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CSIS PRESENTS
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Making the Case for Sustained U.S. Engagement in a Transitioning Afghanistan

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 9:30 am - 11:00 am
CSIS Headquarters

In the United States, there is a sense of "Afghanistan fatigue." While there are certainly valid criticisms that can be levied against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, a significant amount of social, economic, political, and public health progress has resulted from our engagement and Afghans' own hard work and commitment.

The under-five mortality and maternal mortality rates have nearly halved since 2000. Virtually no one in Afghanistan had electricity in 2000, but by 2016, nearly 85 percent of the population did. Women's education was practically non-existent under Taliban rule, but 3.5 million Afghan women are now enrolled in school. 170 radio stations, hundreds of print media outlets, and dozens of TV stations have opened since 2001 as free media, cell phones, television, and the internet have transformed Afghan society. GDP per capita has tripled since 2001, and official development assistance (ODA) as a percentage of central government expenditure decreased from 206 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2015. The Afghan National Army is now the primary group fighting the Taliban, and U.S. troop presence has dropped from 110,000 in 2011 to the current plan of 8,600. But Afghanistan's political progress and social gains are at risk of collapse if the United States chooses to completely disengage from the country. Given the mix of gains and disappointments, how do we establish the correct framework for U.S. engagement with a transitioning Afghanistan in 2020 and beyond?

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Featuring
Representative Michael Waltz
U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th Congressional District
Rina Amiri
Senior Fellow, NYU Center for Global Affairs and Steering Committee Member, Alliance in Support of the Afghan People (ASAP)
Peter Bergen
Vice President of Global Studies and Fellows, New America
Jim Bever
Former Afghanistan Mission Director, USAID
CSIS Experts
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Daniel F. Runde
Senior Vice President; William A. Schreyer Chair; Director, Project on Prosperity and Development; and Director, Americas Program
  • Twitter
Earl Anthony Wayne
Senior Adviser (Non-resident), Project on Prosperity and Development
Downloads
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Contact
Contact Owen Murphy
Tel: 202-775-3215
Media Queries
Contact H. Andrew Schwartz
Chief Communications Officer
Tel: 202.775.3242

Contact Paige Montfort
Media Relations Coordinator, External Relations
Tel: 202.775.3173
Related
Afghanistan, Governance and Rule of Law, International Development, Private Sector Development, U.S. Development Policy, U.S. Soft Power Tools, Youth, Prosperity, and Security Initiative

Featured

Report
Finishing Strong: Seeking a Proper Exit from Afghanistan
By Daniel F. Runde, Earl Anthony Wayne
February 6, 2019
Report
Preventing Catastrophe in Afghanistan
By Daniel F. Runde
April 12, 2019
Podcast Episode
A Peaceful and Gradual Withdrawal from Afghanistan
By Daniel F. Runde
In Building the Future: Freedom, Prosperity, and Foreign Policy with Dan Runde
March 7, 2019

Related Content

Commentary
The Biden Transition and the Real Impact of U.S. Force Cuts in Afghanistan
By Anthony H. Cordesman, Grace Hwang
December 1, 2020
Commentary
Living with the Taliban?
By Anthony H. Cordesman
August 31, 2021
Commentary
Writing Off Afghanistan: Does Biden Have a Choice?
By Anthony H. Cordesman
January 19, 2021
Commentary
Pathways Forward for Humanitarian Assistance in Afghanistan
By Daniel F. Runde, Shannon McKeown
August 26, 2021
Commentary
Afghanistan: The Peace Negotiations Have Become an Extension of War by Other Means
By Anthony H. Cordesman
October 28, 2020
Commentary
Reshaping U.S. Aid to Afghanistan: The Challenge of Lasting Progress
By Anthony H. Cordesman
February 23, 2022
Commentary
Afghanistan: No Real Peace Process and No Progress Towards Defining a Real Peace
By Anthony H. Cordesman
August 31, 2020
Commentary
Pulling Afghanistan back from the Precipice—without Capitulation
By J. Stephen Morrison
October 26, 2021
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Tel: 202.775.3173

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