July 11, 2017
The Afghan War Is Not Lost
Sixteen years after the United States first sent troops to Afghanistan, U.S. military commanders describe the war there as stalemated. The Trump administration has initiated a major strategy review, and the Pentagon reportedly seeks to add several thousand American troops to the 8,400 already in Afghanistan. More troops can help achieve American objectives in Afghanistan, but only if they are part of a larger and more effective strategy. That will require a change of course.
The current approach is plainly inadequate. Although more Afghan forces are trained and in the fight than ever before, the Taliban today controls more territory than at any time since 9/11. Faced with corruption and exclusionary politics, popular opposition to the government in Kabul is rising, while the Taliban makes inroads in rural areas and, increasingly, near the cities. According to the U.S. government, some twenty insurgent or terrorist groups now operate in the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater, including ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Haqqanis—the world’s highest concentration of extremist networks.
Read the full piece on The National Interest.
More from CNAS
-
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?The world has held a close eye on the Strait of Hormuz lately with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. Nearly a quarter of the world's seaborne oil passes through the narrow wat...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Indo-Pacific Security / Middle East Security
What Happened to the U.S. ‘Asia First’ Doctrine?U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific should observe that the Trump administration’s strategic approach to foreign policy is a moving target....
By Adham Sahloul
-
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
U.S. Enters War In Middle East: Will Iran Block The Strait Of Hormuz?With the U.S. warning Iran against any attack on American assets, Tehran is evaluating blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Will this further escalate the conflict? Will this isolat...
By Daniel Silverberg
-
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Trump May Go to War in Iran Without Congress — and That’s Just the New NormalThe Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war but leaves much else unsaid, and potential ambiguity results from the tension between this and the president’s authori...
By Daniel Silverberg