What's going on in Afghanistan?
Who exactly are the Taliban?
And how did they take over so rapidly?
Let's quickly break it down.
Right now, the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul is in chaos.
People are desperately trying to flee the country, here are traffic
jams as people race to get to the airport and we've even seen people
trying to hold on to the outside of planes as they're about to take
off.
So why is all of this happening?
The Afghan Government has just fallen, the president has fled the
country and a group known as the Taliban has taken over. The Taliban, which
translates to the 'students' are extremist Islamist militants. One
of their primary goals is to bring their strict interpretation of
religious law to Afghanistan, and many worry this will lead to
harsh restrictions on the lives of Afghans.
While the Taliban didn't officially form until 1994, experts say the
group had its origins in the Mujahideen; fundamentalist Islamic
guerrilla fighters who were actually backed by the United States as they
fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 70s and 80s.
Afghanistan has basically been in a non-stop state of war since the 1970s.
during a period of civil war in the 1990s, a group known as the Taliban,
made up of many former Mujahideen fighters, started to seize
territory. By 1996, the Taliban with a dominant force in Afghanistan.
However, a small part of the country remained outside of the Taliban's
control, and most of the international community refused to recognize the
Taliban as a legitimate government. The Taliban led a brutal regime that
killed political opponents, allied with terrorist groups,
oppressed women, destroyed important cultural sites and
engaged in violent public punishments. Then, in 2001, came the September
11 attacks in the United States. The US believed that those responsible
for the attacks were being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
So, it sent in troops, along with Australia and other allies. The Taliban
were quickly toppled, but the group didn't disappear. They fled to
remote parts of the country and continue to wage guerrilla warfare
against the United States and its allies. The Taliban was able to keep
control of some remote areas, as well as some support from the Afghan
population. In the decades that followed, trillions of dollars were
spent by the US and its allies, not only fighting the Taliban, but training
the Afghan military, rebuilding parts of the country and trying to
establish democracy. Thousands of US troops have died, along with
tens of thousands of Afghan soldiers and civilians. Support for US
involvement has been gradually declining in the States, with some,
including President Biden himself, labelling the conflict as 'The Forever
War'.
I cannot and will not ask our troops to fight on endlessly in another
country's Civil War.
More than 40 Australian Defence Force personnel have also been killed,
and there are concerns for the welfare of many of the returned soldiers
who have seen all of the gains they made during the war reversed. The
United States first announced that it would be pulling out of
Afghanistan in April 2021. What followed was expected by some, but few
expected it to happen as quickly as it did. It was hoped that the Afghan
government and security forces would be able to defend themselves but
many members of the Afghan army, which was largely paid for and
equipped by the US, simply fled and escaped to neighbouring
countries. Taliban fighters quickly swept across the country,
seizing city after city without facing much resistance. After taking
Kabul, the Taliban has claimed control of most of the country and the
existing government of Afghanistan has all but collapsed. President
Biden has been criticised for pulling out the US troops with some saying
it happened too quickly and allowed the Taliban to take over.
Yes, I said the US should leave the country, but why this way? At least
you should give it some time.
Biden has dismissed this argument saying that the recent events have
actually reinforced his decision.
American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and
dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for
themselves.
If you're wondering what happens next, experts aren't quite sure either.
The Taliban say they will hold talks to create an open, inclusive Islamic
government.
Government offices will be activated soon, and all employees, including
women, will return to work and work in areas permitted by shariah law.
However, many are worried we'll see the return of some oppressive policies.
We are receiving chilling reports of severe restrictions on human
rights throughout the country and I am particularly concerned by
accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and
girls of Afghanistan, who fear a return to the darkest days.
Under the first period of Taliban rule, women weren't allowed to leave
their home without a man and were required to be clad head to toe in a
burqa. Women were also not allowed to work and girls weren't allowed to
pursue an education. Non-Islamic music and television was banned and
corporal punishments, like cutting off thieves' hands and public
beatings, were in place. Today, shopfronts in Kabul featuring women are
being painted over. There are reports of fewer women being seen outside.
I don't see any girls in the street. They are afraid, they are scared
of the Taliban.
And there are fears that women who have risen to positions of power, or
advocated for women's rights, will be punished.
People feel absolutely betrayed, helpless, disappointed and angry.
One scenario is this: They don't prevent us from going to school,
attending school universities and having a job but they will just
set up some limitations for us.
The second scenario is that they totally remove women from society.
Australia has joined more than 60 countries calling for foreign officials and
Afghans alike to be granted safe passage out of the country if they
wish to leave. While the future of those left behind in Afghanistan is
unclear, one thing is certain: The situation in Afghanistan is far from
over.