Publication

With a deteriorating security situation and no comprehensive political outcome yet in sight, most observers view the war in Afghanistan as open-ended. Since 2001, the character of the war in Afghanistan has evolved from a violent struggle against al Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a multi-faceted counterinsurgency (COIN) effort. In 2009, President Obama ordered the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to the region, which will bring the US total to almost 100,000 troops.