FOLLOWING the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, it was widely perceived that the United States and its Western allies had completely disengaged from the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

This perception was reinforced when Washington froze approximately $9.5 billion of Afghan Central Bank assets on August 18, 2021, explicitly to prevent these funds from falling into Taliban hands. However, despite public posturing, the United States did not entirely sever its ties with Afghan Taliban Regime. Washington maintained covert and indirect engagement with the Taliban regime. Through United Nations humanitarian agencies, international NGOs, IGOs and multinational corporations, US facilitated the economic survival of both the Afghan population and the Taliban government. Simultaneously, Taliban officials and US representatives continued to hold meetings covertly. The US State Department later characterized post-2021 relations with Afghanistan as a policy of “pragmatic engagement.” Thus, contrary to popular belief, diplomatic and operational linkages between the Taliban and the United States persisted after the military withdrawal.

A distinctive feature of US diplomacy in post-withdrawal Afghanistan has been its multi-layered engagement strategy. In addition to dealing with the Taliban government, Washington has cultivated contacts with political, religious and social groups across Afghan society, thereby maintaining considerable goodwill within Afghan civil circles. Financial and humanitarian assistance continues to flow to Afghanistan through UN agencies and NGOs, while close........

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