The Fall of Kabul: The Return of the Taliban

“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”- John F. Kennedy. We have all seen the stunning and alarming images on our television; hundreds of Afghans both men and women running alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the Hamid Karzai International airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. The script was not supposed to end like this. The Taliban have moved with fighting speed to control Afghanistan. The United States of American trained Afghan security forces hardly resisted the Taliban. This military maneuvering by the Taliban has led many to wonder whether or not the United States and her allies miscalculated the capacity and capabilities of the Taliban. Many will view the surrender of Kabul as well as the other provinces in Afghanistan with some suspicion especially since the former president Ashraf Ghani fled before Kabul fell to the Taliban. A significant number of us know very little about this country except regarding the Taliban. Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a mountainous, landlocked country in South-Central Asia at an important geopolitical location; it connects the Middle East with Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The country is bordered by Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; it has a short border in the Wakhan Corridor panhandle with Xinjiang, an autonomous region of China. With a surface area of 652,000 km², the country is somewhat larger than the Iberian Peninsula, or slightly smaller than U.S. state of Texas. Afghanistan has a population of 26.5 million people (in 2015). The capital and largest city is Kabul. The official languages are Afghan Persian or Dari (50%), and Pashto (35%). Afghanistan's recent history is characterized by war and civil unrest. The Soviet Union (Russia) invaded in 1979, but was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. It seems as if the fighting has never stopped among the various mujahidin (tribal) factions, which gave rise to a state of warlordism that eventually spawned the Taliban. Who Are the Taliban? The Wall Street Journal states the Taliban were founded in southern Afghanistan by Mullah Mohammad Omar, a member of the Pashtun tribe who became a mujahedeen commander that helped push the Soviets out of the country in 1989. In 1994, Mullah Omar formed the group in Kandahar with about 50 followers who rose up to challenge the instability, corruption and crime that consumed Afghanistan during the post-Soviet-era civil war. The Taliban quickly captured Kandahar and seized the capital, Kabul, in 1996 as Afghans grew disenchanted with the country’s insecurity. The Taliban swiftly imposed strict Islamic rules that banned television and music, barred girls from going to school and forced women to wear head-to-toe coverings called burqas. The 2001 destruction of the two giant Buddhas in Bamiyan by the Taliban showed the international community the lack of respect they have for the historical and cultural heritage of Afghanistan. The Taliban provided bin Laden with sanctuary while he planned the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. When the Taliban refused U.S. demands that they hand over Osama bin Laden, American forces invaded Afghanistan and quickly toppled Mullah Omar’s government. Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders found sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan while they mounted an insurgent campaign to regain power in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden who founded Al-Qaeda was eventually killed in Pakistan in 2011. In February 2020, the Trump administration and the Taliban signed a historic deal in Doha, Qatar that laid out a 14-month timetable for America and NATO allies to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan. Under the agreement, the Taliban agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any extremist group to operate in the areas they control. The Taliban now control the entire country. It will be interesting to see whether the Taliban live up to this agreement. To say that Afghanistan has been politically unstable is an understatement. The government of the former president Ashraf Ghani has been widely supported by the United States of America and Western powers. After 20 years of occupying Afghanistan President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of all US troops by September 11, 2021. The Taliban used this announcement to their advantage to regroup and retake Afghanistan. The Cost in Lives The Associated Press states the Afghans have paid the highest price. Since 2001 at least 47, 245 Afghans civilians have been killed in the war as of mid April, according to the Cost of Wars Project at Browns University. The United Nation states the war has forced 2.7 million Afghans to flee their homes mostly to Iran, Pakistan and Europe. The number of US troops killed stands at 2,442 with 20,666 wounded. Additionally, approximately 1,144 personnel from the 40 nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) coalition have also been killed. Additionally, a significant number of US private contractors have also lost their lives in this conflict. Undoubtedly, there are associated costs of a war such as the cost to resettle those who fled their homeland as well as the humanitarian crisis that is inevitable with any war. Cost in Dollars The Cost of Wars Project estimates that United States has spent $2.2 trillion. The United States of America Defense Department states the war- fighting costs over the years in Afghanistan total $815.7 billion; from food for troops to fuel; to Humvees, weapons and ammunition; from tanks to amoured vehicles to aircraft carriers to airstrikes. This is clearly not pocket change in any imagination. The anguish and long term suffering of those involved in any war is oftentimes immeasurable. How can we quantify the pain of those families who sons and daughters died in this war? United Nations Sustainable Development Goals What will the role of women be under Taliban rule? Will women be allowed to participate in governance and all spheres of public life as stipulated in the United Nations Sustainable Goals especially goal #5 which speaks about Gender Equality? Goal 5 speaks to the achieving of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Given what we already know of the Taliban it is far-fetched to believe that a Taliban government will protect the rights of women and girls. Sustainable Development Goal #4 speaks to Quality Education in terms of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. The Taliban is an all male group, the interests and rights of women and girls are immaterial. Additionally, goal #10 speaks to Reducing Inequalities Within and Among Countries. To what extent will the Taliban be concerned about reducing inequalities especially in areas such as income inequality between the sexes. The Taliban of the past punished women who sought to assert their rights, the same leadership is in place, it’s foolhardy to think that the leopard has changed its skin. Will Afghan women be forced to wear the burqa? The burqa is a symbol of control over a woman. The protection of boys is just as important as the protection of girls. In Afghanistan women are not allowed to dance in public, but boys can be made to dance in women's clothing and they are often sexually abused. This is an ancient tradition. People call it bachabaze which literally means "playing with boys". The men behind the practice are often wealthy and powerful. Some of them keep several bachas (boys) and use them as status symbols; a display of their riches. The boys, who can be as young as 12, are usually orphans or from very poor families. The Independent Human Rights Commission in Kabul is one of the few organizations that have attempted to address the bachabaze practice. Will a return to Taliban rule see an increase in the abuse of boys? History Repeating Afghanistan has not known much peace in her long and colourful history. Some scholars will debate that the most stable period of Afghanistan’s history was during the 40 year reign of King Mohammad Zahir Shah from 1933 – 1973. The King undertook a number of economic programmes and projects in an attempt to modernize the society; however, it appears that the rural areas of Afghanistan were not as impacted as much as the urban areas. Regrettably, over the decades there has always been a disconnect between urban and rural Afghanistan. It is this disconnect which facilitated the re-emergence of the Taliban since the group has always has a strong influence and base among rural Afghans. No one expected the United States of America to occupy Afghanistan forever. It appears that regardless of the timeline for the withdrawal of US forces the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban was inevitable. We can all agree that the Taliban have retaken Afghanistan in lightning speed. The international community was certainly caught off guard in this regard as stated by President Joe Biden. The international community should not be fooled by what the Taliban have promised this time around. What will become of human rights in Afghanistan? The Taliban are not strong in the area of human rights or women’s right. The United Nations Security Council on Afghanistan: The members of the Security Council have called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and the establishment, through inclusive negotiations, of a new government that is united, inclusive and representative. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, with the membership of 57 states, covering four continents cautioned the actions of the Taliban earlier this year when the organization called the raging war in Afghanistan “genocide of Muslims and added that there was no excuse for the Taliban to continue fighting in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops. The OIC is the collective voice of the Muslim world to ensure and safeguard their interest on economic socio and political areas. There is a genuine sense of fear and uncertainly even panic especially among women and girls regarding what life will be under Taliban rule. Perhaps Rangina Hamidi, former Education Minister says it best “I might face consequences… I guess that’s the price we pay for trying to make the world a little better” she added that she is fearful "like every woman in Afghanistan". Under Taliban rule women were treated as possession of men. Will there be a reversal of gains made in education, health and female participation in governance? Afghanistan during the occupation by the United States made modest gains in health, education and women’s rights after the United States toppled the Taliban who had imposed strict limitations on women’s bodies and their human rights. According to the World Bank, life expectancy increased from 56 to 64 years. Maternal mortality more than halved. Child marriage has declined by 17%. Girls’ enrollment in primary schools has more than doubled and more women have entered college and have served in Parliament. The people of Afghanistan feel abandoned. What will happen to those Afghans who assisted the United States and their allies during America’s longest war; will they be evacuated as well? What protection will there be for journalists and bloggers who have been critical of the Taliban? Ironically twenty years ago the United States of America toppled the Taliban from power and 20 years later the same Taliban have regained power. The recent developments in Afghanistan will not only impact the people of that country, the region as a whole will also be affected in some way. How will history judge the policy makers and the Taliban? Only time will tell? What will become of Afghanistan? Time is the master! To what extent can the international community prevent a humanitarian crisis? President Joe Biden has been resolute in defending his decision to implement the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan. The development in Afghanistan will undoubtedly be a lasting legacy of the Biden’s presidency. In the words of Joe Biden, "If Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that...one more year, five more years, or 20 more years of U.S. military boots on the ground would have made any difference." Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #Afghanistan #Kabul #Taliban #womensrights #bachabaze #Islam #humanrights #Afghanwomen