August marked five years since the US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan after a twenty year stint in the country. But was this ever a winnable war in the first place? Author and war correspondent for The New Yorker war Jon Lee Anderson joins former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and guest co-host John Raine this week to explain that even a few years into the war there were signs of a Taliban resurgence that foreshadowed things to come. Anderson discusses why it was a strategic failure to not support former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in nation building, and how that blunder facilitated both the return of opium production and the Taliban comeback. He also talks about what happened to the Northern Alliance, the complexities of Afghan allegiance and loyalties, lessons in counterinsurgency, the importance of winning the hearts and minds of a people, and what diplomatic relations with Afghanistan could look like even under continued Taliban rule.
In this episode:
(00:00) Ceding an Aura of Invincibility
(03:15) Was Afghanistan Ever a Winnable War?
(07:26) Karzai and State Building
(11:12) Opium Production and Taliban
(18:43) Shadow Taliban Government
(27:09) What Happened to the Northern Alliance?
(33:39) Navigating US-Afghani Cultural Differences
(39:14) Afghanistan’s Geography
(42:45) Lessons in Counterinsurgency
(48:26) Legacy of Afghanistan War
(50:09) Persistence of Taliban Government
(51:58) Diplomatic Relations with Taliban
(55:28) One Decision: The West Must Engage Afghanistan
(56:41) Takeaways and Wrap Up
Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and guest co-host John Raine (International Institute for Strategic Studies)
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