How would you define the war between the current Afghanistan government and the Taliban?
Is it a Civil War? Does the fact that the Taliban is fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan mean it is something else? Does the US presence in Afghanistan blur the definition of this war further?
If this is best interpreted as a Civil War, should that change the United States’ approach or do the potential international consequences of a Taliban victory take precedence?
Their president was reelected only because his opponent dropped out. They have no real government. This is a war we cannot win, and Obama is contempleting sending more troops. The initial attack removed the Taliban from power, but Taliban forces have since regained some strength. The war has been less successful in achieving the goal of restricting al-Qaeda’s movement than anticipated. Since 2006, Afghanistan has seen threats to its stability from increased Taliban-led insurgent activity, record-high levels of illegal drug production and a fragile government with limited control outside of Kabul.
