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US Senate convenes commission to review early years of Afghanistan war
The U.S. Senate held a commission meeting on Friday to review the Afghanistan War, focusing on the period from 2001 to 2008.
Several high-ranking U.S. policymakers, generals, and former Afghan officials attended the meeting. Important questions regarding the early years of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan were addressed.
Shamila Chaudhary, co-chair of the Afghanistan War Commission, said the meeting focused on the early years of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, specifically from 2001 to 2008.
Chaudhary stated: “In this century, we launched two wars beyond our borders — in Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars were debated, justified, and criticized. This session, and the broader mission of this commission, is not about judging the past. It is about learning from it. The war in Afghanistan has never had simple conclusions. But that doesn’t mean we should avoid trying to understand it. If we do not analyze what happened in Afghanistan, we risk turning the war into an abstract concept.”
In the meeting, General David Barno, former U.S. commander in Afghanistan, pointed to a lack of coordination and continuity in U.S. military leadership as reasons for the country’s failure in Afghanistan.
“I want to highlight three key factors that, in my view, undermined America’s chances of success in Afghanistan over two decades: first, the persistent inability to effectively integrate U.S. political, military, diplomatic, and economic efforts. Second, the rapid turnover in U.S. military and diplomatic leadership in Afghanistan over 20 years. Third, the mishandling of external safe havens such as Pakistan,” said Barno.
Andrew Natsios, former director of USAID, said in his remarks that the U.S. government’s goals in Afghanistan were never reconciled because they were mutually exclusive and contradictory.
Natsios stated: “Policymakers in Washington assumed that by spending vast sums of money, they could achieve good and positive outcomes in Afghanistan. But over time, it became clear that these decisions were misguided and worsened the situation. The U.S. military and Afghan politicians saw progress only in construction projects, whereas real progress lay in building and strengthening institutions.”
Meanwhile, Shamila Chaudhary also emphasized the importance of listening to the views of Afghanistan’s partners when addressing key questions about reconciliation with the Islamic Emirate and forming strategies on the Afghanistan issue.
It is also noteworthy that two former officials of the previous Afghan government attended this meeting and shared their perspectives on the mistakes and failures of both the U.S. and the former Afghan government.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday, bringing together three Sunni Muslim countries allied with the United States amid escalating security challenges in the Middle East.
The agreement comes as regional tensions continue to rise following the February 28 U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since then, Iran and allied groups have launched attacks against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and disrupted energy shipments, intensifying instability across the region.
According to a joint statement, the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression. It states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.
The statement did not provide details on the specific military commitments or obligations undertaken by each country. It said the agreement aims to enhance collective security and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.
A Turkish official described the pact as purely defensive, saying it is not directed against any particular country, remains open to other regional states, and does not replace or override existing bilateral or multilateral defense arrangements.
The three countries are said to share concerns over the increasingly assertive military posture of both Israel and Iran, as regional instability deepens despite efforts by the United States to contain the crisis.
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CSTO says Afghanistan remains a key security priority
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the situation in Afghanistan remains a major focus for its member states, with regional security developments in the country continuing to be closely monitored.
Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the organization’s primary concern is the security situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements, including the equipment and resources needed to support the initiative.
He did not provide further details on the timeline for the program’s implementation or the scale of assistance to be provided, but stressed that Afghanistan remains a key topic in the organization’s ongoing regional security consultations.
The CSTO, a Russia-led regional security alliance, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of strengthening border security in Central Asia amid concerns over regional stability.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, has consistently maintained that it will not allow any individual or group to use Afghan territory to threaten or carry out activities against neighbouring countries.
The United States has warned that the threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), remains a major concern, with instability continuing to provide opportunities for militant organizations to expand.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, said on Wednesday countering ISIL, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains a key priority for Washington.
“These groups continue to exploit instability — as evidenced by al-Qaida’s gains in the Sahel, ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan,” Bruce said.
The remarks come as Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan and said they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against other nations.
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