Manan Shah
As Ashraf Ghani flees Afghanistan, leaving what he once called his own people behind has caused unprecedented chaos and perhaps shocked the world. Taliban taking control of territory has made new headlines and caused pandemonium-like situations. The world has always seen the Taliban as Islamic hardliners and now as they assume the new charge, everyone is anticipating how they shall act and govern the land.
The region has largely been affected by the unwelcomed and illegitimate presence of external forces who have compromised the lives of civilians, caused human assault, and most importantly forged ways for the Taliban.
With the President, Joe Biden coming to power, the American hope on The Afghan War and the heavy presence of American troops on Afghan soil came to an unpopular end, withdrawing the U.S from Afghanistan, Alas! The damage is done.
Ever since the attacks of 9/11, the region has been much in the news. After the two planes crashed into twin towers, the American policy became more regressive and hard. U.S agencies accuse the Taliban of the attack which as a matter of fact was once aided by them and to defeat the U.S.S.R.
Though, it was not the first time that a foreign presence was stationed and used the Afghan land; rather there are series of such events in making Afghanistan as Graveyard of Empires, which we shall take a note of, as the article follows.
After the fall of the Durrani Empire, the land of Afghans was ever since turned into a battleground, perhaps a buffer state. This takes us to the episode of history, what was known as ‘The Great Game’ – the diplomatic and political confrontation during the 19th century between Britain and the Russian empire, in an effort to maintain both sovereignty and influence in the region.
The British were fearful that the Russias were planning to extend their empire in an attempt to occupy Afghanistan. Therefore, Britain executed plans to prevent and counter Russian actions. The importance of Afghanistan was substantially credited to its geographical location. The hold of Britain and Russia would mean better trade links with the East and the West, making high profits.
The great game was highly influenced by the British to gain dominance in Central Asia. It wanted to use the Ottoman Empire, the Persian empire, the Khanate of Khiva, and the Emirate of Bukhara as a buffer state with Russia. Thus, making way for the first attempt to exploit Afghan land to fit the needs of foreigners. The aim was to protect India – already a profitable colony for the British. Retreating Russia would imply no threat to the trade and as well as trade routes. Historians suggest that the great game is considered to have ended when the borders between Russia and Afghanistan were defined. It was finally in 1919, during the 3rd Anglo-Afghan war known as, “The war of independence in Afghanistan”, that the British recognized it as an independent nation.
This did not mean peace, the land was yet again exposed to foreign forces and this time the Soviet Union.
The Afghan War of 1978-92 started with an internal conflict between anti-communist Islamic Guerrillas and the communist government aided by the Soviet Union. The government in Afghanistan led by Nur Mohammad Raraki received no popular support and started to begin extensive land and social reforms leading to insurgencies by both tribal and urban groups, together known as ‘Mujahideen’. The rising anti-government sentiments eventually led to the Soviet invasion in December 1976, and the deployment of about 30,000 troops. Although, the support to the Mujahideen grew tremendously. The drawback came from the fact they were not one political entity rather divided into several independent uncoordinated groups.
Ironically, the U.S.A today expressed grief and concerns about the situation in Afghanistan when it was them who provided help and support to the Mujahideen with arms and ammunition via Pakistan, only to overpower its enemy U.S.S.R. and therefore to create its hegemony. With the disintegration of the U.S.S.R, Soviet troops were forced to leave and Afghanistan retained its independent status under an agreement signed by U.S.A, U.S.S.R, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. A win-win situation for the U.S.
However, it seems peace was never an option for Afghans. The rebel group formally aided by the United States turned against it and proclaimed Afghanistan as an Islamic republic; therefore, rose ‘Taliban,’ led by Mohammad Omar, the former commander of Mujahideen and the same anti-communist group once favoured by States.
It is unlikely that the U.S had intentions to leave Afghanistan. In this regard, the rise of the Taliban might be seen as a shrewd move by the States to use the region to fit its own diplomatic and political interests. Some are of the opinion that the U.S interests did not lie in safeguarding Afghanistan but rather in putting Russia on a backfoot by keeping the Taliban active. The region was again kept under indirect control only to be exploited as a Buffer state if required.
However, the strategy had failed when the Taliban refused to hand over Osama-bin-Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, accused of the 9/11 attacks.
Since then, the United States of America had been trying to clean its mess in Afghanistan, even after executing the Al-Qaeda leader on May 2, 2011. It claimed that the presence of their troops is to protect and safeguard Afghan interests and their sincere effort to prevent another attack like 9/11. After all, it was the most extreme attack in the States after becoming a world power. Although many suggest, it was to eliminate the Taliban only to come out clean after all they had supplied the weapons.
In the said manner, its efforts to secure Afghan interests was blown out of cover when some cache of classified documents was published, “The Afghan War Diary”. It disclosed unreported civilian deaths and casualties. It also mentioned the Taliban’s relation with Pakistan even though the former received aid from the U.S. Not surprising as mentioned earlier, how the U.S aided the latter via Pakistan.
Later, the series of talks began between two major stakeholders, the Taliban and U.S. However, the tension between the U.S and the Taliban did not stop which provoked public outrage. Incidents like U.S soldiers disposing of copies of the Quran by burning them sparked controversies. A video of U.S marines urinating on dead Afghans was circulated as well. On March 11, 2012, the U.S allegedly broke into the homes of people, leaving 17 dead, mostly women and children. Due to acts like such, the Taliban suspended participation in talks.
One must wonder why and how, not a single incident mentioned was leaked to the press while the U.S had a substantially harder approach to the war, rather suddenly sparks controversy during the peacemaking process. Maybe another successful attempt of the U.S to not giving up Afghanistan.
In 2014, the U.S and the allied forces formally ended their combat mission in Afghanistan with the signing of a Bi-lateral security agreement that allows international forces to be deployed in Afghanistan for “peace and security purposes”.
As Biden ceased to end the Afghan mess and come out clean by ending America’s “Forever War”, which over a period of time has cost them more than 1 trillion USD although, they still could not achieve what they claimed, which was ending the Taliban regime. On the contrary, they have witnessed the rise of the Taliban.
Surprisingly, the U.S agreed to reach a compromise with someone whom they call and identify as a terrorist. Very unlikely of the American character unless it favours their own political and diplomatic will or maybe they have lost though they fail to admit it.
There were powerful forces with superior military and weapons who time and again tried to get hold of Afghanistan but failed. They exploited resources, aid, and mostly human life. As Michel Shoemaker says, “The Afghans fear none but God.” Brave, strong and tough is his expression of Afghans like many others. Afghanistan, yet again has retained what we better know them by; The Graveyard of Empires, and this time, it was the US and allied forces on the other side.