Latest News

SIGAR finds single key factor to ANDSF collapse was withdrawal of US troops

Published

3 years ago

May 18, 2022

(Last Updated On: )

The United States’ Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has found that the single most important factor behind the Afghan National Defense and Security Force’s (ANDSF) collapse in August last year was the US’ decision to withdraw military forces and contractors from Afghanistan.

This decision was taken after the US signed an agreement in February 2020, under former president Donald Trumps administration, with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) – an agreement adhered to by President Joe Biden.

In their latest report, SIGAR stated that due to the ANDSF’s dependency on US military forces, these events destroyed ANDSF morale.

The ANDSF had long relied on the US military’s presence to protect against large-scale ANDSF losses, and Afghan troops saw the United States as a means of holding their government accountable for paying their salaries.

The US-IEA agreement made it clear that this was no longer the case, resulting in a sense of abandonment within the ANDSF and the Afghan population, SIGAR reported.

The agreement set in motion a series of events crucial to understanding the ANDSF’s collapse, SIGAR stated.

Among those included a drop in the number of US airstrikes; the fact that ANDSF remained reliant on the US military, especially as “the United States designed the ANDSF as a mirror image of US forces.

“This created long-term ANDSF dependencies. The United States created a combined arms military structure that required a high degree of professional military sophistication and leadership,” SIGAR stated adding that the ANDSF had stockpiles of US-provided weapons and supplies, but did not have the logistics capabilities to move these items quickly enough to meet operational demands and had to rely on a thinly-stretched Afghan Air Force to do so.

“As a result, ANDSF units complained that they did not have enough ammunition, food, water, or other military equipment to sustain military engagements against the Taliban (IEA).

“Additionally, the Afghan government failed to develop a national security strategy and plan for nationwide security following the withdrawal of US forces,” SIGAR stated adding that instead, former president Ashraf Ghani frequently changed ANDSF leaders and appointed loyalists, while marginalizing well-trained ANDSF officers aligned with the United States.

The constant turnover weakened military chains of command, trust, and morale in the ANDSF. “Young, welltrained, educated, and professional ANDSF officers who grew up under US tutelage were marginalized and their ties to the U.S. became a liability.”

SIGAR also stated that the United States created more long-term dependencies by providing the ANDSF with advanced military equipment that they could not sustain and that required a US military or contractor presence and that the US lacked any real way to measure the ANDSF’s development.

“The metrics DOD used were inconsistent and unable to measure the development of ANDSF capabilities and capacities over time,” SIGAR stated.

SIGAR also stated that while ANDSF members have either left Afghanistan, or are in hiding, there are those who “have joined extremist groups in Afghanistan.”

Latest News

Senior Iranian diplomat in Kabul for talks with Muttaqi

Published

3 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday met with senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official Mohammad Reza Bahrami Taqanaki for talks on bilateral relations, water issues, Afghan refugees and recent developments.

According to a statement issued by Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi told the Iranian official that bilateral relations were expanding and emphasized that both countries should make the most of the existing opportunities.

Bahrami Taqanaki, who is Iran’s new Assistant Minister and Director General for South Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said in turn that after the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Kabul, a new chapter in bilateral relations has opened up.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appointed Bahrami Taqanaki, a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in regional affairs, to the post in February.

Bahrami Taqanaki has served two terms as Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan. He also held key consular positions, serving as Iran’s Consul General in Jalalabad during the Islamic Emirate’s previous rule and in Kandahar in 2002.

Latest News

IEA clarifies annual payout for victims of Afghanistan’s 20-year war

Mujahid said that last year, 12.5 billion afghanis was budgeted and distributed to support these people.

Published

12 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has clarified reports of an annual payout for families of war victims saying the money is for the families of mostly all victims who died during the war with the United States.

Mujahid said the annual payout of 12.5 billion afghanis (AFN) was not only for the families of deceased IEA fighters but also for the families of deceased security force members from the former government, as well as orphans and widows of civilians killed, and disabled people.

Mujahid said that last year, 12.5 billion afghanis was budgeted and distributed to support these people.

This comes after a number of media outlets published reports over the past two days of an interview with Zabihullah Mujahid. The reports stated that 12 billion afghanis has been allocated annually to the families of the Islamic Emirate’s fallen soldiers, who died during the 20-year war.

International Sports

IPL 2025: Sunday’s KKR vs LSG match pushed out to Tuesday

Sunday will now be a single-header match day, opposed to the usual double-header schedule.

Published

12 hours ago

April 3, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) announced Wednesday that Match 19 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been rescheduled and will be played on Tuesday, April 8 at 2:30 pm Kabul time.

The match was originally scheduled to take place this Sunday, April 6.

Sunday will now be a single-header match day, opposed to the usual double-header schedule. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play Gujarat Titans at 6 pm Kabul time as originally scheduled.

However, two matches will be played on Tuesday, April 8. First up will be KKR vs LSG, followed by the Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings.

Wednesday’s match

Wednesday, April 2, saw Punjab Kings cruise to an 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants after a dominant all-round performance.

A disciplined bowling effort restricted LSG to 171/7 at home before PBKS chased it down in style.

Player-of-the-Match Prabhsimran Singh (69 off 34), skipper Shreyas Iyer (52* off 30), and Nehal Wadhera (43* off 25) powered the visitors to a flawless finish, keeping them unbeaten in the league.

This convincing win propelled PBKS to second place in the points table, boosting their confidence for the games ahead.

Thursday’s match

Today, Thursday April 3, will see Kolkata Knight Riders take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The match will start at 6 pm Kabul time. Once again, Ariana Television will broadcast this thrilling event live across Afghanistan.