The Afghanistan-Us Nexus: Understanding A Complex Relationship

Afghanistan and the United States have had a complex relationship over the last century, with the US spending billions of dollars on reconstruction efforts and fighting a 20-year war in the country.

The first contact between the two nations occurred in the 1830s when Josiah Harlan, an American adventurer, travelled to the Indian subcontinent with the intention of becoming the King of Afghanistan. Official diplomatic relations were established in 1921 under the leadership of King Amanullah Khan and President Warren G. Harding, respectively.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 marked a turning point, with the US financially supporting the Afghan resistance and admitting thousands of Afghan refugees. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban government in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. This invasion led to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the reestablishment of its diplomatic relations with the world.

The US has played a major role in Afghanistan's recent history, providing billions of dollars in aid and military support. However, the relationship has been fraught with challenges, including the resurgence of the Taliban and the complex dynamics with Pakistan. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 marked the end of a 20-year occupation, leaving the country once again in the hands of the Taliban.

The US-led overthrow of the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2001

The invasion of Afghanistan was the opening salvo in the United States' "war on terror". Logistical support was provided by other nations, including France, Germany, Australia, and Canada, and later, troops were provided by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance rebels. After the air campaign softened Taliban defenses, the coalition began a ground invasion, with Northern Alliance forces providing most of the troops and the US and other nations giving air and ground support. On November 12, a little over a month after the military action began, Taliban officials and their forces retreated from the capital of Kabul. By early December, Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, had fallen, and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar went into hiding.

Al-Qaeda fighters continued to hide out in Afghanistan's mountainous Tora Bora region, where they were engaged by anti-Taliban Afghan forces, backed by US Special Forces troops. Al-Qaeda soon initiated a truce, which is now believed to have been a ploy to allow Osama bin Laden and other key al-Qaeda members time to escape into neighboring Pakistan. By mid-December, the bunker and cave complex used by al-Qaeda at Tora Bora had been captured, but there was no sign of bin Laden. Following a 10-year manhunt, bin Laden was finally found and killed in Pakistan by US Navy SEALs on May 2, 2011.

The US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed in 2012

The US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, officially titled the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America, was signed on May 1, 2012, by President Barack Obama and President Hamid Karzai. The agreement, which took effect on July 4, 2012, provided a long-term framework for the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States after the withdrawal of US forces from the Afghanistan War.

The agreement was the culmination of over a year and a half of negotiations and was intended to redefine the relationship between the two countries. It covered a range of areas, including social and economic development, institution building, regional cooperation, and security. The US committed to supporting Afghanistan's social and economic development, security, institutions, and regional cooperation for ten years. In turn, Afghanistan committed to strengthening government accountability, transparency, and oversight and protecting the human rights of all Afghans, including men and women.

The agreement also addressed the role of US troops in Afghanistan. It granted the US the possibility of keeping forces in the country after 2014 for training Afghan forces and counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda. However, it did not commit the US to any specific troop levels or funding amounts in the future. The US also designated Afghanistan as a Major non-NATO ally, simplifying arms exports and military equipment purchases.

The US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement was expected to remain in effect for at least ten years and served as a foundation for the future cooperation and relations between the two countries.

The Doha Agreement, signed in 2020, which led to the withdrawal of US forces

The Doha Agreement, signed on February 29, 2020, between the United States and the Taliban, was a significant step towards ending America's longest war in Afghanistan. The agreement, also known as the United States-Taliban deal or the Doha Accord, was negotiated by Zalmay Khalilzad and aimed to bring peace to Afghanistan after nearly two decades of conflict.

The agreement laid out a timetable for the withdrawal of United States and NATO forces from Afghanistan. The US agreed to an initial reduction of its troops from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days, followed by a full withdrawal within 14 months if the Taliban adhered to its commitments. This included the closure of five US military bases and an end to US air raids, which left the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) vulnerable to Taliban attacks. The agreement also stipulated that the Taliban would prevent any group or individual, including Al-Qaida, from using Afghan soil to threaten US security and engage in intra-Afghan negotiations to form a post-settlement government.

The deal was not without its challenges and controversies. The Afghan government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, was notably excluded from the negotiations. Ghani rejected a prisoner exchange stipulated in the deal, refusing to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners before the start of intra-Afghan talks. This caused tension and delayed the peace process.

Despite these issues, the Doha Agreement marked a critical turning point in the Afghanistan conflict, leading to the eventual withdrawal of US and NATO forces by August 30, 2021. However, it also contributed to the collapse of the ANSF and the Taliban takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021.

While the agreement was intended to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan, the Taliban's swift rise to power raised questions about the deal's effectiveness and the protection of Afghanistan after the US withdrawal.

The Taliban's recapture of Afghanistan in 2021

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan had widespread domestic and international ramifications, particularly regarding human rights and the proliferation of terrorism. The Taliban imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, rolling back two decades of gains in liberal and democratic rights and freedoms. Women's rights were obliterated, with most girls barred from attending secondary school and all women banned from working and teaching at universities. The Taliban also reintroduced public floggings and executions, banned music, and restricted press freedoms.

The takeover also raised concerns about Afghanistan once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists. The Taliban pledged to prevent its territory from being used by terrorist groups, but analysts are worried that they could provide safe haven to al-Qaeda and allow it to launch international attacks. This fear was heightened by the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul in July 2022.

The Taliban's victory was facilitated by support from Pakistan, which has historically provided the group with logistical and tactical support. Additionally, the Afghan government's heavy reliance on U.S. aid and the sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops left the Afghan National Security Forces ill-prepared and demotivated to fight the Taliban. The Taliban's bottom-up campaign of negotiated or paid surrenders, starting at the village level and scaling up to the provincial level, further contributed to the rapid fall of the U.S.-backed government.

The U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's subsequent recapture of the country resulted in a deteriorating humanitarian and economic crisis. The cutoff of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan central bank assets, and the pause in aid by some countries and international organizations exacerbated the situation. The U.S. has since shifted to a position of pragmatic engagement, focusing on humanitarian aid and targeted assistance to meet basic human needs and prevent an economic collapse.

The US's humanitarian aid efforts in Afghanistan

The US has provided significant humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, particularly in response to the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded in the country since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The US has been the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, providing over $1.1 billion in aid since August 2021. This aid has been directed through international partners on the ground, including the United Nations Population Fund, International Organization for Migration, and other implementing partners in the region.

The US has provided critical support in the form of emergency cash, food and cash support, nutrition, healthcare, protection for women and children, and agricultural inputs to meet immediate food needs. Notably, the US has continued to provide this assistance despite the Taliban's resistance to US demands for guarantees of fundamental human rights, including gender equality.

In addition to responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the US has also provided aid in response to specific events, such as the earthquakes in October 2023, for which the US provided $12 million in immediate humanitarian assistance.

However, it is important to note that the US has sanctioned Afghanistan and ceased all "reconstruction" aid to the country since the Taliban seized control. "Reconstruction" aid refers to the assistance given to the Afghan administration when US forces were stationed in the country and included money for essential goods, education, infrastructure, national security forces, counternarcotics efforts, and operational costs of US agencies.

The US faces a complex situation in Afghanistan, balancing the need to provide humanitarian aid with the challenge of dealing with a Taliban government that has not been recognized by any other national government due to its human rights abuses, particularly regarding the treatment of women.

Frequently asked questions