The Heat discusses the US-Afghan strategic relationship

The Heat

It was by most accounts a remarkable visit by Afghanistan’s new president. Out were the days of tension and mistrust between former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the U.S. government. In were words of praise, warm greetings and flexibility by an American President willing to keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan a bit longer. In the end, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani got the commitment he was after.

“I’ve consulted with General Campbell in Afghanistan and my national security team, and I’ve decided that we will maintain our current posture of 9,800 troops through the end of this year.” U.S. President Barack Obama said.

CCTV America’s White House correspondent Jessica Stone reported from Washington, D.C.

The Heat discussed the U.S.-Afghan strategic relationship with three experts:

  • Omar Samad, Afghanistan’s former Ambassador to France and Canada. He’s currently a senior advisor to Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah.
  • Ambassador Kurt Volker, the executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, and served as the U.S. permanent representative to NATO under both President George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
  • Shuja Nawaz, an author, advisor and strategic analyst. He’s currently a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center.