Ending the Forever War: President Biden’s Decision to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Afghanistan
The Biden administration’s decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11 or sooner marks a historic pivot away from endless war. President Joe Biden recognized that there is no viable path for U.S. troops to militarily defeat the Taliban. Biden also rejected calls for a “robust U.S. military presence to stand as leverage” in uncertain negotiations. What led Biden to make these determinations and will he be able to keep his word given the challenges ahead?
Join a discussion that delves into the calculations behind President Biden’s monumental decision and the future of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and the region with Ambassador Richard Olson who served as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, and director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown, director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors at Brookings, and Dr. Jonathan Schroden, director of the Countering Threats and Challenges Program at the Center for Naval Analyses. The conversation will be moderated by QI’s Adam Weinstein.