The US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan was begun by President Trump, and completed by President Joe Biden on 30th August 2021, ending the longest war in US history. A few months prior to this, NATO troops withdrew to initiate the process.

Actors:

• USA: The primary state actor involved in the Afghan war, as well as the actor that withdrew, allowing the Taliban to retake Afghanistan

• Taliban: A violent Islamist non-state actor that rose in Afghanistan, and currently has de facto rule over the state

• Afghanistan: A state actor, that is now ruled by the Taliban, faced 20 years of war and terrorist activity

• NATO: A Western alliance that had consisted of the coalition troops in the Middle East, they withdrew from Afghanistan before the US to initiate the process

Timeline:

• February 2020 - Trump’s administration negotiates the US-Taliban deal, agreeing on a drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan and guarantees from the Taliban that the state will not be used for terrorist activities

• April 2021 - President Biden decides that all US troops will be withdrawn by 11th September 2021, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, all NATO troops will also leave

• 15th August 2021 - The Taliban capture Kabul as part of a rapid advance, capturing all but two Afghan provincial capitals

• 30th August 2021 - The last US military forces leave Afghanistan, leaving it under Taliban rule

Responses:

The USA:

• The USA has achieved its initial goal of ensuring Afghanistan isn’t a haven for al-Qaeda

• US has lost a 20-year war, as they never turned Afghanistan into a successful democracy, and the Taliban still took power

Afghanistan:

• Loss of human rights, particularly for women and children who are most affected

• Protests against the Taliban by women, turned violent and broken apart

• Increase in refugees and asylum seekers emigrating from Afghanistan

The Taliban:

• Now controls the large majority of Afghanistan, with no immediate opposition

• Abuse of power as population is censored and human rights violated, as many laws and policies return from before the war

• Uncertain as to whether terrorism will rise or stay fallen

The World:

• China and Russia => provides them the opportunity to economically support the Taliban, gaining influence and power globally

• Neighbours => taken on around 2.2 million displaced peoples, however they have now closed borders

• Pakistan => Faced threats from the TTP, and has now had to call for the deportation of Afghan refugees