May 12, 2017
Welcome to the Forever War
According to legend, Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky famously said that “you may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”
So it is with Afghanistan and the Trump administration, which is reportedlyconsidering a recommitment to the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, as well as the deployment of 3,500 more U.S. troops. None of this squares with President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge of an “America First” foreign policy, nor with his healthy skepticism of how America’s long wars in Iraq and Afghanistanwere managed under Presidents Bush and Obama. No matter. The Afghanistan conflict grinds on, and although Trump may not be interested in the details of this war, the war is interested in Trump.
However, before the U.S. reaffirms its commitment to the “forever war” in Afghanistan, we must confront some fundamental questions about what we are doing fighting (and dying) there and whether these new troop commitments will accomplish anything good. If Trump and his generals cannot resolve these questions, they should not commit more troops to fight in Afghanistan.
Read the full article at Slate.
More from CNAS
-
The Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Budget and Future Options for the Pentagon
Congressional Testimony
Submitted Written Testimony I. Introduction Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Rodgers, distinguished members of the committee and staff thank you for inviting me to testify today...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
-
Risky Business: Future Strategy and Force Options for the Defense Department
Reports
Executive Summary Despite the overarching strategic priorities laid out by the Biden administration and initial indicators provided by the Department of Defense (DoD), it is u...
By Stacie Pettyjohn, Becca Wasser & Jennie Matuschak
-
As the U.S. Withdraws All Remaining Troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban Advances
Video
Col (Ret.) Christopher Kolenda, Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS, speaks to Jim Sciutto about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan....
By Christopher D. Kolenda
-
Time for US nuclear strategy to embrace no first use
Commentary
No first use is the most meagre of many measures needed to restrain US presidential authority in the nuclear realm....
By Van Jackson
