THE END OF AN ERA: UNITED STATES’ WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

THE END OF AN ERA: THE UNITED STATES’ WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

The conclusion of the longest occupation in the history of the United States leads to uncertainty about the future of both US foriegn policy and the lives of many Afghans.

WORDS BY JACK PARKOS | ART BY RACHEL HARTLEY

O n Aug. 15, 2021, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan fell as Taliban forces entered the city of Kabul. The last remnants of the American occupation of Afghanistan evacuated as the United States offi cially withdrew from the region. Americans saw shocking images of people desperately trying to leave the country, including one of Afghan civilians hanging onto planes leaving Kabul. Many are wondering how this could have happened.

The story goes back nearly 40 years.

After the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, there was a power vacuum that caused confl ict in the region. In 1996, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, forming the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and ruling over the region as an Islamic theocracy.

That all changed after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 when al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center. The Taliban government had been housing Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda members, prompting the United States to invade Afghanistan in October of that year.

This led to the longest lasting war in American history. Despite the fact that the Taliban government fell early on, the American military continued to fi ght off remaining insurgents in the years that followed. The seeds for the withdrawal were planted with the reaction of many Americans who opposed the U.S. staying in Afghanistan all those years after the initial occupation. Both former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump ran campaigns that promised to reduce the U.S. presence in the Middle East, including Afghanistan.

During his presidency, Obama maintained a complex stance on Afghanistan policy. Although the early years of the presidency saw an increase in American presence in

the region, there was a trajectory of pullout in the region following the death of Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Still, nearly 9,000 troops remained in the region after that mission was completed.

Similarly, President Trump ran a campaign that claimed he intended to pull out from the region, but the rise of the Islamic State group well as an increase in Taliban insurgents, caused him to shift his strategy in the region toward one of preventing power vacuums for these groups. After much confl ict, talks began and in February of 2020, the Taliban and the United States signed an agreement to move towards peace.

According to the U.S. Department of State, the United States would begin to decrease its presence in the region on the condition that the Taliban would “prevent the use of the soil of Afghanistan by any group or individual against the security of the United States and its allies.”

This evolved into President Joe Biden promising a complete withdrawal from the region, regardless of how peace talks with the Taliban were progressing. Biden promised to have the remaining troops out of the region on Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Some argued that this should be delayed until further progress could be made with the peace talks. Nevertheless, Biden went through with his plan and began the withdrawal.

Reactions to the Withdrawal

As the U.S. presence began to decline, the Taliban seized the opportunity to start taking back control of the country. Despite their training from the United States, the Afghan military could not fi ght off the Taliban and on Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul and the Republic of Afghanistan fell. The Taliban began the transition from the Republic to The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

During this transition, there were still American citizens, as well as Afghan allies, who were in Kabul and needed to evacuate. The situation turned frantic as the U.S. began to evacuate 123,000 civilians, both American and Afghan from Kabul. The United States sent in about 6,000 troops to aid this evacuation.

Across the globe, people witnessed chaos unfolding as images of the desperation and Donor Engagement at the Iowa International Center (IIC), has worked closely with refugees from Afghanistan.

“Recent events in Afghanistan have brought awareness to the plight of refugees,” Bailey said. “Due to their beliefs that may contradict the Taliban, many have expressed concern for the safety of their families.”

Their contacts have reported death threats and retaliation against those working to support democracy or the rights of women and minorities, but opinions on the withdrawal are anything but black and white amongst refugees.

“Some have voiced disagreement or frustration while others are appreciative and grateful. Just like all people, they each received a diff erent experience and heard diff erent stories that have formed their opinion,” Bailey said.

Those who made it to the United States arrived to fi nd themselves in a new culture that speaks a new language, and refugees must fi nd a way to make a living within 90 days, per U.S. regulations. Despite the help of many organizations like IIC, which specializes in helping these refugees, it can be a terrifying process.

“Most refugees must drop everything and leave their homes unexpectedly or with little notice. They are only able to take what they can carry and it’s often a single bag of belongings,” Bailey said.

and fear of those evacuating went viral. Images surfaced of people clinging to the sides of aircraft in a desperate attempt to fl ee the Taliban with some falling to their deaths. More images surfaced of mothers throwing their babies over barbed wire fencing outside the Kabul airport, begging the soldiers to save them.

Despite the chaos, the evacuation was offi cially completed by Aug. 31, 2021 with the Pentagon reporting 123,000 civilians had been successfully evacuated. However, these images, combined with the thousands of Americans and Afghans left behind sparked outrage among many Americans. President Biden faced backlash from both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of the situation. This backlash was only made worse when, less than two weeks after the fall of Kabul, 13 American soldiers and 130 Afghan civilians were killed in a bombing outside the airport in Kabul.

AMERICANS DIDN’T WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY SAW IN AUGUST.

ANNIE PFORZHEIMER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

“Americans didn’t want to see what they saw in August,’’ said Annie Pforzheimer, a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan until 2019 and Deputy Chief of Mission in Kabul from 2017 to 2018.

However, in a press conference, President Biden stood by his decision, calling the withdrawal an “extraordinary success.” With this, the longest war in U.S. history ended. The Afghanistan War cost the lives of nearly 2,500 American soldiers and 47,000 Afghan civilians.

There are still many questions concerning the future of Afghanistan, especially for civilians living under Taliban rule. Pforzheimer called the situation “pretty devastating” for the average Afghan citizen who is already dealing with food shortages, droughts, and other human rights issues. The newly proposed Taliban constitution does not allow for Shiite Muslims to practice their faith and leaves many women and girls vulnerable.

Kassi Bailey, Director of Philanthropy

Will the Taliban Govern With a Theocratic Iron Fist?

While they certainly won’t be a modern democracy, there will be pressure on the Taliban from the international community.

“It is the responsibility of the Taliban to do what is necessary to help their own people,” Pforzheimer said. “If they want the international community to be engaged then they have to actually agree to some of the rules and restrictions and ideas that we have.”

If the Taliban wants to be recognized as a legitimate government and receive humanitarian aid, they will have to give in a bit to the conditions of the international community. However, the situation may be more complex if the Taliban becomes too engaged with the international community. Pforzheimer warned of the potential backlash of some of them joining the more radical group Islamic State - Khorasan Province.

Photo: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

Where Does the United States go From Here?

In regards to U.S. policy going forward, Pforzheimer says, “we have very little leverage left,” but should nevertheless stay very engaged with Afghanistan. For the United States, this withdrawal was a blow to its international reputation.

“This will be hanging around our necks,” Pforzheimer said. Other nations may no longer look to the United States as an ally to depend on, according to Pforzheimer.

With this withdrawal, powerful nations like Russia and China have gained a strong infl uence in the region and an unopposed one in Afghanistan. Nations like Iran and Pakistan are pleased to see the United States out of the area as well.

When asked about the possibility of the U.S. returning to the region, Pforzheimer said the U.S. will, “...do what we can to prevent it—but never say never.”

To Pforzheimer, the end to the war was nearly inevitable.

“[The United States] put enough holes in the boat that it was going to leak at some point,” she said.

In Pforzheimer’s eyes, the war was a “hasty intervention” that was “not well planned,” from the very beginning, and it was only made worse after being pushed to the side during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Overall, Pforzheimer says the ambitious goals set by America’s military were, “more of a U.S. dream in the end than an Afghan reality.”

This fall out has left those living in Afghanistan in a harsh new reality. The Taliban runs the country, and a 20-year war has ended with Afghanistan back under the control of the same group the U.S. fought to bring down.

THIS WILL BE HANGING AROUND OUR NECKS.

ANNIE PFORZHEIMER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES