THE AFGHAN

CRISIS:
There would be rarely any superpower in the world which wouldn’t have
thought about capturing Afghanistan even for once. It had started as before as
in the middle of the nineteenth century, when both Russian and British
empires were increasing their influence on Afghanistan. Afghanistan was
important as it was in south Asia and could be used as a very important
strategic location.
In the year 1933 when monarchy was still prevalent in Afghanistan, Zahir Shah
had become the ruler of Afghanistan. During this era the trend of Democracy
was prevailing all over the world. Therefore, Zahir had implemented the first
constitution of Afghanistan in 1964. The Parliament had come into power with
two houses and the trusted cousin of Zahir Shah who was Daoud Khan was
made the prime minister of Afghanistan. This was just a mockery show as the
real power was still in the hands of Zahir Shah and the Parliament was his
showoff toy in front of the world. In 1973, Zahir Shah falls tremendously ill and
due to lack of proper healthcare facilities in Afghanistan, he has to go to Italy
for his health complications. This is when Daoud Khan, the prime minister of
Afghanistan topples his cousin, Zahir Shah and takes the power into his own
hands. Zahir Shah is informed if he returns to Afghanistan, he would be
murdered and therefore takes his exile at Italy. The common people and the
army both support Daoud in his ideas of establishing a democratic government
and overthrowing the monarchy in the State. Later, the common people
realized that they were cheated upon as Daoud Khan had put a condition that
only his political party would contest in the elections. In a certain period, there
was inflation in the State and there was also a lack of development in smaller
parts of the State. People were staring to be fed up of the government and this
started to be the cause for the creation of groups in many parts of the country
which led to the formation of People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan which
was a communist party. According to the Soviet Union’s Policy of supporting
communist parties all over the world at that point of time, the PDPA Party also
received support from Soviet Union. The party started to gain popularity during
the times of economic distress in Afghanistan. Seeing this popularity, Daoud
Khan tried to suppress the PDPA Government and assassinated many of its
important leaders such as Mir Akbar Khyber. The PDPA Government was also
supported by the country’s higher military officers. Everything started to go out
of Daoud’s control. On 27th April, 1978, Daoud Khan along with his family were
assassinated. This led to the forming of the government of PDPA Party in
Afghanistan.Noor Mohammed Taraki had become the president of Afghanistan
and the USSR also favoured him because he was a strong believer of
Communist ideologies. In the late 1980s, Noor Mohammed assumed the
presidency of Afghanistan amid the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan War, which
had seen the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989 after a decade-long conflict.
Noor Mohammed's policies aimed to stabilize the country, but internal strife
and factional infighting persisted.
During this time, Hafizullah Amin, a communist leader, played a significant role
in Afghanistan's political landscape. However, his tenure was short-lived, as he
was assassinated in 1979 during a Soviet intervention orchestrated to remove
him from power.
The CIA, during the Cold War, had covertly supported the Mujahideen, a group
of Afghan resistance fighters, in their struggle against the Soviet invasion. The
USSR's decision to invade Afghanistan in 1979 was influenced by its desire to
bolster a friendly communist government in a neighboring country and to
prevent the spread of Islamic fundamentalism.
The Mujahideen, who comprised various factions with different ideological
orientations, received substantial financial, military, and intelligence assistance
from the United States and its allies. This support aimed to counter Soviet
influence and deal a blow to the USSR's military presence in Afghanistan.
Among the Mujahideen were key figures such as Abdullah Azzam and Ahmed
Khadr, who played significant roles in organizing the resistance and garnering
financial support from Arab countries sympathetic to the cause.
During the war, Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi Arabian, entered
Afghanistan and founded the Maktab al-Khidamat organization, which
facilitated the flow of foreign fighters and funds to support the Mujahideen's
efforts against the Soviet forces.
As the war continued, the Mujahideen, with the assistance of the US and its
allies, succeeded in driving out Soviet troops, leading to the USSR's withdrawal
in 1989. However, the Mujahideen's victory was followed by a period of civil
war and political instability in Afghanistan, as various factions vied for control.
In the mid-1990s, the Taliban, a militant Islamist group, emerged under the
leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omar. The Taliban eventually gained control
of Afghanistan, establishing a strict form of Islamic governance.
During this time, Osama bin Laden found sanctuary in Afghanistan and
furthered his extremist ideology. He also developed a close relationship with
the Taliban leadership, solidifying their mutual interests.
In 2001, Al-Qaeda, under bin Laden's direction, executed the devastating 9/11
attacks on the United States, killing thousands of innocent civilians. This act of
terrorism prompted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan as part of the broader
War on Terror, with the primary objective of dismantling Al-Qaeda and
removing the Taliban from power.
With a coalition of international forces, the US targeted both Al-Qaeda and
Taliban positions in Afghanistan. The objective of capturing or neutralizing
Osama bin Laden was a central focus of this military campaign.
Over the subsequent years, the US and its allies conducted counterinsurgency
operations and nation-building efforts in Afghanistan. While progress was
made in certain areas, the country remained mired in violence and instability.
In 2011, US forces succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, dealing a
significant blow to Al-Qaeda's leadership and diminishing their operational
capabilities. However, Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups persisted in their
efforts to undermine stability in Afghanistan.
Throughout the 2010s, Afghanistan continued to face challenges related to
governance, corruption, and ongoing insurgency. Despite efforts to train and
equip Afghan security forces, they struggled to maintain control and security
across the country.
In 2020, an agreement was reached between the US and the Taliban, which
included a timeline for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. In
2021, the US completed its withdrawal, marking the end of a two-decade-long
military presence.
The aftermath of the US withdrawal left Afghanistan facing significant
challenges. The Taliban, who had regrouped and expanded their control,
rapidly took over most of the country, culminating in the fall of Kabul. This
return to Taliban rule raised concerns about human rights, particularly for
women and minorities, and regional stability.