The Afghanistan Conundrum: Is It Really A War?

The war in Afghanistan was America's longest war, lasting 20 years. It began in October 2001, weeks after the 9/11 attacks, when the Taliban provided sanctuary to al-Qaeda, the group that planned and executed the attacks. The US war in Afghanistan ended on August 30, 2021, with the final evacuation flights out of Kabul.

The war cost over $2 trillion and took more than 170,000 lives. Despite the US spending trillions of dollars and losing thousands of troops, the war failed in nearly every goal besides giving Afghans a shot at democracy and freeing women to pursue education and careers. Ultimately, the Americans handed the country back to the Taliban, the same militants they drove from power in 2001.

The US war in Afghanistan ends with the Taliban back in power

The US war in Afghanistan ended with the Taliban back in power, two decades after US-led forces toppled their regime. The war began in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, and cost over $2 trillion, taking more than 170,000 lives. The US military departed the country on August 30, 2021, a day ahead of schedule, leaving Afghanistan in the Taliban's hands.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan was triggered by the September 11 attacks and consisted of three phases. The first phase—toppling the Taliban—was brief, lasting just two months. The second phase, from 2002 until 2008, was marked by a US strategy of defeating the Taliban militarily and rebuilding core institutions of the Afghan state. The third phase, a turn to classic counterinsurgency doctrine, began in 2008 and accelerated with US President Barack Obama’s 2009 decision to temporarily increase US troop presence in Afghanistan.

The US war in Afghanistan was the longest war in American history. The US completed one of the biggest airlifts in history, with more than 120,000 people evacuated to safety. The evacuation came after a ferocious summertime offensive by the Taliban, which delivered victory on August 15, 2021, hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Taliban leaders took his place in the presidential palace, driving tens of thousands of people to the country’s borders.

The collapse of the Afghan government, after the US spent billions to support it and the Afghan security forces, was a crushing and violent coda to the US military mission in America’s longest war. The combat mission dogged four presidents, who reckoned with American casualties, a ruthless enemy, and an often confounding Afghan government partner, as well as a nominal ally, Pakistan, which supplied and supported the Taliban while providing the militants a safe haven.

The US spent over $2 trillion on the war in Afghanistan

The $2 trillion figure includes a variety of costs, such as war-fighting expenses, training and equipping the Afghan military, counternarcotics efforts, economic development, and reconstruction programs. The human cost of the war was also high, with more than 2,400 American soldiers and over 38,000 Afghan civilians losing their lives.

While there have been some improvements in Afghanistan, such as increased opportunities for education, especially for girls, the country remains unstable and fragile. The Taliban control much of the country, and Afghanistan continues to be a major source of refugees and migrants. Opium production has also quadrupled, with Afghanistan supplying 80% of the world's heroin.

The war in Afghanistan has had a significant impact on US finances and will continue to do so for years to come. The interest on the borrowed money used to fund the war is expected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and the cost of caring for veterans will likely exceed $1 trillion by 2059.

The war in Afghanistan has also had a significant impact on US politics, with President Biden facing heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation and withdrawal of US troops. Biden has defended his decision, arguing that the counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan is complete and that American troops should not be fighting in a war that the Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was chaotic and humiliating

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was a chaotic and humiliating end to America's longest war. The evacuation was marred by spasms of violence, including a suicide bombing that killed 13 US service members and 169 Afghans. The US troops left behind somewhere between 100 and 250 Americans, tens of thousands of Afghans entitled to protection, and an entire nation to the Taliban and an extreme faction of ISIS.

The Biden administration's handling of the situation in Afghanistan has been criticised by both sides of the political divide. The evacuation operation has been described as chaotic, with thousands of Afghans who had served alongside US forces left behind. The administration has also been criticised for not moving more quickly to process Special Immigrant Visa applicants.

The withdrawal has also been criticised for being rushed and not giving the US enough time to evacuate all of its citizens and allies. The speed of the withdrawal also meant that the US had to rely on the Taliban for security at the airport, effectively handing them control.

The US spent over a trillion dollars and lost 2,500 service members in the conflict. Despite this, the war failed in nearly every goal. The Americans handed the country back to the Taliban, the same militants they drove from power in 2001.

The US airlifted over 120,000 people from Afghanistan

The US airlifted more than 120,000 people from Afghanistan in the final weeks of its 20-year war in the country. The evacuation was one of the largest in history and included US citizens, citizens of US allies, and Afghan allies of the US.

The evacuation began in July 2021, as the Taliban and allied militant groups began a widespread offensive. The Taliban had previously signed the Doha Agreement with the Trump administration in February 2020, which stipulated that the US would withdraw all forces from Afghanistan by 1 May 2021. The Biden administration pushed back the completion date to 31 August 2021.

The evacuation was carried out from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the only secure route out of Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country. The US deployed thousands of troops to secure the airport and facilitate the evacuation. The operation was dangerous and chaotic, with thousands of Afghans rushing to the airport in a desperate attempt to flee the country.

In total, the US evacuated about 122,800 people from Afghanistan, including about 6,000 US citizens and their families. The evacuation was completed on 30 August 2021, one day before the deadline agreed upon with the Taliban.

The US airlift was part of a broader effort by several countries to evacuate their citizens and vulnerable Afghans from the country. These countries included Canada, India, South Korea, Germany, the UK, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The Taliban celebrate their victory

The Taliban celebrated their victory over the US with gunfire and jubilation as the last US planes left Kabul airport. The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declared that the group had achieved their goal of ending the "war and attack of foreigners" on Afghanistan and bringing their own Islamic government.

Mujahid, flanked by other Taliban officials and fighters from the group's elite unit, led journalists on a tour of the abandoned airport, which until the day before had been used by Western coalition forces. He congratulated Afghans on their victory, stating that the US had been defeated and had been unable to achieve their targets through military operations.

Taliban fighters posed for photos inside the airport, and in one instance, were seen praying beside a helicopter. They also fired tracer rounds and weapons into the sky in celebration.

The Taliban's victory marks the end of America's longest war and a return to power for the group, two decades after they were overthrown by US-led forces.

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