Troop Deployment In Afghanistan: A Strategic Maneuver Or A Risky Venture?

The United States' deployment of troops to Afghanistan has been a highly dynamic issue, with the country recently withdrawing its armed forces from the region. The US Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the 2001-2021 war. This withdrawal was stipulated in the United States-Taliban deal, which was signed by the Trump administration and the Taliban in February 2020. The deal included fighting restrictions for both parties and provided for the withdrawal of all NATO forces from Afghanistan. Despite this, the US has continued to deploy troops to other regions, such as Iraq, even after the end of the Afghan War.

The US deployed troops to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff

The United States deployed troops to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff in Kabul as the Taliban made rapid gains in the country. The Biden administration sent about 3,000 troops to assist with the partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, confirmed that the troops would be assisting at the Kabul airport, providing ground and air support for the processing and security of Americans being evacuated.

The decision to deploy troops came as security rapidly deteriorated in Afghanistan, with the Taliban capturing several provincial capitals and border crossings, including the third-largest city of Herat, in a major offensive. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul urged American citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately, citing the evolving security situation. The embassy issued a security alert, instructing U.S. citizens to "shelter in place" due to reports of gunfire at the airport.

The State Department spokesman, Ned Price, stated that the embassy would remain open with a core diplomatic presence and continue to provide consular services and diplomatic engagement with the Afghan government. He emphasized that this was not an abandonment or a wholesale withdrawal, but a reduction in civilian footprint. The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, also defended the evacuation as a deliberate and orderly drawdown.

The deployment of troops to Afghanistan was intended to be temporary and narrowly focused on facilitating the safe departure of embassy personnel. The troops were sent to Hamid Karzai International Airport, where the perimeter was controlled by the U.S. military. The evacuation of embassy staff to the airport was completed, and the American flag was lowered from the embassy compound.

The US military stopped supporting the Afghan military in offensive operations

Following the deal, the US dramatically reduced the number of air attacks on the Taliban, which gave the Taliban an edge in targeting Afghan military units. The agreement also negatively impacted the morale of the Afghan army and police, making them more open to accepting bargains with the Taliban.

The US military's non-involvement in offensive operations forced the Afghan military to take mostly defensive positions around the country. The agreement also included a clause that US military aircraft could not attack Taliban groups waiting more than 500 meters away. This gave the Taliban an advantage in targeting Afghan military units.

In the 45 days after the agreement (between March 1 and April 15, 2020), the Taliban conducted more than 4,500 attacks in Afghanistan, an increase of more than 70% compared to the same period in the previous year. More than 900 Afghan security forces were killed in the period, up from about 520 in the same period a year earlier.

The US reduced the number of air attacks on the Taliban

Following the deal, the US dramatically reduced the number of air attacks on the Taliban, which had detrimental effects on the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) fighting the Taliban insurgency. The reduction in air attacks, along with a significant reduction in the number of offensives, resulted in a decrease in Taliban casualties. Taliban casualties fell to 610 in the period from March 1 to April 15, 2020, down from about 1,660 in the same period a year earlier.

The reduction in air attacks on the Taliban was part of a broader decrease in US military involvement in Afghanistan. In April 2021, President Joe Biden announced that all US troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, marking the end of the 20-year conflict. The US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, with the last US military planes leaving Kabul airport.

The US deployed troops to Afghanistan to protect the airport and embassy

The US had already withdrawn most of its troops, but about 650 troops remained in Afghanistan to support US diplomatic security, including at the airport. The Biden administration's decision to deploy more troops highlighted its waning confidence in the Afghan government's ability to curb the Taliban's surge. The US troops were also sent to assist with security at the airport and to help process the departure of embassy personnel. The State Department spokesman, Ned Price, stated that the embassy in Kabul would continue to function, calling the move a "reduction in the size of our civilian footprint".

The US troops were also deployed to protect evacuation efforts. Thousands of US troops were flown into Kabul to protect the evacuation of American citizens, locally employed embassy staff, and their families. The US Embassy in Kabul released a statement warning that it could not ensure safe passage to the airport. The US was in talks with the Taliban about securing pathways to the airport. The US troops remained in Afghanistan until all American citizens were evacuated.

The US deployed troops to Afghanistan to facilitate evacuations

The US deployment comprised three infantry battalions of around 1,000 troops each—two from the Marine Corps and one from the Army. These troops were already in the region and were deployed to Kabul to help facilitate the evacuation. In addition, an infantry brigade of up to 4,000 soldiers flew from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait, in case they were needed to contribute to the security response. A joint force of around 1,000 Army and Air Force personnel was also set up in Qatar to process special immigrant visa applicants from Afghanistan and their families.

The deployment was a dramatic move by the US, which had been planning to extract itself from its longest-running conflict zone after a 20-year presence. The Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, declined to classify the deployments as a return to combat but stated that the troops would respond with force if attacked. He emphasised that the deployments were necessary to ensure the safe movement of American people in Afghanistan and to maintain security and infrastructure at the airport.

The evacuation operation was challenging and chaotic, with US troops facing a rapidly deteriorating security situation and a massive influx of people seeking to flee the country. The US troops also had to deal with changing expectations about the number of people to be evacuated, including those associated with Afghan paramilitary units aiding the evacuation. They were further overwhelmed by thousands of requests from the White House, Congress, and other entities to locate and rescue specific people in the crowd.

The evacuation was ultimately successful, with the US and its allies evacuating over 120,000 people, including US citizens, citizens of allied countries, and Afghan allies. However, the process was criticised for being disorganised and leaving behind hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghans who were eligible to leave.

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