Afghanistan: The New Weapon of Choice

The article “Afghanistan: The New Weapon of Choice” examines the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, asking whether it was simply collapse or a strategic calculation. It argues that leaving Kabul and closing Bagram Airfield wasn’t just an operational failure but reflected a broader shift in U.S. priorities toward great-power competition, especially with China, at the expense of long-term engagement in Afghanistan. The piece highlights how American equipment and influence were left behind, reshaping Afghanistan’s role in regional geopolitics and raising questions about how power and terrain are leveraged in evolving global competition.