Afghanistan Debate
Afghanistan Debate
Be it resolved, withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan is a tactical and strategic blunder the US will come to regret.
Twenty years and counting. 800 billion dollars spent. Over 2,000 US service members killed. America, Canada and NATO’s longest war is finally coming to a close as troops begin to withdraw from their bases in Afghanistan this summer. While fully three quarters of Americans applaud President Biden’s decision to pull out ground troops completely, many security experts are sounding the alarm. Leaving Afghanistan without a secure national government and strong army in place, they warn, will almost certainly lead to a Taliban takeover, ethnic cleansing, mass slaughter, and the destabilization of a country that has long been a regional powder keg. It’s a risky move that would destroy the West’s credibility as an ally at the very moment China is on the rise as a global player. Also, without a foreign military presence, the very real risk exists that Al-Qaeda will use the country again as a base to expand their recruitment and plan terror attacks against the US and its allies.
Others see 20 years of fighting and little to show for it. The Taliban remains a major force in the country and controls more territory now than it did in 2001. Efforts to build up Afghan forces, install a stable government, and curb corruption ended in failure at great expense of blood and treasure. America, NATO and the West can no longer afford to be Afghanistan’s policeman. It’s time to end a conflict that is no longer in the national interest.
You may also like
August 19, 2024
– Listen
Benjamin Netanyahu Debate
August 27, 2024
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Dmitri Trenin
September 4, 2024
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Ayaan Hirsi Ali
September 12, 2024
– Listen
Ceasefire-Hostage Deal Debate
September 17, 2024
– Listen
Baby Boomers Debate
September 26, 2024
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Adam Kirsch
October 9, 2024
– Listen
UK Migrants Debate
October 2, 2024
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Yossi Klein Halevi
October 10, 2024
– Listen
Munk Dialogue with Dan Senor
October 23, 2024
– Listen
Cultural Appropriation Debate
November 1, 2024
– Listen
US Military Support of Israel Debate
November 11, 2024