The return of the Afghan Taliban and the need for realistic thinking

In the second half of August 2021, in the national and international newspapers, the news of the defeat of the United States, and the apparently good news about the Taliban’s victory attracted the readers. In the era of decadence, our sagacity of seeing and knowing facts and events in their original context has been buried under the rubble of 'delusions', due to which we Muslims have become accustomed to seeing the world captivated by our own desires.

The return of the Taliban to Afghanistan and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, opposite to our aspirations, is based on some solid facts, which are very important to understand in the context of international and the local situation in Afghanistan. Without it, accurate analysis of the current situation in Afghanistan would not be possible. It should be borne in mind that Afghanistan, which became the battleground of the two world powers in the Cold War almost forty years ago is now the battlefield of proxy wars of more than half a dozen countries.

In such a situation, the United States can never leave the ground vacant for its rivals. So, it set the negotiating table in Doha (Qatar) and declared the Taliban a regular stakeholder in Afghanistan. Then it opened a political office in Doha for the Taliban and allowed the Taliban to be a player in the field with some conditions through an agreement. However, our naive and delusional religious circles are interpreting the aforementioned situation as the defeat of America and the victory of the Taliban. Those who call it the "conquest of Makkah", what we should call them? Don’t they lack the understanding of the Prophet's life? We wish these clerics would consider the following words of the "Taliban-US Peace Accord" in Doha, which states: “Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al-Qa’ida, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies. Taliban will send a clear message that those who pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies have no place in Afghanistan. Taliban will prevent any group or individual in Afghanistan from threatening the security of the United States and its allies and will prevent them from recruiting, training, and fundraising and will not host them. Taliban is committed to deal with those seeking asylum or residence in Afghanistan according to international migration laws and the commitments of this agreement, so that such persons do not pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies. Taliban will not provide visas, passports, travel permits, or other legal documents to those who pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies to enter Afghanistan." The question is, is this a victory for the Taliban without other's involvement or a joint plan to protect interests? What is the common denominator between the arrival of chained Taliban in Kabul and the conquest of Mecca by the Prophet? Can anyone answer this question or should we answer?

Check the simplicity of the statements that “Taliban have surprised the world by occupying Kabul and the United States and its institutions like the State Department, the White House, the CIA, and the Pentagon were not even aware of all this". The fact is that the US not only kept some Taliban leaders in Guantanamo Bay for a while but also pursued matters through a "pat and slap" policy, even releasing Mullah Baradar from a Pakistani prison. Then lifted travel restrictions on Taliban leaders. The US set up Taliban office in a US bases like Qatar and VIP protocol from the Qatari government were given. The United States also bypassed its own Ashraf Ghani's "elected" government and started talks with the Taliban. As a result, the Ashraf Ghani government released 5,000 Taliban prisoners in jails. In the Taliban's latest battles, the Taliban forces did not fire on the Americans and the Americans did not fire on the Taliban, even the stockpile of weapons of mass destruction was transferred to the Taliban. Because the Afghan army was subordinate to US military generals rather than the Ashraf Ghani administration, it was made to surrender under its game plan.

The Taliban have in the past hosted the Chechen Mujahideen and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan militants. They have even paved the way for a direct US presence in the region by insisting on hosting Osama bin Laden and now, they are assuring the United States that they will not have any relation with Al Qaeda, ISIS, etc. They are giving a guarantee to the United States that they will not harm American interests. Surprisingly, in the wake of this irreparable loss to the region, the agreement reached with the United States on its own terms is being called extraordinary wisdom and prudence.

There is no doubt that the US military is finally withdrawing from Afghanistan at the cost of its own lives and property, but it is also a fact that the US will maintain its presence in the region in one form or another. The money to run the Afghan state will still be provided by The United States and its subordinate international institutions. His withdrawal does not appear to be as that of Soviet Union’s, that it will not completely abandon its interests. In fact, he will insist on staying here in the form of his policies, rather his allies will continue to lend a hand. For example, Afghanistan's ten-billion-dollar assets have already been frozen and the IMF and the European Union have suspended aid programs to Afghanistan. These measures are being taken so that, as soon as a formal form of government is formed in Kabul, they can be held hostage by making them feel the economic blockade. The United States wants to protect its capitalist system in Afghanistan by reconciling all the powers of the status quo so that in the future it can use these factions of Afghanistan against Russia and China.

Unfortunately, there is no circle or organization in Afghanistan today that understands national and democratic thought as well as colonial ambitions, so no revolutionary change can be expected in the recent upheaval. At most, there is only one change of government, while the system has its own strategy of change. Governments change day by day in the world and they do not make any nuclear difference in policies. Therefore, there is a need for more conscious analysis and insightful measures than to be happy with Afghanistan’s illusion.

Translated into English by: Muhammad Ahsan, Abu Dhabi