Analysts consider it to be an unwinnable war that the US engaged in following 9/11. Perhaps it was a mistake undertaken by the then US government or a strategic card it had to play. Either way, the world has only blamed the US and its allies for taking Afghanistan to the brink of extinction. The rebellion that the US forces faced from the national security apparatus and the extremist factions was bound to happen. For years, Afghanistan faced “green on blue attacks”, when local forces clashed with coalition forces in the country. This prevented the country from entering an era of long-term peace and development.
Recently, US President Joe Biden shared his plan for the US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. Reports suggest that the process will be complete by September of this year. To be exact, President Biden announced that the troops would exit Afghanistan on September 11, 2021. This date marks the 20th year since the 9/11 attacks on the US. The US President’s decision has received mixed reactions from within the US government. Australia, Germany, and NATO will be leaving Afghanistan by the scheduled date.
While the US had to bear the brunt of the war in Afghanistan, it spent over USD2.5 trillion. The loss of troops (over 2400 service members) and equipment is another trauma it had to face. President Biden needs to see the equation of the troop withdrawal from all angles. The US needs to exit Afghanistan to focus on its internal affairs. Furthermore, President Biden may still have to face the burden of the war akin to his predecessors. The extremist factions in Afghanistan may as well jeopardise the regime in Afghanistan following the troop withdrawal.
President Biden shared clear thoughts during this video comment recently regarding his decision to withdraw forces from Afghanistan. “It is time for American troops to come home.” said Biden. “We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result.” He further added, “I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.” It is certain that President Biden does not want to prolong this war and wants the US to exit Afghanistan as soon as possible while following the timeline.
President Biden also said that the US would continue to support Afghanistan’s security apparatus. Time will tell if such an arrangement will spell peace in Afghanistan or will any skirmish or clash inside Afghanistan will put the blame on President Biden. While the US and allied troops will exit in September, the question will be of Afghanistan’s stability. Who will ascertain that the extremist factions in Afghanistan will not clash with the local security apparatus? The volatile situation in Afghanistan’s political and social arena will take at least a couple of decades to decrease before the country can stand back on its feet. Afghanistan has gone through an astronomical amount of social, emotional, political, religious, and economic trauma. It needs to restructure its socio-economic and political fabric before emerging as a sovereign, independent country that can re-establish diplomatic, trade, and economic ties with regional countries and the rest of the world.