KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United States has begun a formal review of whether to designate the Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization,” nearly four years after the group seized control of Afghanistan and reestablished its rule following the chaotic withdrawal of American forces.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday, saying the classification was “once again under review.”
This development comes as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a sweeping reassessment of the 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan, an operation that ended in tragedy when a suicide bombing by ISKP at Kabul airport killed 13 American soldiers and at least 150 Afghan civilians.
“The review is intended to ensure accountability and to restore trust among service members and the public,” Hegseth wrote in a memo released Tuesday. He noted that the extent of lives lost and military equipment left behind warranted a deeper inquiry beyond earlier investigations.
While several internal US military and congressional reviews have already examined the exit strategy, it is unclear how Hegseth’s initiative will differ in scope or findings.
The US withdrawal marked the end of its 20-year military engagement in Afghanistan. The evacuation operation in August 2021 unfolded in chaos, with desperate crowds at Kabul airport, a resurgent Taliban entering the capital without resistance, and international criticism over the hurried departure.
It is not yet clear how a terrorist designation for the Taliban, if enacted, would affect Afghanistan’s already isolated regime, which remains unrecognized by any foreign country.
The Taliban have not yet officially responded to the latest statements from Washington.
