EDITORIAL: Early August 31, 2021 morning, US diplomat stationed in Afghanistan Ross Wilson boarded the last C-17 flight out of Kabul, marking the end to the 20-plus years of occupation of Afghanistan. As he left celebratory gunfire resounded across the Afghan capital. “We made history again. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO ended tonight … I have this pride to see these historic moments,” said one of the senior officials in the Taliban movement, Anas Haqqani. This was America’s longest war and its retreat is as striking as was its withdrawal from Vietnam in the 1970s. Afghanistan had fallen to the United States and its allies in 2001 as they started daily air strikes after the Mulla Omar-headed Islamic Emirate refused to hand over Osama bin Laden. The long occupation and its retention by military force earned the invaders no respect as the world’s sole superpower.
That the 20-year-long war took a heavy toll on life is a fact. In its latest report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) pointed out that Washington spent 20 years and $145 billion trying to rebuild Afghanistan, its security forces, civilian government institutions, economy and civil society. And the Pentagon spent $837 billion on war-fighting, during which 2,443 Americans and 1,444 allied troops were killed. The losses of life on part of the Afghan were 66,000 killed ( SIGAR described the figure as ‘’likely significant underestimation’’). Is Afghanistan occupied by democratic countries for 20 years is anything called a democratic state and no more fertile for poppy growing or inhospitable to the terrorist outfits? Surely, the answer will be in the negative. The Taliban have won the war but how to rule the fractured country is their next battlefront.
Having lost wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan the United States and its camp-followers in West are expected to have learnt some valuable lessons. So is expected to be the case with the Taliban. Everything changes, so must be the second generation of the Taliban. Of multiple challenges they are likely to confront the most critical are in the sectors of national economy, inclusive governance, women’s rights and international relations. Money was no serious problem for their predecessors in office – nearly 60 percent of their budgets were foreign-funded, a routine not to be in place till the United States and its anti-Taliban allies accord the Taliban government recognition. Given the possibility that a clutch of regional states, including China, may try filling up that gap the Kabul’s new rulers may get some relief. It is not known what will actually constitute an all-inclusive government in Afghanistan. But it increasingly appears that political opposition would be tolerated to the extent of receiving its support and cooperation on national issues. But where a clear change is expected to take place is the rights of women, the call for which is said to be emanating from within the hermitic premises also. Even when the Taliban came to power by defeating the US-led NATO forces recognition of their government should not be held hostage to the outcome of the war which they have clearly won. By refusing recognition the naysayers would not be hurting the Taliban elite; in fact, they will be adding to the misery of the common man in Afghanistan. The world community must not lose sight of the fact that if the Taliban government is allowed to wither on the vine Afghanistan will turn out to be a fertile ground for cultivation of extremist outfits, particularly the Islamic State.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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