The Taliban now threatens large parts of Afghanistan, an ISIS-linked group has emerged, and civilians
deaths are expected to rise this year, nearly two decades after the United States invaded
the country following the September 11th attacks.
The war in Afghanistan is now 17 years old -- making it the longest-running war in United
States history. To put that number into perspective, young americans can now enlist to fight in
a war that began before they were even born.
According to the UN, in 2017 over 10,000 civilians were killed or injured as a result of the
conflict. And it fears this years number will be considerably higher.
Many people have lost their lives and millions have been forced to flee their homes, since
the beginning of this war.
And the financial cost of this war is upwards of a trillion dollars, according to some estimates.
So why did the United States invade Afghanistan in the first place and is anyone winning this
war?
Let’s start in 1996 when the Taliban, a hardline Islamic group, came to power in Afghanistan.
.
Many considered this new government to be extreme, because of their policies that restricted
the rights of ethnic minorities and women.
The U.S. also didn’t like the fact that the Taliban regime offered safe haven to violent
extremist group Al Qaeda, by allowing it to operate training camps in Afghanistan.
And after Al Qaeda bombed U.S. embassies in Africa in 1997, the U.S. increased pressure
on the Taliban to hand over the groups leader, Osama Bin-Laden -- who was also allowed safe
haven in Afghanistan. But they refused to extradite him.
So beginning in 1999, the United States imposed economic and political sanctions on the Taliban.
And the UN also imposed sanctions that year.
Then, things reached a boiling point. Al-Qaeda attacked the United States on September 11th,
2001 -- killing nearly 3,000 people.
After the attacks, the United States and its allies launched a military campaign in Afghanistan
on October 7th, 2001.
Within a month, it appeared like the U.S. was achieving its goal of removing the Taliban
from power and destroying Al-Qaeda safe havens. By November the Taliban had already begun
to retreat from large parts of the country.
“I feel very happy, because the Taliban troops went from Kabul.”
“People of Afghanistan don’t like those people.”
As a result, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution that called on the UN to play
a “central role” in peacekeeping and establishing a transitional government.
And by the end of 2001, the Taliban had officially collapsed and a new, interim government was
installed.
But in 2002, that momentum began to slow down.
Some say it partly was because the United States became destracted -- shiting its intelligence
and military resources away from Afghanistan and on to its new military campaign in Iraq.
But experts have told me there was another reason things got worse in the country. They
say, from the very beginning, that too much attention has been given to the military side
of the campaign, but not the political side of things.
Although a 2004 presidential election in Afghanistan was seen as a success, the following parliamentary
elections in 2005 were not, according to Human Right Watch Patricia Gossman.
Throughout this time Afghanistan has been plagued by allegations of corruption. Last
year the country ranked 177th out of 180 in Transparency International’s Corruption
Perception Index.
The instability from that time, paved the way for a violent insurgency in 2006. And
things have remained unstable ever since.
Now, 17 years later, the U.S. is still fighting a war in Afghanistan.
A war that was started under President Bush.
“This is going to be a long struggle.”
And continued under President Obama.
“For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the
world.”
And is now in the hands of President Trump.
“We’re very very proud of our military.”
Trump, who said his initial instinct was to pull out of Afghanistan, had a change of heart
when he was sworn into office. And instead of reducing U.S. involvement, he increased
it.
So has it all been worth it, and is Afghanistan a better and safer place 17 years later?
First, let's look at the status of the Taliban.
The militant group has been resilient due to a combination of violent ideology, negotiation
of the country’s tribal complexities, and huge surplus funds from the heroin trade.
Afghanistan has been credibly described as narco state.
Since the removal of the Taliban government in 2001, the group now controls more territory
in that country than at any other point since the invasion.
According to BBC estimates, the Taliban threatens an astounding 70% of the country. And now
controls large parts of Helmand and Kandahar province, key places the U.S. and international
forces have fought in.
Not to mention that groups associated with the so-called Islamic State -- a militant
group responsible for some of the most brutal attacks in recent time, have also been able
to emerge in parts of the country.
But are these attacks and the Taliban’s gains a result of the U.S. winding down the
war?
Not even close.
In just the first 3 months of this year for example, the U.S. conducted more airstrikes
in the country than it has in the past 15 years.
Trump has also increased the amount of troops on the ground by several thousand.
And while some argue that the United States needs to increase its military efforts in
Afghanistan.
Others, like former General John Nicholson, who was the Commander of U.S. & NATO forces
in Afghanistan, has said that he believes the war needs to come to an end.
But experts I’ve spoken to said that both of those approaches, are the wrong way to
think about ending the war in Afghanistan.
Right now, it’s too complicated to determine who is winning this war — but it’s clear
to see the ones losing the most in the war, are Afghan civilians.