Moving forward, the life of an Afghan citizen will never be the same.
As of September 2021, the Afghan government lost its control of the country. Two weeks before the United States finished withdrawing its troops, the Taliban completely overturned the nation’s secular government, leaving the country in complete chaos. The terrorist group seized major cities, landmarks, and governmental areas, leaving nothing but fear and worry for many individuals who call the nation at the crux of South and Central Asia home.
The tensions in Afghanistan, however, began long before the current state of Taliban control. Two decades ago, the United States-led allied forces arrived in Afghanistan in hopes of overpowering the historically oppressive Taliban in the aftermath of 9/11. The U.S. military originally invaded in hopes of capturing Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the 9/11 Attacks.
Over the years, the presence of American troops in Afghanistan remained constant. Alongside aid from the U.S., NATO ( North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and its member countries worked to lead unified coalitions to strengthen Afghanistan’s military and institutions. The Council on Foreign Relations has created an extensive timeline depicting the events of the United States’ involvement with Afghanistan.
August 31st, 2021 marked President Joe Biden’s official withdrawal date of all American troops from Afghanistan, ending what has come to be known as America’s longest war. As a leader amongst NATO, the U.S. received criticism from its partner nations for a lack of discussion regarding its reasoning behind this quick evacuation. President Biden made public remarks in defense of the strategy. As U.S. troops left the ground, close to 7,000 other non-American NATO forces left the country as well.
Due to the Taliban Takeover, thousands of Afghans found themselves faced with the challenge of finding different ways to flee the country. At the beginning of the takeover, NATO was keeping a close watch on the quickly evolving situation in Afghanistan. At the time, its focus was on ensuring a secure departure of Afghan allies and allied partner countries’ personnel.
However, the current focus of NATO has entirely shifted, as the fallout of the Taliban takeover proves to be hugely detrimental. The Taliban, an extremist group that claims to strive for peace through their interpretation of Islamic law, has destroyed the Afghan economy. Many foreign-aid projects have been suspended, halting any exchange of currency from other countries, including the U.S. The deterioration of the economy heavily impacts the quality of life for many Afghan citizens, as many individuals are struggling to eat or simply live their lives under the strict regulations of the Taliban.
“I don’t think many people think about this enough,” said senior Gheed Nafea, SFHS Muslim Student Association President. “The people of Afghanistan, who have been supported by foreign funding for the last 20 years are beginning to experience the Taliban taking back control of the economy, which will likely rapidly collapse, leaving them in a worse-off situation. The need for humanitarian aid is very severe and needs to be a priority.”
Living under this newest version of Taliban control, many women, men and children are struggling to hold on to their freedom. While the Taliban promised that women would be given rights, the new “government” has yet to lift restrictions on women’s daily lives, and continues to forbid them from attending school and work. Without any organized leadership, promised security or direct aid from global organizations, many are worried about the future of Afghanistan and its people.
“We are on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe that is preventable,” said the United Nations representative to Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons.
Some current events, such as attacks and relentless restrictions from the Taliban, suggest the possibility of upcoming periods of unrest or potentially war. President Joe Biden has pledged revenge for the deceased U.S. Service members who lost their lives in the recent Kabul attack.
Moreover, the conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people just this year as many continue to frantically escape the tragedies in Afghanistan. Now the question is, where do these refugees go? A few countries (Uganda, the U.K., the U.S., etc.) are welcoming the refugees, while several others (Pakistan, Turkey, Australia, etc.) are closing off their borders.
Regardless of the support of global countries, the future of Afghanistan is in question. Whatever role the U.S. will play remains to be determined; even the youngest of its citizens, who’ve never known their country not at war, recognize its importance.
“As U.S. citizens, the information we receive has all been altered in one way or another,” said Senior Gheed Nafea. “For this reason, it’s very important that we analyze and take in the available facts with a grain of salt. We need to formulate our own opinions and take action when we think it is necessary. After all, the lives of a whole country’s worth of people and their descendants will be impacted by the decisions, or lack thereof, that we make today.”
