The US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan has sparked outrage around the world. The Taliban, stronger than ever, defeated 20 years ago, swept into Afghanistan’s capital after the government collapsed.
Scenes of deadly chaos and widespread fear unfolded in the capital, with heart-breaking images from the Kabul airport showing thousands of Afghan refugees desperate to flee the country.
Reactions from around the world seemed to run in one direction: bitterly criticizing US President Joe Biden for his “disastrous decision.” But was the US’ decision to withdraw really a mistake?
Biden stands firm
The world appeared to be taken by surprise amid the latest developments in Afghanistan, yet the decision to end the US’ presence in the country was made in 2020 and was set to be implemented this year. During his presidential campaign, Biden pledged to end what he called “Forever Wars.”
Addressing the Afghan conflict, Biden never denied that the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan could usher in an unmanageable situation that could endanger the lives of American citizens and the Afghan people.
However, he stood “squarely” behind his decision to end America’s military involvement in Afghanistan, vigorously defending his campaign promise to put an end to what he long characterized as a needlessly costly and failed projection of military might.
Speaking at the White House one day after the last US troops left Afghanistan, Biden insisted it was “the right decision.” He said: “It’s time to end America’s longest war.”
A costly yet fragile Afghan army
Built and trained over 20 years at a very high cost, Afghan security forces evaporated almost immediately — in some cases without a single shot.
“We spent over a trillion dollars. We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong. Incredibly well equipped. A force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO allies. We gave them every tool they could need,” Biden said.
The quick collapse of the US-trained Afghan army raised questions: Was it worth the time, effort and money invested in it? And above all, was it worth the trust put in it by the US administration?
As journalist Jesse Hicks said, “It was predictable that a largely corrupt, untrained fighting force would melt away as soon as the money spigot turned off – how much longer could the US have drawn out this deadly military experiment.”
Biden, for his part, blamed the Taliban’s swift takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan politicians who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US.-trained Afghan army to resist the Taliban.
“The truth is,” he said in his White House speech, “this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. So what’s happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight.”
Prior to the US’ withdrawal, dozens of Afghan districts had already fallen to the Taliban across the country without resistance. Some of these districts had been reportedly abandoned by the Afghan National Security Forces without a fight.
A shocking development had already occurred in July, when hundreds of Afghan military personnel fled into Tajikistan, sending a clear signal that the Afghan army was rapidly disintegrating.
High financial and human costs
In the 20 years since September 11, 2001, the US has spent more than $2 trillion on its presence in Afghanistan. That’s $300 million dollars per day. This figure includes spending in Pakistan, which the US used as a base for Afghan-related operations.
Since the war against the Taliban began in 2001, there have been more than 3,500 US-led coalition fatalities, including more than 2,000 US troops.
The war has also been devastating for the Afghan people. At least 100,000 civilians have been injured or killed since 2009. For Biden, remaining in Afghanistan would mean additional US casualties. It goes without saying that this was one of the main reasons for the US pull-out.
A war without clear achievable goals is a lost war
Both critics of American hegemony and many in the US administration had long admitted that the war in Afghanistan was unwinnable, at least in the conventional sense of winning a war.
The White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a recent press conference, “We’re not going to have a ‘mission accomplished’ moment in this regard. It’s a 20-year war that has not been won militarily.”
Despite a continued US presence in Afghanistan for two decades, the Taliban were never really destroyed and their power was never diminished. They were overthrown but they were not totally defeated. Away from Kabul and other major districts, they managed to regroup and regain strength, ready to sweep across the country and retake power, as they did.
The consequences of US involvement in Afghanistan were dramatic. For many commentators, it was telling – and embarrassing – that two decades of US support for the Afghan government resulted in Afghan leaders fleeing the country and a US-trained army being unwilling to fight the militants.
That surely justifies Biden’s decision. Despite being relentlessly lambasted by both Republicans and major foreign policy commentators, he has unapologetically maintained that he does not regret his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
In Biden’s eyes, state-building should have never been the US’ mission in Afghanistan. For him, the US could simply not go on spending stupendously in the Afghan central government and in training and equipping an Afghan national army. It was time for Afghanistan’s leaders to come together and “fight for themselves, fight for their nation.”
Can the West do business with militants?
Engaging in talks with outlawed militants is not new. Margaret Thatcher is known to have approved secret talks between British government officials and the IRA, to end the deadly conflict in Northern Ireland which led to the Belfast Agreement, also known as the “Good Friday Agreement” in 1998, and peace in the region.
Likewise, engagement with the Taliban is not new, either. Back in February 2020, the US and the Taliban struck an agreement which stated that the US would pull out of Afghanistan and the Taliban would regain control and prevent Al-Qaeda from operating in areas under their control.
Russia has said it is ready to engage with the Taliban. Britain has also confirmed that it wants to engage with the new Taliban government to prevent a humanitarian crisis, ensure that Afghanistan does not harbour terrorism in the future, and maintain peace and stability in the region.
UK’s Dominic Raab said, speaking of the new Taliban regime’s prospects of securing stability and a relative level of normality in Afghanistan: “If they’re really serious about avoiding the ‘brain drain’, they’re going to have to find a way to bring in other factions to be more inclusive and to be more moderate compared with the previous Taliban.”
Can the Taliban change?
Despite the chaotic scenes that have come out of Afghanistan after the US’ withdrawal, and all the ensuing criticism, the US president remains confident that he has made the right decision. “I think that history is going to record this was the logical, rational and right decision to make,” Biden said.
Biden’s is certainly the logical and right decision, especially if we take into account the reasons highlighted above. The Taliban have become a reality today, and though unsuspected or sweepingly dismissed, their swift take-over of Afghanistan’s seat of political power has some positive aspects.
For one thing, they were able to regain power without bloodshed or a humanitarian catastrophe. The quick collapse of the Afghan army and government could also be seen relatively positively. If anything, saving the Afghan people from a potential civil war that could have been far longer – and infinitely more soul-crushing – than the mere days of chaos and trepidation at the Kabul airport.
The US and the international community now present a list of demands to the Taliban. They must give up – or at least review – their extremist views, fight Al-Qaeda, and respect and protect the fundamental human rights in exchange for the Western funds and logistical support they desperately need to rebuild their country.
The Taliban have already promised amnesty for officials of the ousted government, media freedom, and women’s rights. And in an unusual move, they have even approved Afghanistan’s first cricket match. The West and the rest of the world now put the Taliban to the test to ensure that they remain true to their word.
