ABSTRACT
This chapter details the US’ failing strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001. It shows how the Bush administration failed to achieve any of its stated objectives for invading Afghanistan. These goals included eliminating al-Qaeda; cleansing the Taliban out of existence; establishing a democratic, anti-Iranian regime in Kabul; and recruiting Pakistan as a partner in a global war on terror. The result has been the opposite: al-Qaeda has metastasized, often with different names, throughout the region; the Taliban has returned to Afghanistan and established a second homeland in Pakistan; a warlord-centric regime has been instituted in Kabul; Iran’s influence has increased; and Pakistan has remained a frenemy. Hence, Pakistan has continued to see the Taliban in terms of gaining strategic depth against India. Unfortunately, the Obama and Trump administrations, the chapter shows, did not examine the root causes of these glaring failures that became obvious during the second term of the Bush administration. All in all, it can be concluded that the last three US presidents have miserably failed to signify the role of the United States in creating a conflict-generating system of balancing not only for Afghanistan but also for the region.
