In this episode, Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute talks with Mark Melton about the fall of Afghanistan. She describes what went wrong in Afghanistan, the problems of nation-building, whether the “forever war” is over, and how the United States military had been conducting counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan. They also discuss why Joe Biden’s withdrawal was a debacle and problems with the “over the horizon” strategy to stop terrorism now that the US military is gone. Heinrichs also makes the case that the US should not have abandoned Bagram Air Base near Kabul and explains why this has led to tragedy. She analyzes how the US withdrawal from Afghanistan affects America’s geopolitical strategy, particularly its competition with China. Finally, she offers some lessons Americans should learn from Afghanistan.

Other recent Providence content on Afghanistan:

“Why Nation-Building Is Inevitable,” by Henry R. Nau
“Thinking about the Afghan Crisis: Vietnam, Cuba, or Iran?” by Eric Patterson
“Major Dan and Major John: A Reflection on Afghanistan’s Fall,” by Robert Morrison
“The Fall of Afghanistan: What Does it Mean for Iran?” by Farhad Rezaei
“Biden and the Surrender of Victory in Afghanistan,” by Eric Patterson
“Tragedy and the Moral Life,” by Marc Livecche
“The Debacle of Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal,” by Mark Melton
“National Humiliations,” by Mark Tooley