The deployment of more U.S. troops to Afghanistan is necessary to tip the balance of power against the Taliban. But this military "surge" must be accompanied with a political one designed to persuade insurgents to give up their fight.

Two new books offer insightful analyses of how to succeed in Afghanistan.

The Taliban and al Qaeda may not pose enough of a threat to the United States to make a long war in Afghanistan worth the costs.

The crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan is beyond the point where more troops will help. U.S. strategy must be to seek compromise with insurgents while addressing regional rivalries and insecurities.

The killing of Afghan civilians allegedly by a U.S. soldier aggravates U.S.-Afghan ties, raises fresh doubts about talks with the Taliban, and feeds debate about strategy to end the war.

The violence against U.S. troops in the aftermath of Quran burnings has raised fresh doubts over the U.S.-Afghan partnership and the mission in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon's plan for an end to U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2013 has drawn familiar battle lines in the public debate over the proper endgame for the war.

A potential Taliban office in Qatar has raised hopes for a negotiated end to the Afghan war. But numerous challenges remain even as a new controversy over U.S. troop behavior threatens to derail talks.

Global discussions on Afghanistan tend to be dominated by security issues, but a conference marking ten years since the ouster of the Taliban must focus on economic growth and development, say experts.

As regional players meet in Istanbul to pledge support for building a stable Afghanistan, analysts caution against overstating a regional solution given the conflicting interests of Kabul's neighbors.

After a decade of fighting, U.S. goals remain unclear in Afghanistan. With the 2014 deadline to end the combat mission, experts remain divided on hopes for a political settlement, and stress political and governance reforms.

The assassination of Afghan government negotiator Burhanuddin Rabbani signals the challenges in any reconciliation talks with the Taliban and could exacerbate ethnic divisions, pushing the country into a civil war.

Recent Taliban attacks in Kabul have undermined Afghan confidence in local security forces and cast new doubt on a sustainable transition from U.S.-led efforts, analysts say.

The deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan comes to an end amid renewed debate about the U.S. endgame there and whether the nearly decade-long conflict has achieved its goals.