Global Political and Social Awareness - The Blunder in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is no stranger to conflict. For over forty years, the country has been invaded by a number of powers such as the Soviet Union and the United States with its allies in NATO. Like what has happened before, the country has once again returned to the hands of a group that know the country better than anyone else, the Taliban. Of course, the Taliban did not exist when the Soviets invaded from the North. Their predecessors were there but like the USA, the Soviet Union withdrew. How did this happen this time with the USA and its allies? Let's take a look.

There are many reasons why the War in Afghanistan failed. Firstly, the Afghani military which has been funded, supplied, and trained by American forces and her NATO partners since 2001, was deeply corrupt and incapable of large-scale warfare. Many officers weren't capable of supplying their forces logistically, and give them any form of support. There was hardly any communication and long-term goals the high command wanted to accomplish. Sure they were interested in defeating the Taliban but there wasn't much motivation involved in doing so. Furthermore, as politics got involved it became more difficult to focus on the big fish. Many Afghani troops fought alongside NATO throughout the last two decades but when the United States determined to pull out its forces like other NATO member countries, the Afghanis weren't sure what they were fighting for. They only had main control of urban centers and Kabul. The Taliban held the high ground in the rural area which made up a vast majority of Afghanistan. Plus, many rural dwellers supported the Taliban and saw them as saviors in repelling foreign intruders. They believed what the Taliban believed and joined them to reclaim their country from NATO-backed forces. No one knows the country better than the ones who were born and raised in it. They had plenty of hideouts, tunnels, and hand-built infrastructure to remain unseen. Afghanistan is a big country with mountainous terrain in many places. There are plenty of spots where the Taliban can seek shelter. Suddenly on their own, the Afghani military didn't have the morale and combat experience the Americans had hoped to wage a pronounced war against their enemies and their sympathizers.

It is safe to say that a good number of Afghani troops had a positive opinion of the Taliban. In many Arab countries, the USA and her allies are extremely unpopular. The West has a lifestyle that many Arabs (Sunni, Shiite and their extremist factions) detest. Given the history of warfare by the United States on foreign soils all over the world especially in the Middle East, it is safe to say that countless people in the region will have a stark negative opinion of the country and its sheer military might. As a result, many Afghani troops aligned with the Taliban and other jihadist groups to wage war against American infidels. They see them as invaders and they will do everything they can to stop their advancement. As soon as President Trump signed a deal with the Taliban, the plan was made immediately to reconquer Afghanistan from the occupying forces. This is one of the reasons why there was no fighting as the Taliban swept in. Military hardware and ammunition were abandoned, only to be scooped up. Another reason is that many Afghanis are truly afraid of the Taliban and did not want to die in their hands. Instead, they abandoned their post and ran. The desertion of troops bolstered the Taliban's arsenal and they became even more dangerous. 

I think it is ridiculous that the previous American government under Trump brokered a deal with the Taliban regarding their withdrawal. You never make a deal with terrorists. You never negotiate with them. Why? Because they will do whatever they want to achieve their goals. They don't care what others think about them or about the expectations they have of them. If they want something, they will get it. They will turn their back on the negotiated points and aims and start demanding things that weren't even agreed upon. They will destroy, shoot, and kill anything that gets in their way and this is exactly what has happened in Kabul and in other previously occupied locations all over the country. 

There is untold chaos, misery, and uncertainty all over the country, especially in Kabul. Many people fear mass murder, destruction of their ways of life that were protected by Western forces since 2001, and disappearances of friends and families that worked with the USA and her allies. Hundreds of thousands of people have withdrawn their savings from the accounts and fleeing. Embassies and government buildings were deserted and taken over. Security checkpoints were set up by Taliban forces to curb evacuations. Reports of killings against peaceful Afghanis have already taken place. I don't know how many people are hiding but it is safe to say that thousands are. That's because the life they have fought for is disappearing. Women and girls will not be able to attend school. They won't be allowed to work. They will be forced to live under their husbands under every circumstance. If they disobey, they will be executed. It is a devastating reality for them. 

It was silly for President Biden to believe that the Afghani forces could fight off their enemies once the United States departs. He believes that the USA should not be fighting other people's wars anymore and must learn to defend their own sovereignty. It is reported that Biden's administration did know about the Afghani military's incompetence and corruption but he still firmly believed that they could achieve their goals without NATO's help. To control the damage that has been done by pulling out, Biden has to make sure that his troops and allies evacuate from Kabul as quickly as possible. The more is saved, the better for him and his government. That will be his legacy. 

Videos of helicopters and planes evacuating people from Kabul reminds me of what I saw in videos of Saigon in 1975. It looks identical to what transpired in Vietnam more than forty-six years ago. US forces arrive to pacify the country under their terms, but when they leave, it is all for nothing. In Vietnam, there was an extensive push to prevent Communism from taking over. As the Viet Minh took over, Vietnam became communist much like its neighbors. After the Trade Centre was destroyed by Al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden, the US and her allies occupied Afghanistan and Iraq and besieged them. It weakened the Taliban and Al-Qaeda but it did not eliminate them. Osama bin Laden was eventually killed but another fanatic will take his place or already has. Iraq today is in shambles. Two trillion dollars were spent by the US to pacify Afghanistan but it was all for nothing. What's worst are the families whose loved ones fought for their countries knowing that their deaths did not achieve much. They are now asking themselves, "was it worth it?" The Taliban now runs Afghanistan and Iraq is a shell of its former self.