U.S. Troops Leaving Afghanistan Is Bad News for the Taliban
By Wahab Raofi President Biden’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan triggered backlash from some in the media and members of Biden’s own administration.Some analysts say the plan to pullout all troopsby Sept. 11 jeopardizes Washington's peace negotiations with the Taliban and increases chances for an upsurge in violence. But the decision is sound and based on a lesson learned: The conflict in Afghanistan cannot be solved by military means. For the past 20 years,the Taliban has used the word “invasion” as justification for their religious obligation to carry on jihad against the infidel invaders,much as the mujahedeen did during the ’80s when they were fighting against the Soviet Union. They had plenty of young Afghans from Islamic madrassas in Pakistan to recruit. But now as the “invaders” have one foot out the door, the Taliban finds itself without anenemy andno incentive to offer soldiersfor carrying out a holy war. Foreign supporters of the jihad will zip t...