Military Drawdown Forces Afghan Actors Into Political Embrace

Despite continuing violence, the end looms

By: Salman Rafi Sheikh

Even as bombings and violence continue to plague Afghanistan, the prospects of an ultimate US drawdown and waning international support for so-called “Afghan reconstruction” are forcing the principal actors – Kabul, the political opposition and the Taliban – into a political embrace that may end the 19-year war and produce a politi…