After visiting Afghanistan at the invitation of General David Petraeus, Max Boot, Frederick Kagan, and Kimberly Kagan discuss their observations of the conflict in the region and contend that while there is cause for concern, the situation is likely to improve.

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.

China has diverse interests in Afghanistan, including extracting resources and promoting regional stability. But China's future policy toward Afghanistan will largely depend on whether there is a valid election and credible government in Kabul after the planned U.S. drawdown in 2014.

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The answer is simple: 9/11. The most costly terrorist attack ever was carried out from Afghanistan. The United States showed bipartisan determination to bring the perpetrators to justice and—the part that explains our continuing engagement in Afghanistan—to prevent its soil from ever being used again to stage terrorist attacks.

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Fawzia Koofi, Afghan Member of Parliament, women's rights activist, and presidential candidate, speaks about what to expect for Afghanistan after U.S. troops withdraw in 2014.

Following the attack on Afghan civilians by a U.S. Army sergeant, and the recent burning of Qurans by NATO soldiers, the United States' relationship with Afghanistan has come under sharp focus. Listen to CFR senior fellows Stephen Biddle and Max Boot discuss these events, the planned drawdown of U.S. troops by 2014, and the future of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan.

This session was a meeting of the Women and Foreign Policy Roundtable Series, organized by the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative.

CFR's Gayle Lemmon discusses female entrepreneurship in Afghanistan with students.

This meeting was presented by the International Institutions and Global Governance Program and the Women and Foreign Policy Program.

Michèle Flournoy, under secretary of defense for policy at the U.S. Department of Defense, discusses America's strategy in Afghanistan.

Senator Carl M. Levin discusses the challenges facing the United States in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as a range of other national security concerns.

This meeting was part of the Women and Foreign Policy Roundtable Series, which was organized by CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Program.

Stanley A. McChrystal, former commander of the United States and International Security Assistance Forces Afghanistan and Joint Special Operations Command's premier military counterterrorism force, discusses his experiences in Afghanistan.

This meeting is part of the HBO History Makers series.

Senator Lindsey O. Graham discusses his recent trip to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the evolving situations in Libya and Syria, and other foreign policy challenges.

James Dobbins and James J. Shinn, coauthors of Afghan Peace Talks: A Primer, discuss the relationships between al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as the obstacles and possible outcomes of peace negotiations.