September 11 – This date is highly symbolic for the United States as it invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. Now nearly 20 years after almost 2,400 US military and thousands of Afghan deaths, spending nearly $1 trillion, the US will finally withdraw, leaving the war-ravaged nation in shambles and the conflict in a stalemate.
The US is embroiled in an increasingly futile battle against the Afghan Taliban who ramped up attacks against foreign troops over the impending withdrawal on May 1. US President Joe Biden has now announced that it’s time to “end America’s longest” war and all troops will exit the country on 11th September, 2021. The situation is not ideal for exists as doubts remains over the future of Afghanistan. But Biden said the US cannot expand its military presence hoping to create the ideal condition for withdrawal.
President Biden had received credible intelligence reports that the Taliban would overrun the country after the withdrawal and the Afghan government could collapse. There are also apprehensions over attempts to modernize Afghanistan especially for women who gained increased rights like access to education. These could be scaled if the Taliban impose their puritanical version of Islam, reminiscent of the time it controlled the country. The Taliban had banned women from schools, offices and most of daily life. Two decades later, forty percent of Afghan girls are still out of school.
The US has accepted the reality that it cannot stay longer in Afghanistan as the war is increasingly unpopular among American voters. Biden said the decision had not been difficult but the reality is that it will be tough for Afghan people. NATO troops, who have been training the Afghan military, have also decided to withdraw. Their biggest fear is that the military hardware can fall in the hands of militants like in Iraq and could trigger civil strife.
The US cannot leave Afghanistan without rebuilding the nation despite the epidemic corruption and other obstacles. It should announce a Marshall Plan like economic package for the country to rebuild institutions. Without any continuing support or assistance, the US will leave Afghans lurching while the Taliban grow in strength. Pakistan should be prepared for it will face the fallout of the withdrawal and cannot let spoilers take control. Nevertheless, it is surely a historic event to see the US walk out of Afghanistan in disgrace, having destroyed and exploited another country.
