Afghanistan: Barriers to State Building

Issue Brief
Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By
Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Afghanistan: Barriers to State Building

New Atlanticist
Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By
Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.

Economy & Business
India

Afghanistan: Barriers to State Building

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By
Tatevik Khachatryan, Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.

Economy & Business
India

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The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2009

Afghanistan: Barriers to State Building

By Don Snow

Assume for argument’s sake that the war in Afghanistan can be “won”: objectives can be formulated that are acceptable to all parties and through a combination of political and military actions, the opposition can be vanquished. If the war is won, however, will the peace be won or lost?

Afghanistan

Event Recap

Sep 29, 2009

First Annual Members’ Conference – Afghanistan-Pakistan: Is the Obama Plan Working?

By James Joyner

Summary of the breakout conversation “Afghanistan-Pakistan: Is the Obama Plan Working?” at the 2009 Annual Members’ Conference. PARTICIPANTS: Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, USN (Ret.), Former Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Mr. David Sedney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Dr. Harlan Ullman, Founder, The Killowen Group; Senior Advisor, Atlantic Council Moderated by […]

Afghanistan Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 29, 2009

Rasmussen: Afghanistan Proves NATO Solidarity, Not Weakness

By James Joyner

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the Atlantic Council that, while NATO’s Afghanistan mission shows some “very real problems” within the Alliance, the fundamental lesson that should be taken away is the remarkable “solidarity” of 28 diverse nations fighting together for a common purpose.

Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force

Event Recap

Sep 28, 2009

NATO Secretary General Rasmussen: First Major U.S. Speech

Amid administration debate over the way forward in Afghanistan, His Excellency Anders Fogh Rasmussen delivered his first major speech in the U.S. as NATO Secretary General at the Atlantic Council.

Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2009

Rasmussen: “Things Are Going to Have to Change” in Afghanistan

By James Joyner

In his first U.S. speech as NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that, while “NATO will stay” in Afghanistan “for as long as it takes to succeed,” the political and strategic realities make it clear that “things are going to have to change” and quickly.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 24, 2009

Afghanistan: The Intervention Dilemma

By Don Snow

The military dimension of the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan requires establishing a high enough degree of security in the country that the Afghan people will transfer their loyalty away from the Taliban (or will feel adequately unthreatened by the likelihood of a Taliban return to express opposition to the insurgents). As noted in a previous posting […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 23, 2009

Obama Having Buyer’s Remorse in Afghanistan?

By James Joyner

Obama administration officials are now admitting what has been apparent for weeks: that they are giving serious consideration to radically downsizing the Afghanistan mission.  That this comes only months after unveiling a substantially different strategy to great fanfare is naturally raising questions.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 23, 2009

McChrystal Afghan Assessment Challenges Obama Strategy

By Harlan Ullman

Last week provided a treasure trove of raw meat for foreign policy enthusiasts, ideologues and talk radio hosts.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 23, 2009

Afghanistan Victory: Translating Goals into Strategy

By Don Snow

Assuming the counterinsurgent partners (in this case, the Afghan and American governments) can agree on a desired outcome that consititutes its version of the better state of the peace (BSOP), the next question is how to achieve that condition? This means determining what political and military conditions must exist to be able to declare the […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 21, 2009

Debating Afghanistan: Beyond the McChrystal Leak

By James Joyner

An interesting sidebar to the debate sparked by the leak of General McChrystal’s Afghanistan strategy review is the question of how such debates should take place to begin with.

Afghanistan
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Experts

Fellow

Ridhika Batra

Nonresident Senior Fellow

South Asia Center

Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy

Fellow

Jochai Ben-Avie

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Americas Digital Policy
Mehul Bhagat

Fellow

Mehul Bhagat

Nonresident Fellow

South Asia Center

Entrepreneurship Renewables & Advanced Energy

Fellow

Arjun Bisen

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Australia Digital Policy

Fellow

Michael Bociurkiw

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Ukraine International Organizations

Fellow

Deborah Cheverton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Industry
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