The Difference Two Years Make
Stephen Biddle discusses how domestic politics still clashes with strategic imperatives in U.S. Afghan policy.
Roger Hertog Senior Fellow for Defense Policy
U.S. national security policy; military strategy and the conduct of war; technology in modern warfare; recent operations in the war on terror.
Stephen Biddle discusses how domestic politics still clashes with strategic imperatives in U.S. Afghan policy.
The most realistic and acceptable alternative models of governance in Afghanistan are decentralized democracy and a system of internal mixed sovereignty.
Stephen Biddle examines recent combat experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq and argues that the efficacy of U.S. air power is constrained by the proficiency of indigenous allies on the ground.
CFR Senior Fellow Stephen Biddle considers ways to adapt governance ambitions in Afghanistan to the constraints of diminishing time and resources.
See more in Afghanistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
The killing of Afghan civilians and the Taliban's suspension of peace talks have complicated the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. CFR's Stephen Biddle discusses U.S. choices.
See more in United States, Afghanistan, Terrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
The newly announced U.S. plan to end its combat mission in Afghanistan by mid-2013 could make it more difficult to realize the chief goal of helping Afghan national forces become self-sufficient, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.
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The winner of the 2012 U.S. presidential race will have to make critical decisions on Afghanistan, including how to support and fund Afghan forces as well as possible concessions to the Taliban, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.
See more in Afghanistan, U.S. Election 2012
CFR's Stephen Biddle discusses the increasing emphasis on non-military ties between the United States and Iraq.
See more in Iraq, Wars and Warfare
While we can contain terrorism, we can't afford the costs of trying to eliminate it and will have to learn how to live with the chronic threat of low-level attacks, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.
See more in United States, 9/11, Terrorist Attacks
Which policies have worked and which ones need work ten years after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history? CFR experts examine ten issues that have preoccupied U.S. planners.
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Stephen Biddle discusses how domestic politics still clashes with strategic imperatives in U.S. Afghan policy.
See more in Asia, Afghanistan, Defense/Homeland Security, Wars and Warfare
President Obama should have used his speech on the Afghanistan troop drawdown to confirm the long-term commitment of U.S. forces in the region, to signal an enduring, robust U.S. presence in troubled South Asia, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Terrorism
Stephen Biddle testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the long term vision needed to guide short term decisions in Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Defense Strategy
While U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan won't be directly affected, bin Laden's death could result in an expedited draw-down schedule, leaving the country open to a Taliban takeover and leading to upheaval in Pakistan, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Terrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Stephen Biddle, Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the implications of Osama bin Laden's death for the United States' role in Afghanistan.
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Stephen Biddle examines how the death of Osama bin Laden will change a U.S. national security strategy and policy that has been shaped so profoundly by bin Laden's actions.
See more in Terrorism, Counterterrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon say that renewed fighting in Afghanistan may be a sign of progress.
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Stephen Biddle discusses the emergence of an "Obama Doctrine" in the president's response to the situation in Libya.
See more in Libya, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Presidency
Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon argue that headway toward a viable state is slow but worth sustaining in Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Stephen Biddle argues that the use of air power in Libya is "intervention on the cheap" that allows the United States to attempt to protect its values and interests in the region wihtout a serious commitment.
See more in Libya, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Foreign Policy History
The Taliban needs to be convinced of a firm U.S. commitment in Afghanistan before it will negotiate a settlement, says CFR's Stephen Biddle, and any deal will have to also involve the Pakistani, U.S., and Afghan governments.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, International Peace and Security
Crucial to the success of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is dealing with the country's "predatory misgovernance," says CFR's Stephen Biddle. Targeting U.S. contracting practices is a good place to start, he says.
See more in Afghanistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Stephen Biddle says that President Obama's incorporation of U.S. domestic politics into his Afghan war strategy is necessary.
See more in United States, Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
CFR Roger Hertog Senior Fellow for Defense Policy and the author of Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle
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| Michael Johnson |
Dr. Stephen Biddle discusses problems on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Stephen Biddle testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the case for war in Afghanistan.
Stephen Biddle discusses the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. He argues that it avoids making difficult trade-offs between a high-tech, capital-intensive, speed-oriented military intended primarily for waging major combat operations and a lower-tech, labor-intensive, lower-capital military intended for low intensity conflict and counterinsurgencies.