US special representative for Afghanistan to step down

Thomas West served in the role from October 2021 as the Taliban resumed their rule

Thomas West attends a meeting on Afghanistan, in Islamabad in 2021. AFP / Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down from the role, ending a three-year tenure that overlapped the Taliban's return to power in the country.

Mr West was assigned to the job in October 2021, two months after the Taliban swept back to power as the Afghan army collapsed and then-president Ashraf Ghani left the country.

The chaotic US withdrawal marked an early foreign policy low point for the administration of President Joe Biden, even though it had been brokered by Donald Trump and his Afghan representative, Zalmay Khalilzad.

Since returning to power after waging a guerrilla war against US and western forces for two decades, the Taliban have deprived women of basic freedoms including access to the workplace and education. Women are now also forced to wear burkas outside the home.

“I will never forget the resilience and courage of the countless Afghan journalists, business leaders, human rights activists, students, refugees, former public servants, and humanitarian professionals I had the good fortune to ask for advice over the last three years,” Mr West said.

“While I am moving on, America remains committed to Afghanistan and to supporting the Afghan people.” The international community has not recognised Afghanistan's Taliban government and the country remains in dire financial shape.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller acknowledged Mr West's departure and said his role would be filled by three State Department officials.

“We will continue to stay engaged on Afghanistan,” Mr Miller told reporters. “It remains an enduring priority and the work will now be led within the State Department by the chief of the US mission to Afghanistan, Karen Decker, special envoy [Rina] Amiri and ambassador John Pommersheim.”

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