Question
Discuss the failed war in Afghanistan.
Solution
Failed War in Afghanistan
The international conflict in Afghanistan began in began after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The resulting Afghanistan War where the US aimed to topple the Taliban, the ultraconservative religious and political that not only ruled the country, but also supported the al-Qaeda who were linked to the terrorist attacks in September 2001 (Afridi & Marium 69). Also, the US also implemented various strategies, such as using the military to defeat the Taliban group and rebuild the Afghan state, particularly its fallen core institutions such as the military. Through the classic counterinsurgency doctrine, which accelerated and mostly implemented during President Barrack Obama’s administration, the US increases the number of its troops in Afghanistan, aiming to protect the Afghan population from attacks from the Taliban military and enhance the reintegration of the rebels into the Afghan society (Dorani 35). However, the approaches failed to achieve the goals in Afghanistan due to various challenges, such as the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, which required the Afghan military and police to gradually resume security responsibilities beginning in 2011 (Terpstra 1152). Despite the US interventions, civilian casualties and Taliban and other insurgents’ attacks have remained high in Afghanistan, and the Afghan police and military that are taking over security responsibilities are not well prepared to topple the Taliban. The Afghanistan War is the longest war that the US has fought, but Afghanistan is still falling apart as it formally ends. Though earlier than planned, the US and Nato troops are leaving Afghanistan, but experts warn that the Taliban will only need a short period of time to control the country. The US aim was to help Afghanistan rebuild its essential institutions, such as a strong national military that could become a sole legitimate fighting force but this paper discus the reasons this never happened.
At first, much of the problem that led to a failed war in Afghanistan was the model that the US relied on to support and strengthen the Afghan military. The US approach was to arm, train, and provide aerial support to the Afghan military, but this model was not practical or sustainable for the country’s army. Due to the lack of revenue in Afghanistan, the country can hardly rely on sophisticated technology and weaponry. For over two decades, according to Terpstra, the US and its western allies have spent about $2 trillion and involved over 135000 Nato troops in Afghanistan, but considering the conditions in the country, they are almost getting back to where they started (1148). There have been continued civilian deaths as well as terror raids and attacks in Afghanistan despite the presence of Nato troops. As Lamb states, it has been documented that between 2019 and 2020 alone, there were more than 16000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, and the majority of them are linked to Taliban raids and attacks while generally, over 50000 civilians have been killed, and poverty increased in the country (176). There are only a few achievements of the two decades of occupation, including eliminating the Taliban ban on female education. However, money has not brought the expected changes in the country. Therefore, even if the US supports the country with about $5billion dollars in every year, it still remains a problem for Afghanistan (Terpstra 1149) ……………for help with this assignment contact us via email Address: consulttutor10@gmail.com