Since the U.S. invasion in 2001, Washington and its
partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have spent hundreds
of billions of dollars on Afghanistan’s reconstruction. They aimed to develop
the country’s democracy, train security forces, build roads and hospitals, and expand
rights for women and minority communities.
The results have been mixed. Afghans achieved
greater political and media freedoms, a higher standard of living, and expanded
educational opportunities for women and girls. Yet, they also suffered the
disastrous consequences of a war that didn’t end: the fighting killed thousands
of people and spurred a new exodus of Afghans, who by 2001 already constituted
the world’s largest refugee population.
Now, the Taliban—which gained control over
significant territory in recent years—has returned to power on the heels of the
United States’ withdrawal, threatening hard-won gains and increasing the
likelihood of further conflict and displacement.
These graphics show how the situation in Afghanistan
has improved in some ways and deteriorated in others over the past twenty
years.
The Taliban—an Islamic fundamentalist group that
first ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001—is stronger now than at any point
in the past two decades. In the months after U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed
that all U.S. troops would be removed from Afghanistan, the Taliban rapidly
expanded its control. Taliban fighters captured major cities and, in August,
took over Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital and seat of government. The group also
allegedly negotiated surrenders with
Afghan security forces and seized critical border posts. It is now poised to
return to power, pledging to engage in talks with Afghan officials to form an “open,
inclusive Islamic government.”
The US rushing to withdraw from Afghanistan has left
a "mess for the region." The US is eager to withdraw its troops from
Afghanistan and leave the mess to the Afghan people and regional countries. This
exposed Washington's "hypocrisy behind its guise of defending democracy
and human rights."
As the US and allied forces are in the process of
exiting Afghanistan following 20 years of occupation that started in 2001
against the Taliban, accused of harboring the al-Qaeda terror group.
Under a deal signed between the US and Taliban in the Qatari capital Doha in February 2020, foreign forces were supposed to have made a complete withdrawal by a May 1 deadline which was later unilaterally extended by the Joe Biden administration until Sept. 11 this year. Around 90% of US forces have left the war-torn country, leaving a on-going humanitarian crisis for the world now. What a hypocrisy of American-style of democracy!./.
All comments [ 21 ]
The mission was one big lie. Joe Biden is determined to see that the mission overseen by four US presidents won't be handed on to a fifth. Human rights? Women's rights? Democracy? That's no longer the West's problem, it seems, it's suddenly for Afghans to sort out among themselves.
Blame game has intensified in Washington as the White House is scrambling to contain the fallout of a humiliating end to the 20-year war in Afghanistan and Republicans are sparing no efforts to exploit President Joe Biden's handling of the messy withdrawal from Kabul.
U.S. military strategists had become engulfed in mission creep, in a failed attempt to create a Western-style Democracy in the embattled nation.
After fighting the "longest war" in its history, the US is now witnessing a complete failure in Afghanistan, a country also known as "the Graveyard of Empires," which is a "page of shame" that the US has written for itself.
This is another Saigon time for the US. This is the "fall of Kabul" just as the "fall of Saigon" which is a shame in US history.
The US has left is a total mess drawn out over the past two decades!
Over the past 20 years, Afghanistan has been stuck in misery. The war has not only killed at least 100,000 civilians but has also left the country with difficulties in rebuilding its economy and political system.
The US should realize that its plan to wantonly create regimes did not suit local conditions and ultimately did not work.
Afghanistan is just further proof that the US is retreating its tentacle in the world. Stretching its arms everywhere in the world is not sustainable. Using their own mind to control, educate, and change others could only fail
This is the defeat of the US and is a "repeat" of Vietnam for the US.
The US has suffered five major blows: damage to American strength; to its reputation; to US diplomacy; to American democracy; and to US arrogance.
More than 20,000 US soldiers and officers were wounded in Afghanistan, and 2,300 were killed. More than $2.26 trillion was spent.
The "war on terrorism" that the US declared is a failure!
For Afghan people, the price is even heavier. About half of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the past 20 years were directly related to the US troops. The war also led to 2 million people becoming refugees and caused huge losses to property.
It can be concluded that the "nation-building" carried out by the US in Afghanistan lacks feasible goals and coherent, clear strategies.
The real aim of the US entering Afghanistan was to build an America-model regime under its control.
Yes, the US built up a government in Afghanistan that largely relies on the US, but it never solved the problem of ethnic solidarity in Afghanistan.
Because of the "self-interest" of the US, what is left is a split and chaotic society in Afghanistan.
The faces of American imperialism, and postmodern-colonialism, hidden beneath American democracy and human rights, were revealed. People's frustration with what is called American democracy and human rights is another part of American legacy in Afghanistan.
American elites believed that the American democracy is the approach to prosperity and a solution to all social ills. But it did not work in Afghanistan.
The US thought it could fix world problems and change other countries through democracy, dollars, and guns. But the Taliban's return proves again that the US could not remake any country.
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