The 20-year long conflict has had severe military and economic consequences.
US President Joe Biden has announced an unconditional withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in what brings closure to “America’s longest war”. The withdrawal will start from May 1st and be completed by September 11 which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks which took place. Meanwhile, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg has decided to match the US troop pullout by withdrawing around 7000 non-US troops and hopes to complete the process “within a few months”. There are approximately 3000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan currently in addition to 8,500 deployed by coalition allies.
Under the Trump regime, this date of withdrawal was set as May 1, which the US will miss by around 4 months. In his televised address, Biden refused to pass the buck to the next President and said that
“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.”
Us president Joe Biden
This decision is based on data gathered by American intelligence, which suggests that Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups do not pose an immediate threat to strike the United States from Afghanistan, the New York Times reported. It has also led to scepticism by serving and retired US intelligence experts who are wary of the Taliban’s resurgence in the country. Lastly, it’s imperative to understand the historical context of this conflict and the ramifications it may have for India.
Also Read: “Time To End Forever War”: Joe Biden Announces US Withdrawal From Afghanistan
Start Of The Conflict
Post the horrific 9/11 attacks in which close to 3000 Americans lost their lives, then US President George W. Bush gave the famous call for a ‘War on Terror’. The target was the Taliban regime which provided a safe haven for Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, the perpetrators of the attack. Soon enough, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Taliban was overthrown and 1000 troops were deployed in October 2001 with the number increasing in subsequent years.
Obama’s Push, VP Biden’s Opposition
President Barack Obama vowed to end the Iraq and Afghanistan wars if elected, in 2009. After taking charge, the deployment of US forces increased exponentially. A total of 1,00,000 troops were deployed in 2010. It’s important to note that as Vice President then, Joe Biden strongly opposed Washington’s aggressive policy. Despite the opposition, it went ahead and increased the deployment.
Mastermind’s Death, Doha Agreement
A SEAL team, in a covert operation, killed Osama Bin Laden in 2012 in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Following this, the Obama administration started trimming down its presence in Afghanistan. Cut to Feb 2020, US and Afghanistan signed an agreement in Doha setting up withdrawal of forces by May 2021 in exchange for peace talks. President Biden said that the US delivered justice after Osama’s killing and that its reason to stay in Afghanistan has become “increasingly unclear” even as terrorist threats have evolved.
What Does The Withdrawal Mean For Afghanistan?
Under the US’ heavily influenced efforts towards nation-building, Afghanistan was successful in taking strides forward as a democracy, especially in areas like women’s rights and governance. The US withdrawal has sparked fears of undoing this and also aiding the Taliban, who provided al-Qaida’s haven, remain strong and in control of large swaths of the country. Needless to say, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and his government have slim chances to strike a peace deal with the Taliban, according to experts.
Ramifications for India
During the Taliban’s domination in the 1990s, it welcomed, trained, and provided shelter to terrorists from Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad who later attacked the Indian Parliament in 2001. The prospective failure of a peace deal and the Taliban’s re-emergence could invite trouble for India, who, unlike the US is at a geographical disadvantage.
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