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Nobody wants to know the truth about Afghanistan. A brief thread. https://twitter.com/IwriteOK/status/1359623939148898308
One solution that's been posed is to leave a counter-terror force in the country for select missions but abandon the nation building/coin fight. The current Afghan government abosutely won't agree to that (why would they?) https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2021-01-22/myth-responsible-withdrawal-afghanistan
Maintaining that requires continuing to prop up the Afghan government, pouting money and troops into a war that remains unpopular. It's also gotten ugly in recent years: in 2019 it's estimated NATO and Afghan Gov forces lately killed more civilians than the Taliban did.
Which brings us to option 2: pull the plug. Western troops are no longer in the picture. But foreign interference isn't over. The Taliban continues to thrive in no small part because of Pakistani support. They'll continue getting guns, money and help from spies.
The Taliban is currently engaged in an aggressive campaign of assassinations, murdering civil society activists, women's advocates, artists, teachers and judges.
That's going to continue, as will their relationship with terrorist groups. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistani-taliban-reunified-splinter-groups-in-afghanistan-poses-threat-un-101612532507569.html
That's going to continue, as will their relationship with terrorist groups. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistani-taliban-reunified-splinter-groups-in-afghanistan-poses-threat-un-101612532507569.html
Advocating withdrawal means accepting the Taliban gaining strength and imposing much of their hardline values like the old days.
Option 3, occasionally tossed around, is replacing the NATO coalition with a neutral UN peacekeeping force and negotiators.
Good luck finding countries willing to contribute troops and resources for such a mission https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/2425694/a-peacekeeping-mission-in-afghanistan-pipedream-or-path-to-stability/
Good luck finding countries willing to contribute troops and resources for such a mission https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/2425694/a-peacekeeping-mission-in-afghanistan-pipedream-or-path-to-stability/
There is no good end to the war in Afghanistan. The American public needs to come to terms with that, and fully accept responsibility for the consequences of whatever decision comes. We made this.
