The current situation in Afghanistan has been the subject of many headlines recently, although the events leading up to it are anything but new. This blog will outline the key points that were significant to the development of this situation.
A HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN'S TROUBLES. (or U.S.S.R vs U.S.A.)
Starting in 1973, this was when there was a military coup in Afghanistan against the Royal ruling family by General Mohammed Daud Khan, a cousin of the reigning King. The General's political party was named the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and he took the role as president for himself. In turn they were overthrown by a pro Soviet Afghan called Muhammad Taraki who was a communist; but didn't want to be influenced by the USSR and wanted to follow Islamic law. There was still unrest amongst many who started to group in the countryside to take on this new ruling power. These "guerrillas" or militant fighters became known as the "Mujahedin'' who many believe were the original members of Al-Qaeda. In 1979 Taraki was murdered, and the Soviet army entered Afghanistan to support a new communist ruler, Bamrak Karma, but still there is much unrest. The Mujahedin hid in Pakistan and the United States began to give them money, equipment (including powerful anti-aircraft missiles) and training to defeat the Russians. Pakistan and the U.S. together helped to assemble volunteers to fight in Afghanistan. One of these volunteers was Osama bin Laden. In 1983 the group's representatives were guests of the then President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, at the White House where he famously called them "Freedom Fighters".
THE U.S.S.R. WITHDRAWS FROM AFGHANISTAN.
In 1988 the USA, the USSR and Afghanistan signed a deal that ensured the Soviet military would finally leave Afghan soil. Afghans dared to dream that they might get a chance to have elections and choose their own government. 5 million Afghani political refugees in Pakistan and Iraq could finally go home. The Soviet withdrawal was over by February 1989, a decade after they first entered but alas, peace did not follow.
THE MUJAHEDIN TAKE POWER
The Mujahedin were still fighting, against the ruling communists, and in 1992 they managed to defeat the ruling communist party with Mojadid as their leader.
Unfortunately, the next four years consist of a power struggle amongst these Mujahedin leaders or "Warlords" as they came to be called. A huge part of the country was destroyed and over 50,000 people were killed in the fighting. In 1990 the Taliban joins the fight for power and by 1996 they have overcame all opposition and began their rule.
LIFE UNDER TALIBAN RULE
At first Afghans were relieved that the years of fighting seemed to be over, but soon the reality of an extremist Islamic leadership took hold. The leader Mullah Mohammed Omar ruled that women could not be educated or go to work. Punishments for all crimes, however petty or serious, were given in public, often extremely violent. Anyone accused of theft had their hand chopped off. The Taliban also destroyed cultural monuments, such as the largest standing Buddha in the world, in order to eliminate any religion but Islam.
THE TWIN TOWERS AND ITS AFTERMATH
The rest of the world watched in horror as Afghanistan was put under Sharia law, but nothing was done until the devastating terrorist attack in USA on September the 11th 2001. The USA accused the Taliban of protecting and harbouring Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda who had been found responsible for these attacks. The US gave the Taliban an ultimatum: hand over Bin Laden and break up the militant training camps or be attacked.
THE U.S. LED COALITION INVADES AFGHANISTAN.
On the 7th of October 2001, there was another invasion of Afghanistan, this time by the US led coalition. The Taliban fled the capital and the "Northern Alliance", supported by the coalition, and gained the majority of power. The "warlords" were back by December 2001 and Hamid Karzai was made President. The Taliban regime collapsed. This was to become the longest war in American history.
VIOLENCE AND BOMBS
By 2011, there were approximately 110,000 US troops in Afghanistan trying to hold off attacks by the regrouped Taliban. NATO began to transfer power to Afghan security forces in 2011 after bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan. In 2012 Obama begins to withdraw 33,000 troops and the Taliban keep bombing. In 2015 they bombed the Parliament Building and Kabul Airport. Suicide bombings became tragically common. In 2017 Trump dropped the U.S.'s most powerful non-nuclear bomb on an Isis cave headquarters. Even with all this happening in 2019, the U.S. and the Taliban attempted peace talks which were subsequently stopped in their tracks by another terrorist attack in September 2019.
AMERICAN TROOPS TO WITHDRAW
In February of 2020, Trump struck a deal with the Taliban to withdraw by May 2021. Biden followed through with this, setting a symbolic deadline for the withdrawal of all US troops by September the 11th 2021, exactly 20 years after the twin towers attack. And so, we come to the present. As the last of the US military began to leave Afghanistan the Taliban seemed to face little resistance. In only 10 days, from 6th to 16th August, the Taliban overtook all major cities and thousands rushed to airports and borders uncertain of how the Taliban would rule this time. The President Ashraf Ghani abandoned his country but many others, who fear repercussions having helped the US military over the 20 years that they governed, have not been so lucky. These people accuse the U.S. of abandoning them to their fate.
A DIFFERENT TALIBAN RULE?
The Taliban say this time round they will provide normality, safety and prosperity, but the Afghani people can't help but be suspicious. The Taliban have already announced that they want to rename the country the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" which brings back memories of their first period of government. We can only wait and see how this unfolds. Sharia law will be put into place immediately and many fear the lack of basic human rights that this will cause.
References: