Ackerman In Afghanistan

As part of my continuing quest to one-up Laura McGann — you guys have been reading her great Alaska stuff, right? — I’ve got an announcement. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane heading for Afghanistan. I’ll be near the Pakistan border with U.S. troops, trying to learn how a deteriorating war can be turned around — if it’s not already too late.

Will it take more troops, or are we beyond the point where more troops can be beneficial? Will crossing the border into Pakistan stanch the Afghan insurgency, or will it just destabilize nuclear-armed Pakistan? Will Washington look to double down on its commitment to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, or is Karzai part of the problem?

All these questions need to be informed by on-the-ground reporting, so that’s what The Washington Independent is going to bring you.

I should be in place within a few days (traveling to Afghanistan takes a while) and am set to stay until Sept. 19.

I’ll go from the Pakistan border back to the capitol city of Kabul, talking to whomever I can. And because Joe Scarborough called me a Cheeto-dust inflected liberal blogger, I’ll be filing as frequently as technology permits to The Streak. Watch this space for what, insh’allah, will be some cool visual razzle-dazzle as well.