Do We Really Want Saudi Troops In Afghanistan?

My friend Jeff Stein at CQ asks:

I’ve got an idea: Why not get the Saudis to pony up, say, 20-30,000 troops for Afghanistan, about the same number that Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said Sunday might be added to the 30,000 we already have there?

Could Counterradicalization Work in Pakistan?

So, OK, Saudi Arabia has a pretty impressive deradicalization program.

But would deradicalization work in Pakistan?

Doubtful, says Kenneth Ballen of an organization called Terror Free Tomorrow.

Why?

How Did Saudi Arabia Beat Al Qaeda?

Since the 2003 Al Qaeda attack on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has launched a robust and multifaceted campaign against radicalization that most observers consider successful.

Along with military and law-enforcement measures, the kingdom pioneered a strategy of “counter-radicalization,” using religious figures to directly contend that Al Qaeda was an apostate organization. More…