{
  "id": "R42137",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R42137",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 415070,
      "date": "2012-12-06",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:47:38.243441",
      "title": "In Brief: Next Steps in the War in Afghanistan? Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "On May 1, 2012, President Obama gave a speech from Bagram Air Field in which he laid out U.S. government approaches for \u201cwinding down\u201d the war in Afghanistan. While a number of observers have challenged the logical plausibility of a unilateral decision to \u201cwind down\u201d a war, the Administration\u2019s commitment to decreasing U.S. involvement in the war in Afghanistan is clear.\nMany observers point to a coalescing vision of the way forward\u2014shared by the governments of the United States, Afghanistan, and other international partners\u2014that includes bringing the current campaign to a close by the end of 2014, and pursuing a political settlement among the parties in conflict, while extending U.S. and other international commitments to Afghanistan beyond 2014. In evaluating this emerging vision, some observers emphasize that the overall level of ambition has been lowered, while others stress that the timeline for international engagement has been extended. For the U.S. government, the broad strategic issues at stake in the war in Afghanistan include:\nWhat fundamental national security interests does the United States have in Afghanistan and the region?\nWhat minimum conditions\u2014political, economic, security\u2014would need to pertain in Afghanistan in order for those U.S. interests to be protected?\nHow appropriate are current and projected future U.S. approaches, until and after 2014, for helping Afghans establish those conditions? \nWhen and to what extent are Afghans likely to be able to sustain those conditions with relatively limited support from the international community?\nUltimately, how important is this overall effort\u2014given its likely timeline, risks, and costs\u2014compared to other U.S. government priorities?\nAt this apparent turning point in both strategic thinking and activity on the ground, this short report considers issues that may be of interest to Congress as it considers the strength and duration of further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, to 2014 and beyond.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc93920/",
      "id": "R42137_2012Jun15",
      "date": "2012-06-15",
      "retrieved": "2012-07-24T12:39:36",
      "title": "In Brief: Next Steps in the War in Afghanistan? Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "This short report considers issues that may be of interest to Congress as it considers the strength and duration of further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, to 2014 and beyond.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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          "filename": "files/20120615_R42137_9e171c411c4941a05cc5d8b43b24a3c88fc54c19.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign policy",
          "name": "Foreign policy"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign relations -- Afghanistan -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- Afghanistan -- U.S."
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Afghanistan",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Afghanistan"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign aid",
          "name": "Foreign aid"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "American military assistance -- Afghanistan",
          "name": "American military assistance -- Afghanistan"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Military relations",
          "name": "Military relations"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84014/",
      "id": "R42137_2012Jan06",
      "date": "2012-01-06",
      "retrieved": "2012-04-27T15:49:45",
      "title": "\"Surge Recovery\" and Next Steps in the War in Afghanistan: In Brief",
      "summary": "This report draws in part on the author's recent three-week visit to Afghanistan, in November 2011, based on an invitation from the Commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), General John Allen. It provides initial observations about surge recovery in broader operational and strategic context, and links those observations to current debates that may be of interest to Congress as it considers the strength and duration of further U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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          "filename": "files/20120106_R42137_54743063a45cf45d1238cfd88b4875c83d24008c.html"
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      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign policy",
          "name": "Foreign policy"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Afghanistan",
          "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Afghanistan"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign relations - Afghanistan - U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations - Afghanistan - U.S."
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "War",
          "name": "War"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}