Afghanistan

Read the INSS Strategic Analysis for 2023

Much criticism was sounded regarding the US withdrawal from the war-torn state of Afghanistan in August 2021. Some argued that it would be followed by an increase in global terror, and some contended that the status of the United States, the leader of the free world, would be damaged. One year later, it is clear these concerns have not materialized, and the advantages in the withdrawal outweigh the disadvantages

The international system is struggling with many crises and challenges, led by the continued efforts at economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis while coping with the pandemic itself; the intensifying competition between the United States and China, which heightens the divisiveness in the international dynamic; and the climate crisis, which tests the ability to cooperate despite disagreements. The US administration has less attention for the Middle East, and is restoring human rights considerations to a central place in its policy, against the backdrop of the mid-term elections and deep political polarization in the United States. All these issues underline the need to update Israel's policy regarding the international arena, especially: deepening the coordination with the US administration and key actors in the international community, and enlisting their support for advancing Israel's objectives. Chief among them are preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and maximizing Israel's comparative advantages, particularly in the fields of science and technology, to advance initiatives to help stabilize the Middle East and cope with the global climate crisis.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States assumed the leading role in the war against terror by attacking al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime, which afforded protection to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. The expanded commitment by the US and its allies to rebuild Afghanistan, combined with the renewed global terrorist threat, prolonged the war. In the Doha Agreement, signed in February 2020, the US undertook to withdraw its forces in exchange for a promise by the Taliban that it would not help terrorist organizations operate in Afghanistan. On August 30, 2021, following two decades of a global war on terrorism, US forces withdrew from Afghanistan. However, the Taliban’s takeover, combined with the terrorist activity by ISIS Khorasan, raises questions about Afghanistan's future. The Taliban’s achievements are liable to be shared by extremist and jihad movements. This article reviews the significance of the US withdrawal, while examining US foreign policy in Afghanistan under four American presidents.