AFGHANISTAN COUNTDOWN, DAY 44: As of today, there are 44 days left before U.S. and international troops are scheduled to withdraw fully from Afghanistan under the Feb. 29, 2020, agreement negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration. President Biden has yet to indicate whether he will abide by the agreement or declare the Taliban to be in violation of the terms and extend the deployment of 2,500 U.S. troops, along with more than 5,000 NATO and partner forces.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE TROOPS: In testimony this week, the Pentagon’s internal watchdog over Afghanistan spending warned the withdrawal of international forces would also mean the departure of 13,000 U.S. contractors, without which “Afghanistan may be fighting for its very survival.”