In its peace deal with the US, the Taliban ‘pledged’ to prevent al-Qaeda from operating out of Afghanistan. But there are signs the terror group is already there, hiding out of sight.
In Afghanistan, it does not pay to be on the losing side. There is a danger that a spreading perception the Taliban are poised to take over could trigger a wave of government and army defections.
After 20 years in Afghanistan and many promises made, the U.S. does hold responsibility for Afghans’ fate, including their human right to access education.
The infrastructure and levels of deprivation in poorer countries have prevented them from benefiting from containment measures as much as richer nations.
Afghanistan sharpened Australia’s fighting capacity and capability. But we were still part of a spectacular failure of political and military leadership.
As President Joe Biden said on announcing the US troop withdrawal by September, ‘our reasons for remaining in Afghanistan have become increasingly unclear’.
The Afghanistan War now has an end date: 9/11/21. Experts explain the history of US involvement in Afghanistan, the peace process to end that conflict and how the country’s women are uniquely at risk.
Afghan women interviewed about current talks between the government and the Taliban say, ‘There is no going back.’ Taliban fundamentalist rule in the 1990s forced women into poverty and subservience.
Little was achieved in the first round of talks last year. As round two is set to begin, there are major obstacles to overcome to finally bring peace to Afghanistan.