In this opinion essay for The New York Times, Elliot Ackerman reflects on the beginning of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and warns that the war may end as violently as it began.
Drawing on conversations with Afghan Ambassador Roya Rahmani and a former Special Operations colleague, Ackerman frames the withdrawal as a dangerous fighting withdrawal from a country still at war.
Afghanistan and the Fighting Withdrawal
Ackerman explains why removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan is militarily complex, especially with American forces dependent on airfields at Bagram, Jalalabad, and Kandahar.
History, Blood, and Abandonment
The essay compares America’s exit to earlier British and Soviet withdrawals, including the First Anglo-Afghan War and the eventual collapse of Soviet-backed rule in Kabul.
The War’s Unfinished Final Chapter
At its center, the piece argues that although America may be done with Afghanistan, Afghanistan is not done with America, and the consequences of withdrawal will continue to unfold.