U.S.-Taliban deal biggest factor in collapse of Afghan forces, watchdog says

FILE PHOTO: Members of Taliban sit on a military vehicle during Taliban military parade in Kabul, Afghanistan November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The biggest factor that led to the collapse of the Afghan military in August last year was the U.S. decision to withdraw forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Taliban signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a U.S. watchdog report concluded.

The withdrawal "destroyed" the morale of the Afghan military as it was dependent on U.S. military support, according to an assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which was made public late Tuesday.