Minerva-funded researchers Eli Berman and Jacob N. Shapiro Owl in the Olive Tree blog post on "Engaging Overseas: Lessons for Afghanistan and Beyond":
"President Trump’s announcement of further troop reductions in Afghanistan raises a substantive question. To what end are US forces engaged at all, after 17 years of a conflict that remains unresolved?
"Some argue that we should exit interminable conflicts in fragile states because we cannot win. When we try to be the world’s nation builder, mediator, and police force, the result is costly and often counterproductive. Others argue that we must intervene because we can do something and that developed democracies have a moral obligation to work toward stability in struggling nations.
Both views are wrong...."
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