The Complexities Of The War In Afghanistan: A Reddit Perspective

The war in Afghanistan was sparked by the 9/11 attacks on the US by Al-Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden. The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, aiming to root out Al-Qaeda and capture Bin Laden. However, Bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan in 2011, and the US continued to occupy Afghanistan for another decade.

The war in Afghanistan has been described as a waste and a failure, with many criticising the US government's handling of the war and its subsequent withdrawal in 2021. The US spent 20 years, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives on the war, with many questioning what was achieved. The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan after the US withdrawal, and many feel that the war ultimately resulted in a Taliban victory.

Some have argued that the US military mission was a success, but the nation-building aspect failed. The US military is good at defence and taking over territories, but building a nation is a different task altogether. The war has also been criticised as being driven by money and corporate profiteering, with defence contractors and other businesses reaping financial rewards from the conflict.

The war in Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on the country and its people, with high civilian death tolls, widespread displacement, and a regression in rights for women and girls. The US occupation has also been viewed as a failure to build a stable, democratic nation, with the Taliban now firmly in control once again.

The Taliban's victory

The Taliban's military strategy was multi-pronged and adaptive, aiming to isolate and demoralise their opponents. They took advantage of the Afghan government's decision to focus on holding terrain through scattered checkpoints, which left their forces vulnerable and unable to support each other. The Taliban disrupted their supply lines and used social media and text messages, alongside more traditional methods such as appeals from tribal elders, to spread propaganda and undermine the morale of Afghan security forces. They also conducted a covert assassination campaign, targeting civil society leaders and military personnel such as pilots, in order to further degrade the capacity and legitimacy of the Afghan government.

The US's failure to capture Osama Bin Laden

• Osama Bin Laden was the leader of Al-Qaeda, a highly mobile and secretive organisation with a presence in multiple countries.
• Bin Laden was a highly influential figure who was able to inspire a new generation of extremists and was able to adapt the Al-Qaeda doctrine.
• Bin Laden was a wealthy individual with a large personal security force and was able to pay off local tribes to protect him.
• Bin Laden was able to escape from Tora Bora in Afghanistan to Pakistan, where he was sheltered by Pakistani intelligence.
• The US was unable to capture Bin Laden at Tora Bora due to a lack of troops and the challenging terrain.
• The US was unable to prevent Bin Laden's escape from Tora Bora due to a lack of troops and the challenging terrain.
• The US was unable to capture Bin Laden in Pakistan due to a lack of intelligence on his whereabouts and the challenging terrain.
• The US was unable to prevent Bin Laden's escape from Pakistan due to a lack of cooperation from Pakistani authorities.

The US's failure to stabilise Afghanistan

Lack of Understanding of Afghanistan's Complex Society and Politics

Afghanistan is a country with a diverse range of ethnic groups, tribes, and strong regional loyalties. The country has a long history of resistance to foreign intervention and a tradition of local power brokers and warlords. The US failed to fully grasp the complexity of Afghanistan's society and politics, which hindered their efforts to establish a stable and unified government.

Vague and Shifting Objectives

The initial goal of the US intervention in Afghanistan was to dismantle Al-Qaeda and capture Osama bin Laden in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. However, the mission soon expanded to include broader objectives such as nation-building, promoting democracy, and combating the resurgence of the Taliban. This lack of a clear and focused mission led to confusion and inconsistency in strategy.

Inadequate Resources and Commitment

The US military was successful in its initial military campaigns, toppling the Taliban regime and driving Al-Qaeda out of the country. However, the nation-building efforts that followed were hampered by a lack of resources and long-term commitment. The US failed to invest sufficiently in infrastructure development, economic growth, and the creation of a competent and corruption-free Afghan government.

External Influences and Regional Dynamics

Afghanistan's neighbours, particularly Pakistan, played a significant role in the country's instability. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) maintained ties with the Taliban and provided them with safe havens, allowing them to regroup and launch insurgencies. The presence of other regional powers, such as Iran, Russia, and China, further complicated the situation and limited the US's ability to exert control.

Failure to Learn from History

The US failed to learn from the experiences of previous powers, such as the Soviet Union, who had attempted and failed to subjugate Afghanistan. The country's rugged terrain, strong tribal loyalties, and history of resistance made it difficult for any foreign power to establish lasting control. The US underestimated the resilience and adaptability of the Taliban and local power brokers.

Mismanagement and Corruption

The US-backed Afghan government was plagued by corruption, inefficiency, and a lack of legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people. The US failed to adequately address these issues, which undermined the government's ability to govern effectively and gain the trust of the population.

In conclusion, the US's failure to stabilise Afghanistan was a result of a combination of factors, including a lack of understanding of the country's complex dynamics, vague and shifting objectives, insufficient resources and commitment, external influences, a failure to learn from history, and mismanagement and corruption within the Afghan government.

The US's failure to build a nation

• Lack of a clear and unified strategy: The US's approach to nation-building in Afghanistan lacked a clear and unified strategy. There was no single military service, agency, or country in charge of reconstruction efforts. Instead, multiple donors and organisations were involved, leading to a lack of coordination and inconsistent approaches.
• Political timelines and short-term thinking: Decisions about Afghanistan were often driven by political timelines and short-term thinking rather than long-term strategic goals. This resulted in a focus on quick wins and short-term gains rather than sustainable development.
• Lack of understanding of Afghan culture and society: The US failed to understand the complex social, cultural, and political dynamics of Afghanistan. They tried to impose Western-style democracy and free-market economics on a country with strong tribal and religious traditions, which led to resistance and a lack of buy-in from the Afghan people.
• Corruption and lack of accountability: Corruption was endemic in Afghanistan, and the US failed to address it effectively. US funds often ended up in the pockets of corrupt Afghan officials or were wasted on ill-conceived or poorly executed projects.
• Inadequate training and support for Afghan security forces: The US provided inadequate training and support for the Afghan security forces, particularly in the areas of leadership and counterinsurgency. This led to high rates of desertion and a lack of effectiveness in fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
• Lack of focus and resources: The US's focus and resources were diverted from Afghanistan to the war in Iraq, which allowed the Taliban to regroup and regain strength.
• Inadequate oversight and accountability: There was a lack of effective oversight and accountability for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This led to waste, fraud, and abuse of US funds, with little accountability for those responsible.

The US's failure to hold anyone accountable

The war in Afghanistan began in 2001 with the stated goals of destroying the Taliban regime, capturing or killing Osama bin Laden, and later, establishing a stable, democratic nation. However, as the war dragged on, these objectives became increasingly difficult to achieve, and the US found itself entangled in a complex counterinsurgency campaign.

Over time, the war's objectives shifted, and the focus expanded beyond Afghanistan's borders to include the broader "War on Terror." This made it challenging to assign clear responsibility for the war's outcome, as multiple administrations and policy approaches contributed to the overall result. Additionally, the war's long duration meant that accountability could not be limited to a single administration or set of policymakers.

The war in Afghanistan also involved a complex array of domestic and international actors, including the US military, intelligence agencies, private contractors, Afghan government and security forces, and various insurgent groups. This made it difficult to assign clear responsibility for any perceived failures, as the actions and decisions of multiple entities influenced the outcome.

Finally, the war's inconclusive end, with the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan, made it challenging to identify clear winners and losers. This further complicated the task of holding individuals or entities accountable for any perceived failures.

In conclusion, the US's failure to hold anyone accountable for the war in Afghanistan can be attributed to ill-defined and shifting goals, the war's long duration, the involvement of multiple domestic and international actors, and the lack of a clear-cut military victory or defeat. These factors made it difficult to assign specific responsibility for the war's outcome and led to a lack of accountability.

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