![]() ![]() (14) As of August 31, 2021, the Department of State evacuated just over 6,000 United States citizens, leaving untold numbers of United States citizens stranded in Afghanistan with little recourse for departure. (13) According to the reports of the Department of State, as many as 10,000 to 15,000 United States citizens were in Afghanistan before the evacuation efforts. (12) In August 2021, at the height of the United States evacuation operation, ISIS–K carried out a dual attack striking Hamid Karzai International Airport and the Baron Hotel, killing more than 170 civilians, including 13 members of the United States Armed Forces. (11) During the evacuation operation conducted in August 2021, United States allies, all of which had contributed soldiers and resources to the fight against the Taliban and terrorism in Afghanistan since 2001, assisted in the exfiltration of thousands of United States citizens, their own nationals, and Afghans affiliated with NATO. ![]() (10) On August 14, 2021, the United States began an operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport to evacuate United States citizens and Afghans affiliated with the United States, an action which forced the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (commonly referred to as “NATO”) and allied countries to undertake similar operations. (9) On September 14, 2021, the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency stated, “We are already beginning to see some of the indications of some potential movement of al Qaeda to Afghanistan.”. (8) In May 2021, the Lead Inspector General reaffirmed those concerns, noting that “ccording to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Taliban maintained close ties with al-Qaeda and was very likely preparing for large-scale offensives”. (7) In November 2020, the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom's Sentinel of the Department of Defense (in this section referred to as the “Lead Inspector General”) echoed similar concerns, noting that “members of al-Qaeda were integrated into the Taliban’s leadership and command structure”. (6) According to the same United Nations report, “The Taliban regularly consulted with Al-Qaida during negotiations with the United States and offered guarantees that it would honor their historical ties.”. (5) According to a May 2020 report of the United Nations, “The senior leadership of Al-Qaida remains present in Afghanistan, as well as hundreds of armed operatives, Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, and groups of foreign terrorist fighters aligned with the Taliban.”. (4) The Taliban’s rise to power and inability to control its borders may result in a safe haven for violent jihadist groups, like al Qaeda and the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group, ISIS–Khorasan (commonly referred to as “ISIS–K”). ![]() The Taliban failed to meet its commitments. (3) Under the terms of the peace agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2020, the withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces was contingent upon the Taliban upholding its commitment to a reduction in the levels of violence, engaging in substantive talks with the Government of Afghanistan, and adhering to certain counterterrorism guarantees. (2) United States troop withdrawals led to the rapid collapse of the democratically elected Government of Afghanistan, effectively ended prospects for a negotiated settlement, threaten to reverse the hard-earned rights of Afghanistan’s women and youth, and created dangerous sanctuary space for potential terrorist attacks against the United States and allies and partners of the United States. Biden announced the unconditional withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan after 20 years of conflict. (1) On April 14, 2021, President Joseph R. ![]()
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