Afghan National Security Forces

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), also known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), were the military and internal security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.[1][2]

As of 30 June 2020, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) or Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) were composed of the Afghan National Army (including the Afghan Border Force, Afghan Air Force, Afghan Territorial Army, Afghan National Civil Order Force), Afghan National Police (including Afghan Local Police), and the National Directorate of Security (including the Afghan Special Force).[2]

In August 2021, after the Taliban captured the Afghan capital Kabul and other major cities, US President Joe Biden said that the forces collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight and that they were not willing to fight for themselves, with the exception of very brave and capable Afghan special forces units and soldiers.[3][4] In an Al Jazeera editorial Abdul Basit wrote that the forces "preferred to save their lives by surrendering to the Taliban under its amnesty offers".[5]

  1. ^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 18.
  2. ^ a b European Asylum Support Office 2020, p. 26.
  3. ^ US President Joe Biden (16 August 2021). Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan (Speech). The White House. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ Bennett, John T. (2021-08-16). "Biden defends Afghan withdrawal, says country's military 'refused to fight'". rollcall.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  5. ^ Basit, Abdul (17 August 2021). "Why did the Afghan army disintegrate so quickly?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-04-28.