Afghanistan
At a Glance
Originally guided by the goal of defeating Al Qaeda and removing the Tali-
ban from power in favor of a democratic, antiterrorist government, U.S.
foreign policy toward Afghanistan is now guided by the quest for stabil-
ity. As concerns about the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) grow, the
situation in Afghanistan has fallen down the list of U.S. foreign policy and
national security priorities. However, the resurgence of the Taliban and
reemergence of Al Qaeda have caused the Obama administration to reeval-
uate its policies toward Afghanistan. At the same time, partisan debates
about how to best proceed continue within Congress and the foreign policy
elite in general.
According to many Democrats, U.S. foreign policy toward
Afghanistan . . .
Should be based on the goal of withdrawing remaining U.S. troops as soon
as reasonably possible;
Should focus on supporting the peace talks between the Afghan govern-
ment and the Taliban;
Must redouble efforts to train Afghan security and police forces to reduce
dependence on American military forces; and
Should not consider building permanent U.S. bases in Afghanistan.
According to many Republicans, U.S. foreign policy toward
Afghanistan . . .
Should recognize that earlier troop drawdowns in Afghanistan were a mis-
take, and delay further drawdown until Afghan forces are ready to assume
all security responsibilities;
Should be based on “on-the-ground” assessments by military advisers
rather than on political calculations based on war weariness;
Must redouble efforts to train Afghan security and police forces; and
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