Trump Over-Emphasizes the Military in Afghanistan
Six months into his presidency, Donald Trump and his national security team are struggling to develop an Afghanistan strategy. His defense secretary, Jim Mattis, presented […] More
Taliban
Pakistan’s Proxy Strategy Principal Cause of Mistrust for U.S.
Despite Pakistani claims to have taken action against all terrorist groups on its soil, U.S. government officials have continued to signal that neither anti-Afghan Taliban […] More
Great Potential to Deepen U.S.-Pakistani Relations
As the Trump Administration debates sets its policy for the way forward in Afghanistan, it will also need to consider the role of Pakistan in […] More
U.S. Running Out of Options in Afghanistan
The U.S. war in Afghanistan has entered into its 16th year with no end in sight. With the battle against the Taliban essentially mired in […] More
One-Size-Fits-All Approach Fails in Afghanistan
The U.S. continues to face a daunting challenge in Afghanistan, as it aims to bring stability to a country that has been plagued by conflict […] More
Trump’s Options for Afghanistan: Losing or Not Losing
The American war in Afghanistan is in its 16th year. It was preceded by 12 years of civil war, and before that by the Soviet […] More
Committed to the Afghan Mission
The Cipher Brief spoke with Representative Will Hurd, R-Tex., about what more the U.S. can do to improve security and the economy in Afghanistan. Hurd […] More
The Long-Goodbye to Afghanistan – Should It Get Longer?
Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that ISIS’ leader in Afghanistan, Sheikh Abdul Hasib, was killed in an April 27 joint-operation carried out by Afghan […] More
“We Must Win in Afghanistan:” Terror Groups Exploiting Stalemate
In an exclusive interview with The Cipher Brief, Hamdullah Mohib, the Afghan Ambassador to the U.S., emphasized the progress that the Afghan government, led by […] More
The Never Ending Story: The Morass of Afghanistan and Pakistan
The new administration must surely be thinking about the challenges of Afghanistan and Pakistan and what to do. The region has bedeviled outsiders for generations. […] More
Top Cmdr Calls for More Troops in Afghanistan, Warns About Russia
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan wants several thousand more troops from the U.S. and its allies to help break the “stalemate” in the 15 […] More
Trump Administration Faces Daunting Challenges in Afghanistan
One of the most daunting foreign policy tasks facing the Trump Administration is determining America’s path forward in Afghanistan. From the time he launched his […] More
A Sustainable Security Strategy for Afghanistan
The Afghanistan and Pakistan region is home to 20 UN and U.S. designated terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), and the Haqqani network. This […] More
Developing and Sticking With a Clear Strategy in Afghanistan
President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly said that fighting Islamic extremism is one of his administration’s top priorities. Determining the path forward in Afghanistan, where the […] More
Afghanistan: The U.S. Must Settle In for the Long Haul
The Cipher Brief sat down with former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann to discuss some of the challenges that the incoming Trump Administration will […] More
Nudging Afghanistan in the Right Direction
With the Trump Administration set to take office next month, The Cipher Brief spoke with Robert Grenier, former CIA Chief of Station in Pakistan and […] More
Combatting Haqqani Network is Key to Afghan Strategy
The Taliban is mounting an increasingly deadly insurgency across Afghanistan, including a breakthrough into Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan’s southern Helmand Province, earlier this […] More
Pakistan's Influence and Control
The Haqqani network’s continued presence in Pakistan, as well as recent Taliban advances in Afghanistan, have resulted in a “steady deterioration in U.S.-Pakistan relations over […] More