Withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan and remaining threats

In January 2020, the organization Left Radical of Afghanistan launched a publication called Eteraz (Protest) which was distributed publicly among workers, women, students and teachers in most of the country’s 34 provinces. Among those who worked on Eteraz were socialists, women’s rights advocates, secularists and civil liberties adherents. They published their final edition in August, but since the fall of the US-led government in Kabul on August 15, they and their families have either been forced to go into hiding or been internally displaced. They are now without jobs or income. The article below was published from the underground on September 1, 2021 analyzing the situation at that time.

The Freedom Socialist Party, U.S. and Australia, are working on putting together an international effort to aid these comrades. Click here if you would like to make a donation to assist them. Please note it is for Eteraz families. FSP will see it gets to them.

The last U.S. troops left Afghanistan late at night on August 31, 2021, marking the end of the military occupation of Afghanistan and the longest war in U.S. history. The Taliban celebrated the defeat and departure of the United States by firing in the air at Kabul airport that night, congratulating each other and calling it a historic moment. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, told reporters at the airport that the victory was a good lesson for all invaders.

Undoubtedly, the shameful defeat of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan is a great achievement for the people of Afghanistan and the peace-loving people of the world, as America’s global pride, military and economic authority and power have been eroded. But there is no guarantee that the U.S. government will stop its subsequent plots and military and intelligence interventions in Afghanistan and in the region.

In this connection, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on August 31 explained, “I want to drive home today that America’s work in Afghanistan continues. We have a plan for what’s next and we’re putting it into action.” He added that a new chapter of American engagement with Afghanistan has begun.

It is clear that the U.S. government, after reaching an agreement with the Taliban, has carried out its nefarious plans on two fronts, formally using the Taliban and secretly or indirectly utilizing ISIS and other terrorist networks to realise its evil plans.

Pakistan’s military and intelligence, on the other hand, have played a role as U.S. nascent agent in the region for nearly 40 years, particularly in Afghanistan. For the past 20 years, Pakistan’s ISI and military have been cooperating side by side with the United States, and so-called terrorist groups have been based in key Pakistani cities. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by the United States in Abbottabad, and Taliban bases and leadership and members were also active in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan has received billions of dollars in aid in a fictitious war on terror and has spent it on coordinating and training terrorist networks.

The United States also used Pakistani military bases during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and over the past 20 years, U.S. and NATO military and logistical convoys have arrived in Afghanistan from Pakistan. Now 20 years later, the United States moves some of its troops, bases and intelligence personnel to Islamabad to act as watchdogs over Afghanistan and the region.

After that, America’s rivalry and enmity with China, Russia and Iran will enter a new phase and the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan will not mean the end of tensions and threats in Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Gulf countries. Neither China, Russia nor Iran will passively watch the new game of the U.S., and neither will the imperialist United States renounce war, intervention, barbarism, and terrorism. 

The signing of the Taliban’s agreement with the United States and other secret deals under the auspices of Pakistan’s military and intelligence show the Taliban links or dependency to foreign countries. The Taliban’s covert and overt dealings with the United States, Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran have left no country fully trusted. The Taliban do not have the political savvy to balance and gain credibility in their relations and politics with the region and other major powers. 

The Taliban have no plans for development, poverty reduction, and prosperity for the people of Afghanistan, nor are they capable of adapting to the needs and culture of the modern world. The Taliban, as a political-religious group with a much older and more conservative view of Islam, will only insist on enforcing Sharia and strict Islamic principles, restricting women’s rights and civil liberties, and will not be able to provide health, education and social services to the people of Afghanistan. The current situation in Afghanistan is worse than it was in 2001. The United States and NATO have not implemented any infrastructure projects and have fostered a culture of corruption. In the presence of the United States and NATO, the cultivation and trade of narcotics increased and unemployment and poverty reached about 70 percent.

Thus, there are many economic, security and social obstacles facing the Taliban that will challenge their next government. Given the above facts, it can be said that the Taliban will soon face opposition, protests and resistance from the Afghan people and will be isolated internationally.