Ideas
Who Gets to Tell the Story of the Afghanistan War?
The Washington Post’s ‘Afghanistan Papers’ is the latest contribution to a growing argument over whether the conflict — or any of the ‘forever wars’ — was worth the cost.
Ideas
Ep. 62: Wagner and Russian private military contractors
How much do we understand about what these groups are up to? And how much should the U.S. and its allies be concerned?
Policy
Why Trump and Biden Can’t Cut Troops in Afghanistan Much More
Even ‘bare minimum’ counterterrorism forces require critical intelligence only U.S. personnel can provide, officials warn.
Policy
Top US General Defends Afghanistan War
CJCS Mark Milley denied that officials “lied” to the American public about the 18-year conflict.
Ideas
The Lessons of the Afghanistan Papers
Americans need leaders who can tell them how and when they will decide to pull the plug.
Ideas
Can Military Leaders Handle the Truth About Afghanistan?
Our recent poll suggests that public confidence in the military is high, but that it may be on shaky ground.
Ideas
Nixon’s Leniency After My Lai Hurt Veterans. Trump’s May, Too.
A president’s actions in 1971 helped turn public opinion against those who fought the Vietnam War.
Ideas
If Ukraine Is Impeachable, What’s Afghanistan?
A misguided war that drags on inconclusively for more than 18 years is, I submit, a great crime.
Threats
Amid Rising Tensions: A Conversation with Pakistan’s Ambassador
Asad Majeed Khan discusses the U.S. troop pullout in Afghanistan, the worsening situation in Kashmir, and efforts to fight extremism.
Threats
The Taliban Got Way Deadlier in 2019, Says Pentagon's Afghanistan IG
The group mounted 3,500 deadly or wounding attacks this summer, even as U.S. airstrikes rose.
Threats
Pakistan May Be Stumbling Toward a Two-Front War
Months after India instituted a lockdown on the disputed region of Kashmir, clashes have erupted on Pakistan’s borders with Kashmir and with Afghanistan.
Ideas
‘We Shouldn’t Be Buying the Taliban’s Excuse’
The Afghan national security adviser wants his government to take over after a failed year of U.S. negotiations. But now the country has an uncertain election to contend with.
Ideas
Ep. 56: 10 trips to Afghanistan, with Kevin Maurer
North Carolina-based author Kevin Maurer talks about his latest trip in January, and how some U.S. soldiers derive meaning from the longest conflict in the nation's history.
Ideas
It’s Really Hard to Buy Peace in Afghanistan
Western leaders looking to replace troops with targeted aid may find it counterproductive.
Ideas
The US Military is Not, and Can Never Be, Afghanistan’s Police
If we were 'almost a police force' in Afghanistan, we already would have won.
Ideas
A Terrific Deal—For the Taliban
The president should have to answer for the Afghanistan mess in the 2020 election.
Ideas
America’s Déjà-Vu Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Like Obama in Iraq, Trump wants to stop fighting before the war is done.
Threats
Once Again, Trump Lurches to End a War, But Troops Remain
The collapse of talks with the Taliban raises questions about the president’s willingness to bring troops home from costly engagements overseas.
Threats