On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, AISS hosted the second day of 12th the Herat Security Dialogue in Madrid, Spain, under the theme “Afghanistan: Reviving Hope; Synergetic Efforts.” The discussions continued with the participation of experts, politicians, diplomats, human rights advocates, policymakers, and representatives of political movements, focusing on Afghanistan’s ongoing political and social crises.

The second day opened with a special conversation with John Sopko, the former U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) by Sami Mahdi. Sopko dismissed the idea of retrieving American military equipment from Afghanistan as “pointless,” He said, “The cost of retrieving this equipment would exceed its actual value.”

Sopko stated that over the past two decades, a large amount of weaponry had been supplied to Afghan forces, much of which has either been destroyed or fallen into disrepair.

“The problem was, we have built into the American system to lie to the American people,” said Sopko.

He stated that since the collapse of the previous government, the U.S. has allocated $21 billion to Afghanistan, of which $3.7 billion has been designated for humanitarian aid. “The humanitarian aid provided to Afghanistan has had no real impact on the Taliban’s views on women, children, education, and human rights,” he said.

Despite the U.S. officially cutting off direct financial support, Sopko says that U.S. cash aid is still being sent to Afghanistan and that the amount is “significant.”

As Sopko spoke, a woman clad in a protest burqa walked through the hall - a silent yet powerful statement on the dire conditions women face under the Taliban’s gender apartheid.