The U.S. experience in Afghanistan demonstrates the need for sober assessments of what is achievable and what may be beyond the reach of an external intervention. Moreover, those tasked with deriving lessons from such endeavors should be wary of assuming that improvements in technique or tweaks in strategy can compensate for fundamental flaws in a mission’s premise. Without a realistic understanding of, and respect for, the constraints inherent in these situations, attempts to “fix” or refine the approach risk repeating the same mistakes while expecting different outcomes.
International Development
Trending Now
From 2025 Upheaval to 2026 Strategy: Key Regulatory Risks and Opportunities for Government Contractors • The USAID Funding Crisis as Governance Stress Test • Key 2025 Updates for Small Business Government Contractors: SBA and FAR Changes • The Foreign Aid Wipeout: A Shadow Revolution in America’s Middle East Policy • Getting Ahead of CMMC, FedRAMP and AI Compliance Before It Gets Ahead of You
SIGAR’s final report on the broad USG war/reconstruction in Afghanistan
Stay ahead in international development contracting with daily updates on USAID, global procurement, and foreign assistance with our Development newsletter, delivering up-to-the-minute intelligence Monday–Saturday — Subscribe here.