Image credit: U.S. Army
February 11, 2019
Time for the U.S. to Learn Its Lessons from Afghanistan
The United States failed in Afghanistan. The only points of debate left for analysts and historians are by how much and who is to blame. With negotiations and withdrawal plans still in the air as of early 2019, nearly 18 years after September 11, 2001, the true extent of American failure remains to be determined, but it is not too early to examine where our institutions and leaders fell short.
Over the course of the war in Afghanistan, pundits have laid the blame at the feet of successive administrations. The arguments were that President George W. Bush was distracted by Iraq, that President Barack Obama gave a timeline that allowed the Taliban to “wait out” the efforts of coalition forces, and that President Donald Trump simply does not have a strategy. Each of these critiques may hold some truth to them and ultimately the commander in chief is responsible for the execution of American foreign policy, but unexamined in these critiques is the limiting factor of American military capabilities.
Read the full article and more in War on the Rocks.
More from CNAS
-
To Help Afghanistan, Engage Its Political Opposition
Commentary
The effort to help Afghans shape a better alternative should begin now....
By Richard Fontaine & Lisa Curtis
-
International Community Must Do More to Protect Human Rights in Afghanistan
Commentary
Human rights in Afghanistan, especially those of women and girls, have deteriorated sharply during the first year of Taliban rule. The very real prospect of losing a generatio...
By Lisa Curtis, Annie Pforzheimer & Jan Mohammad Jahid
-
Time to Get Tough on the Taliban
Commentary
As Washington reduces its diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, it should also focus on finding creative ways to support Afghan civil society...
By Lisa Curtis & Nader Nadery
-
Reflecting on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, one year later
Video
A year ago today, U.S. troops withdrew from Kabul and Afghans scrambled to escape as the Taliban took control. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Chris Kolenda joins CBS News to discus...
By Christopher D. Kolenda
