Twilight in Afghanistan

Abstract

After considerable expenditure of both blood and treasure, the United States has now effectively withdrawn from Afghanistan. As of January 2015, over 2,200 U.S. servicemen and women have died in combat in that country,with more than 17,200 Afghan civilians dead. Further, according to a Pentagon estimate, the war has cost the U.S. $300 million a day. Support for the war in the U.S. has begun to wane in Congress, and the Obama administration does not seem overly concerned about declining congressional support. U.S. allies, who have steadily reduced their presence in the country, also show signs of growing fatigue with their involvement as domestic support for the presence of their troops in Afghanistan has dramatically tapered off. Tensions in the bilateral U.S.-Afghan relationship have also emerged following the decision of the Afghan regime to release 37 men who had been incarcerated in Bagram Prison. These individuals constitute, in the eyes of the U.S. and its allies, ‘‘legitimate threats to security’’ and have apparently been implicated in attacks on NATO forces.