US Bombing in Afghanistan Continued After Trump’s Deal With Taliban

Afghan residents and family members of the victims gather next to a damaged vehicle inside a house, the day after a U.S. drone airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 30, 2021. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. military continued to bomb Afghanistan after the Taliban struck a deal with the Trump administration in February 2020 to end the two-decade war, according to newly declassified airstrike data.

The data, released Nov. 17 by Air Force Central Command (AFCENT), is the first government release of information on Afghanistan airstrikes since March 2020. The Air Force reportedly cited diplomatic concerns at the time, “including how the [airstrike] reports could adversely impact ongoing discussions with the Taliban regarding Afghanistan peace talks.”