{{Short description|Former military and security forces}} The '''Afghan National Security Forces''' ('''ANSF'''), also known as the '''Afghan National Defense and Security Forces''' ('''ANDSF'''), were the military and internal security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=18}}{{sfn|European Asylum Support Office|2020|p=26}}
As of 30 June 2020, the ANSF was composed of the Afghan National Army (including the Afghan Border Force, Afghan Air Force, Afghan Territorial Army, Afghan National Civil Order Force), Afghan National Police (including Afghan Local Police), and the National Directorate of Security (including the Afghan Special Force).{{sfn|European Asylum Support Office|2020|p=26}}
In August 2021, after the Taliban captured the Afghan capital Kabul and other major cities, US president Joe Biden stated that the "Afghan military collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight," and that "we [the United States of America] gave them every tool they could need."<ref>{{cite speech |author=US President Joe Biden |title=Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/16/remarks-by-president-biden-on-afghanistan/ |location=The White House |access-date=30 April 2024 |date=16 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=John T. |date=2021-08-16 |title=Biden defends Afghan withdrawal, says country’s military ‘refused to fight’ |url=https://rollcall.com/2021/08/16/defiant-biden-defends-afghan-withdrawal-says-countrys-military-refused-to-fight/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=rollcall.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In an Al Jazeera editorial Abdul Basit wrote that the forces "preferred to save their lives by surrendering to the Taliban under its amnesty offers".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Basit |first=Abdul |title=Why did the Afghan army disintegrate so quickly? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/8/17/why-did-the-afghan-army-disintegrate-so-quickly |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Al Jazeera |date=17 August 2021|language=en}}</ref> NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg stated that Afghan government forces "fought bravely," but "ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted."<ref>{{Cite web|title=NATO's Stoltenberg blames Afghan leadership for military collapse|url=https://apnews.com/article/nato-jens-stoltenberg-afghan-military-collapse|website=AP News|date=2021|access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref> International Security Assistance Force trainers additionally called the Afghan military "incompetent and unmotivated."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Unguarded nation|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-army-police/|website=The Washington Post|date=2019|access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref>
== Structure (circa 2020) == The Afghan National Security Forces consisted of * Ministry of Defence{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=18, 35}} ** Afghan National Army (ANA):{{sfn|European Asylum Support Office|2020|p=27}} In December 2020 the U.S. Department of Defense wrote that the ANA General Staff commanded and controlled all of Afghanistan’s ground and air forces, including "the ANA conventional forces, the Afghan Air Force (AAF), the Special Mission Wing (SMW), the ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC), the Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF), and the Afghan Border Force (ABF). In total, the ANA consisted of 27 combat brigades, three combat air wings, four branch and basic training schools, seven ANCOF brigades, seven ABF brigades, and additional support facilities such as depots and hospitals."{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=38}} * Ministry of Interior Affairs{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=18, 54}} ** Afghan National Police (ANP){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=58}} *** Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=58}} *** Public Security Police (PSP){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=58}} *** Afghan Border Police (ABP){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=58}} *** General Directorate for Intelligence and Counter Crime (GDICC) (formerly Afghan Anti-Crime Police (AACP)){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=58-59}} *** Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=58-59}} *** Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|pp=58-59}} *** Afghan Local Police (ALP){{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=59}}{{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=3}} ** General Command of Police Special Units (GCPSU){{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=2}}{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2022|p=212}} *** Afghan Territorial Force (ATF) 444{{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=2}}{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2022|p=212}} *** Crisis Response Unit (CRU) 222{{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=2}}{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=60}}{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2022|p=212}} *** Commando Force (CF) 333{{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=2}}{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=60}}{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2022|p=212}} (formerly Afghan Special Narcotics Force)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Willasey-Wilsey |first1=Tim |title=Afghanistan: A Final British Betrayal? |url=https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/afghanistan-final-british-betrayal |website=Royal United Services Institute |access-date=2 March 2024 |date=30 August 2023}}</ref>
NATO special operations forces trained, advised and assisted the ANASOC, SMW and GCPSU who were collectively known as the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF).{{sfn|United States. Department of Defense|2020b|p=4}}{{sfn|Helmus|2015|p=1}}{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2021|p=75}} The ASSF was described as the "ANDSF’s primary offensive forces".{{sfn|Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|2021|p=75}}
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) was the state intelligence and security service and was part of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.<ref>{{cite web |title= Afghanistan (2017) |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html |website=The World Factbook|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429155835/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html |archive-date=29 April 2018 |date=24 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The NDS reported directly to the Office of President.{{sfn|European Asylum Support Office|2020|pp=35-36}}
== See also == {{portal|Afghanistan}} * Afghan Armed Forces * Law enforcement in Afghanistan * History of the Afghan Armed Forces (2002-2021)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Bibliography == {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |author=European Asylum Support Office |title=Afghanistan - State Structure and Security Forces - Country of Origin Information Report |date=August 2020 |publisher=Publications Office of the European Union |isbn=9789294856500 |url=https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1311341/download |access-date=18 August 2021 |archive-date=7 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107201324/https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1311341/download |url-status=dead }} * {{cite book |last1=Helmus |first1=Todd C. |title=Advising the Command : Best Practices from the Special Operation's Advisory Experience in Afghanistan |date=2015 |publisher=RAND Corporation |location=Santa Monica, CA |isbn=9780833088918 |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR900/RR949/RAND_RR949.pdf |access-date=19 August 2021 }} *{{cite report|author=Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction|title=Afghan Special Mission Wing : DOD moving forward with $771.8 million purchase of aircraft that Afghans cannot operate or maintain.|date=June 2013|location=Arlington, Va|url=http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/2013-05-27-audit-13-13.pdf|oclc=851498021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718040041/http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/2013-05-27-audit-13-13.pdf|archive-date=18 July 2013|url-status=dead}} * {{cite report |author=Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction |title=Police in conflict: lessons from the U.S. experience in Afghanistan |date=June 2022 |location=Arlington, Va |url=https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-22-23-LL.pdf |oclc=1408444974 |access-date=2 March 2024 }} * {{cite report |author=Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction |title=Quarterly report to the United States Congress |date=30 July 2021 |location=Arlington, Va |url=https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2021-07-30qr.pdf |access-date=19 August 2021 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813114240/https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2021-07-30qr.pdf |url-status=dead }} * {{cite report|author=United States. Department of Defense|title=Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan|date=December 2020b|url=https://media.defense.gov/2021/Apr/23/2002626546/-1/-1/0/ENHANCING-SECURITY-AND-STABILITY-IN-AFGHANISTAN.PDF|id=7-653B15D|access-date=18 August 2021}} {{refend}}
== Further reading == {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last1=Jalali |first1=Ali A. |title=Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces : mission, challenges, and sustainability |date=2016 |publisher=United States Institute of Peace |location=Washington, DC |isbn=9781601276018 |url=https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PW115-Afghanistan-National-Defense-and-Security-Forces-Mission-Challenges-and-Sustainability.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903025613/http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PW115-Afghanistan-National-Defense-and-Security-Forces-Mission-Challenges-and-Sustainability.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 3, 2016 |series=Peaceworks No. 115|access-date=19 August 2021}} *{{cite report |author1=United Nations Assistance Mission In Afghanistan|author2=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |title=Afghanistan Protection Of Civilians In Armed Conflict Annual Report 2020 |date=February 2021 |location=Kabul, Afghanistan |url=https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/afghanistan_protection_of_civilians_report_2020_revs3.pdf |access-date=19 August 2021}} * {{cite report|author=United States. Department of Defense|title=Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan|date=June 2020a|url=https://media.defense.gov/2020/Jul/01/2002348001/-1/-1/1/ENHANCING_SECURITY_AND_STABILITY_IN_AFGHANISTAN.PDF|id=E-2BA2571|access-date=18 August 2021}} {{refend}}
== External links == * [https://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2013_10/20131018_131022-MediaBackgrounder_ANSF_en.pdf Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)], Media Backgrounder, NATO, October 2013
{{Afghan National Security Forces}} {{War in Afghanistan}}
. Category:2000s in Afghanistan Category:2010s in Afghanistan Category:2020s in Afghanistan Category:2000s establishments in Afghanistan Category:2021 disestablishments in Afghanistan Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2021 Category:War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Military of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan