US must fix broken promises to abandoned Afghans

The Taliban displayed their newly found military strength in a dazzling parade last week at Bagram airfield, where hundreds of Taliban soldiers operated US-built armored vehicles and helicopters abandoned during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal. An estimated $7 billion worth of military equipment was left behind and is now under Taliban control, making them one of the best-equipped forces in the region.

However, the military hardware left behind is insignificant compared with the tens of thousands of Afghan allies who were promised safety but were abandoned by the US. Due to the inaction of the Biden administration and Congress, many of these Afghans are now beginning their fourth year in hiding under constant threat of Taliban retribution.

In August, 2021, the US president made a promise to ensure the safe evacuation of Afghan allies. “We’re going to do everything, everything that we can, to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan allies, partners, and Afghans who might be targeted because of their association with the US,” he said. This commitment was echoed by chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley. “We must remain faithful to those Afghans who risked their lives to help US troops and personnel. We must do what is necessary to ensure their protection and, if necessary, get them out of the country,” he said.

The military hardware left behind is insignificant compared with the tens of thousands of Afghan allies who were promised safety but were abandoned by the US. 

Luke Coffey

Three years later, it is clear that these promises were hollow. Only 124,000 Afghans were brought out in 2021, of whom about 80,000 made it to the US. Only 34,000 have received Special Immigrant Visas that allow them to remain in the country legally. An estimated 160,000 Afghans who qualify for those visas are still trapped in Afghanistan, living in constant fear. Despite the Taliban’s assurances of no retaliation, they have been persecuting, imprisoning, and executing Afghans who worked for international forces.

None of this was unforeseen. The timeline for the US withdrawal was established long before the chaotic events of August 2021. In February 2020, the Trump administration struck a deal with the Taliban for a phased withdrawal of troops by May 2021. When Biden took office, he extended the final departure date from May to September but chose not to renegotiate the terms — even though it was in his power to do so. Both the Trump and Biden administrations failed to take the necessary steps to rescue Afghans who had risked everything to support international forces. Now, these Afghans are living with the consequences of that failure.

In the US, tens of thousands of Afghans still lack a clear legal pathway to stay and work because Congress has not passed the necessary legislation. The visa application process remains hopelessly backlogged, and the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have failed to allocate the resources required to break the logjam: according to the Association of Wartime Allies, at the current rate it could take 31 years to process all the applications. To its credit, the Biden administration did use executive authority in 2023 to extend humanitarian parole for two more years for Afghans who have not yet received a visa, but that is merely a temporary fix and executive orders can be easily undone by future presidents with a stroke of the pen. What these Afghans need, and what they deserve, is solid, enduring legislation that guarantees their legal status in the US.

Moreover, there is a glaring lack of discussion in the US government or policy circles about how to assist Afghans who don’t meet the criteria for a visa but have been crucial to Afghan society since 2001 and are at risk of Taliban retribution. Beyond visa applicants, tens of thousands of other Afghans directly or indirectly supported US efforts but have no realistic way out of the country. They remain vulnerable to Taliban retribution, and many have already faced it. Judges, former Afghan commandos, and journalists are particularly at risk because of their close ties to the international community over the past two decades.

The situation is unlikely to improve no matter who wins the US. presidential election. Neither Democrats nor Republicans want anything more to do with Afghanistan. The 2024 Republican National Committee platform fails to mention Afghanistan at all. The Democratic platform does acknowledge the plight of Afghans left behind but offers no policy recommendations. With no apparent sense of irony, the platform even touts America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as one of the great foreign policy successes of the Biden administration. This selective memory ignores the disastrous aftermath of the withdrawal and the dire situation for those left behind.

For the average Afghan life is hard enough, but it is far worse if you are waiting to escape the country because you helped international forces in the past. 

Luke Coffey

Since the Taliban returned to power, Afghanistan has suffered. Human rights, the economy, and the humanitarian situation have all worsened. For the average Afghan life is hard enough, but it is far worse if you are waiting to escape the country because you helped international forces in the past.

It would be smart for US policymakers to focus their efforts on learning from past mistakes to avoid repeating them in the future. While there is little the US can do to change the situation in Afghanistan today, it can ensure that those Afghans who sacrificed and aided international forces for nearly two decades are adequately cared for.

It is time for the White House and Congress to work together to make this happen. This is the least that can be done to honor the commitment and service given by Afghans, and to live up to America’s promises.

• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey.