The United States’ involvement in Afghanistan is coming to an end.  Starting in late July 2021, the U.S. began to evacuate its troops, as well as allies, diplomats, and civilians. When the Taliban captured the capital city of Kabul on August 15th, the U.S.’s efforts had to be carried out much more quickly. In the days leading up to August 31st, which was the last day of evacuation, large-scale airlifts took place; 28 flights took off between the 30th and 31st alone.

The U.S. had been involved in this war for about 20 years, as it began a few days shy of a month after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Over 2,400 Americans lost their lives over these two decades, as well as over 100,000 more people, such as troops from Afghanistan and coalition countries, as well as civilians. President Biden felt that removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan would reduce the bloodshed and bring an end to this conflict. Fortunately, more than 100,000 people reached safety due to the evacuations.

Sadly, this decision has also resulted in negative consequences; starting with the attack on Kabul and other cities, the Taliban has begun to take over Afghanistan. This will almost certainly result in the endangerment of civilians, especially women. There are also still some American citizens who have not been able to leave the country yet.

The decision to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan was certainly controversial, but it’s also complex and multifaceted rather than simply black and white. The next few months will most likely be quite uncertain, but we can hope for the best: that evacuations can resume safely, diplomatic foreign relations can be established, and this war can be officially ended in a peaceful and nonviolent manner in which Americans, their allies, and civilians can all be out of harm’s way.