Event Guide: Learning From The Afghanistan Experience -- Re-Assessing U.S. Weapon and Security Assistance, September 21, 2021 ​

Video of event available at https://youtu.be/llgsmpLNkdE?t=247

This event was hosted by the Forum on the Arms Trade and the Security Assistance Monitor.

Panelists and recommended resources

• Tamim Asey, Founder and Executive Chairman, Institute of War & Peace Studies (bio)
• James Cunningham, Project Lead, Security Sector Assistance, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) 
  • Divided Responsibility: Lessons from U.S. Security Sector Assistance Efforts in Afghanistan, SIGAR, June 2019.
  • Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan, SIGAR, September 2017
• Jodi Vittori, Co-chair, Global Politics and Security Program, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service; Non-Resident Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (bio)
  • "Corruption and Self-Dealing in Afghanistan and Other U.S.-Backed Security Sectors," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 9, 2021.
• Elias Yousif, Deputy Director, Security Assistance Monitor, Center for International Policy (bio)
  • "The Expanding Scope of U.S. Security Assistance Since 9/11," Security Assistance Monitor, September 2021.
  • "Issue Brief: The Arms Left Behind in Afghanistan," Security Assistance Monitor, September 2021.
  • "Ever-shifting Goalposts: Lessons From 20 Years of Security Assistance in Afghanistan," Security Assistance Monitor, June 2021.

Opening Remarks and Presentations (time indicated when remarks begin) 

• Elias Yousif - framing the conversation 5:15
• Tamim Asey - a perspective from Afghanistan 10:17
• James Cunningham - a perspective on U.S. assistance 22:30
• Jodi Vittori - corruption and building government capacity -- lessons from Afghanistan and where relevant elsewhere 33:40
• Elias Yousif - the ongoing security assistance endeavor - 45:25

Q&A

• scope of weapons lost in Afghanistan - Cunningham 49:35​
• lessons from the Afghan side on multiple outside interventions (Soviet, UK, US, etc) - Asey - 51:45
• does assistance contribute to corruption? how relate to governance? - Vittori - 58:20   Yousif - 109:15
• are "lessons learned" being listened to and what are top priority changes? Cunningham - 1:03:50   
• more discussion of push and pull between institution building and warfighting in Afghanistan - Asey 1:11:30
• implications of pseudo-FMS process - Cunningham 1:19:40

Concluding Comments

• Asey - on building capabilities first 1:23:10
• Cunningham - points on long term commitments, alignment,  learning/teaching, hearts and minds 1:24:30
• Vittori - need for quick action at initial time of change, seeing the world today, great power competition and elsewhere 128:10
• Yousif - we are still doing this around the world  130:15