STRATEGIC RE-EVALUATION
After nearly 20 years in the shadows, Taliban forces once again took control of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on August 16. The rapid Taliban takeover and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country denoted the end of the Afghan War first launched by the George W. Bush administration in 2001. Furthermore, it indicated the failure of U.S. policy in the Greater Middle East region, leaving the local geopolitical structure facing a new round of profound adjustments.
Focal shifts
The September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001 were a major turning point for America’s Middle East policy.
From the viewpoint of the Bush administration,
