The Complex Question Of Returning Troops To Afghanistan

In August 2021, the US government sent troops back to Afghanistan to help with evacuations as the Taliban took over the country. The Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the troops would help get Americans and Afghans who had helped them out of the country. The Biden administration had set an August 31 deadline for fully withdrawing combat forces before the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. However, the deteriorating situation in the country as the Taliban advanced forced the administration to accelerate plans to get Americans out.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to dismantle the terrorist network of Al-Qaeda and overthrow the Taliban regime that was providing safe haven to the terrorist group. The US also aimed to capture Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. In 2011, the US and NATO allies agreed to end their combat mission in Afghanistan by 2014. However, the US continued to maintain a military presence in the country, with the number of troops reduced to a bare minimum.

In 2019, the Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, agreeing to withdraw all US troops by May 1, 2021. When Biden took office, he was faced with a choice to either follow through with the deal or ramp up the US military presence. Biden decided to stick to the deal and set a new deadline of September 11, 2021, for the complete withdrawal of US troops.

The withdrawal process was chaotic and faced sharp criticism, especially as the Taliban made rapid gains and took control of major cities. The Afghan government collapsed, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The US had to deploy additional troops to ensure the safe evacuation of US personnel and Afghan allies. The evacuation process was fraught with challenges, and thousands of Afghans who had worked with the US forces were left behind.

The evacuation of US embassy personnel and Afghan allies

The evacuation was a partial one, with a core diplomatic presence remaining in the embassy. The Pentagon sent about 3,000 troops to Kabul to assist with the evacuation. The Biden administration was criticized for the hasty withdrawal and for not having detailed plans to evacuate Afghans who assisted the US. The evacuation included Afghan interpreters and others who worked for the US government and faced retribution from the Taliban.

The evacuation was a temporary mission, with troops assisting with security at the airport and processing the departure of embassy personnel. The US Embassy in Kabul continued to function, but the partial evacuation reflected waning confidence in the Afghan government's ability to hold off the Taliban. The evacuation highlighted the lack of morale among Afghan forces and the decisive momentum of the Taliban.

The US also warned the Taliban that any actions against US personnel would be met with a swift and strong military response. The evacuation of US embassy personnel and Afghan allies was a chaotic and dangerous process, with gunfire and violence at the airport.

The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan

The Taliban, a predominantly Pashtun, Islamic fundamentalist group, had been waging an insurgency against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul since 2001. The group had regrouped across the border in Pakistan and began taking back territory less than ten years after their ouster.

The Taliban's swift offensive took U.S. intelligence officials by surprise. In the space of 10 days, they had seized city after city across the country without resistance. The Afghan government and leadership had to come together and drive toward a future that the Afghan people wanted and deserved. However, the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan was not inevitable. The Afghan troops had 300,000 well-equipped forces and an air force against the Taliban's 75,000 fighters.

The U.S. had spent $2.26 trillion on the war in Afghanistan, trying to rebuild the Afghan government and train its military. Despite this, the Afghan state could still not defend itself. The U.S. and its NATO allies spent billions of dollars over two decades to train and equip Afghan security forces. However, the Western-backed government was rife with corruption. Commanders exaggerated the number of soldiers to siphon off resources, and troops in the field often lacked ammunition, supplies, or even food.

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has had severe consequences for the rights of women and other Afghans. The Taliban have imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, despite pledges to respect the rights of women and religious and ethnic minority communities. They have banned most women from working, prohibited most girls from attending secondary school, and prevented women from teaching at universities. The Taliban have also violently cracked down on demonstrations and restricted press freedoms, leading to the closure of more than 200 news organizations.

The takeover also brought an end to fighting between Taliban fighters and U.S. and Afghan government forces, improving the country's overall security situation and reducing civilian casualties. However, violence remains widespread, particularly as the Islamic State in Khorasan terrorist group has increased attacks on civilians throughout the country.

The Afghan government's collapse

The collapse of the Afghan government was a tragic event that occurred on 15 August 2021, marking the end of America's nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan. The fall of Kabul, the country's capital, signalled the total victory for the Taliban and the reinstatement of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under their control.

The collapse was precipitated by a series of deals brokered between the Taliban and low-ranking Afghan government officials, which ultimately led to a string of negotiated surrenders by government forces. Within a week, the Taliban overran more than a dozen provincial capitals and entered Kabul with little to no resistance. This rapid advance stunned American officials and foreign observers, forcing the evacuation of personnel from the US embassy in Kabul.

The Taliban's success can also be attributed to the US-Taliban deal signed in February 2020, which reduced air support for Afghan forces and restricted US attacks on the Taliban. This deal, coupled with the announcement of a full US withdrawal by President Biden in April 2021, demoralised Afghan forces and made them more receptive to the Taliban's approaches.

The collapse of the Afghan government was not solely due to military factors. The centralised political institutions imposed after the 2001 US invasion, the lack of meaningful citizen participation in governance, and the corruption fuelled by vast amounts of foreign aid all contributed to the fall. Additionally, the intemperate rule of President Ashraf Ghani, who centralised control and discriminated against ethnic minorities, further hastened the state's collapse.

The consequences of the Afghan government's collapse were dire. Afghans, especially women, feared the restoration of Taliban rule and the loss of their rights. A mass evacuation effort was undertaken, with over 123,000 people airlifted out of Kabul International Airport. However, many Afghans who had assisted US forces were left behind, facing potential retribution from the Taliban. The fall of Kabul also had negative repercussions for US-UK relations and damaged President Biden's approval rating, with critics arguing that the withdrawal was mishandled.

The US's future relationship with Afghanistan

However, Biden has made clear that the US military involvement in Afghanistan is over and that there is no intention to return to combat operations. The US had already spent $2.26 trillion on the war in Afghanistan, and Biden has stated that he will not pass the war on to a fifth president. He has also emphasised the need to focus on domestic challenges and the competition with China, rather than remaining entangled in conflicts in the Middle East.

Biden has authorised the deployment of additional US troops to Afghanistan to ensure the safe evacuation of US personnel and Afghan allies. The US Embassy in Kabul has been partially evacuated, and there are concerns that the embassy could be threatened by a Taliban takeover. The US has conveyed to the Taliban that any actions that harm US personnel will be met with a swift and strong military response.

The future of Afghanistan is now in the hands of the Afghan people, and it remains to be seen what kind of relationship the US will have with a Taliban-controlled government. Biden has stated that the US will not officially recognise Taliban rule, and it is unclear what form any future diplomatic relations between the two countries might take.

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