Council on Foreign Relations | August 31, 2026 — Five years after the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Elliot Ackerman joins Arezo Kohistany and Naqib Mirzada for a conversation about the war, the collapse of the Afghan government, the 2021 evacuation, and Afghanistan’s future. Nickolas Calbos moderates.

Five Years After the Withdrawal

The panel reflects on why Afghanistan collapsed, the experience of Afghans who served alongside the United States, and the consequences of two decades of war. Kohistany and Mirzada offer perspectives shaped by Afghanistan, displacement, military service, and the country’s political collapse.

Veterans and the 2021 Evacuation

Ackerman describes how a request for help from a former interpreter drew him into the veteran-led evacuation effort in 2021. He reflects on the moral burden many veterans felt while trying to assist Afghans with few reliable government channels available to them.

Allies, Strategy, and Service

The conversation considers what the withdrawal signaled to future U.S. partners, whether a limited American presence might have altered Afghanistan’s trajectory, and the strategic consequences of relinquishing influence in the region.

Ackerman closes by arguing that veterans can take pride in having volunteered to serve, regardless of the war’s ultimate outcome.