The Troubled History: America And Afghanistan's Fraught Relationship

The relationship between Afghanistan and the US has been fraught with tension and complexities. While it is not accurate to say that all Afghans hate America, there are several factors that have contributed to negative sentiments towards US involvement in the country. One of the primary reasons for resentment is the perception of US forces as an occupying power, with their presence often leading to tensions and, at times, tragic incidents. The US-led war on terror, initiated after the 9/11 attacks, has had a significant impact on Afghanistan, with the country becoming a target of counter-terrorism efforts and regime change. This has resulted in civilian casualties, the rise of radical groups, and a perception of US support for corrupt officials and militias. Additionally, there is a history of cultural misunderstandings and the imposition of Western values, which has led to a sense of resentment and resistance among Afghans. The failure to understand the local culture and dynamics has been a critical factor in the complex dynamics between the two nations.

The US supported radical Islam against the communists in Afghanistan

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 threatened to disrupt the balance of power in the region, prompting the US to intervene. The US had long been wary of Soviet expansionism and was concerned that the invasion could be a precursor to a bid for control of the Persian Gulf region. The US was also keen to protect its interests in the region, particularly the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf to the "free world".

The US thus began to support the Mujahideen, an Islamic guerrilla movement that was resisting the Soviet-backed communist government. The CIA funnelled billions of dollars' worth of weapons and other aid to the Mujahideen via Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). This support continued under the Reagan administration, which sought to make the Mujahideen the centerpiece of its "Reagan Doctrine", an aggressive initiative to increase the cost of Soviet support for Third World socialist governments.

The US also provided "psychological" support to the Mujahideen, coordinating with the US Information Agency (USIA) to increase and "improve" media coverage of the war. This included teaching Afghan rebels how to film and write about their jihad.

The US support for the Mujahideen was not without complications. The Mujahideen was a diverse group of factions that often fought each other, and the US struggled to foster unity among them. The US also had limited influence over how Pakistani intelligence distributed CIA-purchased weapons to the rebels, with a disproportionate amount going to the most radical group, Hekmatyar's Hizb-i Islami.

The US support for radical Islam against the communists in Afghanistan ultimately proved to be a historic blunder. It failed to recognize that the demise of the Soviet Union would leave it exposed to assaults from groups like Al-Qaeda, which was formed in the mid-1980s by Osama bin Laden to overthrow corrupt regimes in Muslim countries and replace them with Islamic law.

The US failed to understand Afghanistan and its people

The United States' failure to understand Afghanistan and its people can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Lack of Cultural Understanding: The US often imposed Western values and practices on Afghanistan without considering local traditions and customs. This included attempts to transform Afghan culture, gender norms, and the country's legal system, which were often met with resentment and resistance.
• Misunderstanding the Taliban's Appeal: The Taliban gained legitimacy and popular support, particularly in rural areas, by providing swift and rough justice, which many Afghans found more accessible and reliable than the formal court system. The US failed to recognize the appeal of the Taliban's brand of Islamic justice, which was rooted in the country's religious and cultural context.
• Underestimating the Taliban: The US underestimated the Taliban's resilience and ability to regain power. Despite the Taliban's brutal rule in the 1990s, the group established deeper roots in local communities and gained support by providing basic governance and addressing security concerns.
• Inadequate Understanding of Afghan History: The US did not fully grasp the complex history of Afghanistan, including the country's experience with foreign occupation, civil war, and the rise of radical Islamic forces. This lack of historical context hindered the US's ability to understand the dynamics shaping Afghan society and politics.
• Misjudging Afghanistan's Stability: The US consistently underestimated the time and resources required to rebuild Afghanistan, leading to short-term solutions and unrealistic timelines. The US failed to recognize the deep-seated issues, such as corruption, weak governance, and insecurity, that hindered long-term stability and development.
• Inadequate Understanding of Local Dynamics: The US often lacked a detailed understanding of local social, economic, and political dynamics. This included a failure to recognize the influence of power brokers, tribal loyalties, and cultural and social barriers, which impacted the effectiveness of US programs and initiatives.
• Inadequate Monitoring and Evaluation: The US government struggled to effectively monitor and evaluate the impact of its reconstruction efforts. This was due to rapid staff turnover, coordination challenges, security restrictions, and a lack of centralized controlling authority. As a result, programs were often judged based on short-term outputs rather than long-term outcomes and sustainability.

The US pursued an anti-Soviet policy in Afghanistan

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, sending in around 30,000 troops to support the country's communist government in its conflict with anti-communist Muslim guerrillas. The invasion was a strategic decision to maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border.

The US had been covertly supporting the Mujahideen rebels since 1979, but this support increased after the Soviet invasion. The US supplied the Mujahideen with billions of dollars' worth of weapons, as well as non-military aid, and the CIA funnelled money and weapons to the rebels via Pakistan.

The US also enacted economic sanctions and trade embargoes against the Soviet Union, and called for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The Soviet Union and the US became locked in a proxy war in Afghanistan, with the Mujahideen receiving support from the US, Pakistan, China, Iran, and the UK, and the Soviet-backed Afghan government receiving support from Cuba and East Germany.

The war resulted in the deaths of around 3 million Afghans, and millions more fled the country as refugees. The conflict also wreaked havoc on the Soviet economy and national prestige, and contributed significantly to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

The US supported a strong, centralised Afghan government

The US has long supported a strong, centralised Afghan government. In 2001, the US backed Hamid Karzai as the interim head of the Afghan government, and he was later democratically elected as the country's president. The US also supported the creation of a strong presidential system, with the president holding sweeping powers.

The US has provided extensive financial and military support to the Afghan government. Since 2002, the US has provided nearly $88 billion in security assistance and $36 billion in civilian assistance, including $787 million specifically for Afghan women and girls. The US has also provided nearly $3.9 billion in humanitarian assistance.

The US has also supported the Afghan government by helping to rebuild the country's infrastructure. This includes constructing and rehabilitating schools, health clinics, and roads, as well as improving irrigation systems and farm-to-market roads. The US has also helped to establish independent media outlets and supported economic development by providing small loans to Afghans to start their own businesses.

In addition to financial and infrastructure support, the US has also provided training and equipment to the Afghan security forces, including the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. The US has also supported the development of democratic institutions, such as a multi-party legislature, and has worked to promote human rights, particularly for women, girls, and minority communities.

However, despite the US's efforts to support a strong, centralised Afghan government, there have been criticisms of the US approach. Some argue that the US failed to understand Afghanistan and imposed its own fantasies and biases on the country, including the belief that the Taliban could be eliminated. The US's support for a strong presidential system and its promotion of gender equality and other liberal values were seen as imposing Western culture on Afghanistan and undermining traditional Afghan culture and gender norms.

Furthermore, the US's focus on a strong central government may have undermined the development of political parties and the Parliament. The concentration of power in the presidency may have alienated other stakeholders and contributed to the perception of corruption and ineffectiveness of the Afghan government.

Overall, while the US has provided significant support for a strong, centralised Afghan government, there have been criticisms that its approach was misguided and failed to understand the local context and the needs and wants of the Afghan people.

The US failed to address the root causes of terrorism

The US has been at war in Afghanistan for over 20 years, and yet the country remains a breeding ground for terrorism. The US has spent over $132 billion on development assistance, but much of this money has been wasted, stolen, or failed to address the problems it was meant to fix.

The US has focused on combating the symptoms of terrorism rather than grappling with its root causes. The root causes of terrorism in Afghanistan include:

• Foreign occupation
• Resentment of the US for its uncritical support of Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands
• A culture of violence, largely due to resistance against foreign invasion
• The rise of radical Islam against communism
• The failure to understand the historical, social, legal, and political traditions of the host nation

The US has also made several strategic errors in Afghanistan, including:

• Misunderstanding the country's culture and society
• Focusing on counterterrorism rather than countercorruption
• Prioritizing short-term political expediency over long-term effective policy
• Failing to negotiate a settlement from a position of maximum leverage
• Imposing inappropriate security institutions and political systems
• Overestimating the pace and depth of societal change that policies can produce within a generation
• Designing policies that require indefinite or permanent multibillion-dollar foreign assistance commitments

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