The American Enterprise Institute published a new report about the war in Afghanistan. Considering that the Obama administration is currently reviewing a request from the top U.S. military commander in the region to send more troops or face defeat, the timing of “Enemy Reactions to the US Strategy and Force-Sizing Options” couldn’t have been better.

AEI Resident Scholar Frederick W. Kagan and coauthor Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War respond to several scenarios:

Scenario 1: The President orders all US forces out of Afghanistan, including Special Operations Forces (SOF) and classified forces

Scenario 2: The President orders US combat forces out of Afghanistan, including all trainers and forces supporting the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), but not including SOF and classified forces

Scenario 3: The President orders US combat forces out of Afghanistan, but trainers, SOF, classified forces, and forces assisting the ANSF remain

Scenario 4: US combat forces remain as currently deployed, with additional emphasis on expansion of the ANSF

Scenario 5: US combat forces are augmented as proposed by General McChrystal and the expansion of the ANSF is accelerated

The report is of immense importance because we have to know what “Afghanistan and the region look like as the US and NATO withdraw forces and prepare to pursue a pure counter-terrorism strategy… How will the various enemy groups and Pakistan likely react to a reinforced counter-insurgency strategy? What would emphasizing only the training of Afghan security forces look like?” Those are the questions the two Kagans attempt to answer in their report.

I’ll read the report later this weekend – more then.