After almost 20 years, the United States finally ended its infamous war in Afghanistan by fully withdrawing all troops on Aug. 31, 2021. Without a doubt, this war was a needless act of American imperialism, and it was long overdue, but that leaves the question of whether or not the withdrawal was properly executed.
On Oct. 7, 2001, the United States began the war in Afghanistan. Countless casualties later, the United States finally ended their military presence in Afghanistan, which began in retaliation to 9/11. Despite the fact that Afghanistan as a whole was not responsible for 9/11, the United States decided that they would take military actions against the Taliban, and thus, Afghanistan. The initial intention was to rid Afghanistan of those who had ties to the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks. President Bush then declared that the United States would help rebuild their country with the United States blueprint. “By helping to build an Afghanistan that is free from this evil and is a better place in which to live, we are working in the best traditions of George Marshall,” President Bush said in an address to Congress on April 17, 2002.
The decision made by President Biden to leave Afghanistan was one that over 62% of the American population agreed with. Twenty years after the start of the Afghanistan War, President Biden is dealing with the messy aftermath of a botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. The United States’ exit from Afghanistan was far from swift, and it was certainly not executed properly, despite what the Biden Administration might say.
Pentagon officials have now publicly admitted they had urged Biden to hold off on withdrawing all troops, and that their recommendation was to leave about 2500 troops on the ground. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also admitted that the Afghan military’s will to fight was poorly overestimated. Many aspects of the United States withdrawal were messy and chaotic, but it did get the job of ending a 20 year-long war done.
Within days of the United States’ military withdrawal from the capital of Kabul, the Taliban began closing in on the capital, while the President of Afghanistan fled the country. With Afghanistan under Taliban control, many Afghan allies, United States citizens, and Afghan civilians were left fearing for their lives. While the United States exit was one that should have occurred many years ago, it is important to acknowledge the crisis that Afghanistan faces now. The Afghan people are now left to deal with both an economic crisis and a humanitarian crisis. The International Monetary Fund has stopped Afghanistan from dipping into their emergency reserves, and many Afghans have no idea where their next meal will come from. Even as news coverage of Afghanistan dwindles, the people of Afghanistan still face the terrifying reality of living under Taliban rule.
Although a 20 year-long war finally ended this past August, it was not without its share of chaos and controversy. Many questioned whether or not the withdrawal was a good decision, but, truthfully, it was one that was long overdue. The exit itself may have been messy and slightly misjudged in some areas, but it ended the United States’s longest, most expensive war.
