Afghanistan: The End of America’s Forever War and the Return of the Taliban
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAsia: Beyond the Headlines
After 20 years of support from a U.S.-led coalition, the Government of Afghanistan led by President Ashraf Ghani collapsed as the U.S. withdrew its forces. In the past week, the world has been witnessing chaotic scenes in Afghanistan as the Taliban have been swiftly reasserting control of the country, and from those desperately trying to flee in fear from Taliban revenge. While it appears that the U.S. has ended its “Forever War,” the future looks very uncertain for the people of Afghanistan and the region. What should we expect from the Taliban in the coming weeks and months? What does the future hold for the Afghan people — especially young Afghans who have little to no memory of Taliban-rule? What impact will this have on future U.S. foreign policy?
Join us, as Asia Society President and CEO Kevin Rudd leads a discussion with Laurel Miller, who served as U.S. Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Vali Nasr, who had served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and former Deputy Minister for Local Governance of Afghanistan and Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader Mohammad Nader Yama.
Speakers
Laurel Miller is Director of International Crisis Group’s Asia Program, leading the organization’s research, analysis, and policy advocacy about and in the region. Prior to joining Crisis Group, she was a senior foreign policy expert at the RAND Corporation, 2017-2018 and 2009-2013. From 2013 to mid-2017, she was the deputy and then acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. Department of State. She was was Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Senior Advisor to the U.S. special envoy for the Balkans, and Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. She was directly involved in peace negotiations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. She also served as Director for western hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council.
Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center. He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019 and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011. He is the author of The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat; Forces of Fortune: The Rise of a New Middle Class and How it Will Change Our World; The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam will Shape the Future; Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty; Islamic Leviathan, Islam and the Making of State Power. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns.
Mohammad Nader Yama is a member of the Board of Directors for the Afghanistan Center for Policy Studies, and an Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader. He previously served as the Chargé d'Affaires in the Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa, Canada; and served as both Deputy and Acting Minister for Local Governance in the Government of Afghanistan, and served with the the United Nations Development programme, among other international organizations. He was a member of the Cabinet and National Security Council, and a member of a joint coordination body between the Afghan government, the UN, and NATO/ISAF. His area of expertise and experience is in good governance, stability, and development. He is also involved in civic engagement efforts, to promote peace and stability, and building institutions for conflict management and civics.
The Hon. Kevin Rudd AC is President and CEO of the Asia Society, and inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute. He served as 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007 to 2010, 2013) and as Foreign Minister (2010 to 2012). He is Chair of the Board of the International Peace Institute in New York, and Chair of Sanitation and Water for All – a global partnership of government and non-governmental organizations dedicated to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6. He is a Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House and the Paulson Institute, and a Distinguished Statesman with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a member of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization’s Group of Eminent Persons.