A conference call exchange on Thursday, October 29 from 11:00am to 12:00pm PT, on the impact of President Obama's decision to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan through 2017.

America's role in a war that has already lasted 14 years will continue through 2016. President Obama announced on October 15 that 9,800 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan before an anticipated drawdown to around 5,500 by the end of his term in 2017. The mission remains the same: to train and support Afghan security forces and carry out counterterrorism operations. What impact will this decision have on Afghanistan? With the Taliban growing in strength, and government forces still not able to fight alone, will America remain engaged in Afghanistan for the forseeable future?

Featuring:

Dr. Stephen Biddle, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Stephen D. Biddle is adjunct senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. Read more.

Ms. Rebecca Zimmerman, Associate Policy Analyst, RAND

Rebecca Zimmerman is an associate policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and a doctoral candidate in strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Read more.

Moderator:

Dr. Gerald Hyman, Senior Adviser and President of Hills Program on Governance, CSIS

Gerald F. (“Jerry”) Hyman is both a senior adviser and president of the Hills Program on Governance at CSIS. He provides assistance to the Hills-affiliated network of centers in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, manages the Hills Program in the United States, and conducts his own research on a variety of topics, especially democracy and governance. Read more.