What Was America’s Longest War in Afghanistan For?

Published in Asahi Shimbun
(Japan) on 17 August 2021
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by D Baker. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
It has been 20 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that struck at the heart of the United States. For all its international cooperation and vast loss of life, what was the longest war in American history for?

The Taliban, an insurgent group, have taken over most of Afghanistan. With the collapse of the civilian government that the U.S. had spearheaded and supported, the country may be on the path to becoming a “failed state” fought over by rival military factions.

The capital has been plunged into mayhem as foreign residents and citizens attempt to flee the country, with local people fearing a return to a reign of terror and public executions. The international community must unite and call on the Taliban to exercise restraint to protect human life above all.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Aug. 16. Key nations such as the United States, Russia and China should respond quickly to the need for instating a reasonable system of governance in Afghanistan.

The United States bears grave responsibility. After exerting influence by supporting the Afghan government for 20 years, this kind of disorderly and rushed withdrawal of the U.S. Armed Forces is nothing but actions conducted by a superpower in its own interest.

The international community showed a degree of understanding for America's use of military force in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. This force was justified as a way of keeping the Taliban, who provide cover for terrorist organizations, from political power, and to protect the provision of humanitarian aid to citizens.

The governance of this multiracial nation was far from stable, despite the Taliban's temporary retreat. Despite an American investment of 9 trillion yen (approximately $82 billion) into strengthening the Afghanistan government's military, the failure to establish any fundamental democratic system allowed corruption to spread.

President Joe Biden indicated that it was down to the citizens of Afghanistan to protect their country, and that America's objective to “keep Afghanistan from becoming a base from which attacks could be continued against the United States” had been “achieved.” This is hardly convincing. The British defense minister voiced concerns that terrorist organizations “will probably come back.”

The Taliban's recapture of political power by military force after having been overwhelmed by the U.S. Armed Forces clearly demonstrates the limits of America's global war of terror.

Terrorism springs forth from conflict, inequality and poverty, and we cannot build a safe world while failed states continue to exist. America has arrived at a point of exhaustion after failing to apply lessons that should have been learned from the 9/11 attacks and engaging in action that overemphasizes the military aspects of conflict resolution.

In the U.S., criticism of the government abounds, describing the exit from Afghanistan as the most humiliating defeat since the Vietnam War. However, now is not the time for inward-looking debate and pointing fingers.

In the 1990s, the Taliban excluded women and girls from education and banned music, movies and other art. If we yet again permit governance that does not acknowledge the sanctity of human rights and equality, then no one will believe in the values of freedom and democracy which America promotes.

That would be a true defeat for America.


(社説)アフガンと米国 「最長の戦争」何だった

米国の中枢を襲った同時多発テロから20年。米史上最長の戦争によって失われたおびただしい人命と国際努力はいったい、何のためだったのか。
 アフガニスタンの反政府勢力タリバーンが、ほぼ全土を制圧した。米国が主導して支えてきた文民政権は崩壊し、軍閥が争う「失敗国家」と呼ばれた状態に戻りかねない。
 在留外国人や市民らの国外脱出で首都は混乱をきわめ、地元の人々は公開処刑など恐怖政治の再来を恐れている。何より人命保護のために、国際社会は一致してタリバーンに自制を求めねばならない。
 国連安保理は16日にも緊急会合を開く。米国、ロシア、中国など主要国は、穏当な統治体制を生み出すために行動を急ぐべきだ。
 米国の責任は重大である。20年間、アフガン政府の後ろ盾として影響力をふるいながら、このような無秩序な形で米軍の撤退を急いだのは、大国のご都合主義以外の何物でもない。
 同時テロの直後、国際社会は米国の武力行使に一定の理解を示した。テロ組織をかくまうタリバーンを政権から追うとともに、国民に人道援助をするという主張を認めたからだ。
 だが、タリバーンは一時的に退潮したものの、この多民族国家の統治は安定しなかった。米国が9兆円規模を投じて政府軍の強化にテコ入れしても、肝心の民主政治は定着することなく、汚職も蔓延(まんえん)した。
 バイデン米大統領は「国を守るのは彼らの仕事だ」「米本土への攻撃の拠点にさせない目的は達した」というが、説得力は乏しい。英国防相は「おそらくテロ組織が帰ってくるだろう」と懸念している。
 米軍が圧倒したタリバーンが再び武力で権力を奪い返した経緯を振り返れば、米国がこの間に世界規模で進めてきた対テロ戦争の限界は明らかだ。
 テロの根源は、各地に広がる紛争や格差、貧困であり、失敗国家をなくさない限り、安全な世界は築けない。同時テロから学ぶべき教訓を生かさず、軍事偏重の行動に走り続けた結果、疲れ果てたのが今の米国の姿ではないか。
 米国内では、ベトナム戦争以来の屈辱的な「敗北」との政権批判が出ている。しかし、内向きな論議で責任のなすり合いをしている場合ではない。
 タリバーンは90年代、音楽や映画などを禁じ、女性を学校教育から排除した。人権と平等を認めない統治をまた許せば、米国が唱える自由と民主の価値を誰も信用しなくなるだろう。
 それこそが、米国にとっての「敗北」と心得るべきだ。
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