Biden asks Congress for an additional USD3.3 billion in security assistance for Afghanistan

US President Joe Biden has reiterated Washington's continued economic, diplomatic, and security commitment to the people of Afghanistan and asked Congress to approve more than USD3.3 billion in financial assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in 2022.

The announcement, which was made shortly after Biden met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, at the White House on 25 June, comes after the US Congress appropriated more than USD3 billion this year for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF), which is aimed at providing financial support to the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, Afghan Air Force, and Afghan Special Security Forces, including the Special Mission Wing.

“The partnership between Afghanistan and the United States is not ending. It's going to be sustained. And you know our troops may be leaving but our support for Afghanistan is not ending in terms of ... helping maintain their military, as well as economic and political support,” Biden told reporters.

“Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want,” noted the president. While emphasising that “the senseless violence has to stop”, he said the US is “going to stick with you [the Afghan people] and we're going to do our best to see to it you have the tools you need”.