Britain Plans Pullout of Most of Its Iraq Force
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared a "fundamental change of mission” for British forces in Iraq, announcing a tentative plan to withdraw most of the British troops from the country by 2009. See what Heritage experts have to say about Britain's role in the Long War, visit... http://www.heritage.org/Research/MiddleEast/hl1028.cfm

Putin wants closer military ties with Venezuela
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday that he hopes military ties between the countries will strengthen. Heritage experts discusses the other ways these countries hope to strengthen their relationship.(see... http://www.heritage.org/Research/RussiaandEurasia/wm2000.cfm

UK PM: Iran threat to Israel 'abhorrent'
Speaking to the Israeli legislature, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his country could stand behind sanctions and condemnation of Iran for their nuclear program and threats to Israel. See what Heritage expert, Peter Brooks says about the precarious relationship between Iran and Israel, visit http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed021208c.cfm

Issue In Depth

The Long War; Three Vital Fronts

The news coming out of Iraq lately is good; violence is down, there are fewer US military deaths, and the Iraqi government is starting to come together. The U.S., though, must continue fighting until the war is won, which requires victory in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Those three fronts cannot be separated, and selling out one for the sake of victory in the other will only lead to victory for the terrorists.


Recent Research
The War in Afghanistan: More Help Needed: The United States and the young Afghan govern­ment need more international support in their efforts to secure and stabilize Afghanistan, which is a crucial front in the global war against al-Qaeda and its radical allies. Washington and Kabul need greater coopera­tion from Pakistan in controlling the border and from NATO, which is leading the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Playing Politics with the Global War on Terror: Congress has decided to play politics with a troop-funding bill, and the Senate used confirmation hearings to, as Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) stated, criticize the "wisdom of the policy that took us to Iraq in the first place and has kept us there for over five years."

Combating Terrorism in Pakistan: Going on the Offensive: Military Commanders insist that Pakistan’s lack of an effective strategy against the militants in the northwest is directly undermining coalition efforts in Afghanistan.

Terrorists Rising?: The State Department recently put out its annual report on global terrorism, described in an article in the Financial Times. The report highlights al-Qaeda’s increased propaganda efforts and the continuing strength of al-Qaeda throughout the Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

Reports from the Terror Front: There is lots of news in the battle against transnational terrorism—a lot of it not good.

JCS Chairman Says Setting Iraq Withdrawal Timetable 'Dangerous': America's top military officer says setting a fixed timeline for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq would be a dangerous move. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says any withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground.

GAO Report: Global War on Terrorism: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense. GAO-08-423R: In this report, the GAO assessed (1) DOD's appropriations and reported obligations for military operations in support of GWOT through fiscal year 2007 and (2) DOD's fiscal year 2007 reported obligations for GWOT by military service and appropriation account.