Blog Posts

“There is a reason that Afghanistan’s conflict, then and now, so defies solutions.”

“The general got most of what he had sought in the strategy: increases in American military trainers and air support in targeting the Taliban, without deadlines.”

“A broad brushstroke version of history ignores a number of important cases where foreign powers have found success—albeit often fleeting—in Afghanistan.”

"The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, it's time for them to join the peace process. We will not fail in Afghanistan, our national security depends on that as well."

“The so-called victory in Mosul should give us cause to question the limited options available to militaries forced to fight in cities.”

“Trump’s elevation of a cadre of current and retired generals marks a striking departure for a country that for generations has positioned civilian leaders above and apart from the military.”

Laura King: "A look at where broad assistance has worked and where it hasn’t, and some of the lessons about why."

Continue on for information on this PKSOI call for papers.

David Ignatius: “Will President Trump’s new Afghanistan strategy alter the dynamics of America’s longest and most frustrating war?”

Max Boot: “When I visited Afghanistan a few days ago all the briefings I received from American officials were about nation-building.”

“The hope of tiring the Taliban remains the mantra repeated by American diplomats and the generals whom the president has empowered to execute his policy.”

“Are U.S. sailors being pushed into missions without enough training?”

John Nagl: “Trump must to go to Afghanistan immediately—this week—to meet with his commanders and diplomats.”

Following an announcement by President Trump declaring the United States' commitment to Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Mattis said Tuesday he has not yet made a decision on how many troops to send.

Wall Street Journal Op-Ed by SecDef Jim Mattis and SecState Rex Tillerson.

"Hamas is using residential buildings in the coastal strip to disguise expansion of underground tunnels and command centers from which Israel says the group plans to wage urban war."

"An ominous rumble of discontent is sweeping Afghanistan, driven by a mixture of anxiety, anger, frustration and political opportunism."

Erik Prince's controversial proposal to privatize a large portion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is being met with growing opposition in Kabul and Washington.

Continue on for a take on the United States Agency for International Development and its new Administrator Mark Andrew Green.

“Simply updating counterinsurgency concepts from the Cold War, which is what the United States has done, is a doomed effort.”

“America’s many missions in Africa aren’t all about warfare - many provide training, education and aid.”

"The lack of mass casualty domestic attacks in the United States, carried out by
foreign fighters, since 9/11 should not be taken for a sign of future invulnerability."

"The number of weapons released against the Islamic State in July dropped slightly from the previous month’s all-time record."

"The administration remains without a clear strategy, Prince suggests contractors could gradually supplant the 14,000 US and NATO troops who remain in Afghanistan."

“The founder of Blackwater says privatizing the 16-year war could save taxpayer money. History suggests a different outcome.”