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Issue 16 News Updates

• Afghanistan is on the verge of becoming a failed state. That was the bleak assessment by Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones and former U.N. Ambassador Thomas Pickering in a report released January 30. The report says there aren't enough troops in Afghanistan or enough financial support to stabilize the country. "The progress achieved after six years of international engagement is under serious threat from resurgent violence, weakening international resolve, mounting regional challenges and a growing lack of confidence on the part of the Afghan people about the future direction of their country," the report says. The Atlantic Council also released a report the same day that said: "Make no mistake, NATO is not winning in Afghanistan."

• NATO relies on its member countries to supply troops for its mission in Afghanistan. Some of those countries have refused to send troops into the most dangerous regions where the Taliban has gained strength, particularly Kandahar Province. Others are considering pulling their forces out of Afghanistan. Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his troops in Kandahar aren't getting enough NATO support to keep control, and he is considering removing them next year. The U.S. military has been busy training Afghan soldiers with the goal of having them take over more of the military operations.

• Last year was the deadliest in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001. At least 6,500 people died in the fighting, according to The Associated Press. The AP count comes from local officials and international agencies.

• For more issue-related updates and web-only content, check out the CE News Blog.
• The Issue 16 Teacher's Guide is now available online.