A damning report reveals a stark truth about the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan: the very tools intended to build a stable nation now empower the Taliban. U.S.-funded weapons, equipment, and facilities, abandoned during the hurried 2021 withdrawal, have become the foundation of the Taliban’s security forces.
Between 2002 and 2021, Congress allocated approximately $144.7 billion to Afghanistan reconstruction, a monumental investment predicated on the promise of stability and democracy. The final assessment, however, concludes that neither goal was achieved, painting a picture of colossal failure.
The chaotic collapse of the Afghan government prevented thorough inspection of the abandoned resources. However, the Department of Defense estimates that roughly $7.1 billion worth of material and equipment fell into Taliban hands. Any remaining Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) facilities, spared from destruction, are now under Taliban control.
Before the fall, Afghan forces possessed an arsenal of 316,260 weapons, valued at over $511.8 million, alongside substantial ammunition and equipment. While the U.S. military prioritized removing or destroying its own major equipment during the drawdown, the fate of the ANDSF’s resources remained tragically uncertain.
The report doesn’t shy away from identifying critical flaws in the U.S. approach. Early decisions to align with corrupt and abusive powerbrokers actively fueled the insurgency, undermining the very principles of democracy and good governance the U.S. claimed to champion.
Nearly $90 billion was dedicated to security-sector assistance, yet the Afghan security forces crumbled swiftly after the withdrawal of U.S. military support. This collapse wasn’t simply a matter of insufficient funding, but a fundamental flaw in the design of the ANDSF itself.
The ANDSF was intentionally modeled after U.S. forces, creating a dependency on a level of sophistication and leadership that Afghanistan simply couldn’t sustain independently. This reliance proved fatal when U.S. support evaporated, shattering the morale of Afghan soldiers and police.
Despite the Taliban’s takeover, the United States remains Afghanistan’s largest donor, continuing to provide humanitarian and development assistance. Over $3.83 billion has been disbursed since 2021, including $120 million in the most recent quarter, a continued investment in a nation dramatically altered.
Acting Inspector General Gene Aloise’s assessment is blunt: multiple factors contributed to the failure, highlighting a complex web of miscalculations and unintended consequences. The report serves as a sobering reminder of the immense challenges – and potential pitfalls – of nation-building efforts.
