Sec. 1215. Sense of Senate and report on United States presence in Afghanistan
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/bill/116/s/4049/es/section-1215·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of the Senate that— the United States and our coalition partners have made progress in the fight against al-Qaeda and ISIS in Afghanistan; however, both groups— maintain an ability to operate in Afghanistan; seek to undermine stability in the region; and threaten the security of Afghanistan, the United States, and the allies of the United States; the South Asia strategy correctly emphasizes the importance of a conditions-based United States presence in Afghanistan; therefore, any decision to withdraw the Armed Forces of the United States from Afghanistan should be done in an orderly manner in response to conditions on the ground, and in coordination with the Government of Afghanistan and United States allies and partners in the Resolute Support mission, rather than arbitrary timelines; a precipitous withdrawal of the Armed Forces of the United States and United States diplomatic and intelligence personnel from Afghanistan without effective, countervailing efforts to secure gains in Afghanistan may allow violent extremist groups to regenerate, threatening the security of the Afghan people and creating a security vacuum that could destabilize the region and provide ample safe haven for extremist groups seeking to conduct external attacks; ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a peaceful, negotiated solution to the conflict in Afghanistan are the best path forward for establishing long-term stability and eliminating the threat posed by extremist groups in Afghanistan; the United States supports international diplomatic efforts to facilitate peaceful, negotiated resolution to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan on terms that respect the rights of innocent civilians and deny safe havens to terrorists; and as part of such diplomatic efforts, and as a condition to be met prior to withdrawal, the United States should seek to secure the release of any United States citizens being held against their will in Afghanistan.
Not later than September 1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representative a report that includes— an assessment of— the external threat posed by extremist groups operating in Afghanistan to the United States homeland and the homelands of United States allies; the impact of cessation of United States counterterrorism activities on the size, strength, and external aims of such groups; and the international financial support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces requires in order to maintain current operational capabilities, including force cohesion and combat effectiveness; a plan for the orderly transition of all security-related tasks currently undertaken by the Armed Forces of the United States in support of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to Afghanistan, including— precision targeting of Afghanistan-based terrorists; combat-enabler support, such as artillery and aviation assets; and noncombat-enabler support, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and contractor logistic support; and an update on the status of any United States citizens detained in Afghanistan, and an overview of Administration efforts to secure their release.
The report required by paragraph
(1)shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.