One adjective that should never be used to describe the US retreat from Afghanistan is “surprising.” In fact, what happened in Kabul in 2021 was the natural next step on the inward-turning path Americans began walking in 2009.

What does NATO need to do going forward? The short answer: more and less.

American military power is critical to securing the American homeland, preserving American economic and political interests at home and abroad, and securing the global commons upon which our nation and the rest of the world benefit.