Twenty Years of Military Operations in Afghanistan: Key Questions

After 20 years of operations, training, investment and capacity building, the swift collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), followed by the Talibans takeover of the country, is prompting debate on how such a significant strategic setback could take place. Many observers attribute such failures to the decisions made by the United States and its European and other partners at the time the Taliban was ousted from power in late 2001, including how to structure post-Taliban governance and Afghan security forces. The outcome of the campaign also provides an opportunity to reflect on how the U.S. military conducted its operations alongside its coalition partners, as well as the overall efficacy of the military as an instrument for achieving strategic goals. Section 1080 of H.R. 4350 (H.Rept. 117-118), the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, would establish a Commission on Afghanistan that would assess the war in Afghanistan and make recommendations to inform future operations. Senate action is pending.