U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan: Frequently Asked Questions Updated September 17, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46879 SUMMARY R46879 U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover September 17, 2021 in Afghanistan: Frequently Asked Questions Clayton Thomas, On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital of Kabul, completing a rapid Coordinator takeover over the country with a speed that surprised many Afghans and Americans alike. The Analyst in Middle Eastern Taliban’s advance came as the United States was completing the military withdrawal to which it Affairs agreed in the February 2020 U.S.-Taliban accord. The U.S. military and diplomatic withdrawal and evacuation operation concluded on August 30, 2021, with the departure of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The fall of the elected Afghan government, which had been supported by billions of dollars in U.S. assistance over the course of nearly two decades, raises significant questions about past, present, and future U.S. policy for Members of Congress. This report provides material related to select questions associated with U.S. policy in Afghanistan, including Background information for understanding the current situation in Afghanistan; The Taliban takeover and former Afghan government’s collapse; U.S. policy implications of the Taliban takeover; Social and economic implications of the Taliban takeover; Regional reactions to the Taliban’s takeover; U.S. military operations; Evacuation of U.S. citizens and some Afghans; and Budgetary implications of the U.S. withdrawal. Some additional lines of inquiry that Congress may wish to explore with the executive branch are included alongside specific topics as appropriate. The report concludes with some strategic considerations Congress may wish to contemplate as it assesses the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for the future. Congressional Research Service U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan: FAQs Contents Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 What are the origins of the Taliban and what was U.S. policy toward the Taliban before 9/11? ............................................................................................................................ 1 Why did the United States initially deploy military forces to Afghanistan? ............................. 3 What was the post-2001 mission of U.S. forces in Afghanistan? ............................................. 3 How much has DOD spent on the war in Afghanistan? ............................................................ 5 When and why did the U.S. military withdrawal begin? .......................................................... 6 Taliban Takeover and Afghan Government Collapse ...................................................................... 9 When and how did the Taliban overcome Afghan government forces? .................................... 9 What is the status of the former Afghan government? ............................................................ 12 How have the Taliban acted since taking power? ................................................................... 14 What are some of the implications if the Taliban is recognized as the official government of Afghanistan by the United States and the international community? .......... 15 U.S. Policy Implications of the Taliban Takeover ......................................................................... 18 How is the Taliban’s takeover affecting the U.S. diplomatic presence in Afghanistan? ......... 18 What is the situation regarding evacuations from Afghanistan? ............................................. 18 What is the status of U.S. efforts to provide immigration relief to Afghans who assisted the U.S. government in the fight against the Taliban and other forces? ................. 20 How might the reestablishment of Taliban rule affect terrorist groups in Afghanistan? ......... 24 What are the prospects for continued U.S. civilian assistance to Afghanistan? ...................... 27 What U.S. policy options are available to promote human rights in Afghanistan and respond to human rights abuses? ......................................................................................... 29 What might the Taliban takeover mean for security cooperation as a national security tool? ...................................................................................................................................... 31 Social and Economic Implications of the Taliban Takeover ......................................................... 32 What might be the implications of the Taliban takeover for Afghan women and girls? ......... 32 How has the Taliban advance affected the humanitarian situation on the ground in Afghanistan? ........................................................................................................................ 35 What are the implications of the Taliban’s takeover for counternarcotics? ............................ 37 How might the Taliban takeover affect Afghanistan’s relationships with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs)? ........................................................................... 38 What Afghan central bank assets did the Biden Administration put on hold, and what are the potential implications? ............................................................................................. 40 What is the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan and what are the implications of the Taliban takeover for COVID-19 control and vaccine distribution? ......................................................................................................................... 41 How have other countries reacted to the Taliban’s takeover? ....................................................... 43 How have NATO allies responded to the U.S. withdrawal? ................................................... 43 How have regional countries reacted to the Taliban’s takeover? ............................................ 45 U.S. Military Operations: Summary of Evacuation Efforts and Budgetary Implications ............. 56 What U.S. military operations were conducted during the withdrawal from Afghanistan? ........................................................................................................................ 56 How did the United States conduct the aerial evacuation? ..................................................... 59 What was the role of U.S. contractors and contract operations in Afghanistan? .................... 61 What will happen to U.S. funding provided for Afghanistan security forces? ........................ 63 Congressional Research Service U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan: FAQs What has happened to U.S. military equipment and other personal property brought to, or purchased for use by, U.S. Forces in Afghanistan? .................................................... 65 How much has DOD spent on withdrawing U.S. military and civilian personnel from Afghanistan? ........................................................................................................................ 68 How will the withdrawal of U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan impact the budget? ................................................................................................................................. 69 Possible Strategic-level Congressional Questions and Considerations ......................................... 70 Figures Figure 1. Taliban Control of Provincial Capitals, August 6-15, 2021 ............................................ 11 Figure 2. C-130, C-5 and C-17 Comparison ................................................................................. 60 Contacts Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 72 Congressional Research Service U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan: FAQs Background What are the origins of the Taliban and what was U.S. policy toward the Taliban before 9/11?1 In 1993-1994, Afghan Muslim clerics and students, mostly of rural, Pashtun origin, formed the Taliban movement. Many were former anti-Soviet fighters known as mujahideen who had become disillusioned with the civil war among mujahideen parties that broke out after the 1989 Soviet withdrawal and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet-supported government in 1992. Many members of the movement had studied in seminaries in Pakistan and chose the name Taliban (plural of talib, a student of Islam) to distance themselves from the mujahideen.2 Pakistan supported the Taliban because of the group’s potential to “bring order in chaotic Afghanistan and make it a cooperative ally,” thus giving Pakistan “greater security on one of the several borders where Pakistani military officers hoped for what they called ‘strategic depth.’”3 Taliban beliefs and practices were consonant with, and derived in part from, the conservative tribal traditions of Pashtuns, who represent a plurality (though not a majority) of Afghanistan’s complex ethnic makeup and who have traditionally ruled Afghanistan.4 The Taliban viewed the post-Soviet government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani as weak, corrupt, and anti-Pashtun. The four years of civil war between the mujahideen groups (1992- 1996) created popular support