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March 29th, 2013
Afghanistan Study Group: U.S., Afghanistan Counterinsurgency Efforts Founder
Secretary of State John Kerry’s trip to Afghanistan this week indicated an improvement in the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship. But tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan is rising, according to media reports. Developments on the ground in Afghanistan have raised questions about the … Continue reading
March 29th, 2013
Growing Support for Ending Afghanistan War
Last week, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called for a swift end to the war in Afghanistan in a letter to the president.“We urge you to heed the wishes of the majority of Americans … Continue reading
A New Way Forward: The Report
At nine years and counting, the U.S. war in Afghanistan is the longest in our history, surpassing even the Vietnam War, and it will shortly surpass the Soviet Union’s own extended military campaign there. With the surge, it will cost the U.S. taxpayers nearly $100 billion per year, a sum roughly seven times larger than Afghanistan’s annual gross national product (GNP) of $14 billion and greater than the total annual cost of the new U.S. health insurance program. Thousands of American and allied personnel have been killed or gravely wounded.
The United States should by no means abandon Afghanistan, but it is time to abandon the current strategy that is not working. Trying to pacify Afghanistan by force of arms will not work, and a costly military campaign there is more likely to jeopardize America’s vital security interests than to protect them. The Study Group believes that the United States should pursue more modest goals that are both consistent with America’s true interests and far more likely to succeed.