The United States continues to pursue peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban as a means to secure stability. Bruce Riedel discusses the challenges faced by the administration, including its ongoing tensions with Pakistan.

A potential Taliban office in Qatar has raised hopes for a negotiated end to the Afghan war. But numerous challenges remain even as a new controversy over U.S. troop behavior threatens to derail talks.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says the the shocking torture of Sahar Gul is just one example of widespread violence against women in Afghanistan, which mostly goes unreported and unpunished.

Abandoning counterinsurgency doctrine after Afghanistan would doom the U.S. military to irrelevance and impotence, writes Christopher Sims and Fernando Luján. Not so, says Bing West; like it or not, the United States will be much less ambitious in future wars.

Leslie H. Gelb interviews U.S. vice president Joe Biden.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee released this report on December 19, 2011. The press release states,

"As part of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ongoing oversight of U.S engagement in Afghanistan and the broader region, Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today released a report examining Central Asia's critical role in Afghanistan.

Central Asia and the Transition in Afghanistan is based on an October 2011 field visit by the Committee's majority staff to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as well as extensive staff meetings with experts and policymakers. It provides several important statistics and offers three overarching recommendations for the Administration as it prepares for the 2014 transition in Afghanistan and continues to engage with countries in the region."

Attacks on Shia Muslims in Afghanistan claimed by a Pakistani militant group are a disturbing omen -- for sectarian ties and the prospects for a peace deal with insurgents, says counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman.

Ahmed Rashid argues that sectarian bloodshed is employed in Afghanistan and Egypt as a tool to thwart democracy and diplomacy.

Anand Gopal argues that the recent attacks on a Shia Muslim procession in Afghanistan, which killed fifty-eight people, are only the latest in a string of violent episodes that indicate profound lack of control in the region.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon examines what Hamid Karzai's request for international aid until 2030—well past the 2014 date on which U.S. troops are scheduled to exit—means for Afghan women.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai gave these remarks at the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany on December 5, 2011.

These conclusions were presented after the International Conference on Afghanistan held in Bonn, Germany on December 5, 2011.

Secretary of State Clinton gave these remarks at the International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany on December 5, 2011.

Global discussions on Afghanistan tend to be dominated by security issues, but a conference marking ten years since the ouster of the Taliban must focus on economic growth and development, say experts.

What is the best way to stabilize Afghanistan at a time when international forces are scaling down commitments? Putting Afghan troops in the lead of their own counterinsurgency efforts, writes CFR's Linda Robinson.

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

Linda Robinson outlines six steps for Afghanistan to take charge of its own war.

Terra Lawson-Remer urges the U.S. Congress to safeguard funding for multilateral development banks as blanket budget cuts loom.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says Afghan women share Americans' desire to end the longest U.S. war, but a peace that leaves women out will not last.

Conducted by the Asia Foundation's office in Afghanistan, the 2011 survey polled 6,348 Afghan citizens on security, reconciliation, economy, and governance to assess the mood and direction of the country.