News Analysis | What did America achieve in Afghanistan?

For the first time since October 2001, there are no American troops in Afghanistan

For the first time since October 2001, . While defending his decision to pull back the forces, which led to the Taliban’s quick takeover of Kabul on August 15, said on Tuesday he was left with only two options after the withdrawal agreement the Trump administration signed with the Taliban in February 2020 — either honour the deal or renege on it and send in to continue the war. “I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit,” said Mr. Biden. So the forever war has come to an end. What did the U.S. gain from it? Mr. Biden is now trying to reinterpret from realist, national security point of view. He said on Tuesday the U.S. invaded Afghanistan not because it was ruled by the Taliban but because the September 11 attacks originated from Afghanistan. In early July, he said “America didn’t go to Afghanistan to nation-build”. America’s primary objectives in Afghanistan were to disrupt al-Qaeda and capture or kill Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Mr. Biden said the U.S. met those goals. He is clearly de-emphasising the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. The argument is that the Taliban were not America’s main enemy and defeating them was not its primary objective.