One of the new administration’s most difficult decisions will be how to move forward in Afghanistan, particularly in light of the Trump administration’s recent decision to draw down troops. Doing so hastily would be a mistake.
Politicians and everyday Americans use the term “endless wars” to describe the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Yet that generalization ignores the active effort to reduce the financial and human cost of U.S. operations while still pursuing counterinsurgency objectives.
U.S. desire to exit Afghanistan creates new dynamics for U.S.-Pakistan relations as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan prepares for his first official visit to the United States. This commentary evaluates the stakes and opportunities of this upcoming dialogue.
After 18 years of military involvement, the United States is still in Afghanistan. This report addresses the factors that allowed U.S. engagement to grow so drastically, makes recommendations on future action, and explores lessons to learn from for future engagements.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan after the attacks on September 11, 2001, and
overthrew the Taliban regime, senior military officers were not predicting that the United
States would remain militarily involved 18 years later.
Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan will almost certainly undermine any possibility of a peace s
Tonight, the president will belatedly make his State of the Union address. Here are six questions to watch for, the answers to which will drive future defense programs, budgets, and prospects for the industrial base.
The U.S. government’s Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) framework provides an opportunity to clarify and streamline stabilization assistance, though implementation will require sustained leadership, an interagency roadmap, new processes, bureaucratic incentives, and a review of authorities and resources.
President Donald Trump claimed during a cabinet meeting that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan because of terrorism. This is wrong, but it raises the question of why Moscow did invade.
America has a new counterterrorism policy: retrenchment.