September 10, 2025

The September 11 terror attacks profoundly impacted international politics, leading to a 20-year-long War in Afghanistan that concluded with the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021. In ‘Reflecting on America’s Withdrawal From Afghanistan: The View From Southeast Asia’ (Armed Forces & Society, 2023), Associate Professor Terence Lee (NUS Political Science) delves into the implications of the war and the U.S.’s hasty exit on Southeast Asia. Assoc. Prof. Lee analyses the region’s reactions to the initial U.S. military involvement and assesses America’s evolving role in the Indo-Pacific’s security architecture post-Afghanistan.

In the early 21st century, a wave of terrorist attacks across Southeast Asia followed the September 11 attacks, pressuring regional governments to contribute to the U.S.-led Global War on Terrorism. This prompted a mixed response, as governments had to balance cooperation with the U.S. against domestic concerns, particularly from nationalist and Islamic groups. Countries like the Philippines and Singapore quickly supported the U.S. with military facilities and intelligence sharing, while Muslim-majority nations like Indonesia and Malaysia were more cautious, wary of framing counterterrorism as an attack on Islam.

Throughout the war, only three Southeast Asian militaries were physically deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Assoc. Prof. Lee attributes these differing responses to factors such as defence diplomacy and domestic policy considerations. For Singapore and Malaysia, participating in international peacekeeping and support missions was seen as a way to play an active role in global politics, enhance international ties, and reinforce deterrence. Thailand’s deployment, on the other hand, reflected its longstanding security arrangements with the U.S., which included regular bilateral and multilateral military exercises.

Assoc. Prof. Lee concludes by suggesting that the Biden Administration’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan could benefit Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. He argues that this shift allows the U.S. to reallocate security resources to address strategic threats in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in response to China’s growing assertiveness. This pivot is underscored by the creation of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership in 2021 and the revival of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, highlighting Biden’s focus on prioritising Indo-Pacific security over prolonged conflicts in the Middle East. However, Lee notes that the durability of these commitments may be tested with future changes in U.S. leadership.

Read the article here.