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1/ This article reflects 15 years of backwards thinking of Afghanistan policy. The Administration is debating whether ISIS's growth is a threat to U.S. or just Afghanistan. But if our presence there is what's feeding ISIS, then the answer to that question doesn't really matter.
2/ If ISIS is growing bc fighting the U.S. is a massive recruitment tool (as it was for both Shia and Sunni insurgencies in Iraq), then isn't the most important question - why are we debating staying at all if we are making the situation worse?
3/ Policymakers and journalists often get sucked into this assumption that more special operations patrols and more drones and more air strikes will beat the enemy. But for every ISIS and Taliban fighter we kill, they recruit two more.
4/ The most important discussion should be about whether we have any evidence in Afghanistan that continued U.S. military presence is doing more good than harm (and just saying that Al Qaeda hasn't attacked the U.S. since we invaded isn't enough). That's the real question.
