WASHINGTON -- The withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, ending a war that lasted two decades and cost $2 trillion, adds momentum to a shift in Washington's top security priorities from fighting terrorism to countering an emboldened China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Afghanistan on Thursday, the day after President Joe Biden announced plans to withdraw troops by Sept. 11. Blinken told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani the bilateral partnership was "changing" -- something that can also be said for the global picture since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
