The country's reconstruction attempt was doomed from the outset. When the Taliban acquired power, they began pursuing and executing Afghans who worked with the US to form a civil government. The US abandoning of Afghans, along with the Taliban's violent strategy, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghans.

American Betrayal In Afghanistan (Part -3)

The Afghan Debacle

The Afghan war started in October 2001 in the aftermath of the Twin Tower attacks and lingered for 20 years without any decisive outcome. It was the longest and most expensive war for the USA. 

 

The resilience of Taliban fighters shocked and exposed the limitations of the American war machine. With most of its allies have withdrawn their forces in 2014, American troops also changed their strategy. The US forces limited their activities to training Afghan troops for a combat role. They were only available to the Afghan army in a supporting role, encouraging Afghan National Security Forces to be at the forefront. 

After a prolonged period of fighting, the escalating cost of war and no remedy in sight to end the stalemate forced the US to start looking for a face-saving exercise by entering into 'peace talks' with the Taliban. Moreover, ending the war and bringing troops home became a burning election issue in America, with successive Presidential candidates focusing on troop withdrawal. Eventually, the Biden administration decided to conclude the operations and ordered a retreat.

 

It is necessary to emphasize that despite the world community's constant support and good intentions, the elected politicians couldn't bring stability to Afghanistan.

Taliban Returned to its Old Ways

The global community attempted to reconcile and play a role in reconstruction, but all efforts were futile. In the end, it was the Taliban who triumphed and began harassing citizens, especially women and religious minorities.

 

The world community tried its best to usher in a new era of development and to wean Afghanis away from radical ideology and bloodshed. International donors poured billions of dollars in aid to support the noble cause. Countries such as India, which has a strategic interest in the stability of Afghanistan, have contributed over $750 million in assistance to Afghanistan.

 

However, the inefficiencies of the Afghan administration, large-scale corruption, infighting among politicians who were former warlords, and crimes committed by government officials have disappointed the Afghanis. In addition, the ineffectiveness of the Afghan National Army in protecting vast swathes of territory and civilians from terrorists further eroded the confidence of civilians.

The Taliban shifted gears and continuously changed their strategy until they captured Kabul. During their struggle, they undermined the government machinery and remained aggressive. Taliban is attempting to win the people's confidence by adopting a dual strategy. 

 

They were threatening violence against civilians supporting the erstwhile government and reminding people of times when the Taliban succeeded in stamping out corruption and lawlessness and making the roads and areas under their control safe for commerce to flourish. The tactics eventually proved successful. 

What Fueled the Taliban's Rise to Power?

The Taliban, who regrouped successfully under the leadership of Mulla Omar with tacit support from the Pakistan Military, had sound financial backing. The Taliban leadership was well-funded and protected, which helped them strategize to take on their enemies at will. With an annual income of around $1.7 billion, the Taliban emerged as a powerful self-funding terror group well entrenched.

 

Since 2002, the money collected through different sources such as drug trade, illegal mining of natural resources, taxation on goods and transit fees on vehicles plying in controlled areas helped the Taliban maintain the insurgency and finance more attacks on the establishment. 

Pakistan's tacit support and hobnobbing with terror outfits benefited the Taliban immensely.

 

The Final Betrayal

Sadly, Afghanistan today has become a battleground for all major powers to extract a pound of flesh for themselves. As a result, the vested interests of groups within and outside Afghanistan have become a stumbling block to lasting peace in Afghanistan.

 

In this tug-of-war between negotiators and the Taliban, Afghan society stands to lose the most. In the last 20 years, the narratives and goals of the Afghan war kept changing. Unfortunately, the values for which the war started and was once a noble effort has long been forgotten. Supporters of women's rights, human rights, and civil society are dismayed today.

 

The Taliban's refusal to respect Afghanis' human rights, uphold international laws, avoid violence, and give equal rights to Afghan women during discussions was not taken into account by negotiators. Unfortunately, the US and its partners were more interested in a face-saving formula than negotiating a meaningful settlement with the Taliban. As a result, the civilized world bowed down in the face of lunatics. 

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