Within September 11, the tragic date that led to the American invasion nearly two decades ago, all American and allied forces in Afghanistan will finally be withdrawn.
The decision finally brings an end to America’s longest war, but it leaves Afghanistan on the edge. The government is plagued by arrogance and corruption. The Afghan security forces, which the US has been supporting and training for years, will be left to protect the country with minimal capacities and resources. As the Taliban’s bloody campaign across the country has intensified, civilian casualties have increased.
Nonetheless, Joe Biden intends to withdraw without conditions, leaving the allied government in Kabul to fight the Taliban militarily on its own. After the United States dismissed the militant group from power in 2001, the militant group now occupies more territories in the world than at any other time.
It would be an unsatisfying conclusion to a poorly managed war that has dragged on for years without a significant portion of the American public knowing. Critics of Biden’s proposal worry that withdrawing foreign forces would be devastating for Afghans who have worked closely with the US for decades—and for half of the country’s population, Afghan women, who have been repeatedly abused by the Taliban. They are also concerned that the core objective of the 2001 US invasion, which was to root out and destroy al-Qaeda, may be jeopardized because the Taliban has permitted remaining al-Qaeda operatives to plot within the country.
Text by: Ankita Dutta, IBTN9
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