October will mark 20 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan to remove Al Qaeda shrines and its Taliban sponsors, and Americans are understood to be eager to move forward. But the difficulties that come with America’s current commitment are nothing compared to the chaos that would follow after a sudden departure.
In February 2020, the Trump administration and the Taliban signed a withdrawal agreement requiring all American troops to leave by May 1, 2021. The move was determined by Donald Trump’s domestic political instincts – not a strategic calculation. President Biden is considering this decision wisely.
“I am very pleased with what the Biden Administration is proposing for Afghanistan,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday. “We are re-evaluating our presence in Afghanistan to keep our footprint low, but not to distance ourselves and lose all the gains we have made.” The White House has not announced a final decision, but Mr Graham expects the US to stay beyond May.
Many Democrats and Republicans with isolationist tendencies draw attention to their calls for an immediate end to “wars forever.” But Mr Graham’s comments point to broad support for a more careful approach. The question is not whether the United States will leave Afghanistan, but whether it will do so responsibly.
The bipartisan study group in Afghanistan has made a compelling case for how to do so in its report to Congress this month. The group – former generals, senators, ambassadors and national security officials – suggests replacing Mr. Trump’s timeline with a conditions-based approach. “A withdrawal would not only leave America more vulnerable to terrorist threats,” the report said, “it would also have catastrophic effects in Afghanistan and the region that would not be in the interests of any of the key players, including the Taliban.”