Afghanistan Pullout

Arshaun Emami (G8)

Published Issue 1 2021-2022

International

Introduction

A couple of weeks ago after the exit of the final US troops in Afghanistan on August 30th, Taliban forces recaptured the country within days following the fall of Kabul. During the take-over, the Taliban forces got access to an estimated 3146 high-end US vehicles, 20,040 grenades, 7035 rifles and machine guns, 10 AC-208 counter-insurgency planes, and 1394 rocket launchers. The Taliban forces victoriously changed the country’s title to “The Islamic State of Afghanistan.”

Things Taliban has done

With the Taliban in charge, they've taken actions reminiscent of their actions during their previous rule during the 1990s. Shooting protestors, beating journalists. Girls' rights to attend school are being restricted and women are only being allowed to attend universities that are gender-segregated.

On September 14th the Taliban ordered 3,500 residents of a government-owned residential area in Kandahar to leave in 3 days with no given reason. They’ve also closed all beauty salons and other places exclusively for women. 500 Al-Qaeda fighters are now under the aid of the Taliban regime as well.

Negative effects

After the Taliban rule began, the poverty rate climbed tremendously and the economy tanked. Each day thousands of people are joining the millions already who’ve fled their homes, in trying to leave Afghanistan. The country was also already in the midst of a drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst all this chaos, another terrorist group with estimated 2,200 members is also in Afghanistan but has no ties with the Taliban. The Taliban has declared that this group is one of their only active rivals.

Afghanistan is a graveyard of empires. The Soviet Union, British Empire, and many other older empires have all failed to keep Afghanistan. The United States now joins that list.