U.S. foreign policy needs to get over its fear of instability

Quiz question: When and why did Britain annex Sudan? The answer is in 1899, after a decade and a half of fighting. British forces were up against Sudanese militias that had rallied under the banner of a charismatic Islamic leader who styled himself as the Mahdi, and whom the British viewed as a fanatical terrorist.

There is a history lesson worth learning here about imperial overreach, as the United States leaves Afghanistan. Many voices warn that what follows will be instability and eventually a Taliban takeover. The country will once again become a base for terrorism, they argue, and so we must stay to keep it stable and in friendly hands.

To read the full article, please click here.