The speed and efficiency with which Taliban forces were able to complete the occupation of most of Afghanistan, as well as the quick collapse of the Afghan government, has led to criticism of United States President Joe Biden’s decision to end US military presence in Afghanistan and of the withdrawal’s logistics.
But the criticisms, while valid, may be beside the point. I have studied conflicts like those in Afghanistan for more than 20 years. My experience has taught me that there are more fundamental problems with the United States’ strategy in the 20-year war, of which the current chaos is only the latest manifestation. They stem from an approach in which military seizures of territory are intended to fight international extremist movements and ideologies, in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Nation-building
The United States military intervention in Afghanistan and in Iraq was initially justified by a need to dismantle immediate and serious national security threats:
