American Betrayal In Afghanistan (Part -2)
America Strikes Back
Following the breakdown of negotiations, battle lines were drawn between the mighty American war machine and deeply rooted Taliban fighters with a history of wrestling Russia. The military campaign began 27 days after approximately 3000 Americans were killed in the horrific twin towers attack.
The main goal of the United States 'Operation Enduring Freedom' was to demolish Al-Qaeda's infrastructure by ousting the Taliban from power. On the ground, fighters loyal to the Northern Alliance joined the military operation against the Taliban.
The United States was aided in its fight against terror by its allies. Yet, at the same time, the Taliban received no open backing from any nations that recognized its authority, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
As the U.S. started its campaign, the Taliban couldn't withstand the military might of US-led forces and, within two months, lost most of the Afghan territory under its control. By December 17, 2001, the Taliban were knocked out of power, and American-led forces built military bases near major cities nationwide to provide security.
The Emergence of Civil Society
As the Taliban retreated, the U.N. Security Council, led by the United States, advocated the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces to protect Afghan land from the Taliban. International Security Forces led by the United States were to train Afghan forces to take up the task when it was ready.
On the political front, Hamid Karzai was appointed as the leader of the transitional administration to supervise the start of the country's diplomatic process. Following successful elections in 2004, Hamid Karzai was elected the first President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Civil liberties were introduced with some semblance of peace returning to Afghanistan, and women's rights were actively supported. Moreover, the establishment emphasized the improvement of necessary physical infrastructure along with economic and educational reforms.
Afghanistan received generous cooperation from the international community in the form of Billions of dollars to improve health, education, human rights, etc.
Afghan women and girls treated as second-class citizens during the Taliban era were permitted to return to school and university and contribute to their country's development.
However, with all these development activities taking place in Afghanistan, there's always a danger of the Taliban lurking around. It is essential to understand that they were forced out of power but not defeated by the USA.
Pakistan Comes to the Taliban's Aid
Contrary to popular belief, most al-Qaeda and Taliban members were neither arrested nor killed. Instead, they quickly fled to adjacent Pakistan over the porous border or withdrew to Afghanistan's rural or distant mountainous districts, away from American strikes.
Following that, the Taliban gradually began reorganizing within the safe havens of tribal areas of Pakistan under the command of Mulla Omar. Then, despite continuous American ground and air forces, the Taliban, more acclimatized to the mountainous environment, unleashed an audacious guerilla attack against US-led troops across the Pakistan border.
The Taliban's more brutal and deceptive tactics were victorious against the ill-prepared US-led troops, who began losing soldiers in more significant numbers. Since the beginning of the conflict, America has lost almost 2300 troops and another 20,500 injured, although the number of casualties among all allies is far greater.
Despite some initial setbacks, the Taliban adapted well to the changing scenario of the battlefield. They started their offensive from bordering areas of the AF-PAK border and quickly escalated to the heart of the country. As the Taliban increased its strength, massive-scale attacks on government buildings, military bases and suicide attacks on civilian locations in urban areas increased exponentially.
Taliban Were Waiting in the Shadows
Patience and perseverance proved effective in the Taliban's win over Western nations. With time, the Taliban steadily regained power and lost ground, owing to battle-hardened warriors and geography that supported their combat strategy. Using patience and tenacity, the Taliban gradually expanded their authority across Afghanistan, leaving vast swaths of the country unstable and prone to murder.
Even when pressure was put on Pakistan to rein in terrorists on its soil or with successful raids by U.S. forces to filter out terrorists, it didn't do much in blunting the Taliban's offensive capabilities.
To some extent, the United States achieved its initial objective of denying terror groups like al-Qaeda sanctuary while neutralizing its senior leadership. Nonetheless, the momentum seems to have shifted in favour of the Taliban.
The U.S., for its part, gradually started realizing the futility of the continuity of the conflict it was sucked into. Despite constant commitment towards Afghanistan regarding men and material, US-led forces were losing much more than human lives.
Tide Has Turned Now
Sensing fatigue in enemy camps, the Taliban also increased its offensive. Emboldened by the violence unleashed against the U.S.-led forces and civilians, the Taliban re-emerged as a force to reckon with that can no longer be sidelined.
As the bodies began to pile up, the divisions within U.S. allies came to the fore. They were no longer interested in committing their troops to the battlefront, forcing the U.S. to shoulder the responsibility alone. The limitations of the U.S.-led forces, large-scale corruption in governance, and tribal divisions within government provided a suitable ground for the Taliban to get a seat at the negotiating table.
With no end to the war in sight and the resurgence of the Taliban visible, the U.S. was pressured to negotiate with the Taliban to end the stalemate.
Image courtesy - Google Images
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