Afghanistan war and history (Essay)

Afghanistan war and history


Afghanistan is a country of more than 5000 years of history. This country has been developed of several different cultures, traditions, religions, and has huge civilization & education background. Its first name Ancient was Ariana, later named Khurasan and now THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN. Arians were the first people in the world that established cities. Also developer of 3 different Religions in the region as Buddhism, Brahman, & Zurdashat, and finally after hardship introduced to Islam. Afghanistan for its geo-political location, rich natural resources, wonderful beauty been many times under attacks of conquerors, like Alexander the great, British, Russians & others. Sometimes it had been part of another territory or a large part of other territories added to Ariana/Khurasan territory. A country with freedom and peace loving people, but always struggled for their rights & freedom. Never accept any foreign rule or occupation.

Different Mujahadeen warlords occupied different cities and regions of the country. Burhanuddin Rabbani, the same Northern Alliance warlord who recently took Kabul from the Taliban, was the warlord who ruled over the city from 1992 until his ouster in 1996. During his reign over 60,000 people were murdered and thousands of women were raped. Current Northern Alliance warlord Rashid Dostum who is in control of the city of Mazar –E – Sharif, also ruled over it from 1992 until his ouster in 1997. Similarly the warlord Ismail Khan again rules the city of Heart, which he also ruled from 1992 to 1995; and warlord Yunis Khalis is back in control of Jalabad, which he ruled from 1992 to 1996. Once in power the Taliban sought to create a theocratic state based on their interpretations of the Koran (John Willam Kaye, “History Of The War In Afghanistan”). Though already severely repressed by the various Mujahadeen warlords, the plight of Afghanistan’s women was made even worse under the new regime. The veil became the law of the land, and women were forbidden from attending school or holding employment outside of the home. Television was banned and an effort was made to purge the country of any signs or remnants of secular or Western influence. The country became politically and diplomatically isolated. Then came the current war. Following the September 11 World Trade Center bombings the United States accused Osama Bin Laden of the crime. Bin Laden, who had left Afghanistan following the defeat of the Soviets, had returned after falling out of favor in Saudi Arabia, and being pressured to leave his first nation of refuge, the Sudan. Within a few weeks the United States began bombing the impoverished country, as well as providing active support to the Northern Alliance warlords (Kenneth Katzman, “CRS report for Congress”, July 11, 2008). Following weeks of devastating bombing, and several failed offensives, the Northern Alliance succeeded in breaking out of its northern enclave, seizing the city of Mazar – E – Sharif, and then moving on to take Kabul. This set in motion a series of defeats for the Taliban, which began surrendering and abandoning almost every major city in the country, and retreating into the mountains. The U.S. meanwhile has continued its bombing campaign, and now has Marines on the ground hunting for Bin Laden. All the while the people of Afghanistan continue to suffer.

The Taliban resistance in Afghanistan is a threat to American freedoms and the US military presence in Afghanistan is necessary for America's national security. The controversial issue is whether or not a U.S. military presence is necessary in Afghanistan. The history of the war in Afghanistan is the Taliban's presence and influence in the area. The armed forces of Afghanistan are weak and ill-equipped to deal with the Taliban. The threat posed by the Taliban's alarmingly large support base and is a popular hide-out for high profile Taliban commanders (AFGHANISTAN’S NARCO WAR: BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND INSURGENTS, August 10, 2009).

I have strong opinion that there is undeniable evidence on the topic that can prove the Taliban resistance in Afghanistan. The first argument in opposition to the Taliban emergence maintains that the Taliban insurgents are defeated and that the overall situation could be classified as stable. There are numerous facts and events that show the emergence of the Taliban as a fighting force. The average number of violent accidents per month in Afghanistan has increased by 529 deaths per month from 2003 to 2008. This is followed by an increase of casualties inside the US and British forces deployed in the country. The US forces have seen an increase of 218 casualties per year from 2003 to 2008 and the British forces have seen an increase of 64 casualties per year, which is Britain's highest casualty rate since the end of World War II. These numbers are a proof of the escalation of the fight in Afghanistan and also of the Taliban's improved skills in operational planning and executing (Tim Dyhouse, “Afghanistan: ‘The Forgotten War’”).


It’s hard to say how much longer the Taliban will continue to fight, or when the U.S. will end its war. Currently Northern Alliance warlords, southern Pashtun warlords, opportunistic emigre politicians, and even supporters of the aging deposed autocrat King Zahir Shah, are arguing about who will be the exploiter-in-chief of the devastated land. Most likely they will come up with some sort of coalition government that will perhaps hold the different factions together, perhaps not. In the end it matters little, since none of the figures involved represent the people of this country, and none of them seem to have ever had their interests at heart. The most immediate thing would be for the United States government to end its bombing, withdraw its troops, and respect the Afghan people’s right to self-determination. And while this alone would not end all of the bloodshed and the fighting, it would create a situation where the workers and farmers of Afghanistan would be more able to cast off the warlords and petty feudal tyrants, take control of their destinies, and create a society that is based upon cooperation and solidarity. Towards that end let us redouble our efforts to stop the U.S. bombing, to stop the U.S. war on the people of Afghanistan.











Bibliography

1. John Willam Kaye, 'History Of The War In Afghanistan'.
2. Kenneth Katzman, 'CRS report for Congress', July 11, 2008.
3. AFGHANISTAN’S NARCO WAR: BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND INSURGENTS, August 10, 2009.
4. Tim Dyhouse, 'Afghanistan: ‘The Forgotten War'.