Publication

In light of discussions around the withdrawal of the US presence from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, this paper looks at the numerous security challenges facing the country. These challenges revolve around three points: 1) the threat the Taliban insurgency poses to the Afghan government's control over the terrain and to hard-won prior gains; 2) the capability gaps of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as a counterinsurgency force and 3) the continued presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its support for global terrorist activity. The authors argue that in light of these challenges, the US policy towards Afghanistan - including its withdrawal schedule - needs to be reevaluated.