The Afghanistan question and the reset in U.S.-Russian relations
By: Richard J. Krickus
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Series: Letort paper -- [no. 52]; Letort papers -- [no. 52]
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 159
ISBN-13: 9781584875130
Subjects: Politics and government; Afghan War, 2001-; Foreign relations
Other titles: Afghanistan question and the reset in US-Russian relations; Afghanistan question and the reset in United States-Russian relations
Description: The ability of the United States and Russia to cooperate in Afghanistan represents a solid test of their reset in relations. The author provides the historical background to the Afghanistan Question and assesses current events in the Afghan war with three objectives in mind: 1) to determine whether Russian-American cooperation in Afghanistan has been successful; 2) to identify and evaluate the successes and failures of the counterinsurgency strategy as the transition from U.S. to Afghanistan authority gains traction in the 2011-14 time frame; and 3) to provide conclusions and recommendations bearing on developments in Afghanistan.
Notes: "October 2011."

Includes bibliographical references.

Also available online in PDF format from Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) web site. Adobe Acrobat Reader required.
Table of contents: title: Summary; title: Introduction; title: The American skeptics; title: Russian skeptics; title: The American rationale; title: The Russian rationale; title: The study's objectives; title: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The decision to invade; title: Escalation; title: Bringing the Red Army home; title: What was happening?; title: The U.S. reaction; title: The end; title: The failure to create a stable post-Soviet government and civil war. The United Nations proposal; title: Why the proposal failed; title: Washington's and Moscow's failure; title: The Taliban and Osama bin Laden. The origins of the Taliban; title: Osama bin Laden; title: The United States acknowledges bin Laden as a threat; title: 9/11 and war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The September 2001 terrorist attacks; title: Routing the jihadists; title: The Karzai government; title: Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda : an assessment; title: A partial victory; title: Three scenarios. The existing situation or plan A : an unstable but viable Afghanistan through COIN; title: The insurgency; title: The Karzai government; title: Security forces; title: The civilian-economic component; title: Declining support for the war within the United States; title: Pakistan; title: Plan B : partition; title: A Taliban victory; title: The global jihadists prevail; title: The Taliban return to power with a national agenda; title: The Russian response; title: Countering Afghan narcotics; title: The struggle over Manas; title: The northern distribution network; title: Central Asia and the North Caucasus; title: Concluding remarks and recommendations. Identifying the enemy : a civil war within Islam; title: Making room for the rest; title: The American malaise; title: Sticking to the 2014 Afghanistan exit schedule; title: Preparing for Bonn II; title: Plan B : partition; title: Preparing for the worst case scenario (Plan C) : a Taliban victory; title: Confronting Pakistan; title: The time has come to reduce our profile in the Middle East; title: Sustaining and enlarging security cooperation with Russia.