Americans broadly oppose recognition of the Taliban government or releasing funds frozen by the United States to that government, as per the results of the 2022 Chicago Council Survey. Few Americans favour recognizing Taliban (14%) or releasing frozen funds to the group (18%).
One of the findings of the survey, which had been conducted between July 15 and August 1, was also that Americans support helping the people of Afghanistan through direct aid and by taking in Afghans leaving the country. There is broad bipartisan support for taking in Afghans who worked with the United States during the war (76% overall), and more limited support for any Afghan fleeing the country (56% overall). Three-quarters (73%) support providing food aid to the Afghan people.
Since the collapse of the US-backed government of Afghanistan in 2021, over 76,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States. A majority of Americans (76%), including majorities of Democrats (85%), Independents (78%), and Republicans (67%), support the United States giving refuge to Afghans who worked with the United States during the war. A smaller majority also back acceptance of any Afghan refugees into the United States (56%), but this support is partisan. While seven in 10 Democrats (72%) and over half of Independents (56%) say the United States should accept Afghan refugees, only a third of Republicans agree (34%; 64% oppose).
The survey comes as the Taliban completes a year of ruling the country after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021.
At a time when Afghans are experiencing dire levels of hunger, exacerbated by the slashing of Ukrainian grain exports due to war, bipartisan majorities of Americans support direct aid to the people of Afghanistan. Three-quarters overall (73%), including large majorities of Democrats (82%), Independents (73%), and Republicans (64%), support providing food aid to the Afghan people.
Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, the United States also froze billions in Afghan government funds, a policy tied to the government’s ongoing involvement with al-Qaeda and its now-dead leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Eight in 10 Americans (79%) oppose releasing those frozen funds back to the government of Afghanistan. That opposition is bipartisan, including nine in 10 Republicans (89%) and three-quarters of Independents (75%) and Democrats (74%).
This analysis is based on data from the 2022 Chicago Council Survey of the American public on foreign policy, a project of the Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy.
