On 15 August 2021, the city ofKabul, the capital of theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan, was captured byTaliban forces during the2021 Taliban offensive, concluding theWar in Afghanistan that began in 2001. Thefall of Kabul provoked a range of reactions across the globe, including debates on whether to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, on the humanitarian situation in the country, on the outcome of the War, and the role of military interventionism in world affairs.
Former Afghan presidentHamid Karzai pressed publicly for apeaceful transition of power, promising he would remain in Kabul with his daughters.[1] At around 11:00 Afghan Time, PresidentAshraf Ghani released a statement saying that he had fled in an attempt to avoid a bloody battle and that "theTaliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns".[2]
Afghan authorKhaled Hosseini shared his concerns over the future of women's rights in Afghanistan,[3] and expressed his hope that the Taliban would not return to the "violence and cruelty" of the 1990s.[4] On 19 August, journalist Ali M. Latifi argued that "once again, the Afghan people have awoken to anIndependence Day dripping with irony, contradictions, and unease".[5]
Ahmad Sarmast, director of theAfghanistan National Institute of Music, stated that the previous Taliban regime had turned Afghanistan into "a silent nation" and he feared the Taliban shutting the Institute down, which would make Afghanistan "a society without music, it would be a dead society".[6]Sahraa Karimi, film director and chairperson of theAfghan Film Organization, publicly shared her account of escaping Kabul in a video that went viral: "I went to the bank to get some money, they closed and evacuated. I still cannot believe this happened... They are coming to kill us".[7] After missing a flight to Ukraine on which the Slovak film academy had secured a place for her due to the crowds, she was later able to board a flight. After arriving in safety, she began organising attempts to secure an escape for other filmmakers in Afghanistan, warning that the Taliban could perpetuate "genocide of filmmakers and artists".[8]
Khalida Popal, formerAfghanistan women's national football team captain, stated that "it's traumatising for my generation to see history repeating itself".[9]Samiullah Shinwari of theAfghanistan national cricket team stated that 15 August was "the day Afghans lost their country and the whole world just watched". Several members of the national cricket team also spoke out against the Taliban and posted pictures of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan flag onAfghan Independence Day.[10]
The fall of Kabul sparked anumber of protests in Afghanistan, organised especially byIslamic democrats andIslamic feminists.[11] It also saw the formation of the anti-TalibanNational Resistance Front of Afghanistan and the beginning of thePanjshir conflict.[12]National Resistance Front of Afghanistan leaderAhmad Massoud warned of civil war, arguing that "we confronted the Soviet Union, and we will be able to confront the Taliban".[13]
On 9 August 2021, #SanctionPakistan became one of the topTwitter trends in Afghanistan and worldwide, with Afghans holdingPakistan responsible for its support of the Taliban.[14][15]
On the other hand, the fall of Kabul and the republic was welcomed in some regions such asHelmand Province, which had experienced large scale bombardments and suffering during the war.[16]
South Africa: TheDepartment of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) stated that contact had been established with South African nationals stranded in Afghanistan through theSouth African High Commission to Pakistan, which is also responsible for diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, and that efforts to ensure their safety and provide consular assistance were underway. The South African government expressed concern at the plight of the thousands of Afghans displaced by the worsening security situation and called on "the authority in power to ensure that the rule of law, human rights and the safety of all Afghans and foreign nationals alike are protected", further calling on "all military and security groups" to exercise restraint and seek negotiations aimed at the restoration of stability and a legitimate government.[17]
Uganda: Kampala announced that they are willing to accept 2,000 Afghan refugees.[18]
Argentina: TheArgentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all parties to restore order and open dialogue while urging the Taliban to respect human rights. The Foreign Ministry also urged the Taliban to allow those wishing to leave Afghanistan to do so and for humanitarian aid to reach the population.[19]
Bolivia: TheBolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its concern over the latest events in Afghanistan, calling on all parties to avoid all kinds of aggression against the people and to protect the lives ofcivilians above all else, as well as to seek peaceful solutions to differences. TheBolivian government urges the new authorities in Afghanistan to protect the lives of those who live in its territory, restoringsecurity and civil order, but always respectinginternational human rights law, as well asinternational humanitarian law.[20]
Brazil: TheBrazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern about the growing instability not only in Afghanistan but in the whole Central Asian region. The country called for a rapid engagement of the UN Security Council, expressing total support for theUnited Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).[21]
Canada: The Canadian government announced that it would be suspending its embassy operations in Afghanistan.[22] An undisclosed number of soldiers fromCanadian Special Operations Forces Command were dispatched to assist with the evacuation and closure of the embassy.[23] The Canadian Armed Forces also dispatched twoC-130 Hercules and aC-17 Globemaster III to Kuwait to assist with the evacuations.[24] The Canadian government stated it would take in up to 20,000 Afghan refugees facing threats from the Taliban.[25]
Chile: TheChilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes and supports the declarations of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, in which the importance "of the urgent protection of the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan" is mentioned.[26] In turn, theChilean government announced that it will receive in its territory at least 10 Afghan families that are mainly made up of women human rights defenders.[27]
Paraguay: TheParaguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a joint declaration with twenty other countries in support of the defense of the mainhuman rights in Afghanistan. The document expresses "deep concern" for theright to education, theright to work and theright to freedom of movement ofAfghan women and girls.[28] Likewise, theSenate of Paraguay met to approve a draft declaration, in which the violence originating from Taliban men in Afghanistan has been “strongly” condemned. The Paraguayan senators called on allnations of the world to show their willingness to receiveAfghan refugees and to stop any deportation.[29][30]
United States: US PresidentJoe Biden stated that the continuing presence of American troops in Afghanistan "would not have made a difference" if the Afghan military was unable to maintain control of the country.[31]
Uruguay: TheMinistry of Foreign Relations expressed concern about "the rapid deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan", and called on all parties to respect "strictly and completely the obligations of international humanitarian law", and the political actors to respect "the necessary efforts to guarantee the respect and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the entire Afghan population".[32]
China: "The disaster in Afghanistan was caused by the US and its allies," said the Chinese state-runGlobal Times. The Communist PartyPeople's Daily flatteringly credited the Taliban's victory to its supposed adoption of Mao Zedong's "people's war" tactic: rallying the support of the rural population, while drawing the enemy deep into the countryside.[33]
India: India evacuated its ambassador and diplomatic staff from its embassy in Kabul. The Indian government also made arrangements for bringing back its nationals.[34]
Indonesia: The Indonesian government stated they are monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and stated readiness to evacuate from Afghanistan if needed.[35] The Indonesian Embassy in Kabul would be maintained.[36] On 20 August 2021,Indonesian Air Force evacuated 26 of its citizens.[37]
Iran: PresidentEbrahim Raisi said "American military defeat and its withdrawal must become an opportunity to restore life, security and durable peace in Afghanistan. Iran backs efforts to restore stability in Afghanistan and, as a neighbouring and brother nation, Iran invites all groups in Afghanistan to reach a national agreement."[38]
Iraqi Foreign MinisterFuad Hussein stressed, on August 24, that the issue of Baghdad's recognition of the Afghan Taliban movement is "premature", while he spoke about Iraq's fears that the Taliban's movements might inspire the rest of the terrorist organizations to operate in the region. On the issue of evacuating Iraqi citizens, he said "We do not have diplomats and we do not have an Iraq community in Afghanistan".[39]
Japan: The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the dispatching of one Kawasaki C-2 from Miho Air Base on 23 August and two C-130s from Komaki Base on 24 August to evacuate Japanese and Afghan staff members working in the Japanese Embassy.[40][41] Defense MinisterNobuo Kishi said that the dispatch was made under Article 84 of the Self-Defense Forces Law.[41]JGSDF andJASDF personnel heading to Afghanistan would be allowed to use small arms to defend themselves under the SDF Law due to the security situation in Kabul.[40] Most of their diplomats were evacuated on 15 August to Turkey.[42] On 26 August 2021, a Boeing 777-300ER under theJapanese Air Force One callsign was dispatched to Islamabad to prepare to evacuate refugees.[43] By 27 August 2021, 1 Japanese nationals and 14 Afghan nationals were successfully evacuated, but none of the local staff members were able to be evacuated.[44]
Kazakhstan: The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the embassy would continue operating in Kabul, noting that a small number of staff work at the embassy.[45] PresidentKassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan would closely follow the development of events in Afghanistan and that measures would take place to ensure the safety of its citizens and diplomats within the country.[46]
Malaysia: TheMalaysian High Commission in India (which is accredited to Afghanistan) has urged citizens remaining in Afghanistan to register with them and return to Malaysia. The High Commission also confirmed that it had helped a Malaysian national return home earlier in August. It also confirmed that two other Malaysian nationals working for an international relief organisation had opted to remain in Kabul.[47]
Nepal: Nepal has pleaded countries which had a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to assist it in repatriating its citizens from that country.[48]
Pakistan: Prime MinisterImran Khan said that the Afghans had broken the "shackles of slavery" while explaining how Pakistani people had adopted the western culture over their own culture.[49][50][51] In an interview toCNN, Imran Khan said "It could go to chaos"[52] referring to the situation in Afghanistan adding that "World should give Taliban time on the human rights." Commenting further on the woman's rights he said: "The best way forward for the peace and stability is to engage with the Taliban and incentivise them on issues such aswomen's rights and inclusive government. Afghan women are strong so give them time they will get their rights."[53][54][55] Imran khan also showed concern over therefugees pouring into the Pakistan as a result of chaos in Afghanistan and said "We can not take anymore refugees, there are already more than 3 million refugees in Pakistan".[56]Pakistan International Airline played vital role atKabul International Airport by evacuating about 1400 people as of August 14, including diplomats, foreign media and Afghan journalists and staff of international organisations which were stuck after the Taliban takeover.[57][58][59]Pakistan Air force also sent 3C130 cargo planes containing humanitarian aid to reduce the food and medical supply shortage faced by the people ofIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[60]Pakistan Intelligence Agency's (ISI) chiefFaiz Hameed visited Kabul and met withTaliban leadership as well as other Afghan leaders including former prime ministerGulbuddin Hekmatyar. The meeting was seen as an unconventional means of contact between the two countries in the absence of a government in Afghanistan.[61] The visit was purportedly to get berths for the Haqqanis in the new Government, demonstrating their, "clout" over the Taliban.[62] According to the Carnegie Endowment Center, theInter-Services Intelligence Directorate shares an undeniable link with the Taliban, especially the Haqqani group.[63] Hameed later held a meeting inIslamabad with his counterparts from Russia, China, Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries to discuss the situation of Afghanistan after theTaliban takeover.[64][65] Commercial flights to Kabul are also temporarily halted by thePakistan International Airline.[66] At theSCO summit, Imran Khan said "The Taliban must fulfil the pledges made, above all for an inclusive political structure where all ethnic groups are represented. This is vital for Afghanistan's stability", adding regarding the economic condition in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, he said "We must remember that the previous government depended heavily on foreign aid and its removal could lead to economic collapse"[67][68][69][70]
Philippines: The Philippines began repatriating its citizens on a mandatory basis from Afghanistan.[71] It also pledged that it would accept refugees from Afghanistan.[72]
Singapore: Singapore had sent itsAirbus A330 MRTT aircraft to transport evacues from Qatar to Germany on 26 August,[73] after offering it during a state visit by US Vice PresidentKamala Harris on 23 August.[74]
Tajikistan: PresidentEmomali Rahmon said that he will not recognize a Taliban-led government if it ignores the interests of various ethnic minorities, including Afghan Tajiks.[75]
Turkey:Turkish Foreign MinisterMevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that "Turkey was in talks with all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban", and "views positively the messages the Islamist militants have sent since taking control of the country". The Ministry also said that the Turkish embassy in Kabul would continue to function and is not expected to close.[76]
Uzbekistan: The Uzbek government said that its embassy would continue working in Afghanistan with no plans in evacuating its ambassadors and that it would instead negotiate both with the remaining Afghan government and Taliban on the issues of refugees.[77]
Austria: Austrian foreign minister,Alexander Schallenberg, warned that "conflict and instability in the region will sooner or later spill over to Europe".[31]
Denmark: Foreign MinisterJeppe Kofod said that Denmark would decide to temporarily close its embassy in Afghanistan, and that the situation in Kabul was serious, and that it would make an extra effort for those who have stood side by side with Denmark.[79]
Estonia: On 17 August, Prime MinisterKaja Kallas stated that "the chaos in Afghanistan continues to shock the democratic world" and indicated that the country was prepared to offer asylum to ten people.[80] On 19 August, the Estonian government increased the number of refugees it was willing to take in to 30.[81]
Finland: According to Minister for Foreign AffairsPekka Haavisto, the Finnish Embassy in Kabul has been closed and all of its Finnish staff evacuated from Afghanistan.[82] In Mid August 2021 Finland has reduced its development cooperation funding to Afghanistan and continues support through the UN, international organizations, and civil society groups due to the Taliban's takeover.[83]
France: The French government announced that it would be holding an emergency defence council meeting on 16 August presided by PresidentEmmanuel Macron to address the situation.[84]Minister of Europe and Foreign AffairsJean-Yves Le Drian stated with the rapid deterioration of the situation in the country, the Ministry decided to move their embassy to Kabul airport, in order to proceed with the evacuation of the totality of French diplomats in the city.[85] TheMinister of the Armed ForcesFlorence Parly by the demand of the French PresidentEmmanuel Macron, sent aC130J andA400M of theFrench Air and Space Force to conduct the evacuation, with support of the French military based in theUnited Arab Emirates atCamp de la Paix.
Ireland: TheTaoiseachMicheál Martin stated on 16 August that he found the situation in Afghanistan "deeply worrying". He stated his support for a statement made by the UN secretary general which asked for restraint from the Taliban and stressed himself the need for all sides of the conflict to follow international law.[86]
Italy: TheMinistry of Foreign Affairs and theMinistry of Defence sentC-130 andKC-767 aircraft of theItalian Air Force to proceed with the evacuation of Italian diplomats and citizens, along with many Afghan collaborators and their families. An envoy remained at Kabul Airport protected byCarabinieri and an airbridge had been arranged.[87] Within the Operation Aquila Omnia, 5,011 people were evacuated from the city of Kabul.[88]
Norway: Norway announced that it is closing its embassy in Kabul and theForeign Affairs MinisterIne Marie Eriksen Søreide said that "there's been a major worsening of the security situation in Afghanistan that first and foremost affects the civilian population".[89]
Romania: On 14 August, as the situation in Afghanistan worsened, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Romania urged all Romanian citizens in Afghanistan to "leave the country immediately" and to avoid any trip to Afghanistan.[90] Two days later, on 16 August, thePrime Minister of RomaniaFlorin Cîțu said there were still 35 Romanian citizens in Afghanistan and that a plane would be sent to take them back toRomania.[91]
Russia: The Russian embassy in Kabul stated that it would not evacuate or close the embassy, with a Taliban spokesperson guaranteeing the embassy's safety.[92] The Russian government further stated that talks were underway to hold an emergencyU.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the situation.[93] On August 25, 2021, Moscow ordered the deployment of four military transport planes to evacuate Russians and citizens of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.[94] Russian DiplomatZamir Kabulov stated "We have prepared the ground for a conversation with the new government in Afghanistan in advance as an asset of Russian foreign policy[95]
Spain: The Spanish government is preparing to evacuate the Afghans who worked for Spain's military and civilian operations andEuropean Union missions. TheSpanish Air Force already has anA400M transport plane ready to pick up the evacuees in Kabul as soon as the command is issued, which should come no later than 30 August.[96] Theinterior ministry will "process" any application for international protection made by Afghan translators and others who worked for Spanish forces after they arrive in Spain, rather than refugee status.[97] On 20 August, Prime Minister Sánchez offered Spain as the hub for Afghans who collaborated with EU, which would later be settled in various countries,[98] creating a temporary refugee camp in the air base ofTorrejón de Ardoz.US PresidentJoe Biden spoke with Sánchez to allow the use of the military bases ofRota andMorón to temporarily accommodate Afghan refugees, while praising "Spain's leadership in seeking international support for Afghan women and girls".[99]
Sweden:Ann Linde, Swedish minister for foreign affairs, stated that the collapse of the Afghan government had "gone much faster than anyone had expected".[100] Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio further reported that the Swedish embassy was evacuating its staff.[101]
Ukraine: PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky announced that 80 people including Afghan citizens themselves whom applied for refugee status were evacuated from Afghanistan, citing that "Ukraine will always come to the aid of its citizens, no matter what happens in the world".[102] The ministry of foreign affairs urged any of the remaining Ukrainians who feel unsafe to contact the ministry or the embassies in the neighbouring countries of Tajikistan or Pakistan.[103]
United Kingdom: Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced that he would be recalling parliament to debate the situation.[104] In the afternoon of 15 August, an emergencyCOBR meeting was held, followed by a public statement from Johnson where he stated that the situation was "extremely difficult" and that "we've known for a long time this was the way things would go".[105] Johnson further stated that the international community should not recognise the Taliban government and that it was necessary to "prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into being a breeding ground for terror".[106]
Vatican City:Pope Francis expressed his concern over the conflict in Afghanistan and called for dialogue so that the "battered population" can live in peace.[107]
Australia: The Australian government deployed 250 soldiers and three aircraft to aid in evacuations. However, Australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison stated that "despite our best efforts, I know that support won't reach all that it should" and Minister of DefencePeter Dutton stated that "we won't be landing aircraft into the airport until it's safe to do so".[108] Morrison, Dutton andForeign MinisterMarise Payne also called on the Taliban to "cease all violence against civilians and adhere to international humanitarian law and the human rights all Afghans are entitled to expect, in particular women and girls".[109]
New Zealand: Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern andNew Zealand Defence Force chief Air MarshalKevin Short have announced that New Zealand would deploy 40 troops to evacuate 53 New Zealanders and 37 Afghans who had worked for the NZ military along with their nuclear families.[110][111][112]TheWorld Food Programme stated that as many as 14 million Afghans could face a food crisis after the Taliban victory, as Afghanistan was suffering a severe drought simultaneously to the political turmoil and ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan.[113]UNESCO released a statement calling for "the preservation of Afghanistan's cultural heritage in its diversity" and for measures to be taken to "protect cultural heritage from damage and looting".[114]Unicef representative (Sam Mort) was cautiously hopeful that the organisation's relatively new arrangement with the Taliban to develop girls education could be retained.[115]
TheEuropean Union'sVice-President of the European Commission,Margaritis Schinas, expressed concerns of a possible migratory crisis.[31]High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyJosep Borrell argued that the fall showed that Europe needed military capacity independent of the US and called for the creation of "a 50,000-strong expeditionary force" under EU command.[116]
TheWorld Health Organization said that it was "extremely concerned over the unfolding safety and humanitarian needs in the country, including risk of disease outbreaks and rise in COVID-19 transmission".[117]
TheWorld Bank followed theInternational Monetary Fund in suspending financial aid to the country, along with US banking system freezing any holdings, this may mean assets of at least $9bn and potential reserves due of $440million are now frozen.[118]
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Solidarity protests calling for NATO governments to do more to solve the humanitarian crisis and to oppose the Taliban were held in several countries, including the United States, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, and France.[119][120] Small protests were held in several Canadian cities in the week after the fall, including Mississauga, Montréal, and Calgary.[121][122][123] A solidarity protest was also held by Afghans stuck in theKara Tepe refugee camp onLesbos, Greece.[124]
On 23 August, a demonstration was held in front of theAlthing in Iceland calling for the Icelandic government to take in more refugees.[125]
On 24 August, Afghan refugees living in Jakarta staged protests against the Taliban takeover of Kabul and called on the UNHCR to help them get settled in other countries.[126]
Nobel laureateMalala Yousafzai, who had survived aPakistani Taliban assassination attempt in Pakistan in 2012, stated that she was in "complete shock" and was "deeply worried about women, minorities and human rights advocates".[127]
Human Rights Watch stated that "standing beside Afghan women in their struggle, and finding tools to pressure the Taliban and the political will to do so, is the least—the very least—the international community could do".[128]
Amnesty International stated that the situation was "a tragedy that should have been foreseen and averted" and called for governments to "take every necessary measure to ensure the safe passage out of Afghanistan for all those at risk of being targeted by the Taliban".[129]
Médecins Sans Frontières stated that it was "concerned about access to healthcare for everyone" and that "our teams are staying put, providing essential medical care to people across the country".[130]
Reporters Without Borders stated that the Taliban pledge not to target journalists with reprisals "clearly suffers from a lack of credibility because the Taliban have an appalling record in this regard" and that "around 100 media outlets have stopped operating since the Taliban's rapid advance began".[131]
In the2021 fall of Kabul after the withdrawal of American troops, and the fear to women and girls, caused by the Taliban takeover of government,CARE International's deputy country director, Marianne O'Grady said CARE were continuing their work, and was reported as saying that "you cannot uneducate millions of people" and that if women did go "back behind walls" they would educate their "neighbours, cousins and own children" despite Taliban rule.[132]Sam Mort said Unicef work was also continuing in the country.[115]
Some commentators, however, warned against the spike in concern about human rights and women's rights in particular following the fall being used as justification for further military interventionism.[133][134][135]
TheUnited Nations Human Rights Council held a special session to address human rights abuses in Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover. However, the final resolution, drafted by theOrganisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was criticized for being watered down. The resolution only asked for an update from the UN human rights commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, with no mention of the Taliban. The OIC-led draft was criticized for failing to establish a fact-finding mission or a stronger mandate for monitoring. The European Union questioned the resolution's effectiveness.[136]
Many commentators argued that the fall of Kabul meant that NATO had lost the War in Afghanistan.[137][138][139]
Former CanadianChief of the Land StaffAndrew Leslie stated that "where we are now is failure. There's no doubt about it."[140]Mikhail Gorbachev, the formerGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who had overseen theSoviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988, argued that "NATO and the United States should have admitted failure earlier" and that the NATO campaign in Afghanistan was "a failed enterprise from the start" which was founded on "the exaggeration of a threat and poorly defined geopolitical ideas".[141]
Some public figures, however, defended the War in Afghanistan. Former Australian Prime MinisterJohn Howard argued that "we’ve got to remember since we went into Afghanistan there is no evidence that a major terrorist attack has been orchestrated out of Afghanistan".[142] Former British Prime MinisterTony Blair argued that the decision to withdraw was done "in obedience to an imbecilic political slogan about ending 'the forever wars.'"[143][144] Former American PresidentGeorge W. Bush released a statement saying that American soldiers "took out a brutal enemy and denied Al Qaeda a safe haven while building schools, sending supplies, and providing medical care".[145][146]Michael E. O'Hanlon of theBrookings Institution and former American marineAmy McGrath wrote inUSA Today that the War "made a major and positive difference for US security" and that it "clearly demonstrated America's will and readiness to fight in defense of its values and its security".[147]
The Guardian reported a mood of "disappointment and despair" among UK soldiers and veterans over the collapse.[148] American veterans of the War also expressed similar sentiments, with the American Department of Defense announcing that it would be offering mental health services to those veterans.[149][150]
Karen J. Greenberg ofFordham University School of Law wrote inThe Nation that, despite the fall of Kabul, thewar on terror was not over, that "those forever wars have created a new form of forever law, forever policy, forever power".[151] Other comment reflects back to the 1998 US attack on Sudan (afteral-Qaeda attacks on American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania), and UK's2011 intervention in Libya, and current 'failure of the West' to impose regime change in Afghanistan is "the reality of a war that, in the end, from Sudan to Iraq to Afghanistan, was about high-profile revenge enacted on low-profile soft targets. It was not about ending terror, or freeing women, but demonstrating Infinite Reach [as was the name of the1998 USA offensive]."[152]
The organisation of the evacuation from Kabul Airport was criticised by many.[153]AdmiralChris Barrie, retiredChief of the Defence Force of Australia, criticised the organisation of the evacuations, stating that "we’ve just left it far too late" and predicting reprisals from the Taliban.[154] Former deputy NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan Mark Jacobson stated that NATO governments "clearly didn't think that there might be 100,000 people that needed to get out".[155] Former Canadian generalRick Hillier, who commanded theInternational Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2004, called for NATO forces to go outside of the airport to find and escort vulnerable people to evacuations, arguing that "it will be impossible for the vast majority of them to get to Kabul airport and get on a plane".[156]
Not Left Behind, a Canadian group advocating to help Afghans who had worked with Canadian forces to resettle in Canada, stated that "I think that all Western countries that played a role in Afghanistan have a responsibility to step up and support the humanitarian impact of our actions in those countries".[157]
The collapse has provoked debates about the role of NATO militaries andTransatlantic relations in world affairs.[158][159] JournalistSimon Jenkins argued that theresponsibility to protect doctrine that arose after the end of the Cold War led to a decline in UN authority "and the UN gave way to the US as a self-declared policeman".[160]
JournalistOwen Jones wrote inThe Guardian that "Britain has not had a foreign policy independent of the United Statessince the 1950s" and that "if historians of the future wish to understand the ignorance and hubris that accompanied the decline of the west's power, this week's emergency parliamentary debate on Afghanistan will provide an insightful case study".[161]The Guardian reported that senior UK civil servants were admitting in Whitehall meetings that they had little intelligence capacity in Afghanistan beyond that provided to them by the US.[162]
The collapse provoked increase debates on the foreign and defence policy of the European Union, including calls for the EU to develop its own military and increased independence from United States foreign policy.[163][164][165][166] Max Bergmann of theCenter for American Progress argued that Europe has to be "able to act when the U.S. is uninterested in doing so" and that transatlantic burden-sharing needed to be shifted away from American leadership into a more balanced partnership.[167] Bastian Giegerich of theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies argued that the collapse "shows crystal clear that Germany and other European powers don't have the means to pursue an independent strategy."[168]
American interventionism came under particular scrutiny.[169][170][171] Jon Alterman of theCenter for Strategic and International Studies wrote inThe Hill that "the stories that will resonate overseas are the stories of Afghans who once cast their lot with the United States and now find themselves cast aside".[172] Robert Manning of theAtlantic Council argued that "before the next US missionary adventure, we should consider the cost in global credibility of the terrible US foreign policy legacy of failed interventions" but that "betting against US resilience is not wise".[173] Torek Farhadi, former advisor to Hamid Karzai, argued that "nobody knows what the US was doing in Afghanistan for the past 10 years" and that "the US tolerated corruption in Afghanistan. The American public was too remote from this to really know what is going on."[174]Michael Klare ofHampshire College, however, wrote inThe Nation that an American retreat from Central Asia might not disadvantage the US in global geopolitics, as "conducting low-intensity conflicts in the heart of Eurasia has never been a winning strategy for the United States; rather, it excels at high-tech coalition warfare in Europe and sea-based operations in the Pacific."[175]
Media in China compared the situation in Afghanistan to theUnited States' relations with Taiwan. It questioned the former's commitment to defend the latter if China decides to take control ofTaiwan, which it claims to be its province, by force.[176]Security Council of Russia secretaryNikolai Patrushev compared the situation toUkraine–United States relations, stating that "asimilar situation awaits supporters of the American choice in Ukraine".[177]
In the UK, Foreign SecretaryDominic Raab faced calls to resign after it was revealed he had gone on holiday toGreece just prior to the fall and had refused attempts to contact him as developments occurred.[178] On 18 August, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that there would not be an official inquiry into the UK's role in the war.[179] On 21 August,The Guardian reported that theIntelligence and Security Committee of Parliament was likely to launch its own inquiry into UK intelligence assessments of the situation.[180] On 23 August,The Daily Telegraph reported that the British government was considering criminalising travel to Afghanistan to prevent UK citizens from joining terrorist groups.[181] The fall of Afghanistan also had a negative impact onUnited Kingdom–United States relations, with the British government briefing media against the American government.[182]
The United States government, led by PresidentJoe Biden, also faced significant domestic criticism.[183][184][185][186] Former American presidentsGeorge W. Bush,Barack Obama, andDonald Trump, each of whom had overseen significant developments in the War in Afghanistan, also faced fresh criticism for their perceived missteps in the war.[187] Opinion polls recorded a 7% drop in approval ratings for Biden's presidency in the week of the fall.[188] SomeRepublicans, including SenatorJosh Hawley, CongresswomanMarsha Blackburn, and former AmbassadorNikki Haley, called on Biden to resign.[189]
The2021 Canadian federal election campaign began on the same day as the fall.[190] The Canadian response to the crisis became a notable issue in the first few days of the campaign.[191][192] On 18 August, Green Party of Canada leaderAnnamie Paul called for an emergency recall of Parliament to debate the crisis.[193] NDP leaderJagmeet Singh argued that the government should have focused on addressing the crisis, as well as other simultaneously occurring crises such as the2021 Haiti earthquake, instead of calling an election.[194][195]
Concerns were raised in Australia that the Office of the Special Investigator, set up to gather evidence on possible Australian war crimes in Afghanistan after theBrereton Report, might face increased difficulties in gathering evidence, especially without Taliban cooperation.[196]
Kazakhstan's presidentKassym-Jomart Tokayev called on military mobilization, citing public concern amidst Taliban takeover although assuring that events in Afghanistan do not pose a "direct threat" but instead create "certain risks".[197] He also announced that social benefits would be increased for military personnel as well as the salaries for the Internal Affairs employees.[198]
In the Netherlands, bothMinister of Foreign AffairsSigrid Kaag andMinister of Defence Ank Bijleveld resigned from their positions after the Dutch Parliament passed a motion of censure against them for their handling of the evacuations.[199]
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Various news sources includingThe New York Times,[200]CBS News,[201] theFinancial Times[202] andReuters[203] noted that European governments were less supportive of taking in refugees from Afghanistan than they had been of Syrian refugees in 2015.Florian Bieber of theUniversity of Graz wrote onPolitico that there has been "a shift since 2015 to the far right when it comes to issues of asylum and refugees" and that European politicians "have reduced the collapse of 20 years of international nation building and a devastating tragedy for women's rights and human rights down to just one question: how to get Afghan asylum seekers back to their country and keep new ones out."[204]
Greece put its border forces on alert to block any migration and installed a 40 km-long wall on its border with Turkey.[203][205] Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan declared that Turkey would not become "Europe's migrant storage unit".[206] French PresidentEmmanuel Macron stated that France needed to "anticipate and protect itself from a wave of migrants".[207] The Australian government announced it would only be taking in 3000 refugees and that it would "not be offering a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship".[208] UK Home SecretaryPriti Patel argued that the UK "cannot accommodate 20,000 all in one go".[209]
Macron andEuropean Commissioner for Home AffairsYlva Johansson additionally proposed cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbours so that refugees would stay there.[200] TheEurasianet reported preparations that occurred in Kazakhstan, allegedly for Afghan arrivals, with desks being arranged in Shymkent school classrooms and college dorms for extra space to accommodate beds, although later were witnessed to be cleared away as the Kazakh government began denying any plans in accepting any migrants.[210] On 20 August, the government of Uzbekistan deported 150 refugees to Afghanistan.[211]
Despite anti-refugee sentiment expressed by politicians and governments, refugee charities in the UK saw a significant surge in donations following the fall of Kabul.[212] On 20 August, over 1000 prominent French women signed an open letter arguing that "faced with the absolute danger of rape, submission and death, for a country that claims to be a country of enlightenment and democracy, there is no other choice but to offer asylum without conditions".[213][214]
Representatives from a number of British media outlets released an open letter calling for the British government to offer asylum to Afghan journalists.[215] French newspaperLe Monde published an editorial arguing that granting asylum to Afghans "isn't just a question of our humanity, it's our duty" and denouncing anti-refugee sentiment being stoked ahead of the2022 French presidential election.[216]
Afghan refugees trapped in Calais reported despair, being caught between refusal of European governments to accept them, including being subjected to police harassment, and potential torture and death at the hands of the Taliban. Refugees also reported being unable to get into contact with relatives back in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.[217]
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