The Post-Withdrawal Afghanistan Project

There are many lessons to be learned from the U.S. withdrawal of military forces that concluded 20 years of U.S. presence in Afghanistan. The swift evacuation process contributed to the deaths of 13 American servicemembers and hundreds of Afghan civilians. Ultimately, the withdrawal unintentionally played a role in shaping a power vacuum that Taliban insurgents, along with terrorist actors such as the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), exploited to sow seeds of insecurity. 

While Washington’s attention has largely shifted away from Afghanistan, it’s vital to draw lessons from both the execution and long-standing implications of the withdrawal. Particularly as the U.S. considers pulling its presence in the Middle East, it’s important to comparatively assess the lessons learned, indirect costs, and current state of play within Afghanistan’s post-withdrawal security landscape. Ultimately, how can the U.S. avert the same mistakes it made during its Afghanistan withdrawal process? 

The Post-Withdrawal Afghanistan Project seeks to answer this question by fostering thought leadership and expertise, generating analyses about the different tactical, operational, and strategic elements that played a role in the U.S.’ withdrawal process, as well as the existing reality in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Drawing from an array of experts who have extensive experience navigating the withdrawal and post-withdrawal process in Afghanistan, this project generates reports, articles, podcasts, and events about lessons learned and a future policy approach.

The Post-Withdrawal Afghanistan Project was created and is led by Caroline Rose and is part of the Military Withdrawals Portfolio.