Recommendations for Success in Afghanistan

The United States will soon enter the 18th year of combat operations in Afghanistan. During that time multiple approaches to stabilize the country have been tried including support to regional security initiatives ?nation-building? counterinsurgency counternarcotics counterterrorism and ?train and equip.? The constellation of anti-government elements known collectively as the Taliban continues to refuse reconciliation or a negotiated peace under the existing Afghan constitution. There are few if any silver bullets but to optimize conditions for success the United States should continue to prioritize its efforts against the four major challenges in Afghanistan and engage the recommended solutions herein for each: 1. The Pakistan problem?reducing the Taliban cross border sanctuary; 2. Decreasing opium profits and Taliban access to them; 3. Improving and retaining Afghanistan?s security forces and decimating Taliban cadres; and 4. Widening the spectrum of options for reconciliation with the Taliban. This monograph consists of four chapters that address these challenges in order and suggests at least four specific implementable policy recommendations for each one. Appendices are provided which summarize research sources and case studies. This monograph is the result of an integrated research project completed in 2018 which had a unique mix of senior military contributors including two brigadier generals from South Asia a colonel from Colombia with extensive experience against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People?s Army (?FARC? in Spanish) and five U.S. special operations officers with multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan. The project advisor was Dr. M. Chris Mason an Afghanistan specialist since 2001.