions are the first in the decade since one of the founders of its nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, was caught selling the country's nuclear technology around the world. The discussions are being led by Peter R. Lavoy, a longtime intelligence expert on the Pakistani program who is now on the staff of the National Security Council. "A deal like the one that's been discussed publicly is not something that's likely to come to fruition next week," when Nawaz Sharif is due to visit the US, said Lavoy. "But the United States and Pakistan are regularly engaged in a dialogue about the importance of nuclear security. And I would anticipate that that dialogue would include conversations between the leaders of our two countries."

US invades Cameroon

Very quietly US President Obama invoked the War Powers Act, and deployed 300 ground troops and drones to the West African nation of Cameroon on a mission aimed at helping the government clamp down on a "regional Muslim anti-colonial movement." The White House said the deployment will be on-going and will be part of "a broader regional effort" and that the mission is totally open-ended, with the troops to remain until they are "no longer needed" in the country. In the notification to Congress, President Obama suggested fighting Boko Haram would be a big part of this operation, and that the intention is for the troops and drones to conduct "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the region." The War Powers Act requires the president to inform Congress and seek an authorization for the use of military force whenever he sends troops abroad like this, but throughout most of his term he has repeatedly spurned this requirement and Congress has not made any serious effort to enforce the law. The US has been working extensively on Africa to remove the old European influence, intense battles have been taking place in Mali, Tunisia and Central African Republic.

America's Afghan Dilemma

With the Taliban taking over Kundez (although they have now been driven out) and expanding its influence the US president announced plans to extend the US military's role in Afghanistan and keep the current force of 9,800 troops through most of 2016. Obama had aimed to withdraw all but a small US embassy-based force in the capital Kabul before leaving office in January 2017. The decision comes after months of deliberations between Obama, Afghan leaders, Pentagon officials, commanders in the field and White House advisers about how best to continue to support Afghan forces, when they clearly lack the capability to secure the country. After a decade of war and despite hand picking its own lackey the US has failed to establish any semblance of peace and security in the country. The fact that the US continues to delay the departure of its troops is because it is fully aware its political architecture will fall apart.