Afghanistan: USA's Lost Leverage-Russia Meddles–China Takes-Iran Benefits

Afghanistan’s present crisis did not begin with the disastrous American withdrawal. Its roots reach back to the Soviet invasion, which devastated the country, killed an estimated 1.5 million Afghans, shattered tribal and social structures, and helped set the stage for civil war and the rise of the Taliban.

After September 11, the United States attempted to rebuild Afghanistan, establish a Western-style political order, and train Afghan security forces. Yet many of the country’s deepest fractures were never repaired. The eventual collapse of the Afghan state brought about by Pakistan’s Taliban proxies exposed the limits of American reconstruction, the fragility of imposed institutions, and the consequences of an embarrassing strategic retreat.

This discussion will examine how the destruction caused by the Soviet 10-year invasion and occupation continues to shape Afghanistan today. Pakistan transformed the country’s political and security landscape, Russia, once again seeks influence and China exploits the country’s vast natural resources. The panel will also consider what America’s withdrawal means for Iran, Central Asia, and U.S. strategic leverage in the region.

Bringing together Ambassador Ali Ahmad Jalali, Lt. Gen. Haibatullah Alizai, and Major General (USMC Ret.) Arnold Fields, the panel will explore the long-term consequences of Soviet occupation, civil war, American reconstruction, Afghan military collapse, and potential great-power competition. 

Moderated by former Congressman Don Ritter, the conversation will ask whether Afghanistan is a closed chapter-or a warning for the next crisis.

At each of our events you can expect a warm atmosphere, an ability to network as well as complimentary refreshments.
RSVP is recommended, and donations welcomed.

Each talk is broadcasted live from our auditorium when it starts at 6:00pm EST on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567824218964

Don Ritter, Chairman of The Remembrance Society, is a former U.S. congressman with more than 40 years of Afghanistan-related experience, lived part time nearly 20 years in Kabul after 9/11 and is President & CEO Emeritus of the Afghan American Chamber of Commerce. Ritter is a longtime leader in transatlantic democracy and security initiatives focused on U.S.- Soviet / Russia and post-Cold War geopolitical affairs. He was founding co-chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Afghanistan, and the Baltic States – Ukraine Caucus. His perspective and writings bridge policymaking, business, and international advocacy, offering insight into how totalitarian and authoritarian challenges affect the well-being of U.S. and Western democracies.

Ambassador Ali Ahmad Jalali served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Interior from 2002 to 2005 and as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Germany from 2016 to 2018. He was also a Distinguished Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University from 2006 to 2025. A former Afghan Army officer, Jalali has written extensively on political, military, and security issues in Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. His works include A Military History of Afghanistan from the Great Game to the Global War on Terror and The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War, co-authored with Lester Grau.

Haibatullah Ali Zai is a former Lieutenant General and the last Chief of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Over more than two decades of military service, he held some of Afghanistan’s highest operational and strategic leadership positions, including Commanding General of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, Deputy Director of the Afghan Joint Special Operations Coordination Center, Operations Director responsible for national-level operational planning, and Corps Commander in Northern Afghanistan. He led complex counterterrorism and conventional military operations, commanded elite special operations forces, and worked closely with U.S., NATO, and coalition partners.

Major General (Ret.) Arnold Fields will bring a senior U.S. military, oversight, and reconstruction perspective to the discussion. His role in the panel will focus on America’s post-9/11 reconstruction effort in Afghanistan: what Washington attempted to build, where the effort succeeded, where it failed, and how institutional weaknesses affected the long-term viability of the Afghan state.

Russia Expert - TBD