RASC News Agency: On Sunday, August 31, the international community marked the fourth anniversary of the withdrawal of the last American soldier from Afghanistan a turning point that not only concluded Washington’s two-decade military engagement but also triggered a new era of instability. Analysts contend that the hurried retreat created a vacuum of power and oversight, enabling the resurgence of extremist networks under the Taliban’s patronage. The last U.S. soldier to depart was General Christopher Todd Donahue, whose flight out of Kabul symbolically closed the chapter of America’s military presence in Afghanistan. His departure coincided with the collapse of the previous republic and the Taliban’s swift seizure of power. The final hours of the withdrawal were marred by bloodshed: a devastating suicide attack at Kabul’s airport claimed the lives of more than 170 Afghanistani civilians and 13 American troops, encapsulating the chaos of the exit.
Four years on, the decision remains one of the most fiercely criticized foreign policy moves in recent U.S. history. Michael McCaul, a Republican congressman from Texas and former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has described the withdrawal as “catastrophic,” arguing that it unleashed terrorism across the region. Writing on the social platform X, McCaul accused President Joe Biden’s administration of abandoning “at least a thousand Americans and thousands of Afghanistani allies to face Taliban reprisals.” His remarks reflect the broader consensus among critics that Washington traded genuine security preparation for the appearance of an orderly exit. McCaul underscored that the fallout cannot be understated: “Our allies were exposed to Taliban vengeance, terrorist groups were liberated to operate freely, and a message of American weakness was broadcast to the world a message that emboldened adversaries such as Vladimir Putin to test the limits of the international order.” He further branded the withdrawal as “a bloody stain on the history of the United States,” calling for accountability and transparency to ensure such a debacle is never repeated.
The iconic image of General Donahue boarding the final flight has since become emblematic of the war’s abrupt conclusion and the uncertainties that followed. Yet, far from securing peace, the departure opened the door for the Taliban to reimpose a regime marked by repression, economic collapse, and the reactivation of terrorist safe havens. What was once heralded as the “end of America’s longest war” has, in reality, become the beginning of Afghanistan’s darkest chapter one defined by human rights violations, gender apartheid, and the silencing of civil society under Taliban rule. Four years later, the United States’ withdrawal continues to reverberate as one of the most divisive episodes in modern American history, drawing sharp responses from global leaders, including former President Donald Trump. While Washington debates the legacy of that decision, millions of Afghanistani citizens remain trapped in a nation where the Taliban’s authoritarianism has replaced any promise of stability, and where the “end of war” has merely ushered in a new crisis without end.
