The Defense Department’s congressional budget request which seeks $526 billion for FY2014 to wind down the war in Afghanistan, modernize the military’s aging weapons inventory, and sustain the quality and care of the all-volunteer force.  From the Defense Department

Statement of Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of leaking thousands of U.S. government documents to the Wikileaks website.   Posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

Reports on local perceptions from different regions of Afghanistan on the 2014 presidential election.  More concerns were expressed about the uncertainty of the political transition than about the fairness of the election process.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Presents the views of influential Afghan citizens on their hopes and concerns about the future of their country and the need for continuing international engagement.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Discusses the need to transform the Afhan National Police from a counter-insurgency to a police service capable of enforcing the rule of law.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Based on interviews with 635 detainees and convicted prisoners held by the Afghan army and police, this report finds that torture or ill-treatment of prisoners continues.  From the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Covers the period from April through September 30^th 2012, discusses the blunting of the insurgent summer offensive, and the continuing effort to stabilize the Afghan government.  From the Defense Department

Reports results of an investigation into the amount of energy drinks consumed by troops and the effects on their mission performance.   From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Practical steps and lessons learned in bringing peace to countries in transition from war.  Statements from a June 2012 seminar featuring women from Afghanistan and Iraq.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Reviews issues in U.S. relations with Kazakshtan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan including arms control, human rights, foreign aid, and opposition to terrorism and drug trafficking.  Includes statistics on U.S. aid to each country from 1992 to 2010.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Focuses on the U.S. military’s local governance and development projects and argues that the surge has not met its objectives due to three unrealistic U.S. assumptions.  From the United States Institute of Peace)

This report identifies broad historical patterns and distills relevant lessons that may be useful in shaping policies during the 2011 to 2014 transition.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Completion of the first phase of a study to assess the availability and effectiveness of treatment for veterans suffering from post combat emotional problems following service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  From the Institute of Medicine

Latest updating of report on casualties during Operation Enduring Freedom.  For more detailed information on U.S. forces dead and wounded, see: http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm

From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Assesses how female candidates and voters fared in the last election and provides recommendations for improving women’s participation in future Afghan elections.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Reviews the situation in Afghanistan as the U.S. is poised to end its military involvement even as it extends its diplomatic engagement.  Also reviews current debates about troop levels, economic development plans for Afghanistan, elections and the Afghan political future, and the role of Pakistan in providing sanctuary for insurgents.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Reviews notable developments in the relations between the two countries in 2011 and 2012, especially anger over the drone strikes, the Afghan insurgency, and Islamic militancy.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

U.S. policy toward Central Asian nations has aimed at securing cooperation with U.S. and NATO efforts in Afghanistan and efforts to combat terrorism, arms proliferation, and trafficking in arms, drugs, and persons.  This report reviews these continuing aims and other recent developments including energy investments.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Describes the illicit trade in opiates along the Northern route from northern Afghanistan to Central Asia up to the borders of Russia, including the groups involved, the volumes of opiate flows and opiate consumption , trafficking dynamics, and the regional capacity to respond to the drug trafficking threat.  From the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

This report describes the efforts of the NATO-led coalition forces in Afghanistan to create an Afghan constabulary force to control urban violence and serve as a counterinsurgency force.  As the civil order police grew more reliable, they were sent to more dangerous areas resulting in high attrition rates.

From the United States Institute of Peace

Latest updating of report on casualties during Operation Enduring Freedom.  Covers OEF casualties in Afghanistan and in other countries where forces have been deployed.   Also discusses the history of attempts to record casualties in this asymmetric operation and the variety of organizations involved in the effort.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Describes the level of opium cultivation in various parts of the country and the reasons, mostly related to security variations, for higher levels in some parts.  From the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Claims that cooperation among the international community, the Afghan government, and local communities is being undermined by a series of myths which arise from the unstable conditions, perceived lack of shared interests, and handful of highly publicized incidents.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Discusses U.S. plans to transform the U.S. military role in Afghanistan from a combat to a training/advisory mission by mid-2013.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

SOFAs are bilateral or multilateral agreements that establish the legal framework under which U.S. military personnel operate in a foreign country and whether domestic  laws of the foreign jurisdiction apply to U.S. personnel in that country.  The killing of Afghan civilians, allegedly by a U.S. soldier, has raised questions regarding the SOFA in place between Afghanistan and the U.S. and who would prosecute the service member.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Examines the predicament of women in Afghanistan and Iraq as they move through a difficult transition period.  Calls for promoting women’s role in conflict prevention, postconflict relief, and economic/social development.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Assesses how the killing of 16 Afghan civilians by a U.S. soldier in Kandahar province will affect U.S. policy on Afghanistan and the prospects for talks with the Taliban.  From the United States Institute of Peace

Traces recent history of Afghanistan and the attempt to secure a post-Taliban democratic government.  Reviews the aims of the Obama administration and its partners in their attempts to conclude military involvement  more rapidly than previously envisioned.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Summarizes the findings and recommendations of the military health experts who investigated the handling and disposition of human remains being returned from Afghanistan and Iraq.  From the Defense Health Board

Analyses Afghanistan’s prospects for achieving self-sufficiency in wheat production in the next decade.  From the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture