![]() Moving forward, the United States could establish a force posture composed of “lily pads”-bases with a small number of rotating troops-in countries like Afghanistan to compete with China, Russia, and Iran. forces in western Afghanistan, for example, have helped monitor and counter activity by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, Iran’s primary paramilitary arm. Even a small presence could help check their activity, prevent a major rise in their influence, and allow the United States to collect intelligence on their activities. ![]() military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan may be helpful to balance against these competitors. Second, the United States has an interest in countering China, Russia, and Iran, all of which are active in Afghanistan and South Asia. military forces as their most important victory since the departure of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. Indeed, al Qaeda and other jihadists would likely view a withdrawal of U.S. As a 2020 United Nations report concluded, “al Qaeda is quietly gaining strength in Afghanistan while continuing to operate with the Taliban under their protection.” A successful Taliban-led insurgency would likely allow al Qaeda and other terrorist groups-such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Islamic State Khorasan-to increase their presence in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda’s local affiliate, al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, continues to support the Taliban insurgency and retains close links with senior and lower-level Taliban leaders. Al Qaeda still has a presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, though it has been weakened by persistent U.S. Yet the United States still has some interests in Afghanistan and South Asia.įirst, the United States has an interest in preventing the resurgence of international terrorist groups that could threaten the United States and its partners. The United States also has to deal with the economic and health implications of Covid-19, among other problems at home and abroad. Today, the United States has more important national security interests than Afghanistan, such as competing with China, Russia, and Iran. military forces and intelligence operatives first deployed to Afghanistan. The United State’s national security interests have significantly evolved since 2001, when U.S. presence in Afghanistan needs to begin with U.S. troop numbers, any discussion about the U.S. policymakers and the public have focused on U.S. On November 17, 2020, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced that the United States would cut its forces in Afghanistan to approximately 2,500 troops by January 2021. Over the course of 2020, the United States withdrew its forces from a high of roughly 14,000 at the beginning of the year. and foreign soldiers from Afghanistan, a Taliban commitment to prevent al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations from using Afghan territory to threaten the United States and its partners, and a promise by both sides to support intra-Afghan peace negotiations. Nevertheless, important provisions of the deal included a U.S. There were significant problems with the agreement, such as its failure to involve the Afghan government in the negotiations. and Taliban leaders signed an agreement that was intended to be an initial step toward an intra-Afghan peace deal. interests in Afghanistan and the region?Ī1: On February 29, 2020, U.S. military presence in Afghanistan? What are U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan at this point-without an intra-Afghan peace agreement-will likely shift the military balance of power in favor of the Taliban and increase the possibility of an eventual Taliban takeover of the capital city, Kabul, and significant rural and urban areas of the country.ĭownload full report Q1: What is the current U.S. military has been fighting in Afghanistan for two decades in a war that has persisted nearly continuously since the late 1970s. One of the Biden administration’s most contentious war-related decisions will likely be what to do about Afghanistan.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |