Max Boot argues that despite the recent protests over the burning of Qurans, Afghans do not want a return of the Taliban--and they don't hate America.

The violence against U.S. troops in the aftermath of Quran burnings has raised fresh doubts over the U.S.-Afghan partnership and the mission in Afghanistan.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses the current situation in Afghanistan, where more Afghans are seeking asylum now than at any time since war in Afghanistan began.

As the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan depends in part on building that country's capacity to provide for its own security, the Government Accountability Office evaluates the use of contractor personnel to fill skill and resource gaps in training and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces.

Targeted killings have become a central component of U.S. counterterrorism operations around the globe. Despite pointed criticism over transparency and accountability issues, analysts say the controversial practice seems likely to expand in the future.

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

Max Boot says cutting spending on Afghan forces is penny wise and war foolish.

The protests sweeping Afghanistan over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base may spread to other Muslim countries unless U.S. and NATO officials act swiftly, says CFR's Ed Husain.

The United States, facing deepening economic and fiscal woes at home, is preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan.

The Pentagon's plan for an end to U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2013 has drawn familiar battle lines in the public debate over the proper endgame for the war.

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.

Leslie H. Gelb says the Obama administration's announcement of a quick end to U.S. combat in Afghanistan is a surprise decision of strategic skill and political courage.

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.

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.