On Peace (and Pandemic) in Afghanistan: Peter Bergen and Kiana Hayeri on America’s Longest War

In February, the Taliban and US government signed a peace deal. The U.S. would draw down its troop presence and persuade the Afghan government to release Taliban prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire. However, since the agreement was signed, the Afghan government’s release of prisoners has stalled and Taliban attacks on Afghan forces have surged. Now, coronavirus spreads from neighboring Iran to the war-torn country just as the prospects for peace dim. How and when will the longest war in American history finally end? 

Peter Bergen and Kiana Hayeri weigh in on the US’ inconclusive and four-decade-long involvement in Afghanistan. They discuss whether the war was worth fighting and whether people in Afghanistan are better off today than they were before the US invasion in 2001. What impact has American intervention had, and what new challenges does this country face as the coronavirus spreads across the region and world?

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This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now known as the Institute for Global Affairs.