31. In the Wake of War: Improving U.S. Post-Conflict Capabilities
- Author:
- William L. Nash, Brent Scowcroft, and Samuel R. Berger
- Publication Date:
- 09-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Abstract:
- From Mogadishu to Mosul, the United States has undertaken six major nation-building operations around the world since 1993. The challenges of terrorism, failed states, and proliferation indicate this trend will only continue. Today, in Iraq, the United States carries the bulk of the nation-building burden. Some 135,000 U.S. troops remain on the ground, at an approximate cost of $50 billion per year. Nearly four years after forcing out the Taliban in Afghanistan, 9,000 NATO forces and 17,000 U.S. troops remain in that country to secure the peace and continue the hunt for al-Qaeda.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and International Security
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, Iraq, and Taliban