On February 19, Foreign Policy published a biweekly column featuring Scowcroft Center deputy director Matthew Kroenig and New American Engagement Initiative senior fellow Emma Ashford discussing the latest news in international affairs.
In this column, they debate America’s goals for Afghanistan and the merits of a US troop withdrawal, along with the Biden team’s approach to China policy.
Say that withdrawal precipitates the absolute worst-case scenario: that the government in Kabul collapses, Afghanistan descends into chaos, or the Taliban retake the country. It’s horrible, but it’s still not a disaster for U.S. security.
Biden is reviewing Afghan policy, and I suspect he will conclude rightly that U.S. forces should remain past May 1 to support the Afghan government and stabilize the country.
