Policy
Austin, Milley Say White House Was Advised to Keep US Troops in Afghanistan
The Afghanistan evacuation that resulted was “a logistical success but a strategic failure,” Milley said.
Threats
‘Horrible Mistake’: Pentagon Admits Drone Strike Killed Children, Not Terrorists
After just eight hours of surveillance and a tip about a “white Toyota Corolla,” the U.S. fired a Hellfire missile on Aug. 29 at the wrong target.
Ideas
The Taliban PR Campaign Has Not Ended, But Transformed
Messages of liberation and inclusiveness have given way to ones that serve the consolidatation of power.
Business
Five Ways 9/11 Changed the Defense Industry
More outsourcing, more services contracts, more generals on corporate boards—and that's just for starters.
Policy
Congress’ Afghanistan Oversight Marred By Politics
Lawmakers overwhelmingly postured instead of asking America’s top diplomat real questions.
Policy
Will Congress Ever Repeal Its Post-9/11 War Authorizations?
The passage of two decades since the Sept. 11 terror attacks might be a “wake-up call” for lawmakers.
Science & Tech
How Equipment Left In Afghanistan Will Expose US Secrets
Even rendered inoperable, equipment now in the hands of the Taliban will yield troves of information about how the U.S. builds weapons and uses them.
Ideas
Between Then and Now, They Did Not Die in Vain
I was among the first to parachute into Afghanistan in 2001. This is how I will remember the war.
Threats
Army Chief Calls for Afghanistan Review: ‘Let the Cards Fall Where They Fall’
McConville says lessons must be learned because “terrorism is not going away.”
Ideas
Seven Movies Worth Watching About 9/11
Some of these films are fictional. Others are inspired by, or based on, actual events. Each tries to provide insight into what the events of that day unleashed.
Threats
State Dept. Working ‘at the Highest Levels’ to Clear Mazar-i-Sharif Charter Aircraft
One problem: all the U.S. screeners have left Afghanistan.
Ideas
Italy’s Carabinieri Were the Perfect Force for the Kabul Evacuation
The soldier-policemen of this hybrid outfit went outside the wire to bring thousands to safety.
Threats
The Kabul Airlift in 5 Charts
The largest emergency airlift ever handled by the U.S. military started slowly and built to a torrent.
Ideas
The Forever War is Dead. Long Live the Forever War
The fight against terrorism will continue, yet our body politic is weakened by double-speak.
Ideas
What Went Wrong in Afghanistan?
The next decade will produce many studies to answer that question, but here is a preliminary answer from a long-term Afghanistan watcher.
Policy
Lawmakers Load Defense Bill With Measures Demanding Answers for Afghanistan's Fall—and Its Future
Armed Services Committee members passed several bipartisan Afghanistan-related amendments amid partisan jabs at Biden.
Threats
Marine Corps Commandant Wants Review of Afghanistan Evacuation
“While it's relatively fresh in our minds, we need the honest, open critique,” Gen. Berger says.
Threats
‘It’s Possible’ US and Taliban Will Target ISIS-K Together, Milley Says
But SecDef Austin cautions, “I would not make any leaps” beyond recent coordinated airport evacuation ops.
Threats
The War on Terror—in Afghanistan and Elsewhere—Is Far from Over, Biden Says
The president vowed to continue counterterrorism efforts.
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