Lingering Legacies: Examining America's Continued Presence In Afghanistan

The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed on August 30, 2021, marking the end of America's longest war. The last US troops left the country nearly 20 years after the US military first entered Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The withdrawal came after the Taliban's rapid advance and takeover of Kabul on August 15, 2021, with relatively little resistance from Afghan security forces.

Since the US withdrawal, Afghanistan has been under Taliban rule, and the country faces a collapsed economy, a humanitarian crisis, and restrictions on civil liberties, particularly for women and girls. The Taliban has banned girls from attending school past the sixth grade and imposed restrictions on women's participation in public life and the workplace. Independent media outlets have been shut down, and protestors, journalists, and activists have been arrested or forced into hiding.

While the US military presence in Afghanistan has ended, there are ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian aid and support the evacuation of Afghans who worked with US and international forces. The future of Afghanistan remains uncertain, with concerns about the impact of Taliban rule on the country's people and the potential for Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan

The withdrawal came after nearly two decades of US military presence in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The US invasion aimed to target al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which provided sanctuary to the terrorist group.

The decision to withdraw was made by President Joe Biden, who chose to stick to the timeline set by the Trump administration for a full military withdrawal by May 2021. Biden's decision was influenced by the desire to end America's longest war and the recognition that the US had limited options due to the flawed Doha deal negotiated by the Trump administration.

The withdrawal was not without controversy, with accusations of chaos and a lack of preparation. The State Department faced criticism for its handling of the evacuation operation, particularly regarding the thousands of Afghans who had served alongside US forces and were left behind. The Biden administration also faced scrutiny from predominantly Republican lawmakers, who blamed the chaotic final weeks on the administration's decisions.

The US withdrawal resulted in the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan and created a refugee crisis, with many Afghans fleeing the country. It also raised concerns about the use of Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorists, as seen with the discovery of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul.

In the year following the US withdrawal, Afghanistan faced a collapsed economy, a humanitarian crisis, and a repressive Taliban regime. Girls' education was restricted, independent media was shut down, and women and girls were cut off from public life. The US and its allies provided humanitarian aid, but the amount fell short of what was needed to address the scale of the crisis.

Despite the withdrawal of military forces, the US maintained a military and paramilitary presence in the region. CIA personnel, military contractors, and special operations forces remained in Afghanistan, and the US continued to conduct "over-the-horizon" attacks and surveillance missions from bases outside the country.

The Taliban's treatment of women and girls

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have imposed widespread restrictions on the rights of women and girls, including their freedom of movement, attire, behaviour, access to education, work, health and justice.

Education

The Taliban have banned girls from attending school past the sixth grade and barred women from working in most jobs outside the home. Women have also been banned from attending and teaching at Kabul University, and from working for international organisations or NGOs, and from working on women's empowerment projects. In addition, the Taliban have prohibited women from working as lawyers, judges or in other positions in the justice system.

Employment

The Taliban have barred women from working in government offices, and former female civil servants are required to sign their timesheets once a month but are prohibited from entering their previous workspace. Women have also been banned from working for international organisations or NGOs, and from working on women's empowerment projects.

Healthcare

The Taliban have prohibited women and girls from accessing routine and emergency healthcare, with dire consequences for their health and sexual and reproductive rights. Women are only allowed to be treated by female doctors, and there is a shortage of these.

Freedom of Movement

The Taliban have banned women from travelling outside the country without a mahram (a male family member) and from leaving their homes without a mahram. Women are also banned from public parks, public baths, and historic places like monuments and sightseeing.

Clothing

The Taliban have mandated that women wear a burqa or Arab-style hijab when outside the home, and that women and girls must be accompanied by a mahram.

Sport

The Taliban have banned women from participating in any sport or going to gyms.

Media

The Taliban have ordered TV presenters to cover their faces on air and banned women from radio programs where the presenters are men. They have also banned foreign television series.

Punishment

For violating any of the Taliban’s prohibitions, women can be flogged, stoned or worse.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is facing a complex and severe humanitarian crisis, with more than half of its population in need of humanitarian assistance. The crisis is the result of four decades of conflict, poverty, natural disasters, and an economic downturn. The Taliban's takeover of the country in August 2021 has exacerbated the situation, particularly for women and girls, whose rights and access to services have been severely restricted.

The Taliban's policies have isolated the country internationally, leading to reduced donor funding and economic paralysis. This has resulted in a collapsed economy and a lack of functional governance. The situation is further worsened by recurrent drought and seasonal flooding, which threaten the agriculture sector and limit access to clean water.

As a result, Afghanistan is facing a food crisis, with around 17 million people facing acute hunger and malnutrition. The lack of access to food has forced some families to eat only one meal a day. The World Bank reports that 48% of Afghanistan's population lives in poverty, and the country is in its third year of drought.

The crisis has also impacted the health sector, with insufficient funding, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and limited access to quality healthcare, particularly for women and girls. The ban on women working for NGOs has negatively impacted their ability to access and receive health services, including sexual and reproductive health services. Infectious disease outbreaks, such as measles, dengue fever, and acute respiratory infections, are also on the rise.

In addition to the food and health crises, there is a lack of access to education, especially for girls, who have been banned from attending school past the sixth grade. This ban has hindered educational outcomes and led to mental health challenges for those affected.

The international community is struggling to balance providing aid with pressuring the Taliban to moderate its hardline policies. While there is a need for emergency assistance, Afghanistan also requires long-term sustainable solutions, including economic stability and resumed development aid, to address the deep-seated economic challenges that perpetuate the cycle of crises.

The future of US policy towards Afghanistan

The US has shifted to a position of pragmatic engagement in Afghanistan and has not yet decided whether to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan. The US has undertaken significant efforts to assist the Afghan people during a period of humanitarian and economic catastrophe. Since the Taliban takeover, the US has changed the nature and scope of its activities in Afghanistan to focus on humanitarian aid and targeted assistance to help meet basic human needs and avoid a complete economic collapse. The US is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

The US has also made significant efforts to avoid a collapse of the Afghan economy without benefiting the Taliban. These efforts have boosted financial sector liquidity and helped Afghan banks retain access to the international financial system. The US engages with Taliban representatives to urge the establishment of a credible process to form an inclusive government that reflects Afghanistan's diversity, including meaningful representation of women and minority communities.

Some analysts argue that the US should prioritize reaching a political settlement with the Taliban while continuing to bolster the Afghan state and its security forces. Others suggest that the US should adopt a status quo plus approach, which involves a modest increase in the US troop presence and authorities, increased pressure on Pakistan to eliminate the insurgent sanctuary, and continued financial support for the Afghan government and its security forces.

Overall, the US must carefully consider its interests and objectives in Afghanistan and develop a strategy that protects the gains made while terminating the conflict.

The collapse of the Afghan government and military

The collapse can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Illicit deals and mass desertions: Afghan government forces struck deals with the Taliban, often described as cease-fires, where they handed over their weapons in exchange for money. This started with low-ranking officials but gradually moved up to the district level and then provincial capitals, resulting in a series of negotiated surrenders.
• Poor leadership and corruption: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's rule was characterized by micromanagement, discrimination against ethnic minorities, and a narrow base of support. He alienated potential rivals and centralized control, which weakened the role of political parties and denied citizens a say in governance.
• Lack of trust and legitimacy: The Afghan government lacked legitimacy due to its centralized political institutions, which were imposed after the 2001 U.S. invasion. The gap between the rhetoric of the U.S. intervention and the realities faced by citizens widened over time.
• Inadequate training and support: The U.S. training efforts focused on tactical infantry skills rather than higher-level expertise in logistics, planning, training, and command and control. The Afghan military was heavily reliant on U.S. support for airpower, intelligence, logistics, and other vital enablers. Once U.S. troops and contractors pulled out, the Afghan military lost its ability to function effectively.
• Taliban's resurgence: The Taliban capitalized on the uncertainty caused by the U.S.-Taliban agreement for a full withdrawal. They negotiated surrenders and exploited the lack of morale among Afghan forces, who realized they could no longer count on American support.
• External support for the Taliban: The Taliban received support from Pakistan, where their leaders fled after the collapse of their government in 2001. This external backing contributed to their resurgence and ability to overthrow the Afghan government.

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