Afghanistan Futures
The Afghanistan Futures Wargame conducted 14-15 January 2014 brought together specialists
with expertise on Afghanistan, China, India, Iran and Pakistan, international relations
and national security affairs from academia, government and private think-tanks
to consider U.S. policy options for Afghanistan beyond 2014. The overarching finding
of this wargame is that, except for the issues associated with ungoverned space,
the United States has relatively few national interests in Afghanistan going forward.
U.S. national interests in Pakistan are greater than those in Afghanistan, and are
centered on non-use, nonproliferation and security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal,
combined with concern over internal stability and the presence of Violent Extremist
Organizations (VEOs). Future U.S. policy toward Afghanistan should be adjusted to
match these interests, should seek opportunities for cooperation where the interests
of other stakeholders converge with U.S. interests and should be part of a broader
regional, less military-centric policy.