There are numerous other examples of reports of a tired and broken Taliban that is desperate to cut a deal to end the fighting and participate in an Afghan government. Yet this supposedly worn out and ground down Taliban continues to fight on and gain ground, while the US announces that it will withdraw from Afghanistan before peace talks even begin, thus granting the Taliban a major victory. If this is what a tired Taliban looks like, a well rested Taliban would be a handful.
In the real world, hard work and sacrifice will be required to make America great again. President Trump’s National Security Strategy left no doubt about that. The commander-in-chief, as he contemplates the next two years, would be well advised to re-read it, along with the many thoughtful recommendations provided by my colleagues in this volume.
American military superiority has deteriorated or vanished in significant defense capabilities, and the balance of power in strategic locations…has shifted to the benefit of our rivals and adversaries, thereby increasing the possibility of conflict. This crisis certainly did not develop overnight, and recovering will require more than a decade… With a renewed bipartisan national security consensus focused on strong alliances, a coherent strategy, and sufficient resources, we can build the both the military and political power needed to secure the United States for decades to come.
How is that not pre-9/11—indeed pre-World War II—thinking? The neo-imperialists are intent on shaping a new world order, one that will be authoritarian, unfree and implacably hostile to American interests. Frustrating their ambitions won’t be easy. But the alternative, giving them free rein, would be reckless.