Why the Taliban takeover is a mixed bag for China and Pakistan
The prospect of new extremist threats pouring into or igniting within these states or just over the border is a real security issue.
The prospect of new extremist threats pouring into or igniting within these states or just over the border is a real security issue.
As the US steps back militarily, regional states forever at each other’s throats are now quietly stepping forward diplomatically.
The chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal has renewed talk about striking out and leaning less on the U.S. But is it possible?
A former parliamentarian says his brother was just one casualty in a corrupt government abetted by Washington for years.
Congress’s blank check helped launched conflicts, many currently ongoing, that have nothing to do with the terrorist attacks.
The findings come as a separate study estimates the US has so far spent $8 trillion.
Iran and the Taliban have mutual interests that will favor cooperation despite their long-standing rivalry.
Gulf states are likely to discover that they are stuck with a less committed United States. That reality will push them toward greater self-reliance.
Humanitarian assistance cannot depend on whether the insurgent group forms a government or what it looks like.
The US media’s coverage of the withdrawal focused on drama at the expense of the more important bigger picture.
But it was a trap laid by Osama bin Laden that only Washington could spring. And it did.
The apparent move came after a viral tweet calling attention to its relationship with the military industrial complex.
For President Bush, the only option was revenge, but an alternative path was available.
Everyone except the military industrial complex lost the ‘war on terror.’
The Taliban’s security problems are likely to be domestic and regional rather than hail from transnational jihadist groups.
The US military role in Afghanistan is over, but the costs will continue to mount as the forever wars rage on.
Tehran has a long history with the Pashtuns across the border so their optimism is a bit tempered these days.
The Taliban may be talked out of poppy production if the price is right.
The foreign policy elite are focused on defending their reputations and privileges, not in confronting failure in Afghanistan.
It required a ‘whole of government’ response, but DC wasn’t firing on all cylinders. There is plenty of blame to go around.
If China has learned anything from its recent experiences in Pakistan, it will proceed cautiously with a small footprint in Afghanistan.