US and NATO leave Afghanistan: What next?

Following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, United States (US) counterterrorism efforts began to focus on Afghanistan. The Taliban, which controlled most of Afghanistan in 2001, hosted al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. During a 20-year military campaign, the US and its allies sought to eliminate the Taliban's ability to provide sanctuary to international terrorists and stabilise the country with the help of a democratically elected government. The peace agreement the US signed with the Taliban in 2020 paved the way for the withdrawal of US and NATO troops. Shortly after taking office, US President Joe Biden announced in April 2021 that all US troops would leave Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. All allied troops will also leave the country by that deadline. In recent months, the Taliban have re-established control over half of the districts in the country, raising concerns about the future of Afghanistan once foreign troops leave.