May 1 U.S. Troop Withdrawal

The Biden administration is pursuing ambitious diplomatic plans to establish an interim power-sharing government in Afghanistan.

But the emphasis on diplomacy is creating ambiguity over the fate of 2,500 U.S. troops — expected to come home on May 1. QI’s Adam Weinstein says that diplomacy is a positive step. But a diplomatic process cannot use U.S. soldiers or America’s military presence in Afghanistan as leverage. It could only lead to more U.S. military involvement, after 20 years of war.