Fourth Anniversary of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: Hidden and open relations with the Taliban

KABUL: Four years ago, on August 30, 2021, the U.S. ended its military presence in Afghanistan after more than two decades, coinciding with the Taliban’s return to power. Christopher Donahue was the last American soldier to depart from Kabul airport that night. This withdrawal was based on the Doha Agreement signed between the U.S. and the Taliban in February 2020. Although the U.S. military presence has ended, analysts suggest that political and intelligence relations between the two sides continue. Ishaq Atmar, a political expert at the University of Berlin, notes, “The U.S. and the Taliban held regular meetings in Qatar, and intelligence cooperation persisted.” A clear example of this cooperation was the U.S. drone strike in Kabul on July 30, 2022, which resulted in the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda. The Taliban claimed they were unaware of his presence, yet no results from the promised investigation were announced. Experts believe that the U.S. does not want Afghanistan to slip from its control and aims to remain informed about the country’s situation. However, American officials have repeatedly emphasized that they do not fully trust the Taliban in the fight against terrorism.