Title: Ensuring a Secure Afghanistan Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Ensuring a Secure Afghanistan Act
This bill prohibits funds made available to the Department of Defense for FY2019 from being used to reduce the number of U.S. Armed Forces members deployed in Afghanistan to below 10,000 unless the Office of the Director of National Intelligence certifies that Taliban leaders have (1) rejected Al Qaeda by name, (2) committed not to fight alongside or have any affiliation with Al Qaeda, and (3) agreed to various conditions such as committing to protecting the rights of women and girls and supporting the Afghan Constitution.
The Department of State shall provide briefings to Congress every 30 days regarding any ongoing talks with the Afghan government or the Taliban and the effect of such talks on Armed Forces in Afghanistan.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2060 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2060

   To provide oversight over talks between the United States and the 
 Taliban, limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of members 
    of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to 
 Afghanistan until certain conditions on the ground are fulfilled, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2019

   Mr. Banks (for himself, Ms. Cheney, Ms. Stefanik, and Mr. Waltz) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide oversight over talks between the United States and the 
 Taliban, limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of members 
    of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to 
 Afghanistan until certain conditions on the ground are fulfilled, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring a Secure Afghanistan Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) A premature withdrawal of United States Armed Forces 
        from Afghanistan would result in increased instability, 
        violence, and the loss of human rights established through the 
        presence of the United States and its allies over the past 17 
        years.
            (2) It is the objective of the United States Government to 
        ensure a secure and stable Afghanistan that has the ability to 
        secure its borders, maintain its own military forces, and 
        prevent the establishment of terrorist safe havens that could 
        be used to launch attacks against the United States.
            (3) A hasty withdrawal without ensuring the stability of 
        the Government of Afghanistan and its ability to perform the 
        functions as outlined will impact the security of the United 
        States and its allies. Additionally, a hasty withdrawal will 
        jeopardize the tremendous gains made in development and human 
        rights for the citizens of Afghanistan.
            (4) The current talks with the Taliban led by Special 
        Representative Zalmay Khalilzad have excluded the legitimate 
        Afghan government, despite the apparent completion of two 
        ``draft'' agreements between the United States and the Taliban. 
        Other vital constituencies have been excluded as well.
            (5) The foreign terrorist organization al Qaeda, 
        responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, continues to 
        operate in Afghanistan.
            (6) The Taliban, which contests or controls approximately 
        half of Afghanistan, has a strong and intricate relationship 
        with al Qaeda, and al Qaeda still sees Afghanistan as a safe 
        haven for its leadership.
            (7) The Taliban has not publicly disavowed al Qaeda, Osama 
        bin Laden, or al Qaeda's current leader, Ayman al Zawahiri. The 
        Taliban has also never apologized for harboring al Qaeda, the 
        9/11 hijackers, and others responsible for murdering thousands 
        of American citizens.
            (8) The withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from 
        Afghanistan, a long-standing Taliban demand, is a key component 
        of the ongoing talks between the United States and the Taliban.
            (9) The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as 
        ISIS, grew rapidly after the United States withdrawal of forces 
        from Iraq in 2011. Today, ISIS still controls thousands of 
        militants, including in Afghanistan.
            (10) According to the administration's South Asia strategy, 
        announced by the President in August 2017, ``Conditions on the 
        ground--not arbitrary timetables--will guide our strategy from 
        now on.''.

SEC. 3. BRIEFING ON UNITED STATES-TALIBAN OR AFGHAN TALKS AND ANY 
              EFFECTS ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY WHO ARE DEPLOYED TO 
              AFGHANISTAN.

    (a) Briefing Required.--The Secretary of State or the Special 
Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation shall, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Defense, brief the appropriate congressional 
committees regarding talks with the Afghan government or the Taliban if 
any such talks are ongoing, as well as the effects these talks are 
having or will have on the posture of United States Armed Forces in 
Afghanistan. The briefing may be provided in unclassified or classified 
form.
    (b) Monthly Update.--A briefing described in paragraph (1) shall 
occur--
            (1) not later than 30 days after any initial diplomatic 
        engagement with the Taliban or the Afghan Government;
            (2) not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act, 
        if such engagement is ongoing on such date of enactment; and
            (3) every 30 days thereafter until the close of talks.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on 
        Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
        Senate.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS TO REDUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY WHO 
              ARE DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN.

    (a) In General.--None of the funds made available to the Department 
of Defense for fiscal year 2019 may be used to reduce the total number 
of members of the United States Armed Forces serving on active duty who 
are deployed to Afghanistan below 10,000 unless, not later than 180 
days prior to such reduction, the Director of National Intelligence 
certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the 
Taliban--
            (1) including chief and deputy Taliban leaders who may not 
        have been present at the talks between the United States and 
        the Taliban, has rejected al Qaeda by name;
            (2) has committed not to--
                    (A) fight alongside al Qaeda;
                    (B) have financial ties with al Qaeda;
                    (C) communicate with al Qaeda; and
                    (D) have any other affiliation with al Qaeda;
            (3) supports the legitimacy of the Afghan Constitution;
            (4) commits to protecting the rights of women and girls to 
        access public healthcare, hold property, access education, and 
        have freedom of movement;
            (5) commits to stop receiving funds and military support 
        from non-Afghan governments or organizations;
            (6) will assist and be an active participant with the 
        Government of the United States and the Government of 
        Afghanistan in future counterterrorism operations;
            (7) commits to ensuring that its full membership is subject 
        to the assurances described in this paragraph; and
            (8) commits to turn over to the Government of Afghanistan 
        any members of the Taliban that violate any of the assurances 
        described in this paragraph.
    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on 
        Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
        Senate.
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