"Surge Recovery" and Next Steps in the War in Afghanistan: In Brief

On June 22, 2011, President Obama delivered a major policy speech in which he laid out the parameters for surge recovery -- the Administrations new term of art that refers to the drawdown of all U.S. surge forces from Afghanistan. Surge recovery has subsequently generated considerable interest across the U.S. political spectrum, including in Congress. Yet troop levels are only one facet of much broader U.S. government engagement in Afghanistan. Basic, broader strategic issues are at stake, all of which have implications for the troop levels debate 1 What fundamental national security interests does the United States have in Afghanistan and the region 2 What minimum conditions -- political, economic, security -- would need to pertain in Afghanistan for those U.S. interests to be protected 3 How appropriate are current and projected future U.S. approaches for helping Afghans establish those conditions 4 When and to what extent are Afghans likely to be able to sustain those conditions with relatively limited support from the international community and 5 Ultimately, how important is this overall effort -- given its likely timeline, risks, and costs -- compared to other U.S. government priorities This report draws in part on the authors recent three-week visit to Afghanistan, in November 2011, based on an invitation from the Commander of NATOs International Security Assistance Force ISAF, General John Allen. It provides initial observations about surge recovery in broader operational and strategic context, and links those observations to current debates that may be of interest to Congress as it considers the strength and duration of further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. This report will not be updated.