FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 14, 2022

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AAF Responds to the Establishment of the Afghanistan War Commission and the Lack of Representation of Afghan-Americans

(Washington, DC) – The Afghan-American Foundation welcomes and supports the formation of the bi-partisan Afghanistan War Commission. 

Transparency and accountability have often been lacking in American foreign policy in Afghanistan. We believe that the American public has the right to know the costs and the full scope and impact of America’s longest military engagement. More than 2,400 American lives were lost, more than 20,000 servicemembers returned home wounded, and countless others still carry the heavy psychological burden that comes from decades of war, and that’s to say nothing of the trillions of dollars spent in the war and the profound losses suffered by the people of Afghanistan.  

While we appreciate the renewed focus on the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, we note a distinct and discouraging lack of Afghan-American perspectives on the Afghanistan War Commission.  Excluding Afghan-Americans from the composition of the Commission repeats an error made throughout the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan. The lack of representation of primary stakeholders and the absence of the expertise they bring in the design, implementation and assessment of Afghanistan policy have not only compromised the integrity of past efforts, but have also led to many policy failures. Those constructing the Afghanistan War Commission had a chance to break from this failed pattern and have thus far chosen not to take it.

The United States of America has a diverse Afghan-American community and one that brings deep talent and experience across disciplines, including American foreign policy and national security. Beyond credentials and experience, Afghan-American experts in these spaces offer cultural, historical and personal contexts that are essential in understanding Afghanistan’s past and the prospects for its future. Insofar as the work of the Commission will set the course for America’s involvement in the future of Afghanistan, it would be a tremendous missed opportunity to chart this course without stakeholders who have been so intimately impacted by past U.S. policies in Afghanistan and are most invested in America’s future engagement in the country.

We ask both parties, the Democrats and Republicans, to address this glaring deficiency in the forthcoming effort. We believe this will not only be in the best interests of the Afghan-American community, but also in the best interests of the broader American public.

The Afghan-American Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization representing and advancing the interests of Afghans and Afghan-Americans through advocacy, research, education and engagement.

www.afghanamericans.org

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