Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced July 29 that President Trump wanted a U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan before the 2020 election—something the president has wanted in the past, but it has yet to happen. It’s been nearly 18 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, in response to the 9/11 […]
Afghanistan
Data Shows Declining Support for U.S. in Middle East
WASHINGTON—Preference for stronger U.S. relations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has dropped in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon since 2016, according to new data from the Arab Barometer, a nonpartisan research network providing insight into social, political, and economic attitudes of citizens throughout the Arab world. The findings were presented at the […]
Afghanistan Exit Must Be Gradual, Measured
The best strategy for the United States withdrawing troops and resources from Afghanistan is one that is cautious, measured, and phased according to a Feb. 6 report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies. “Absent a successful peace negotiation, a U.S. force draw-down should be tied to Afghanistan meeting performance and governance benchmarks and […]
Perspective: Family Terror Connections Foster Radicalization
Family terror networks—or alternatively, family-affiliated terrorism—involve two or more people from the same clan who support the threat or use of terrorism. Kin terrorism has appeared across diverse views from religiously motivated precepts to national liberation, and from hate-based ideologies to other viewpoints. Family structures enable higher instances of conversion to radical beliefs given the […]
CSIS: Pressure Pakistan for Harboring Insurgents
With Pakistan a continuing sanctuary for insurgent fighters in Afghanistan since 9/11, the United States should adopt a harder stance against Afghanistan’s rogue neighbor, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “A continuing failure to curb the Taliban and Haqqani Network’s sanctuary in Pakistan will undermine Washington’s ability to […]