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Post: Afghan experience for Ukraine. What did Biden learn from the Taliban?

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MOSCOW, August 31 – RIA Novosti, Renat Abdullin. Exactly one year ago, on the night of August 31, the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan completely. Exodus, which would become President Joe Biden’s first major success, had mixed results for the world. About what it affects – in the material of the RIA Novosti.

longest conflict in the USA

American troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001 in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The last US soldier, Major General Christopher Donahue, left Afghan territory on the night of August 31, 2021. The operation in the South Asian republic has become for Washington the longest foreign military conflict.

And from the very beginning, it raised doubts about its validity, as responsibility for the 9/11 attacks was *given* to al-Qaeda, and Afghanistan was the Taliban’s* traditional sphere of influence.

Be that as it may, in 2011 the head of al-Qaeda * Osama bin Laden was eliminated. President Barack Obama has raised the issue of ending the campaign. It was objected to by the “hawk” lobby associated with the military-industrial complex that was making good money from supplies to Asia.

Planning to end the operation in the fall of 2014, Obama reduced his military contingent to 9,800 men. However, other international problems arose and the complete withdrawal of troops was cancelled.

“Deal with the devil”

Donald Trump was supposedly in favor of leaving Afghanistan, but actually gave the military carte blanche to establish a military presence. In 2017, the Pentagon reported more troops than expected on Afghan soil. And more than at the end of Obama’s second term – about 14 thousand.

However, the situation in the country did not improve. As a result, in 2020 the White House signed an agreement with the Taliban** in Doha. The Americans promised to secede from Afghanistan, while the Taliban ensured that al-Qaeda* would be expelled from the areas under their control.

The Doha agreement, which many in the West called “a deal with the devil”, actually demoralized the troops of the Kabul government, which had been abandoned by Washington. Filling their units with militants from other groups, the Taliban advanced rapidly. American “immigration” turned into a rout.

“We left them”

The White House tried to organize the evacuation of Afghans, who cooperated with the authorities and rightly feared the Taliban. But there was not enough room. Shocking images spread around the world: as people lift the carriers, they cling to the chassis and fall from a great height.

US Marines during evacuation at Hamid Karzai airport in Kabul - RIA Novosti, 1920, 08/30/2022
US Marines evacuated at Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul

When Major General Donahue boarded the plane on the night of August 31, the Taliban gave an impromptu salute. However, other countries did not depend on the fireworks.

Everyone was watching the actions of the Taliban, who had captured Kabul, with concern. They look softened. For example, several women have held leadership positions. True, it concerned specialized medical institutions such as maternity hospitals and gynecological clinics. Despite relatively liberalization, the Taliban were not recognized internationally as the Afghan leadership.

And the questions posed to the American administration are only growing. Biden’s former adviser, Diplomat Lee Wolowski, recognizesBy leaving Afghanistan, Washington condemned “many people, possibly to a terrible fate.” Still, he believes Biden’s decision was the right one.

“The Americans support this. They are fed up with the endless wars in South Asia and the Middle East. These tasks are more about foreign state-building than national security. It’s better to spend the tens of billions that flow into Afghanistan every year here: rebuilding our infrastructure, protecting the environment. , ensuring access to healthcare. That was Biden’s program, and it delivers on its promises,” stresses the diplomat.

outstanding debt

Representatives of Afghan society in the West point to something else. The Hill columnist Arash Azzizada, author: “The anniversary of the withdrawal of the Union was marked by a serious lack of public interest and accountability. Although the whole world witnessed the embarrassing fiasco of August 2021, there was no public hearing in Congress and not a single government official resigned.”

He remembers the pressure from the Taliban and the fact that the Americans did nothing to help.

“The double standard in the US treatment of Afghans and Ukrainians is hard to tolerate. While the White House creates a special program to allow 100,000 Ukrainians to enter the country, Afghans who support the twenty-year military occupation at risk,” Azzizada angrily says, “I got nothing in retaliation from the Taliban.” .

According to him, the White House should now take a close look at Afghanistan and return the “unpaid debt” to provide shelter to all victims of the Taliban.

This issue is also discussed in the UK. Charity Harbor Project notesWhile many Ukrainians were granted refugee status within six months, Afghans still struggle with bureaucracy.

Biden’s revenge on Ukraine

The Ukrainian question regularly arises in the context of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. And it’s not just about how the White House treats refugees from South Asia and Eastern Europe.

Lee Wolowski is confident that Biden is now making decisions with Afghanistan experience in mind. “He’s trying to avoid unnecessary tension. He was right in rejecting calls for a no-fly zone that would put us in direct confrontation with Russian troops,” the diplomat said. said.

This also applies to financial aid. Washington has allocated at least $134 billion to Kabul, and a report by the Congress-approved Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says about $19 billion was lost in 2020 primarily due to corruption. Americans do not want this to happen again in Europe.

John Sopko, who also works for SIGAR, speaksHe said the situation in Ukraine is very different from Afghanistan, but that he sees “similarities” and “parallels” to the way the US works. “If you’re investing money in a country that quickly, strict supervision is required. And I haven’t observed that yet,” he admits.

Sopko proposes the creation of a new special agency of the inspector general to ensure transparency in the financing of military operations in Ukraine.

Gabriela Iveliz Rosa-Hernandez, a researcher at the Gun Control Association, agreed that the inspector general can help monitor cash flow. However, “surveillance in active warfare is incredibly hard work,” she added.

By contrast, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, former head of government and now a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, points to the political lessons Americans need to learn. According to that ideaTheir withdrawal from Afghanistan encouraged Russia to be more active, as it showed the United States was not ready to take long-term responsibility for “trust” countries.

“When the US fled, Afghan soldiers took it as a signal to do the same,” Bildt said. Therefore, he is sure that the unconditional support of Kiev is needed. Otherwise, Ukraine will live the fate of Afghanistan.

* A terrorist organization banned in Russia.

** An act under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.

Source: Ria

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