2nd Afghan-U.S. Veterans Summit
Final Statement
August 15, 2025
On the fourth anniversary of the fall of the Afghan Republic, AUF hosted the second Afghan–United States Veterans Summit at the AUF House in Virginia. The event brought together Afghan and American veterans of the War on Terror, alongside intelligence and counterinsurgency experts, military leaders, political figures, journalists, and advocates. The summit concluded with a unified message: the Taliban regime cannot endure, and Afghanistan must be freed.
Throughout the summit, participants presented stark accounts of life under Taliban control and the rising threats emanating from Afghanistan. What the Taliban portrays as stability is in reality a regime of terror, repression, and global danger. Afghan youth are indoctrinated to hate, wage violence, and obey tyranny. Panelists warned against distorted narratives painting “rosy pictures” of Taliban rule. Afghanistan has again become a hub for international terrorism, with aid diverted into terrorists infrastructure. Radical groups once based in Pakistan now run training camps inside Afghanistan with ambitions to build a global jihadist force and notion that the Taliban could or would conduct counterterrorism operations was a false hope from the outset.
Statistics highlight the plight of former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). More than 14,000 have been arrested, many tortured or targeted after release. Over 11,000, including soldiers, senior officers, and generals, have been killed in the last four years. In just the past three months, 59 were murdered and more than 1,050 arrested, often identified through biometric checks following forced returns from Iran and Pakistan.
The people of Afghanistan have rejected Taliban rule. The international community does not recognize their legitimacy, nor does Islam. Religious leaders across Afghanistan and the Muslim world have condemned them as impostors and called for their overthrow. Afghanistan now stands on the verge of big changes that will begin the process of freeing its people from Taliban oppression.
The summit concluded by reaffirming that, no matter how long it takes or how much it requires, the Afghanistan United Front is committed to building a future free from oppression, full of opportunity, and rooted in dignity for all Afghans. The vision is to restore a thriving culture where every voice is heard and the nation’s destiny lies in the hands of its people.
And this time, it will be permanent.
