A Stark Reminder
The latest devastating attack by the Taliban in Kabul raises the question about the ongoing capabilities of the insurgency. Jeffrey Eggers, a former assistant to […] More
Taliban
The Taliban Resurgence
On May 1, 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush delivered his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech declaring, “In the battle of Afghanistan, we destroyed the Taliban, […] More
Same Name, Different Agendas
Although the Taliban organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan share the same name, they operate as independent organizations under separate leadership structures. Jeffery Eggers, former Special […] More
A Gloomy Prospect for Real Negotiation
A negotiated peace settlement in Afghanistan in 2016 is unlikely. Negotiations have succeeded in other insurgencies when each side determined that victory was not possible […] More
Security and Stability in Afghanistan
With the international community focused on the expanding threat from ISIS, the persistent threat the Taliban poses to stability in Afghanistan seems to be getting […] More
The Role Pakistan Plays
Conventional wisdom expected the Taliban to pose a security challenge following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan. The Obama Administration and Afghan […] More
Don’t Give Up on Afghanistan
By all accounts, the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated sharply since U.S. and NATO troops ended combat operations in December 2014. The Taliban control […] More
Taliban Bombing Kills at Least 20 at Kabul Police Station
The Taliban has taken credit for a suicide attack on a police complex in Kabul that killed 20 people and wounded 29 more. The New […] More
GEN Keane: No Surprise Afghan Security Deteriorating
Security in Afghanistan is worsening, and the trend has been downward for over a year. Afghan military and police force casualties are rising and rapidly […] More
Endgame in Afghanistan
The rifts among Taliban factions had been growing for some time, bubbling up as the deception over their leader’s death continued. They boiled over last […] More
Finding the Right Path in Afghanistan
The Cipher Brief sat down with General Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), for a wide-ranging interview. The general offered […] More
Little Room for Optimism
During the 11 months of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s presidency, and despite the combination of a rapid Western pullout and an expanding Taliban insurgency, there […] More
Buying More Time
For the past several years, the Obama administration’s strategy for Afghanistan has rested on the basic assumption that although no reasonable amount of U.S. money […] More