The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would direct the Department of Defense to share intelligence with former Afghan army and police units, as well as other armed groups resisting the Taliban.
The measure, introduced by Republican Congressman Eli Crane of Arizona, was adopted by voice vote during deliberations on the annual defense bill in September.
According to the text of the amendment, “The Secretary of Defense shall provide such intelligence sharing as the Secretary determines appropriate with units of the former Afghan Army and police forces, as well as other units the Secretary determines are resistance units, for purposes of countering the Taliban.”
Supporters of the measure described it as an initial step toward renewed US engagement with anti-Taliban groups following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. The provision grants wide discretion to the US Secretary of Defense in determining which units qualify as resistance groups and the nature of the intelligence to be shared.
The amendment must still be taken up by the Senate and survive the reconciliation process before being included in the final version of the NDAA.
