Us Intervention In Afghanistan: Fueling Conflict And Complicating Peace

The United States intervention in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, has had a complex and often detrimental impact on the country, fueling an ongoing conflict that has lasted for over two decades. The US-led invasion, dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom, aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban regime from power. However, the intervention's legacy is fraught with challenges. It has led to a prolonged war, a resilient insurgency, and a complex web of geopolitical interests that continue to shape the region's instability. The initial invasion may have toppled the Taliban, but it also created a power vacuum, leading to a complex and protracted struggle for control of Afghanistan, with the Taliban regrouping and adapting to challenge the US-backed government. The conflict has been fueled by a range of factors, including the resilience of the Taliban, the failure to build a stable Afghan state, and the involvement of regional powers pursuing their strategic interests.

US Military Presence: The presence of US troops can be a catalyst for insurgent groups to unite and fight against a common enemy

The presence of US troops in Afghanistan can be a catalyst for insurgent groups to unite and fight against a common enemy. The US military presence in Afghanistan has been a catalyst for the Taliban to unite and fight against the US and its allies. The Taliban is a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist and predominantly Pashtun movement that controlled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. In October 2001, US and allied forces invaded Afghanistan and quickly ousted the Taliban regime following its refusal to hand over terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in the wake of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks. The Taliban leadership relocated to southern Afghanistan and across the border to Pakistan, from where they waged an insurgency against the Western-backed government in Kabul, Afghan national security forces, and international coalition troops.

The Taliban continued to attack rural districts and carry out suicide attacks in major cities, with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) suffering heavy casualties. The war largely remained a stalemate for nearly six years, despite a small US troop increase in 2017, continuing combat missions, and a shift in US military strategy to target Taliban revenue sources, which involved airstrikes against drug labs and opium production sites. The Taliban briefly seized the capital of Farah Province in May 2018, and, in August 2018, it captured the capital of Ghazni Province, holding the city for nearly a week before US and Afghan troops regained control.

In February 2020, after more than a year of direct negotiations, the US government and the Taliban signed a peace deal, the so-called Doha Agreement, that set a timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Under the agreement, the United States pledged to draw down US troops to approximately 8,500 within 135 days and complete a full withdrawal within fourteen months. In return, the Taliban pledged to prevent territory under its control from being used by terrorist groups and to enter negotiations with the Afghan government. However, no official ceasefire was put in place. After a brief reduction in violence, the Taliban quickly resumed attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians. Direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban began months after the agreed-upon start of March 2020; however, the negotiations faced multiple delays and ultimately made little progress. Violence across Afghanistan continued in 2020 and 2021 as the United States increased airstrikes and raids targeting the Taliban. The Taliban, in turn, attacked Afghan government and ANDSF targets and made significant territorial gains.

The presence of US troops in Afghanistan has been a catalyst for the Taliban to unite and fight against the US and its allies. The Taliban has continued to attack and make territorial gains, despite the presence of US and international coalition troops. The Taliban briefly seized control of Farah, the capital of Farah Province, in May 2018, and captured Ghazni, the capital of Ghazni Province, in August 2018, holding the city for nearly a week before US and Afghan troops regained control. The Taliban continued to make territorial gains, and in August 2021, they entered the capital of Kabul, leading to the collapse of the Afghan government and the US-led evacuation of Kabul.

Financial Support: US financial aid to Afghanistan often ends up in the hands of corrupt officials, fueling discontent and funding both sides of the conflict

US financial aid to Afghanistan has often ended up in the hands of corrupt officials, fueling discontent and funding both sides of the conflict.

The US has provided substantial financial support to Afghanistan over the years, with the aim of promoting stability, security, and economic development. Since 2002, the US has provided nearly $88 billion in security assistance and $36 billion in civilian assistance, including specific initiatives to support Afghan women and girls. However, a significant portion of this aid has been lost to corruption and mismanagement.

According to estimates, approximately 40% of US aid to Afghanistan has ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials, warlords, criminals, and even insurgents. This has fueled discontent among the Afghan people, who have seen limited improvement in their economic and living conditions despite the influx of foreign aid. The country continues to struggle with high infant mortality rates, low literacy levels, and high unemployment.

Moreover, the US has been accused of turning a blind eye to corruption and even fueling it by providing vast sums of money without proper oversight. In their eagerness to secure alliances and stability, US officials have been complicit in allowing aid money to be diverted to unsavory power brokers and warlords. The CIA, for example, provided cash payments to warlords, governors, and religious leaders to purchase loyalty and information.

The consequences of this corruption have been far-reaching. It has undermined the legitimacy of the Afghan government, weakened public trust, and empowered extremist groups. The failure to effectively address corruption has also hindered the country's economic development and perpetuated a cycle of dependency on foreign aid.

Recognizing the severity of the issue, the US has taken some steps to address corruption and improve accountability. In 2019, the State Department withdrew $100 million in aid to Afghanistan due to government corruption and withheld an additional $60 million. However, these actions have been criticized as too little too late, and the effectiveness of such measures in curbing systemic corruption remains uncertain.

Political Interference: The US has a history of interfering with Afghan politics, which can disrupt stability and empower extremist groups

Political interference by the US in Afghanistan has been a long-standing issue, with the US having interfered in Afghan politics since the 1950s. This interference has often disrupted stability and empowered extremist groups.

The US has a history of providing financial and military support to various factions in Afghanistan, often with the aim of countering the influence of its adversaries in the region. For example, during the Cold War, the US financially supported the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union and provided critical support to the anti-Soviet Mujahideen forces.

The US has also been accused of meddling in Afghanistan's elections, contributing to the formation of parallel governments and deepening the country's political crisis. In the 2014 presidential election, allegations of widespread fraud and the US's recognition of Ashraf Ghani's electoral victory led to a power-sharing agreement that nearly paralysed the Afghan central government.

Furthermore, the US has been criticised for its role in the 2009 presidential election, where it was accused of providing funds, making public announcements in favour of or against certain candidates, and using misinformation or propaganda to shape public opinion.

The US has also been accused of empowering local faction leaders and even creating new factions and militias through its security initiatives, such as the Afghan Local Police Program and the Critical Infrastructure Police.

Overall, the US's history of interfering in Afghan politics has often disrupted stability and empowered extremist groups, undermining its own interests in the region.

Civilian Casualties: US drone strikes and military operations often result in civilian deaths, creating a cycle of revenge and radicalization

Drone strikes and military operations by the US in Afghanistan have resulted in a high number of civilian casualties. The US has carried out drone strikes in Afghanistan as part of a targeted killing campaign against militants. While the precise count of the total number of civilians killed is impossible to determine, several organizations have attempted to track and estimate the number of civilian casualties.

The United Nations reported that at least 3,812 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of 2019 in the war against militant groups, with a big increase in the number of casualties caused by government and foreign forces. Air strikes by US and government forces killed 363 people and injured 156 others, of whom 150 were children.

In September 2021, a US drone strike killed 10 civilians, including an aid worker and seven children. The strike was later acknowledged by the US military, which also conducted further investigations into the strike.

In 2020, the US launched an investigation following an August 2021 drone attack in Kabul that killed seven children and their father. The Department of Defense later confirmed that the strike was a "tragic mistake" and killed 10 civilians.

The US military has, at times, conducted in-depth investigations when US forces have killed or injured civilians. These investigations have, on occasion, resulted in the military publicly acknowledging and explaining the reasons behind the civilian harm, providing condolence payments to families, and holding accountable those who have violated the law. However, in many cases, the military has failed to conduct effective investigations.

The US war in Afghanistan has incurred staggering costs, with the war leading to the deaths of 2,324 US military personnel, 3,917 US contractors, and 1,144 allied troops. For Afghans, the statistics are nearly unimaginable: 70,000 Afghan military and police deaths, 46,319 Afghan civilians (although that is likely a significant underestimation), and some 53,0000 opposition fighters killed.

The US military in 2017 relaxed its rules of engagement for airstrikes in Afghanistan, which resulted in a dramatic increase in civilian casualties. From the last year of the Obama administration to the last full year of recorded data during the Trump administration, the number of civilians killed by US-led airstrikes in Afghanistan increased by 330%.

The war has also inflicted invisible wounds. In 2009, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health reported that fully two-thirds of Afghans suffer from mental health problems.

Proxy Wars: The US-Afghanistan conflict is often a proxy for wider geopolitical tensions, with outside powers using the country as a battleground

Afghanistan has long been a site of proxy wars, where outside powers use the country as a battleground for wider geopolitical tensions. The US-Afghan conflict is no exception.

During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union backed opposing sides in Afghanistan, with the US supporting the mujahideen, or Afghan guerillas, through an international coalition that included Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, played a key role in distributing aid to the mujahideen and using the opportunity to bolster the image of its leader, Zia ul-Haq.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 triggered a proxy war between the US and the Soviet Union, which ended with a Soviet withdrawal in 1989. However, the conflict in Afghanistan continued, with mujahidin factions clashing and destroying the capital city of Kabul, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths.

In the post-Soviet era, Pakistan's ISI created the Taliban and assisted them in gaining power. The Taliban implemented strict domestic policies and provided a safe haven for al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US military intervened in Afghanistan, routing the Taliban and establishing a transitional administration led by Hamid Karzai.

The initial objective of the US invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, but the goals expanded to include establishing a stable democratic state and preventing the return of the Taliban. However, security and economic conditions deteriorated, and the conflict intensified, with increasing guerrilla-style attacks on US and NATO forces.

With the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, there are concerns about a potential proxy war between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed powers with deep ties to Afghanistan. India has invested heavily in Afghanistan, providing infrastructure support and training. Pakistan, on the other hand, has historically supported the Taliban and used militant groups as proxies.

The US-Taliban peace deal is seen as a victory for Pakistan and a threat to India's interests in the region. India's key pawn in the Afghan war has been the government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has often been accused of spoiling peace efforts. With the US withdrawal, India's ability to maintain a presence in Afghanistan is constrained, and a politically and militarily strong Taliban could be a nightmare for India.

Pakistan, meanwhile, feels vulnerable and threatened by the improving relations between India and Afghanistan. There are reports of Pakistanis crossing the border to fight alongside the Taliban and target Indian-delivered installations. As tensions rise, there is a real threat of a proxy war between India and Pakistan, with Afghanistan becoming a battleground for their competing interests.

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