War In Afghanistan
“Satan’s Chariot”: How The Russian Mi-24 Hind Helicopter Terrorized Afghanistan
The Soviet Mi-24 was a testament to the Soviet preference for brute force and power over finesse or whiz-bang technological wizardry. These flying beasts were killers.
Meet Col. Allison Black: The USAF’s “Angel of Death”
The Spectre gunship—a Lockheed Martin product—exemplifies the slogan “Death From Above.”
The War on Terror Playlist: Here’s What U.S. Troops Listened to on Deployment
Military.com recently conducted a fascinating inquiry amongst Global War on Terror veterans, asking ‘What Songs Defined Your Military Service During the Global War on Terror?’ “What songs defined your service...
White House Report on Afghan Withdrawal Ignores Contractors
The White House released a twelve-page summary report on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan with little fanfare ahead of the Easter holiday. This low-key approach is unsurprising, given that America’s...
Between Vietnam and Ukraine: Reflections on Ending a War
This week marks fifty years since the United States withdrew its last troops from Vietnam. It was the end of America’s bloodiest war, as measured by American casualties, since World...
Forever Wars Weaken Great Power Crisis Response
The dismal end of two decades of failed nation-building in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 came with howls of protest in the press and a resurrection of Bush Era-style...
Zawahiri’s Assassination Proves the War in Afghanistan Is Far From Over
A little more than a month ago, in the early morning of July 31, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a U.S. Reaper drone over Kabul. At the...
One Year Later: Heroism and Horror at Afghanistan’s Abbey Gate
August 26, 2021—It was a brilliantly bright, nearly windless day in Kabul, Afghanistan, making it uncomfortably hot. Thousands of desperate Afghans thronged outside Abbey Gate, pleading for access to Hamid...
Could America Have Avoided Tragedy in Afghanistan?
Much has changed in Afghanistan since the Biden administration withdrew U.S. forces a year ago. A Human Rights Watch report calls the situation there a “human rights nightmare.” The group...
Five Rules for Building a Resilient Afghanistan
Editor’s note: In August, The National Interest organized a symposium on Afghanistan one year after the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of Kabul. We asked a variety of experts...
Broken Promises: America Must Hold the Taliban Accountable
Editor’s note: In August, The National Interest organized a symposium on Afghanistan one year after the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of Kabul. We asked a variety of experts...
America Bears a Moral Responsibility to Afghans
Editor’s note: In August, The National Interest organized a symposium on Afghanistan one year after the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of Kabul. We asked a variety of experts...