Prominent political scientist Barnett R. Rubin asked the question, "Why are we in Afghanistan?" at a lecture of the same title in Cabot 702 yesterday. Barnett is the director of studies and a senior fellow at New York University's Center on International Cooperation.
The United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 during the early stages of the War on Terror, expelling the Taliban. Since then, Afghanistan has struggled to build up its own self-sufficient military, and U.S. and NATO troops still play a critical role in keeping the country stable.
Rubin serves on the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent foreign policy organization with no official affiliation with the government or a political party.
The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies sponsored the lecture.
