The problem with the decision to pull United States troops out of Afghanistan lies in the execution rather than the idea itself. Talks regarding a withdrawal from Afghanistan have been conducted since the Trump administration and have been expedited by the Biden administration, primarily due to the reports of The Afghanistan Study Group that encouraged the United States to establish a concrete timeline for this withdrawal. Fast forward to July 2021, when the vast majority of the United States’s military presence returned home. Shortly after, the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, and other prominent government officials fled in anticipation of the turmoil that would inevitably ensue from the takeover of the Taliban.

The effects of this hastened withdrawal are being felt, as United States citizens and a number of Afghan dissidents remain trapped thousands of miles behind enemy lines without a clear escape. The Afghan government has collapsed, and further calamity seems inevitable. The withdrawal has unraveled much of the progress that was made over the years, but regardless of the consequences, is a complete withdrawal still worth it?

The answer lies in the reason the US intervened in Afghanistan in the first place: to disallow terrorists a safe haven there while attempting to create the foundation for a stable democracy. Was either of these objectives accomplished? Partially, yes, but this progress was contingent upon a continued American presence. The effort and resources spent have been for nothing, and Afghanistan emerged from the rubble just as volatile as it was back in 2001. 

To clarify, I am by no means a proponent of an indefinite and large-scale occupation of Afghanistan. But this decision didn’t just impact American soldiers, politicians, and citizens, it removed the only source of solace and stability amidst the turmoil and dangers of the country. The United States no longer has any resources on the ground to prevent further acts of terrorism, and the Afghani people are once again at the mercy of a terrorist group. While some might argue that over 2000 United States soldiers have died in this conflict, and others will argue that the safety of innocent Afghan people is not an American concern, I maintain that regardless of country of origin, every human has an irrefutable obligation to prevent possible harm. At the very least, the Biden administration should have left a skeleton army to ensure a smooth evacuation and maintain some sense of stability.

Read Marcus Cate’s (‘23) rebuttal of this point of view here.

The Boldest Foreign Policy Decision of My Lifetime