What Happened In Afghanistan? Why Did The Taliban Win The War?

Welcome back to Corrado Firera’s Magazine! Today we will talk about a sensitive subject, namely Afghanistan and the war that brought the Taliban back to power.

The geopolitical precariousness of some areas of the world is by now known history. Although years pass and various kinds of government institutions alternate that should, in some way, restore a minimum of balance, the self-destructive loop that distinguishes certain nations has such a force to cancel any positive purpose. And in Afghanistan, the war has begun to give its signals again; a devastating reversal that occurred suddenly; and that it has left no way out for civilians, forced to take drastic decisions in order to avoid a disastrous fate. But what exactly happened in Afghanistan? The following summary will illustrate the steps of a terrible escalation managed, first and foremost, by the Taliban.

Afghanistan: rapid and painful war

On the evening of August 15, 2021, Taliban leaders took possession of the presidential palace of Afghanistan located in Kabul. Through an exclusive interview broadcast by Al Jazeera, the foundations were laid for a first official act. A radical maneuver that has, in fact, disregarded the premises of resistance from the Afghan government and its president Ashraf Ghani, who gave up power and fled without resisting, as he himself had declared a few hours earlier. A critical picture, with a city in panic and thousands of people completely lost.

A dramatic return to the past

The conquest of the Taliban brings Afghanistan back to 2001, when the American invasion overthrew their government after the tragic attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11. But what is most striking is the speed with which they re-appropriated Kabul by overwhelming the Afghan security forces, which had been trained and armed by the United States for twenty years. A fast offensive capable of unsettling even American intelligence and its forecasts. According to what the leaders of the star-striped organization said, Ghani’s government could hold out for at least a month; but the prediction was overturned in no time.

Afghanistan: war and deaths on the rise to escape from a nightmare

Afghanistan, almost blitzkrieg. Because the conquest (or reconquest) by the Taliban traveled at a frenzied pace that took the breath away from the community. Because, although the previous government was corrupt and problematic (but secular and with Western implications), the return to a reign of Taliban terror shocked the population with slightly dramatic results. In fact, there was no lack of desperate scenes in the key points of the city, where people flocked to obtain the necessary documents to leave the country. A tragic picture that slowly moved near the international airport of Kabul with consequences at the limit of the human.

Taliban promises that taste like mockery

The Taliban, for their part, have promised a serene and peaceful hegemony, light years away from the horrors of the past. However, certain communication and operational strategies are famous for their manipulative purposes. In addition, Afghanistan, war and deaths represent a triptych that has never been definitively overcome. And what has happened in these days has the contours of an evil specter ready to reappear with a renewed evil. Not to mention the interests that animate certain initiatives; the historic opium war – to which is added a rapidly growing heroin market – is only the tip of the iceberg in which ruthlessness and disrespect for alliances and borders prevail.

Afghanistan, war and the USA: an ambiguous triptych

However, beyond the surprise effect that accompanied this event, certain signs hinted at developments in the genre. Analysts and experts predicted that the country would return to the hands of the Taliban, especially after last year’s peace agreement between the Trump administration and the Taliban in Doha. On that occasion, the United States designated them (albeit in a veiled manner) as the holders of power in Afghanistan by signing a peace without consulting the Afghan government. The withdrawal of the American troops then legitimized this by fully demonstrating their strategic and administrative centrality. In short, without the United States army, Afghanistan of the last twenty years would never have existed.

A tragedy similar to a dejà-vu

The fall of Kabul into Taliban hands has encouraged the association, in terms of comparisons, with other similar episodes. The snapshot showing the evacuation of US diplomatic personnel to Kabul by military helicopters resembles those photos taken in Saigon, in 1975, at the end of the Vietnam war. And like the latter, the taking of Kabul marks a profound watershed in the history of American imperialist hegemony. After the invasion and military occupation, in the name of a principle of responsibility (as Bush argued), we have reached the umpteenth failure of democracy, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of military spending thrown to the wind.

Afghanistan, war and Italians: mobilizing to save lives

The general stampede of the Afghan population has stirred the sensitivity of several nations. Like Italy, which has begun to host refugees in various areas of Italy. However, at the moment there is still an approximation in providing humanitarian aid of any kind; and it is an unacceptable scenario, given that in Afghanistan the war – apparently – has never completely ended. Fortunately, Germany also did not stand by. Her army recently evacuated 218 people from Kabul; but plans to develop a cohesive and effective alliance are still being defined. And the hope is that it will get to the point as quickly as possible.

Impeachment risk for Joe Biden?

The effects of the early withdrawal of American soldiers created discontent in US domestic politics. Afghanistan, the war, the dead: consequences that Joe Biden underestimated by avoiding the extension of the withdrawal of troops beyond 31 August. There is, therefore, an air of impeachment; but it should be specified that such an accusation will hardly find outlets, also because the Chamber (deputy to the establishment of the trial) is in the hands of the Democrats. In any case, a signal must be sent against the trend of what has happened in recent weeks. The unease, panic and intolerance of thousands of Afghans depend on the next steps that will take place within the international arena.

With particular attention to the issue of Afghan women, some of whom have been mercilessly murdered. They had promised them not to be afraid anymore, that they could finally feel free to express their femininity. But apparently, certain blasts of personal independence are still hard to comprehend.

What is your point of view on Afghanistan and on the ongoing war (diplomatic and otherwise)? Let us know by commenting below and if you haven’t done so yet, share the article. Also stay up to date with us by leaving a like on our FB page, see you soon and good continuation on Corrado Firera’s Magazine!

CF’s Magazine, The Editorial Team

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