ISLAMABAD: Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has described the complete withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021 as a “terrible mistake,” arguing that Washington betrayed Afghans who had worked alongside the United States.
“The US should have maintained a limited but effective presence in Afghanistan instead of withdrawing all its forces and leaving the country to the Taliban,” said Panetta, who served as defense secretary under former president Barack Obama and previously headed the CIA.
Speaking to Sky News, Panetta said that the US had made significant investments during its two-decade military presence, including training Afghan security forces, establishing intelligence institutions, conducting counterterrorism operations and supporting education, businesses and efforts to improve living conditions.
“When we suddenly pulled all our forces out of Afghanistan and left it to the Taliban to again regain control, we essentially betrayed all those people we had fought for,” Panetta said.
‘US had responsibility toward Afghans’
Panetta argued that the length of the Afghanistan war alone did not justify a complete US withdrawal.
Instead, he said, Washington could have retained a smaller military and security presence while continuing to work with Afghan institutions and the population.
He said the United States had a moral and political responsibility to Afghans after years of support and help building the country’s security and other institutions.
His remarks come as debate over the consequences of the US withdrawal intensifies around the 25th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks, which triggered Washington’s intervention in Afghanistan.
Taliban return
The US and its NATO allies completed their military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 after nearly two decades of war. The Taliban rapidly expanded their control as Afghan government forces collapsed, eventually taking Kabul and returning to power.
The withdrawal, particularly its chaotic final phase, has remained one of the most controversial decisions of the Biden administration.
Panetta joins many former US officials and political figures who have criticized the decision and questioned whether the Taliban’s return was inevitable.
Separately, former US ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said that the 20-year US presence itself eventually obscured the original purpose of the Afghanistan mission, arguing that Washington “stayed too long” and lost sight of its clear objective.