The End Of America's Longest War: Afghanistan's Two Decades Of Conflict Conclude

The war in Afghanistan ended on August 30, 2021, when the United States completed its withdrawal of troops from the country. This marked the end of the 20-year-long war—the longest in American history. The war began in 2001 when the United States invaded Afghanistan to support the Northern Alliance in overthrowing the Taliban and to dislodge al-Qaeda from the country following the September 11 attacks. The Taliban was removed from power, but the new Afghan government struggled to bring stability, and fighting continued between NATO forces and the Taliban. In 2014, NATO's combat mission in Afghanistan ended, but US troops remained in the country to provide training and support to the Afghan military. However, the Taliban regained control of the country following the US withdrawal in 2021, leading to a refugee crisis and concerns about the use of Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorists.

The US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was completed on 30 August 2021

The withdrawal of US troops was the result of a peace agreement between the US and the Taliban, signed in February 2020. The agreement stipulated that the US would withdraw all troops within 14 months on the condition that the Taliban would engage in peace negotiations with the Afghan government and prevent al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups from operating within Afghanistan.

The US began to reduce its troop numbers in Afghanistan in late June 2020, ahead of schedule. However, negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government did not begin until September, due in part to the Afghan government's reluctance to carry out a prisoner swap.

In April 2021, President Joe Biden announced that the US would honour its commitment to the agreement and withdraw all troops by 31 August 2021. This decision was criticised by some, who argued that the withdrawal was premature and that the Afghan government and security forces would be unable to hold off the Taliban without US support.

Despite these concerns, the US proceeded with the withdrawal. In the weeks leading up to the deadline, the Taliban rapidly gained control of large swathes of the country, and by mid-August, the Afghan government had collapsed, and the Taliban had captured the capital, Kabul.

The fall of Kabul led to a rush of Afghans and foreign nationals to the international airport, seeking to evacuate the country. The US deployed additional troops to Kabul to assist with the evacuation efforts, which continued until the last US military planes left Afghanistan on 30 August 2021.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan sparked a refugee crisis and raised fears that the country would once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups. The Taliban's return to power also led to concerns about human rights abuses, particularly against women and girls, and the suppression of independent media and civil society.

The Taliban took over Kabul on 15 August 2021

The takeover came after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. The Taliban's effective use of online social media, its strategic choice to attack northern provinces, and the freedom of movement on the main Afghan highways, all contributed to their success. The Taliban's offensive included a continuation of the bottom-up succession of negotiated or paid surrenders from the village level upwards. This strategy had been employed since the US-Taliban deal in February 2020.

The Taliban's takeover of Kabul was swift and unexpected, even to the US government and its allies. In the days and weeks leading up to 15 August, the Taliban had captured most of Afghanistan's provinces in rapid succession. During this period, estimates for the longevity of the Afghan government declined significantly. On 14 August, the day before the fall of Kabul, it was estimated that the city would last for "30 to 90 days".

The Taliban's entry into Kabul on 15 August was met with little to no resistance. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the Afghan government collapsed. The Taliban ordered its fighters to wait for a peaceful transfer of power and not to enter Kabul by force. However, locals reported that Taliban fighters were advancing into urban areas regardless of their official orders.

The takeover of Kabul by the Taliban led to widespread fear and confusion. Thousands of Afghans who had sought refuge in the city after fleeing the insurgents' brutal military offensive watched with growing alarm as the local police seemed to disappear from their usual checkpoints. There was a mad dash to banks, homes, and the airport, as crowds of people ran down the streets while gunfire echoed in downtown Kabul.

The US Embassy warned Americans not to head to the airport, as the situation was "changing quickly". The runway of the airport was filled with uniforms from different nations, as contractors, diplomats, and civilians tried to catch flights out of the city. The evacuation included some level of cooperation from the Taliban, who facilitated the movement of evacuees and provided security en route to the airport facilities.

The Taliban's takeover of Kabul had immediate consequences for the rights and freedoms of Afghans, particularly women. Girls were banned from attending school past the sixth grade, independent media was shut down, and protestors, journalists, and activists were arrested.

The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, creating a refugee crisis

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 led to a refugee crisis as Afghans fled the country in fear of what the Taliban's rule would bring. The Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islamic law, which suppresses the rights of women and girls, was a major concern for those fleeing. The group's previous rule from 1996 to 2001 saw women barred from attending school or working outside the home, forced to wear the burqa, and only allowed to leave the house with a male chaperone. Music was banned, thieves had their hands cut off, and adulterers were stoned.

Although the Taliban has sought to present itself as more moderate in recent years, many Afghans are skeptical of their promises. The group has said it will respect women's rights, forgive those who fought against them, and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for terror attacks. However, the Taliban has already banned girls from attending school past the sixth grade and prohibited women from working, teaching at universities, or joining local and international NGOs.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has projected that half a million Afghans may seek to leave the country by the end of 2021. As of 2024, there are 6.4 million Afghan refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people, with 48% being women and girls, and 45% being children. Afghan refugees are the third-largest displaced population in the world, after Syrians and Venezuelans.

The countries most affected by the refugee crisis are Afghanistan's neighbors, Pakistan and Iran, which have hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades. However, refugees have also sought refuge in Europe, with Germany hosting the largest number of Afghan nationals as of 2020.

The Taliban's takeover has also led to deteriorating human rights, particularly for women and girls, economic instability, acute food insecurity, and severe climate shocks and natural disasters in Afghanistan. The country is facing its third consecutive year of drought-like conditions, and the economy has shrunk by up to 30% since the Taliban's return to power, with an estimated 700,000 jobs lost.

The US war in Afghanistan lasted 20 years

The initial invasion was successful in removing the Taliban from power, but the new Afghan government struggled to bring stability to the country. Fighting continued between NATO forces and the Taliban, resulting in high civilian casualties. In an attempt to pacify Afghanistan, US President Barack Obama announced a surge in troop levels in 2009, bringing the number of NATO troops in the country to 150,000 by 2010. However, the situation remained a stalemate, and casualties continued to rise.

In 2011, US forces located and killed Osama bin Laden, and President Obama announced that the primary objectives of the war had been achieved. On December 28, 2014, NATO's combat mission in Afghanistan officially ended, and US troops remained solely to provide training and support to the Afghan military. However, the war continued, and by 2017, the US faced a new threat from the Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of the Islamic State. In response, President Donald Trump authorized another troop surge.

During Trump's administration, the US began peace negotiations with the Taliban, and in February 2020, the two parties signed a peace agreement. The agreement stipulated a full withdrawal of US troops within 14 months, conditional on the Taliban's participation in peace negotiations with the Afghan government and their prevention of al-Qaeda and ISIL affiliates from operating within Afghanistan. Despite some challenges, the Taliban appeared to uphold their commitments, and the US began its withdrawal.

In February 2021, newly inaugurated President Joe Biden reviewed the withdrawal plan and announced a delay in the timeline, setting a new deadline of August 31, 2021. The Taliban, emboldened by the US withdrawal, rapidly advanced and took control of dozens of districts, eventually capturing the capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021. The US completed its withdrawal of troops on August 30, 2021, bringing an end to the 20-year war.

The US exit from Afghanistan raised fears that terrorists might use the country as a safe haven

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which ended the 20-year war, raised fears that the country would become a safe haven for terrorists. This fear was confirmed when Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, was found in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and killed in a US drone strike.

The US had invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to support the Northern Alliance in overthrowing the Taliban and to dislodge al-Qaeda from its safe haven in the country. The Taliban had allowed al-Qaeda, a militant Islamist network, to operate in Afghanistan and refused to hand over the group's leaders, including Osama bin Laden, after the 9/11 attacks.

Despite the US spending billions of dollars to support the Afghan government and security forces, the Taliban swiftly recaptured the country after the US withdrawal. The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has resulted in the country once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

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