Research Areas
The Afghanistan War Commission’s congressional mandate directs the commission to study strategic, diplomatic, and operational decisions across 29 specific aspects of the war. Given the length of the war, the numerous government and nongovernment entities involved, and the volumes of research and literature already available on the subjects of study, the commission determined that scoping our research to specific topics was essential to the success of this project.
As a result, we have grouped our research into seven topical areas, which also correspond with our research teams: policy, diplomacy, counterterrorism, conventional military operations, building the Afghan security forces (security force assistance), reconstruction (development), and intelligence assessments. Aspects of the war that overlap two or more of these topical areas will entail cross-topical analysis. Other activities, such as counternarcotics and countering corruption, are being considered as “special projects.”
- Policy & Diplomacy: This team focuses on policymaking by U.S. government and international agencies and will include a review of diplomatic efforts, such as Taliban reconciliation negotiations and U.S. government interagency processes, that led to major decisions and created inflection points in the course of the war.
- Development: This team focuses on U.S. economic development and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, including support for developing Afghan governance institutions.
- Intelligence Assessments: This team focuses on analysis of intelligence as well as the production of intelligence assessments and intelligence support to policymaking and operations.
- Military Operations and Security Force Assistance: This team focuses on the conventional military operations of U.S. and NATO forces as well as the partnered, advised, or independent operations of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). ANDSF activities include building, training, and equipping all elements of the Afghan security forces, as well as efforts to create and support non-statutory security forces such as the Afghan local police.
- Counterterrorism: This team focuses on U.S. and Afghan counterterrorism efforts, both intelligence and operational.