Recent Publications

The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries
February 22, 2024 — Counterterrorism | Book Review: The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries Author: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines | Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University | Professor and historian Dean Nowowiejski presents a thoughtful... MORE

Book Review: The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries
Authors: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines

Reviewed by Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University

“Defeat in Afghanistan: An Autopsy”
February 17, 2023 — Policy initiatives in the Trump administration and the Biden-Harris administration significantly accelerated the Taliban victory in Afghanistan. This podcast supports the conclusion that the major factors in this defeat were the historical difficulty in governing Afghanistan, the Afghan republic’s two inefficient and corrupt governments, an ineffective US strategy, operational shortcomings by US forces, an ineffective Afghan military, Pakistan’s duplicitous policy, and the strength and determination of the Taliban. This podcast rejects the claim that the United States nation-building effort was a major factor in its defeat and concludes with a discussion of lessons encountered... MORE

Deconstructing the Collapse of Afghanistan National Security and Defense Forces
September 21, 2022 — The rapid collapse of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in August 2021 was widely anticipated and due to its structural constraints and qualitative decline from 2018–21. This article provides a targeted analysis of ANDSF operational liabilities and qualitative limitations, referencing often overlooked statements by US and Afghan political and military officials, data from official US government reports... MORE

SSI Live 83 – Explaining Afghanistan’s Downfall
September 7, 2021 — How did Afghanistan fall to the Taliban after 20 years of effort by the United States and its allies? SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni invited his SSI colleagues Dr. Chris Mason to address the end of America’s longest war and to help shed light on the key reasons for why Afghanistan fell. Dr. Mason drew on his long experience working in and studying... MORE

Strategic Insights: The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Taliban
August 1, 2016 — Dr. M. Chris Mason 2015 was a bad year for the Afghan National Security Forces. They ended the Western calendar year badly battered, like a punch-drunk prize fighter on the ropes. At least 5,500 of them died in 2015, the worst annual casualty toll since American involvement in Afghanistan’s civil war began in 2001. By the end of Western calendar... MORE

Cover for Strategic Insights: The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Taliban

Response to “America’s Flawed Afghanistan Strategy”
October 14, 2010 — MAJ Peter A. Dvorscak Update: Steve Metz responds.Dr. Metz discusses many aspects of the Global War on Terror in his August 2010 SSI Newsletter Op-Ed, but intertwines subjects, such as the Taliban and al Qaeda, without putting the subjects in the proper perspective.He wrote, “Both the Bush and Obama strategies assume al Qaeda needs state support or... MORE

Final Response to “America’s Flawed Afghanistan Strategy”
October 14, 2010 — Dr. Steven Metz MAJ Dvorscak's thoughtful letter makes a number of important and powerful points. In some cases, I suspect that I simply expressed my idea poorly or was limited by time constraints in the extent to which I could explain them. On others, though, we'll agree to disagree.MAJ Dvorscak is exactly right that al Qaeda and the Taliban have... MORE

America’s Flawed Afghanistan Strategy
August 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Steven Metz Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the August 2010 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Cover for America's Flawed Afghanistan Strategy

U.S. Interests in Central Asia and the Challenges to Them
March 1, 2007 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank The author assesses the interests of the United States in Central Asia and the challenges to them. These challenges consist of the revival of the Taliban, Russo-Chinese efforts to oust U.S. strategic presence from the area, and the possibility of internal instability generated by the regression of local regimes form... MORE

Afghanistan and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy
November 1, 2002 — Author: Dr Stephen D Biddle America's novel use of special forces, precision weapons, and indigenous allies has attracted widespread attention since its debut in Northern Afghanistan last fall. It has proven both influential and controversial. Many think it caused the Taliban's sudden collapse. For them, this "Afghan Model" represents warfare's... MORE