With the troops gone, the Taliban reigns supreme
"No day shall erase you from the memory of time." Virgil's words hang bright against a dull backdrop in the 9/11 memorial museum. There is no denying that the events of that fateful day were horrifying, the place where the twin towers once stood remains hollow to this day, with about 3000 Americans killed and many more left victims. Yet despite how impactful these events may have been, the response to 9/11 is what still rings across halls today. George W. Bush declared a war on terror, warning nations and people around the world that they either stood with the United States or they stood with the terrorists.
Of course, no one wanted to see the wrong side of the country’s true might, either diplomatically or economically and certainly not militarily. Therefore, it was only expected that America won’t be fighting alone and that whatever would happen would be brutal. That response is the reason that news channels still display the smoke and fire escaping those buildings, that harrowing collapse is once again in headlines now because the United States finally ended the war on terror.
The collapse of the country was expected but the speed at which it fell to Taliban influence was breath-taking. It appeared that overnight all the progress that the western allies had made in the country was wiped clean, the government put in place by America fell and as did the army that the allies spent billions to train. All the weapons that they left behind in order to aid the Afghan military forces have been taken in by the Taliban forces. As of today, the Taliban has taken over the Afghan parliament and appointed its own bigwigs. The truth however is that the Taliban were never truly defeated and that they had been building up to their final offensive for a long time. All that the American presence did was hold them at bay at the moment even though they weren’t too far from a complete takeover of Kabul and much of inner Afghanistan.
The crowds that gathered around the Kabul airport were the first images that escaped the scene. People, young and old alike, scrambled around a plane. Some stuffed themselves in its many crevices and as expected when the plane took off a couple fell to their deaths. This desperation to get out is what served as the highlight for Joe Biden’s move, with people criticising it for its lack of planning. The Biden administration pulled out the last of the American troops before it did the civilians that wish to escape. Many that have aided America’s and its allies’ in their decades long campaign have also been abandoned.
When it came to leaving, America didn’t have much of a pleasant choice. The hope of establishing a stable democracy, one that led by the ideals of secularism and equality and more importantly ensured peace for the Afghan people was long lost. This was partly at the fault of the Bush administration, due to its decision not to maintain a long-standing presence for a permanent occupation or to have a periodical version of the same, he set about building a nation that could stand on its own feet. And yet he didn’t take the challenge for what it was, not devoting enough resources on ground and not prioritising Afghan’s own security forces and police. Afghanistan is also surrounded by many nations’ hostile to America, such as Iran and Russia who share similar interests and would interfere with the US goals. Thus, the campaign gained its name ‘the forever war’ as each president after Bush was left with an uneasy dilemma. Who is going to accept defeat?
The Obama administration gave pulling US troops out a thought but eventually wavered, the whereas Trump made ending the war a campaign promise. Eventually Trump as president did negotiate a deal of his own, attempting to find some peace with the Taliban and promising the withdrawal of troops. This, it is understood, was his last-ditch resort to gain some traction for his re-election bid. Of course, that never worked out and thus it was Biden who inherited this agreement and now looking back at the travesty that the American withdrawal has been, this deal is what the president blames. However, Biden’s attempt to use Trump as a scapegoat are misleading because the deal came with the condition that America could withdraw and the Biden administration had multiple avenues to renegotiate should they have wished to do so. Therefore, should this messy only be blamed on the current US administration?
Yes. And no. Of course, the previous administrations played their part and in some ways Biden’s decision to finally accept the loss can be seen as a brave move, however America’s allies that first charged into battle with it also had their part to play. Not many have done their duty to the Afghan people. Germany broke its post war tradition in deploying over 150,000 troops to Afghanistan, the UK also replied with its own forces once America beckoned. Neither have been able to make much of a difference in the state since America left, just as it was the US that took the initiative to invade, its decision to withdraw has been equally reciprocated by all allies on ground. Mr. Macron was his part had always been sceptical of Europe’s reliance on America, and although he too is retreating French troops his administration is said to have been in talks with the Taliban on the issue of evacuations. Boris Johnson himself has never been particularly renowned for his foreign policy and his own response in Afghanistan has been rather underwhelming.
Ultimately the reality on the ground is that the Taliban is in charge, so far, they’ve beaten up journalists, appointed an all-male cabinet and spread fear. Yet they say they’ve changed, they promise a peaceful and just Afghanistan. Whether we wish to believe their promises, the Taliban are certainly here to stay. In the end it’s the Afghan people that have to bear that burden.
Comments