Near East Policycast

How will America’s choice to withdraw military forces from Afghanistan, and the manner of our withdrawal over the course of the last two presidential administrations, affect America’s standing in the wider Middle East? How will our partners and adversaries on the ground in the Middle East’s hot spots view American commitment and credibility in light of the rapid fall of Kabul? And how will Russia’s increasingly assertive Middle East policy adjust in light of these events in nearby Afghanistan? Three Washington Institute scholars - Anna Borshchevskaya, Bilal Wahab, and Kathryn Wheelbarger - share their insights into how America's allies, partners, and adversaries will respond to the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rapid collapse of the previously U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul. Read Bilal Wahab's study, " Promoting Sovereignty and Accountability in Iraq: Guidelines for the Biden Administration," here: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/promoting-sovereignty-and-ac