U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan Isn’t Failure

 

Despite growing frustration among Americans over the war in Afghanistan and widespread clamoring for an end to this protracted war, all is not lost in my native country.

            To be clear, I joined those calling for the United States – now my adopted home country – to cease military actions. Many politicians and media pundits who disagree with President Donald Trump on almost every other issue have nonetheless supported his statement that “Great nations do not fight endless wars.” Among them was Robert Kaplan who wrote in a piece in The New York Times: “The United States is spending beyond its means on a mission that might only be helping its strategic rivals ... indeed, it may soon be time for the United States to get out of the country altogether.”

Critics cite allegations of waste, fraud and mismanagement of U.S. aid, in addition to the tragic loss of lives.

But what almost everyone overlooks is the dramatic advancement of American ideology that has taken root in Afghanistan’s traditional society. The seeds of American values are firmly planted and beginning to blossom in a way that could herald a peaceful and terrorist-free Afghanistan. 

Since U.S. troops descended on Afghanistan 18 years ago, Afghanistan has evolved into a very different and better place, especially in terms of women’s rights, freedom of speech and free elections. This came despite huge challenges, among them a serious lack of financial resources and skilled workers.

Afghanistan has endured plenty of meddling from foreign countries, from the Russian incursion of the 1980s to Pakistan’s harboring of terrorists that continues to this day. It has also survived political corruption and in-fighting, but the government of Ashraf Ghani has emerged with skilled technocrats and the leadership of security forces that have been entrusted to a young, dynamic generation.

The recent gathering of prominent Afghan politicians and Taliban leaders in Moscow ended with both sides agreeing on important issues. In a joint statement, they promised to honor fundamental citizen rights which did not exist during the Taliban regime of the 1990’s.

Today, a majority of Afghans do not want to see their current government dismantled. It’s not that Afghans are completely thrilled with it, but they enjoy their new freedoms and are hopeful for the future.

When Taliban spokesman Abbas Stanikzai said he would abolish the Afghan army because he sees it as an instrument of the U.S., thousands of young Afghans took to the streets the next day to denounce him and show support for their Afghan security forces.

Afghanistan will never give in to Taliban attempts to establish an emirate.  

Could this new, freer Afghanistan have been be accomplished without American military might? The answer is no. If not for the U.S. and NATO support, Afghanistan would still be under the Taliban regime, grooming students in religious schools to fight infidels.

            The U.S. need not fear for the future of Afghanistan. Most Afghans strongly oppose the establishment of an Islamic emirate by the Taliban because they remember the past. They have tasted freedom during much of the last 18 years and don’t feel hostility toward the foreigners in their country. They believe the Americans are here to help.

If some of the stricter Taliban demands are met after the U.S. decides to leave, Afghans could possibly agree to give up some of their freedom in exchange for safety and the much-needed justice and rule of law that the Taliban promise to deliver.

Would that mean that all the U.S. efforts were wasted? No, because the biggest change has been in the collective mind of the nation. The current democracy is in large part a result of U.S. efforts. Afghans voted for it and see it as legitimate, and they have no desire to see it dismantled. Despite all the government shortcomings, most Afghans would support their security forces in any fight against insurgents.

Afghanistan’s path forward can be solidified if the U.S. (a.) keeps a contingency force in the country to ward off terrorism, and (b.) it continues financial support until American values are so solid that they cannot be uprooted by guns and bombs. 

I believe that American values may already be irreversible and will help Afghanistan to never allow fundamentalists to rule them again. Inevitably, the U.S. will leave one day, but its values will remain and endure.

 

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