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On Friday, the US Senate passed a defence bill that calls for the creation of an independent committee to examine the Afghan conflict and look at measures for combating terrorism in the region, including Pakistan.
Within three years, the proposed 16-member Afghanistan War Commission will publish a report. Members would be chosen equally by Republican and Democratic legislators. Current and former members of Congress, as well as Cabinet-level and high-ranking defence officials involved in the development of US policy on Afghanistan, are not eligible.
A previous version of the law had a provision to investigate Pakistan’s role in the Afghan conflict, but that provision has since been removed.
The commission, on the other hand, can look into how regional countries influenced the Afghan war and what role they can play in ending the fight amicably.
The bipartisan panel will “study” the 20-year conflict and submit “in-depth” assessments on the US ability to counter terrorism in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, according to the bill’s synopsis.
The group will also conduct a “accountability” review of military assets left in Afghanistan following the US exit, as well as develop preparations for removing American people and “Afghan allies” who remain in the country.
The defence authorization measure, which passed the Senate by a vote of 88 to 11, approved a record $770 billion for the country’s defence. Last week, it received more than 80% of House approval. Republicans outnumbered Democrats in both legislatures, despite the fact that Democrats control both chambers.
The package includes $7.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and a declaration of legislative support for the defence of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory. It also prohibits the US Department of Defense from buying products created in China’s western Xinjiang region using forced labour.
The law allocates $300 million to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which offers assistance to Ukraine’s armed forces, $4 billion to the European Defence Initiative, and $150 million to Baltic security cooperation.
