Afghanistan

How an Abstract "War on Terror" Became All Too Real in Iraq and Afghanistan

by Roger Peace

Politics drove the Bush administration to expand the scope of a military response to 9/11 to cover costly entanglements in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Afghanistan's Lesson: Plan for What Happens After Russia Leaves Ukraine

by Aaron Brown

Expelling Russian forces through military aid would be a victory for the US and NATO, but not a final one. 

It's Wrong for Biden to Punish Afghans for 9/11

by H.A. Hellyer and Farid Senzai

It's unconscionable to punish ordinary Afghans, who were themselves victimized by the Taliban, by seizing frozen bank funds as restitution to the families of 9/11 victims. 

Americans Have been Forgetting Afghanistan for 20 Years. I Didn't Have That Luxury

by Ali A. Olomi

"Every Afghan American I know has lost a family member or friend. The war became part of who we were and even shaped our career trajectories. Afghan friends became immigration attorneys and activists. I became a historian."

Was Afghanistan Just a Schell Game?

by Nick Turse

Somehow being right about American wars never translates into celebrity or widespread media appearances.

Never Having to Say You're Sorry

by Karen J. Greenberg

Numerous players with large and small roles in creating the expansive War on Terror have issued mea culpas; the major architects and the interests who profit from war have not. 

Abandoning Afghans From the Start

by Christian G. Appy

The Washington Post's Afganistan Papers present an opportunity to avoid the mistake of blaming military defeat on bad judgment and focus on the inherent problem of America's imperial ambitions, says historian Christian Appy.

Why Didn't We Leave Afghanistan Before Now?

by Carter Malkasian

Above all other considerations, America's interminable military presence in Afghanistan was driven by politicians' fears of blame for a future terrorist attack. 

After Afghanistan: Will Peace Get a Chance?

by William Astore

"Here’s the rest of my message to my fellow citizens. Stop rewarding the Pentagon and its failed generals and admirals with yet more money."

The Winner in Afghanistan? China

by Alfred McCoy

While the similarities between the American exits from Vietnam and Afghanistan are superficially obvious, the differences are more significant, and signal a steep decline in America's ability to influence world affairs. 

As Taliban Return, a History of Afghan Women’s Rights

The feared subordination of women under the Taliban in Afghanistan is not a return to "tradition" but reflects the complexity of differing regions and conflicting ethnic and cultural groups. 

The Missed Lesson of Vietnam: Plan for Unconditional Victory or Don't Intervene at All

by James D. Robenalt

Comparisons between American withdrawal from Vietnam and Afghanistan miss a key point: failure was overwhelmingly likely from the beginning because, if the United States was unwilling or unable to secure unconditional surrender, time was on the side of its foes. 

The Decline and Fall of the Roman… Whoops!… American Empire

by Tom Engelhardt

A hubristic choice to refuse a negotiated surrender from the Afghan Taliban in favor of establishing American military supremacy now haunts both nations as the costs of war undo domestic "nation building" in the US. 

The New Era of American Power

by Adam Tooze

The dominant position of American financial interests and the still-escalating Pentagon budget, focusing on technological dominance over China, mean that it's too soon to celebrate the end of American interventionism abroad. 

20 Years of Flawed Assumptions Led to Failure in Afghanistan

by Luiza Carter

"For many Afghans with roots in a culture drastically different than ours, Taliban governance was simply not as barbaric as what we saw through our Western lens. Or at least not worth sacrificing their lives to prevent."

Comparative Reflections on the Fall of Kabul

by Ben Kiernan

In their rush to compare the fall of Kabul to the 1975 victory of the Vietnamese communists, observers neglect the more relevant comparison between the Taliban and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. 

How Previous Presidents have Ended American Wars

With the U.S.'s longest war coming to an end, Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks with Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, to look back at how other U.S. presidents have handled ending conflicts.

Saigon Didn't End U.S. "Credibility." Neither Will Kabul

by Mark Atwood Lawrence

Did the United States suffer any serious geopolitical setbacks as a result of Vietnam? The answer is neither simple nor straightforward.

70 Years after the UN Refugee Convention, the US Needs to Commit to Helping Displaced People

by Linda K. Kerber

The UN Refugee Convention does not impose any real obligations on any nation to offer asylum. The United States must lead the way in recognition of the deeply interconnected world created in large part by American power.

Words of Warning: Many Opposed the Afghanistan Invasion in 2001

by John Bodnar

"Today Americans worry over the humanitarian crisis at the Kabul airport.  But they mostly forget the one that transpired over a period of two decades and led to the death of some 150,000 Afghans in a war to eliminate evil from the world."