Afghanistan And The End Of The Nation-Building Fantasy May 11, 2021 | By Alberto M. Fernandez* As the U.S. begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan,[1] much of the commentary takes two diametrically opposed tracks. One notes the 20-year U.S. presence, the massive expenditure in blood and treasure, the specter of "forever wars." The other notes the same sunk cost in Afghanistan but sees the very real danger of terrorist resurgence by an extremist and triumphant Taliban, still closely allied with Al-Qaeda, and the likely fall of the current pro-Western government in Kabul.[2] There is truth in both positions but this is nevertheless a bitter moment in American foreign policy that perhaps could have been avoided, or at least, had a cheaper price tag.