After 20 years, the civil war in Afghanistan may finally be over. However, the victors were not who we expected.
On Sunday (15 Aug), news broke that the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s capital, triggering panic and chaos in the streets.
US troops, which had been in control of the country for the last two decades, had begun returning home last year, and the opportunistic Taliban seized more territory whenever it could.
Fast forward a year, and the fundamentalist Islamic group had assumed control of most districts in Afghanistan, compelling the Afghanistan president to flee the country.
Some have blamed the withdrawal of US troops for the rise of the Taliban, but the US president believes he made the right call.
Biden Broke Silence on Afghanistan War, Said He Stood By His Decision
Yesterday (16 Aug), Joe Biden finally broke his silence on Afghanistan’s civil war and his choice to withdraw US troops from the country.
In a televised address from the White House, Biden noted that the timing of the withdrawal was always going to be an issue.
“I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces,” he said.
Biden said his priority was to stop a war that had gone beyond its initial objective.
The US invaded Afghanistan back in 2001 to punish the Taliban for refusing to hand over Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda which had perpetrated the 9/11 attacks that year.
But US troops ended up staying for another two decades, with the purported aim of building a democracy, even when the ousted Taliban was constantly attacking the troops.
But, as Biden said, the mission in Afghanistan was “never supposed to be nation-building.”
For him, ending the war was always his aim.
“How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to Afghanistan’s civil war?” Biden said.
Slammed Former Afghan Government
In his address, Biden also slammed the former Afghan government and military commander for conceding defeat so easily to the Taliban.
After all, as Biden noted, the government was put in place, organised, and supported by the US for the last two decades.
But the government didn’t even put up a fight, and fled instead, he said.
The president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, flew out of the country on Sunday.
Evacuation
After news broke of the takeover, chaos erupted at the international airport as residents attempted to flee the country by boarding the few flights available.
Some were so desperate they even climbed onto the top of the airplane before takeoff.
As for the US, they have deployed helicopters to pull embassy workers out of the country, and sent 6,000 troops to safely evacuate Afghans as well.
The US said yesterday that it had secured the airport.
Other countries, like Canada, are temporarily closing their embassies in Afghanistan.
Curious to know how the war started and who the Taliban are? Head here to find out more about the sudden takeover.
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Featured Image: Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock.com
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