James Fergusson: Obama is haunted by Gorbachev's ghost

James Fergusson: Obama is haunted by Gorbachev's ghost - No invading army has ever 'won' in Afghanistan, and nothing unites the people more than infidel soldiers on their holy soil. It sometimes feels like unfinished business for us as well. In 1929, the RAF's 39 Squadron was stationed at Risalpur in the border areas of Pakistan, from where it flew bombing missions over Waziristan against the elusive insurgent leader, the Fakir of Ipi. Today, 39 Squadron operates a dozen MQ-7 Reaper drones over the same area – albeit from computer screens on an airbase in Nevada – in a bid to kill or capture Osama bin Laden. Some analysts think that drones could turn the tide of this war, and even be part of the West's exit strategy by eventually allowing machines instead of men to police the border. But as the Russians and the British before them found to their cost, it is a mistake to put too much faith in weapons technology when fighting in a country like Afghanistan.


NBC, Broadcast Pioneer, Prepares For Comcast Takeover By The Huffington Post News Editors
NEW YORK — Eight decades after pioneering the concept of broadcasting, NBC is on the verge of a startling move that illustrates broadcast television's decline.

Chinese Officials Told To Dump Mistresses By The Huffington Post News Editors - BEIJING — Chinese officials are being told to dump their mistresses, avoid hostess bars, and shun extravagances as part of the Communist party's efforts to clamp down on the corruption that is threatening its rule and sullying its reputation.

James Zogby: A Debate Worth Noting - A story universally missed last week was the extraordinary debate that occurred in Congress in advance of a vote on a resolution against the Goldstone Report.