June 06, 2014
Video: Chris Kolenda on U.S.-Afghanistan Relations
About the Video
Panelists talked about the Obama administration’s proposed drawdown of troops from Afghanistan and its effects on U.S-Afghan relations. They also discussed the pending presidential run-off election in Afghanistan and prospects for new leadership in the country. Former Defense Department Senior Adviser Christopher Kolenda and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann spoke about the logistics and politics of leaving troops in the region, and the future of U.S.-Afghanistan relations. The Obama administration proposed keeping troops in Afghanistan following the planned 2014 withdrawal. Under the proposal, 9,800 U.S. troops along with NATO and other international forces, totaling nearly 14,000 personnel, would have remained in Afghanistan.