War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress

Abstract

With a deteriorating security situation and no comprehensive political outcome yet in sight, most observers view the war in Afghanistan as open-ended. By early 2009, a growing number of Members of Congress, Administration officials, and outside experts had concluded that the effort - often called "America's other war" required greater national attention. For the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), the war is both a struggle for survival and an effort to establish sustainable security and stability. For the United States, the war in Afghanistan concerns the security of Afghanistan and the region, including denying safe haven to terrorists and helping ensure a stable regional security balance. For regional states, including India and Russia as well as Afghanistan's neighbors Pakistan and Iran, the war may have a powerful impact on the future balance of power and influence in the region. For individual members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the war may be about defeating terrorist networks, ensuring regional stability, proving themselves as contributing NATO members, and/or demonstrating NATO's relevance in the 21st century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 25, 2010
Accession Number
ADA516495

Entities

People

  • Catherine Dale
  • Steve Bowman

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan Conflict
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Counterterrorism
  • Foreign Relations
  • Geography
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Military Organizations
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Transport Aircraft
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies