Episode Notes:

On March 24, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise visit to Afghanistan. The purpose was to try to end a feud between the country’s two political rivals — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah. After an unsuccessful meeting, in which Ghani and Abdullah refused to form a government, Pompeo announced that the United States was cutting $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan.

Jonathan Schroden — director of the Center for Stability and Development Program and the Special Operations Program at CNA — joins the Warcast to explain developments in Afghanistan.

[ 00:53 ] What exactly was Pompeo asking of Abdullah and Ghani during the surprise visit?

[ 02:42 ] Is the political problem in Kabul structural or based on personalities?

[ 04:40 ] What impact would a $1 billion cut in aid do to the Afghan government?

[ 07:15 ] Do you expect Ghani or Abdullah to yield American demands?