ABSTRACT
The conflict in Afghanistan intensified in 2018 according to several indicators. The number of United States (US) security personnel deployed to Afghanistan reached a peak of more than 100,000 in 2010 and 2011. The Taliban entered the civil war in 1994 in Afghanistan and led the country from 1996 until the US-led invasion in 2001, although the group never completely controlled all of the territory in Afghanistan. The cheapest logistics route to ship material and equipment into Afghanistan is via ocean shipping lanes and then overland through Pakistan. The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Austin Scott Miller, was meeting with provincial officials when a recently hired member of the governor’s security detail opened fire. Afghanistan will likely see long-term impacts from the drought, with reduced food production, displacements and other economic disruptions. A number of systemic issues point to a protracted stalemate in Afghanistan.
