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Transition to Afghan Lead (2011 – 2014) Executive Summary: The period between 2011 and 2014 marked a pivotal transition in Afghanistan as the United States and its NATO allies began a gradual drawdown of forces and a transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The initial phase saw the commencement of the US troop withdrawal in July 2011 1, followed by the implementation of the "Inteqal" process, which progressively transferred security lead to the ANSF on a province-by-province basis, culminating in the ANSF formally taking the lead for security operations nationwide by June 2013.4 This period also involved protracted negotiations over a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between the US and Afghanistan, which President Karzai initially refused to sign but was eventually signed by his successor, President Ghani.6 The contentious 2014 presidential election led to a significant political crisis resolved through a US-brokered National Unity Government.8 The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) formally concluded its combat mission on December 28, 2014.11 Throughout this transition, both US and ISAF troop levels underwent significant fluctuations, reflecting the drawdown strategy.14…