In Afghanistan, No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal

[rangerrebew]

In Afghanistan, No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal
by Clifford D. May – Washington Times

    Two years ago this month, Zalmay Khalilzad, the distinguished diplomat who has served as America’s ambassador to both Iraq and Afghanistan, praised President Trump for adopting “a realistic position regarding peace talks” with the Taliban, “moving away from President Barack Obama’s pursuit of reconciliation regardless of the deteriorating military situation.”

    A year later, Mr. Khalilzad was appointed U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Since then, he has adopted an unrealistic position regarding peace talks with the Taliban, moving toward President Obama’s pursuit of reconciliation regardless of the deteriorating military situation.

    If I’m wrong about this, I’ll be pleased to eat my words. But the evidence is compelling.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/afghanistan-no-deal-better-bad-deal

[rangerrebew]

Overcoming Inertia: Why It’s Time to End the War in Afghanistan
by John Glaser and John Mueller - Cato Institute

    The war in Afghanistan has become America’s longest war not because U.S. security interests necessitate it, nor because the battlefield realities are insurmountable, but because of inertia. Policymakers have shied away from hard truths, fallen victim to specious cognitive biases, and allowed the mission to continue without clear intentions or realistic objectives.

    Although the American people are substantially insulated from the sacrifices incurred by this distant war, the reality is that the United States can’t win against the Taliban at a remotely acceptable cost. Almost two decades in, the insurgency is as strong as ever, and the U.S.-backed Kabul regime is weak and mired in corruption. And while official assessments of the conflict have long acknowledged it as a stalemate, top military leaders have consistently misled the public and advised elected civilians to devote greater resources to achieve victory.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/overcoming-inertia-why-its-time-end-war-afghanistan