The NY Times has a couple of interesting reads about Afghanistan. First is this very long piece in the NY Times Sunday Magazine about Gen. Stanley McChrystal and the new effort in Afghanistan. It’s a good read, but I have a problem with how much emphasis the writer Dexter Filkins places on McChrystal’s role in the war, as if by dint of more cleverly executed strategy (via McChrystal) we may yet win in Afghanistan. Filkins is a great journalist, but I take issue with the media’s tendency to focus on individual leaders, and especially generals, in the context of a military campaign. Granted, the article is much more than an examination of McChrystal, but the title-”His Long War”-make it obvious the direction that Filkins is going in.

Second, there is this account by David Rhode of his seven months of captivity by the Taliban in two parts (part one, part two.) His experience is invaluable for the glance at the Taliban that it provides, though it is from the viewpoint of an American hostage and naturally limited in scope. Still, a fascinating read.

In current news, Pakistan has kicked off an offensive against the Taliban in S. Waziristan. They boast of great progress (naturally) but prior offensives have ended in cease-fires when the Pakistan Army faced great casualties and slow progress. Will this be any different? We’ll see, but I wouldn’t be on it.