Select Committee on International Relations and Defence
The UK and Afghanistan
2nd Report of Session 2019-21 - published 13 January 2021 - HL Paper 208
Contents
Figure 1: Map of violence by province
2020 and a possible future settlement with the Taliban
Background on the UK and Afghanistan
Box 2: Timeline of UK military engagement in Afghanistan since 2001
Chapter 2: The UK and Afghanistan from 2014
Changes to the UK approach from 2014
UK objectives and interests from 2015
The UK as an actor in Afghanistan
Chapter 3: The Afghan state and government
Spoils, warlords and strongmen
Box 3: Ethnic groups, religion and language
International work to improve the rights of women and girls
Refugees and internally displaced people
Table 1: Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons
The grey economy and the illicit drugs trade
Figure 2: Map of poppy cultivation
Box 4: The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
Box 5: The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund
Chapter 5: The Taliban and other security issues
Figure 3: Map of Taliban controlled areas
External influences, including relations with Pakistan
Taliban structure, shadow government and income
The Taliban’s links to terrorist groups and other non-state actors
Islamic State Khorasan Province
Box 8: Islamic State Khorasan Province
Policy of the Trump Administration
Box 9: The US–Taliban agreement
Possible policy of President-elect Biden
Figure 4: Map of Afghanistan’s neighbourhood
Figure 5: Map of the Durand Line showing the area inhabited by the ethnic Pashtun
Conclusion on Afghanistan’s neighbours
Chapter 7: The Afghan National Security Forces and NATO training
Box 11: The Afghan National Security Forces
NATO’s Resolute Support Mission
Box 12: NATO’s Resolute Support Mission
Effectiveness of the Resolute Support Mission
UK contribution to the Resolute Support Mission
Assessment of the Afghan National Security Forces
The Afghan National Security Forces and militias and factions
Funding for the Afghan National Security Forces
Box 13: The NATO Afghan National Army Trust Fund and the UN Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan
Chapter 8: The peace talks in Doha and the future
Impact of the US–Taliban agreement on the talks
The delegations and their objectives
The Afghan government-aligned negotiating team
External parties and the talks
Possible changes to the constitution
A share of government and security positions
Human rights, including the rights of women
Possible future role for the US and its partners
Security support during the peace talks
Future official development assistance funding
Summary of conclusions and recommendations
Appendix 1: List of Members and declarations of interest
Evidence is published online at https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/360/international-relations-and-defence-committee/ and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7129 3074).
Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence