I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5709 
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to produce a National 
Intelligence Estimate on the situation in Afghanistan, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 25, 2021 
Mr. CROW (for himself and Mr. WENSTRUP) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
A BILL 
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to produce 
a National Intelligence Estimate on the situation in Af-
ghanistan, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Afghanistan Security 
Through Intelligence Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE ON SECURITY 
SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN AND RELATED 
REGION. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The Director of National Intel-
ligence, acting through the National Intelligence Council, 
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shall produce a National Intelligence Estimate on the situ-
ation in Afghanistan and the covered region. 
(b) MATTERS.—The National Intelligence Estimate 
produced under subsection (a) shall include, with respect 
to the 2-year period beginning on the date on which the 
Estimate is produced, an assessment of the following: 
(1) The presence in Afghanistan (including fi-
nancial contributions to the Taliban, political rela-
tions with the Taliban, military presence in the cov-
ered region, economic presence in the covered region, 
and diplomatic presence in the covered region) of 
China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and any other foreign 
country determined relevant by the Director, respec-
tively, and an assessment of the potential risks, or 
benefits, of any such presence, contributions, or rela-
tions. 
(2) Any change in the threat to the United 
States homeland or United States entities abroad as 
a result of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from 
Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, including an as-
sessment of the risk of al-Qaeda or any affiliates 
thereof, the Islamic State of Iraq and ash Sham- 
Khorasan or any affiliates thereof, or any other 
similar international terrorist group, using Afghani-
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United States Government and the Taliban in 
February 2020, have been tested, or will be 
tested during the 2-year period covered by the 
Estimate, and what such commitments entail; 
(B) whether any additional commitments 
relating to counterterrorism agreed to by the 
Taliban pursuant to subsequent negotiations 
with the United States Government following 
February 2020, have been tested, or will be 
tested during the 2-year period covered by the 
Estimate, and, if applicable, what such commit-
ments entail; 
(C) any benchmarks against which the 
Taliban are to be evaluated with respect to 
commitments relating to counterterrorism; and 
(D) the intentions and capabilities of the 
Taliban with respect to counterterrorism (as 
such term is understood by the United States 
and by the Taliban, respectively), including the 
relations of the Taliban with al-Qaeda or any 
affiliates thereof, the Islamic State of Iraq and 
ash Sham-Khorasan or any affiliates thereof, or 
any other similar international terrorist group. 
(c) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 
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(1) SUBMISSION.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director 
shall submit to the congressional intelligence com-
mittees the National Intelligence Estimate produced 
under subsection (a), including all intelligence re-
porting underlying the Estimate. 
(2) FORM.—The National Intelligence Estimate 
shall be submitted under paragraph (1) in classified 
form. 
(d) PUBLIC VERSION.—Consistent with the protec-
tion of intelligence sources and methods, at the same time 
as the Director submits to the congressional intelligence 
committees the National Intelligence Estimate under sub-
section (c), the Director shall make publicly available on 
the internet website of the Director an unclassified version 
of the key findings of the National Intelligence Estimate. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL
INTELLIGENCE
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘congressional intelligence com-
mittees’’ means the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the 
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 
(2) COVERED REGION.—The term ‘‘covered re-
gion’’ includes the following countries: 
(A) China. 
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(B) The Gulf Cooperation Council coun-
tries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United 
Arab Emirates. 
(C) India. 
(D) Iran. 
(E) Pakistan. 
(F) Tajikistan. 
(G) Turkey. 
(H) Turkmenistan. 
(I) Uzbekistan. 
(3) 
UNITED
STATES
ENTITY.—The 
term 
‘‘United States entity’’ means a citizen of the United 
States, an embassy or consulate of the United 
States, or an installation, facility, or personnel of 
the United States Government. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION POSTURE 
AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO AF-
GHANISTAN AND RELATED REGION. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National In-
telligence, in consultation with the heads of elements of 
the intelligence community determined relevant by the Di-
rector, shall submit to the congressional intelligence com-
mittees a report on the collection posture of the intel-
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ligence community and other matters relating to Afghani-
stan and the covered region. 
(b) MATTERS.—The report under subsection (a) shall 
include the following: 
(1) A detailed description of the collection pos-
ture of the intelligence community with respect to 
Afghanistan, including with respect to the following: 
(A) The countering of terrorism threats 
that are directed at the United States homeland 
or United States entities abroad. 
(B) The finances of the Taliban, including 
financial contributions to the Taliban from for-
eign countries (particularly from China, Iran, 
Russia, and any other foreign country in the 
Arab Gulf region (or elsewhere) determined rel-
evant by the Director, respectively). 
(C) The detection, and prevention of, any 
increased threat to the United States homeland 
or United States entities abroad as a result of 
the withdrawal of the United States Armed 
Forces from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, 
including any such increased threat resulting 
from al-Qaeda or any affiliates thereof, the Is-
lamic State of Iraq and ash Sham-Khorasan or 
any affiliates thereof, or any other similar inter-
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national terrorist group, using Afghanistan as a 
safe harbor. 
(2) A detailed description of any plans, strate-
gies, or efforts to improve the collection posture de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(A), including by filling any 
gaps identified pursuant to such paragraph. 
(3) An assessment of the effect of publicly doc-
umenting abuses engaged in by the Taliban, and a 
description of the efforts of the intelligence commu-
nity to support other departments and agencies in 
the Federal Government with respect to the collec-
tion and documentation of such abuses. 
(4) An assessment of the relationship between 
the intelligence community and countries in the cov-
ered region, including an assessment of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Intelligence and information sharing 
with such countries. 
(B) Any change in the collection posture of 
the intelligence community with respect to the 
nuclear activities of such countries as a result 
of the withdrawal of the United States Armed 
Forces from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021. 
(C) The collection posture of the intel-
ligence community with respect to the presence 
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of such countries in Afghanistan (including fi-
nancial contributions to the Taliban, political 
relations with the Taliban, military presence in 
Afghanistan, economic presence in Afghanistan, 
and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan) and 
the understanding of the intelligence community 
regarding the potential risks, or benefits, of any 
such presence, contributions, or relations. 
(D) The ability of the intelligence commu-
nity to use the airspace of any such countries. 
(5) An assessment of any financial contribu-
tions to the Taliban from foreign countries (particu-
larly from China, Iran, Russia, and any other for-
eign country in the Arab Gulf region (or elsewhere) 
determined relevant by the Director, respectively) 
made during the year preceding the withdrawal of 
the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan 
on August 31, 2021. 
(c) FORM.—The report under subsection (a) may be 
submitted in classified form, but shall include an unclassi-
fied summary. 
(d) BIANNUAL UPDATES.—On a biannual basis dur-
ing the 5-year period following the date of the submission 
of the report under subsection (a), the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence, in consultation with the heads of the 
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elements of the intelligence community determined rel-
evant by the Director, shall submit to the congressional 
intelligence committees an update to such report. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL
INTELLIGENCE
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘congressional intelligence com-
mittees’’ means the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the 
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 
(2) COVERED REGION.—The term ‘‘covered re-
gion’’ includes the following countries: 
(A) China. 
(B) The Gulf Cooperation Council coun-
tries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United 
Arab Emirates. 
(C) India. 
(D) Iran. 
(E) Pakistan. 
(F) Tajikistan. 
(G) Turkey. 
(H) Turkmenistan. 
(I) Uzbekistan. 
(3) 
UNITED
STATES
ENTITY.—The 
term 
‘‘United States entity’’ means a citizen of the United 
States, an embassy or consulate of the United 
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States, or an installation, facility, or personnel of 
the United States Government. 
Æ 
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