The USA’s failed hasty departure from Afghanistan leaves untied knots after 20 years with trails of destruction in the brave war-torn nation
The United States, the world’s superpower, the biggest democracy, and also the hugest supporter of human rights and justice stretches its empire over the world in such propensities that if the USA calls night the day, it becomes the day, and if it calls the day the night, it converts to the night, figuratively speaking!
In a strange way, the USA presumes that no country or ruler of the world should dare to confront it and nothing on this earth should move without its consent. If anyone dares to go against the tide of the USA, they become an enemy not only of America but of humanity.
What kind of democracy does America want in other countries still remains a shrouded mystery. Even if the people of a nation democratically elect their leader, America puts a dictator’s tag around their necks, then the world would just have to fall in line and accept that the leader is a dictator. On the other hand, if a dictator is awarded the medal of a democratic head of state, he becomes a democratic leader.
America has tried to impose its decisions on the world leaving a chaotic mess in the piles of ruins. Many heads of state in many countries have been put to death through American resolution. However, the truth is no one has designated the USA to be the decision-maker of the world, but the US is not willing to accept that theirs is an unwanted interference.
An endless series of destruction and violence in the Afghan nation
In 2003, the US attacked Iraq, a highly prosperous and well-developed country, to establish “democracy”. It overthrew the government of President Saddam Hussein and hanged him, but ten years later America ran away amid millions of graves of the dead who lost their lives to the bloody war.
In 2011, it arrived there to liberate Syria from the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad, but once again, the US abandoned Syria in the middle of the massive conflict that created several terrorist organizations such as ISIS. Syria turned into a bed of ruins living in daily dread at the edge of a sword with no liberation from dictator Bashar al-Assad, nor any leader left strong enough to take up the name and ideals of democracy.
Earlier in 2001, America invaded Afghanistan in the name of a campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Sadly, Afghanistan in conflict struggled in ruins and poverty, and after twenty years, America suddenly fled, abandoning people swamped in fears amid a mass trail of destruction and confusion.
In light of this, it is important to review what Afghanistan has lost and gained in this 20-year war.
America almost admitted its failure
The US has almost acknowledged its failure by declaring the end of the twenty-year-old war in Afghanistan. This war had become a bone in America’s throat that it could neither chew nor swallow. That is why, as soon as Biden became President of the United States, he announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. However, this was originally decided in the peace deal with the Taliban in Qatar last year.
Now with the closure of the largest military base in Afghanistan, it seems that the US has formally declared an end to the Afghan war. The withdrawal of US troops from Bagram Air Base, about 60 km from Kabul, is being seen as the end of US intervention in Afghanistan, as the US and its allies carried out all their operations from the same airbase.
On September 11, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan with the aim of avenging the terrorist attacks. In fact, the responsibility of these attacks went to al-Qaeda, whose leader Osama bin Laden was then in a Taliban sanctuary in Afghanistan. So the US launched a “global war on terror” on October 7, 2001, with airstrikes on the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In this war, on the one hand, were the Northern Alliance, America, Britain, Canada, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, and Germany, and on the opposite side, were the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, 055 Brigade, Harkat-e-Islami Uzbekistan, Tehrik-e-Nifaz Shariat -e-Mohammadi and Turkestan Islamic Party.
On 13 November 2001, US-backed Northern Alliance forces entered Kabul and the Taliban retreated south. Nearly a month of bombings and attacks forced the Taliban to leave the field. On May 2, 2003, US officials announced the end of a major war campaign in Afghanistan.
Taliban emerges as a strong force
Meanwhile, America, under the leadership of US President George W. Bush, seemingly thirsty for the blood of Muslims, started preparing for an invasion of Iraq for which a massive Army of American soldiers and military equipment were deployed to Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan even though the end of the war was declared, in reality, it proved to be the beginning of the war.
The Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other extremist groups were given an opportunity to regain their footing when the focus of the US and its allies turned to Iraq, and they consolidated themselves in the south and east of Afghanistan.
Now, once again, the Taliban have emerged as a strong force and it is quite possible that they will return to power as soon as America leaves. There are also observations that if the Taliban do not regain power, civil war will, once again, break out in Afghanistan. Thus, the process of destruction and devastation will continue to ravage the fate of the Afghans.
America’s real objective in the Afghan war was to capture Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, but people voice that “From the plains of Afghanistan to the mountains of Tora Bora, they searched for Osama, but could not capture him.” People still believe that Osama bin Laden is alive and “his role, his life, and his death remain a mystery to this day”, according to them.
According to a report, two lakh 41 thousand people died in this 20-year war. Among them, 71 thousand 344 civilians, 2 thousand 442 American soldiers, 78 thousand 314 Afghan security personnel, and 84 thousand 191 adversaries were killed. According to this recent report, so far 22 trillion 60 billion dollars of America have been spent in this war.
America, which ousted the Taliban, is responsible for their return. America hast departure from Afghanistan signifies failure, a blundered move taken at a terrible wrong time. Unfortunately, this has definitely boosted the morale of the Taliban. The Taliban has secured a strong base in Afghanistan and is powerful, and the manner in which the US escaped leaving the Afghanis in the lurch is being perceived by the Taliban as their big victory.
In fact, as soon as the US withdrawal was announced and the withdrawal of troops began, the Taliban began capturing different provinces and cities in the country in quick succession. These captures took place after bloody skirmishes at many places and in many places the soldiers of the current Ashraf Ghani government themselves laid down their arms.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that the Taliban has taken complete control of about 150 districts, of which about 100 are in the north of the country. It is also reported that about 1000 Afghan soldiers entered Tajikistan to save their lives. It is believed that the Taliban will soon take over the whole of Afghanistan and if this happens, the US, which ousted the Taliban from power, will be responsible for their return.
At the same time, neighboring countries whose interests are linked to Afghanistan, such as Pakistan, Iran, India, China, Russia and Tajikistan, are focused not only on the current situation in Afghanistan but are also eager to use the situation to their own advantage while also working on future strategies. Whether peace or bloodshed will continue in Afghanistan in the future will largely depend on these countries. It remains to be seen how all these forces contend with the Taliban to decide the final outcome in the battle-ravaged courageous nation.
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