| There's a corrupt regime with no support outside the capital, a hostile population and an elusive enemy - even Washington is talking openly about the parallels, according to Conn Hallinan.
| 30,000 more troops, a bigger Afghan army, a partnership with Pakistan -- Obama spelled out his plans for Afghanistan to a West Point audience. Conn Hallinan says none of it makes any sense.
| The killing of Punjab's governor by one of his own security guards in Islamabad is being called a symptom of a growing fanaticism. Conn Hallinan sees other causes of instability in the country.
| U.S. Special Forces have assumed mythic proportions in the media and popular culture. Yet they are viewed less positively within the military because they operate outside of the chain of command.
| Some commentators in the United States would have us believe that the possibility of cyber attack is imminent. Conn Hallinan believes that there is another agenda behind this fear mongering.
| News reports about a potential Israeli attack on Iran are no longer in the headlines. But that doesn't mean it's not on the agenda. Conn Hallinan is a columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus.