Most of us think that the period of suffering the people of Afghanistan have been going through due to violence, occupation, in-fighting, and terrorism is the past 20 years. But the truth is far from our assumption.
It's not just 20 years, but it has been for the past 43 years, continuous since 1978!
Let's look at the history of presumingly the longest violence-suffering country on earth!
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| A totally destroyed section of Kabul in 1993, Src: Wiki |
1978 - Saur Revolution / April coup :
A military coup led by a communist party in Afghanistan (hereafter AF), called PDPA, backed by the Soviet Union, assassinated the then president of AF, Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan, and most of his family members and took the power of the country. (But Daud Khan himself, the prime minister and royal prince in the previous his cousin's monarch king rule, came to power by overthrowing his cousin's king rule in a bloodless military coup and established the first republic, and became president in 1973).
PDPA, after coming to power in 1978, started bringing harsh land and socialist reforms and handling its opposition brutally.
The Soviet Invasion & War Against It (1979 - 1989, ie. 10 yrs):
Large waves of rebellion started against the PDPA govt in 1979. So the Soviet army invaded AF to support the PDPA govt.
The govt was backed and powered by their army, the Soviet Union, and East Germany.
The rebel factions, known collectively as "Afghan Mujahideens," were backed and powered by the US, UK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China, and West Germany.
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President Reagan meeting with Afghan Mujahideen leaders
in the Oval Office in 1983. Img. src: Wiki |
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Wiki "Operation Cyclone".., one of the longest and most expensive covert operations of the CIA that was ever undertaken. The period of it was 10 years and total aid funding combined by the US, Saudi, and China to the Mujahideen is valued between $6-12 billion. (Some sources have alleged that, only during this time, the CIA had ties even with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda Afghan Arab fighters when it armed Mujahideen groups, an allegation which is denied by US Govt officials and they say the US has supported only Afghan Mujahideens, but Afghan Arab fighters came from other countries to support local Mujahideens.)
The Soviet Union conceded eventually and withdrew its troops in 1989.
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Soviet troops returning home from Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War in 1986,
Img Src.: RIA Novosti archive, image #24609 / Alexandr Graschenkov, Wiki |
PDPA Govt vs Mujahideens (1989 - 1992):
Though the Soviets withdrew their troops, it continued to financially support the Afghan govt in its fight against the Mujahideens, and so did the supporters of the Mujahideens.. this time only the USA & Pak. PDPA govt fallen in 1992.
Afghan Civil War / Infighting of Mujahideens (1992 - 1996):
After taking Kabul in 1992 and establishing a govt called the "Islamic State of Afghanistan", the infighting between the mujahideen rebel factions began, which escalated into another full-blown conflict. Each of these factions was supported by an outside power, and participants of this time were Pak, Iran, and Saudi, who were seeking influence in the new Afghan govt created by mujahideen. The conflict ended in 1996 after the "Taliban", a new militia backed by Pak and enforced by Al-Qaeda fighters from Arab countries took control of Kabul and formed a govt called the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
Afghan Civil War - Taliban vs Northern Alliance (1996 - 2001)-:
The mujahideen groups defeated by the Taliban formed a new united front called "Northern Alliance" and started fighting the Taliban govt. The NA received varying degrees of support from Russia, Iran, Tajikistan, and India. But the Taliban was controlling 90% of the AF until 2001.
9/11, NATO Invasion of Afghanistan & Taliban's fight (2001-2020):
Following the 9/11 terror attack, the US asked the Taliban to hand over Osama Bin Laden and when the Taliban asked for the proof to handover him to a 3rd country, the US rejected it, and US and NATO troops along with the support of AF's Northern Alliance party, invaded Afghan to destroy Al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power (since they were giving shelter to Al-Qaeda) and brought a new NA ruled Afghan Govt to power. But the alliance could not suppress the Taliban completely, and the Taliban started fighting back once US and Nato forces started withdrawing their forces starting from 2015.
Observers say Pakistan, the powerful neighbor who shares 50% of AF's border, hence would naturally seek its influence in AF's govt, is still providing all sorts of support to their old ally, the Taliban, the claim denied by Pak. In the same way, India, though not sharing its border with AF, but one of AF's largest neighbors, to seek its strategic presence and counter its rival Pak's influence, has started providing all types of rebuilding support, including military training to its ally, the current NA-ruled regime. It is estimated that India has invested up to $3 bn worth of investments in AF since 2001. But there are other opinions as well, of course. India's former ambassador to AF says "..the Taliban have always been interested in talking to India. From a regional perspective, the Taliban are very clear that they do not want to get in between the India-Pakistan crossfire. There are constituencies within the Taliban who would want to have a stable relationship with India even if powerful factions, especially the Haqqani network and its allies such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, will not let that happen"
Meanwhile, some sources reported the Taliban had severed any remaining ties with al-Qaeda in 2008.
US & NATO troops withdrawal and Taliban's advancement (2020-Till now):
After 20 years of war, the US & the Taliban struck a peace deal in 2020. The provisions include the complete withdrawal of US & NATO troops, Taliban should make sure al-Qaeda or no militant organizations can use AF's soil to attack other countries, and Taliban and current Afghan govt should start dialogues and bring a peaceful and political settlement to AF. The peace deal has been seen as a historic one by international observers.
US & NATO started withdrawing their troops and the Taliban stopped fighting them. But peace talks between the Taliban and the current Afghan Govt called "Intra Afghan peace talks," faced a deadlock and the Taliban started advancing their capture of AF districts. The Taliban declared, as of July 2021, they control 80% of AF, the claim that was denied by the AF govt. However, international observers say 90% of the country's border posts are under the Taliban's control.
My 2 cents
After reading this sorrowful and heartbreaking history of continuous wars and violence-torn Afghanistan and the suffering of its people.. this is what I can conclude.
One of the key reasons behind the current tearful situation of Afghanistan is that for decades this most beautiful country has been used as a battleground for the proxy wars of world's powerful countries for their bloody greedy needs such as geopolitical, strategic, economic and etc. Their greed at seeking influence on their weak neighbors is the key reason for all such devastating stories not only of AF but many wars torn out countries of today's world such as Syria, Yemen, etc. Hence, the deaths of millions of innocent civilians, displacement from their beautiful homes, making them refugees and deaths of many hundred thousands children due to starvation.
I am not against the uprising of people against their tyrant rulers. But when a tyrant ruler denies basic rights to his people and starts brutality against them, then the global human rights body such as the UN should step in and fix it, that should be done either by dialogue, sanctions, or by using forces if necessary. But, other than this, when a 3rd country interferes in one country's internal matter directly or indirectly and starts powering up the uprising people groups or the govt, then it is where all hell will break out!
May peace prevail soon in beautiful Afghanistan and all such countries.. Ameen!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_conflict_(1978%E2%80%93present)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saur_Revolution
https://www.thehindu.com/podcast/are-the-taliban-returning-to-kabul-the-hindu-parley-podcast/article35611454.ece
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