Afghanistan War | Council on Foreign Relations

The swift fall of Kabul recalls the ignominious fall of Saigon in 1975. Beyond the local consequences, America’s strategic and moral failure in Afghanistan will reinforce questions about U.S. reliability among friends and foes alike.

by Richard Haass Aug 15, 2021

Lessons From Two Decades of War

Experts discuss the history of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, critical decisions made by four U.S. administrations, and what lessons can be learned from the two-decade war.

Event with Ryan C. Crocker, Carter Malkasian, and Kori Schake Oct 22, 2021

The Legacy of the U.S. War in Afghanistan in Graphics

The overthrow of the Taliban regime after the 9/11 attacks ushered in a massive nation-building project. Nine graphics show what changed in Afghanistan over two decades.

by Lindsay Maizland Aug 17, 2021

Afghanistan

Our Biggest Errors in Afghanistan and What We Should Learn from Them

As a journalist, book author, and sometime adviser with frequent visits to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2015, I offer this distillation of lessons that we might learn from the United States’ longest war.

by Linda Robinson June 22, 2023 Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy
Iraq War

The UN in Afghanistan, Twenty Years Since the U.S. Invasion of Iraq, Black Sea Grain Initiative, and More

The UN Security Council decides whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan; on its twentieth anniversary, Americans and Iraqis take stock of the U.S. invasion of Iraq; and the future of the Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Grain Initiative, a vital food export agreement, is decided.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins March 16, 2023 The World Next Week
Afghanistan

The Taliban in Afghanistan

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, twenty years after their ouster by U.S. troops. Under their harsh rule, they have cracked down on women’s rights and neglected basic services.

by Lindsay Maizland January 19, 2023

Afghanistan War

Arthur Ross Book Award: "The American War in Afghanistan: A History"

Gideon Rose celebrates the winners of this year’s Arthur Ross Book Award: Carter Malkasian, Mary Elise Sarotte, and Nicole Perlroth. The program will include an award ceremony and conversation with Malkasian on the twenty-year American war in Afghanistan.

Virtual Event by Carter Malkasian, Mary Elise Sarotte, Nicole Perlroth and Gideon Rose December 7, 2022 CFR Arthur Ross Book Award
Afghanistan War

The U.S. War in Afghanistan

The Taliban surged back to power two decades after U.S.-led forces toppled their regime in what led to the United States’ longest war.

Timeline by Zachary Laub and Lindsay Maizland September 27, 2022
Afghanistan

Preview Screening and Discussion of “Escape From Kabul”

Escape From Kabul unfolds over eighteen monumental days in August 2021, from the U.S. withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan through the subsequent evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghan citizens from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized the city. The documentary combines footage from those on the ground at the airport and exclusive interviews with Afghan citizens attempting to flee, U.S. Marines tasked with managing the evacuation, and Taliban commanders and fighters who had recently taken the city. CFR panelists discuss this HBO documentary, the U.S. withdrawal, and the legacy of twenty years of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. Escape From Kabul premieres on HBO on September 21.

Virtual Event by Elliot Ackerman, Laurel E. Miller, Jamie Roberts and Deborah Amos September 12, 2022
Afghanistan

The U.S. Holds Limited Influence in the Taliban’s Afghanistan

A year after the U.S. withdrawal, half of Afghanistan’s population faces a food emergency, and the Taliban regime acts with cruelty and indifference.

by Max Boot August 16, 2022 National Security and Defense Program
Afghanistan

Afghanistan on the Ground

Our panelists discuss the situation in Afghanistan nine months after the U.S. withdrawal, including the state of Taliban control, the status of women's rights and education, and what to expect in the months ahead.

Virtual Event by Matthieu Aikins, Roya Rahmani, Scott Smith and Missy Ryan June 9, 2022
United States

How Has the U.S. Refugee System Changed Over Time?

Since the creation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in 1980, more than three million refugees have been accepted into the country. Until recently, the United States was the world’s top country for taking in refugees. However, bans on refugees from certain countries significantly curtailed admissions during the Donald Trump administration and reignited a debate over the program’s national security implications. Now, President Joe Biden has pledged to restore the program as crises worsen in places such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Explainer Video with Jeremy Sherlick and Diana Roy May 11, 2022
Education

Virtual Roundtable: Life Lessons Learned With Eliot Cohen

Webinar by Eliot A. Cohen and Gideon Rose December 7, 2021 U.S. Foreign Policy Program
Afghanistan

Afghanistan in Hindsight: Lessons From Two Decades of War

Our panelists discuss the history of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, critical policy decisions made during four U.S. administrations, and what lessons can be learned from the two-decade war.

Virtual Event by Ryan C. Crocker, Carter Malkasian, Kori Schake and Eliot A. Cohen October 22, 2021
Afghanistan War

Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam: How the U.S. Has Resettled Its Wartime Allies

The United States has granted tens of thousands of special visas to Afghans who aided U.S. forces, but many others are still waiting. How does this compare with previous efforts?

by James McBride September 28, 2021
Afghanistan

Where Will Afghan Refugees Go?

Experts expect that most new Afghan refugees will flee to neighboring Iran and Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of Afghans already reside.

by Lindsay Maizland September 8, 2021
9/11

How 9/11 Reshaped Foreign Policy

The events of September 11, 2001, set in motion sweeping changes to U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism practices, launched two major wars, and altered Americans’ daily routines. This timeline traces three pivotal years whose reverberations continue today.

Timeline by James McBride August 31, 2021
Afghanistan

Exiting Afghanistan Will Improve America’s Global Standing in the Long Run

Allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific will be the beneficiaries of an overdue strategic realignment.

by Charles A. Kupchan August 30, 2021 U.S. Foreign Policy Program