James B. Cunningham: “Our ability to engage multilaterally in Asia... is key to building and reinforcing our capacity... to counter Chinese…”

I think that, under the circumstances, that timeline is probably too short and the rate of withdrawal is too steep.

The success of Afghanistan is part of this larger struggle which the civilized world, including more than 1.5 billion peace-loving Muslims, must win.

I do not think there is a strategy of attrition or withdrawal that will work in any timeframe that we would want to see, certainly.

But they will be--I think they will be successful in establishing--reestablishing a legitimate political authority in Afghanistan as a result of the exercise of the voting franchise by the Afghan people.