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.

Examining the decline of violence in Iraq at the end of 2007, Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey A. Friedman, and Jacob Shapiro argue, "A synergistic interaction between the surge and the [Sunni] Awakening was required for violence to drop as quickly and widely as it did: both were necessary; neither was sufficient."

Recent "insider attacks" on U.S. forces raise concerns about the Afghan security transition in 2014 and long-term U.S. support for local troops, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.

Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey A. Friedman, and Jacob N. Shapiro examine the reasons for the reversal in 2007 from years of intense bloodshed in Iraq to almost four years of relative calm since then.

CFR Senior Fellow Stephen Biddle considers ways to adapt governance ambitions in Afghanistan to the constraints of diminishing time and resources.

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.

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.

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.

CFR's Stephen Biddle discusses the increasing emphasis on non-military ties between the United States and Iraq.

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.

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.

Stephen Biddle discusses how domestic politics still clashes with strategic imperatives in U.S. Afghan policy.

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.

Stephen Biddle testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the long term vision needed to guide short term decisions in Afghanistan.

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.

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.

Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon say that renewed fighting in Afghanistan may be a sign of progress.

Stephen Biddle discusses the emergence of an "Obama Doctrine" in the president's response to the situation in Libya.

Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon argue that headway toward a viable state is slow but worth sustaining in Afghanistan.

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.

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.