David Kilcullen: Counterterrorism in Decline

The US has been a major presence in the Middle East where it has fought terrorist organizations, trained police and armed forces in counterterrorism techniques and ultimately tried to establish reliable allies in the region. But to what extent has the US been successful, and have people in these countries benefitted from US efforts? Under President George W. Bush, the US focused its attention on battling the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, the invasion of Iraq drew much of its military resources away from Afghanistan, leaving objectives incomplete and areas still volatile. During President Obama's tenure, the US was still committed to operations in the Middle East, but scaling back troops ultimately left a vacuum which led to further instability.

What is the outlook for the US in the Middle East and how will it achieve its objectives? To what extent will President Trump commit US troops to maintaining stability in Afghanistan and Iraq? Will the US take initiative in Iraq, a country which will inevitably require years of reconstruction?

David Kilcullen, whose book "Blood Year: The Unraveling of Western Counterterrorism" analyzes many of the difficulties the US faces in the Middle East, will provide insight into counterterrorist operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

SPEAKER:

David Kilcullen
President and CEO, Cordillera Applications Group

MODERATOR:

Anja Manuel
Co-Founder and Principal, RiceHadleyGates LLC

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-cal...

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