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The United States foreign policy in Afghanistan
There are many questions about the role of the United States in the World.
The United States is the most powerful country on Earth. Therefore, it is always
involved in other countries. Before September 11, 2001 most of the people living in
the United States did not know about a country called “Afghanistan” but the United
States has been involved in Afghanistan since the period of President Ronald
Reagan. The United States established democracy in Afghanistan and destroyed the
Taliban, the world’s terrorist organization as the first War against global terrorism.
The orthodox view of the United States foreign policy in Afghanistan
states that the United States is a humanitarian defender of freedom and democracy.
CNN’s Christiane Amanpour said, “There is no doubt that the United States
intervention in Afghanistan has had a net positive effect for the Afghani
people.”(Barsamian 1). It is true because now several million children are back in
school and 50,000 women are back on the job. On the other hand, the radical view
sees the United States as an imperialist power trying to have control over the world.
Professor Noam Chomsky said in an interview with David Barsamian, “Let’s keep
in mind that the overthrow of the Taliban regime was not a War aim. The War aim
announced on October 12, five days
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After the bombing began, was that the Taliban leadership should hand over to the
United States peoples who the United States suspected of participating in terrorist
actions
Nevertheless I believe that United States foreign policy in Afghanistan is
humanitarian because the United States foreign assistance helped Afghanistan to
develop transportation facilities, increase agriculture production, expand the
educational system, stimulate industry, and improve government administration.
The United States government is currently the largest provider of humanitarian and
reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan went through a few names changes throughout its history. One
of the first ancient names was “Ariana”, then its name was changed to “Khrasan”
which means “land of the sun” and it is now known as “Afghanistan” which means
“land of the Afghan.” The mountainous country Afghanistan lies in South- central
Asia. It is bordered by Iran in the West, Pakistan in the South and East,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the North, and the people’s republic of
china to the East. Afghanistan is slightly smaller than the state of Texas. The total
area is 647,500 square kilometers. In July 200, the population was 26,813,057
(embassy of Afghanistan 1-3). Islam is the official religion. About 99% of
population is Muslim. The country also has small number of Hindus, Sikhs, and
Jews. (Britannica 3).
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Through the ages, a host of people, including the Aryans, Greeks, Arabs,
Mongols, British, Soviets, and most recently the United States has invaded
Afghanistan (The free encyclopedia 2). The modern Afghanistan kingdom started
from 1747, when Ahmad Shah Durrani freed the country from Persian domination.
In the 19th century great empires caught Afghanistan. From 1964 to 1973 the
country was run as a constitutional monarchy. Then in 1973 a military coup over
turned the Afghan kingdom and the country was ruled by a military regime. In
1979 the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. In 1979 the United States government under
president Jimmy Carter and national Security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski began
to convertly fund and train anti-government Mujahideen( fighters in a holy war)
forces through the Pakistani secret service agency. The Afghan Mujahideen were to
become the United States backed anti Soviet shock troops (Rashid 13). The jihad
took on a new momentum as the United States America poured in money and arms
supplies to the Mujahideen. In 1989 Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan. In
1996 a second generation of Mujahideen who called them selves Taliban seized
power and the Taliban were able to capture 90% of the country.
Taliban is a radical Islamic group and Islamic warriors. Mullah
Mohammad Omar who was born in 1959 in the village of Kandahar founded it. It is
clear that the Taliban was supported and financed by the Afghan people and
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Merchants. They got financial and military support from Pakistan (Goodson 106109). The Taliban were supported by the United States. One States department
officials noted that “the United States should actively assist the Taliban because
even though it is fundamentalism, it does not practice anti-United States style
fundamentalism” (Hstedt 6). The regime also received significant support from
exiled Saudi terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. The United States began criticizing
the Taliban’s Human Rights after the Taliban had began to give sanctuary to
Osama bin Laden and his Al-Quaeda.
The Taliban is most likely top the list of the world’s most hated and
ruthless rulers. Under the strict rule of the Taliban, human rights became almost
non-existent. The journalist Ahmed Rashid wrote in his book Taliban, “the Taliban
had closed down all girls’ school and women were rarely permitted to venture out
of their homes, even for shopping. The Taliban had banned every conceivable kind
of entertainment including music, TV, videos, cards, and most sports and games
(Rashid, 2). There was no democracy in Afghanistan under the Taliban. In Taliban
society women were interior to men in every way. Afghan women were forbidden
to work outsides their homes. If they left their homes, women had to wear a burqa –
a long garment that covers the body from head to toe. Those who broke the law
were jailed or publicly flogged. Thieves were punished by having their hands or
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feet cut off. Women were beaten if an inch of ankle showed or if their shoe heels
clicked too loudly. All Afghan men were forced to wear full beards due to Taliban
discrimination Hindu Afghans, women, foreign aid workers, and many minority
groups fled the country. Taliban goals were to restore peace and establish a pure
and clean Islamic state in Afghanistan. Most Taliban rules were criticized by strict
Islamic society. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said “what the
Taliban was doing neither is connected to Islam nor accepted by its
principles.”(James 1-4). However Osama Bin Laden, strongly supported Taliban
rules.
Bin Laden returned to Afghanistan in 19996 to set up Al-Qaeda training
camps. There he lived under the protection of the Taliban. In August 1996 he had
issued his first declaration of jihad against the American. He said, “The walls of
oppression and humiliation cannot be demolished except in a rain of bullets”
(Rashid 133). Al- Qaeda was the organization that was responsible for September
11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the world trade center and the pentagon. After the
September 11, 2001 attacks president George W. Bush demanded that Taliban
surrender Bin Laden and other Al – Qaeda leaders. The Taliban refused.
The purpose of the Afghan war was to destroy Taliban Undo- Al-Qaeda.
Drive terror-supporting dictators from power and establish democracy. On October
7 2001 the United States began bombing on Taliban military sites in Afghanistan
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with the support of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, and the Europe. Award winning
journalist John Pilger in the documentary film “Breaking the silence” said that the
United States killed more Afghan citizens than September 11, 2001. It is true that
many Afghan citizens were killed by the coalition. It was an accident. However,
according to a CNN count there have been 416 coalition deaths war on terror as of
August 2, 2006. According to the pentagon at least 825 United States personnel
have been wounded in action (CNN 1). Finally, the mission was success. By
December, the Taliban had been defeated. In September 2004 the first free
elections were scheduled to take place in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai was elected
as the country’s first democratic president. After the Taliban was destroyed Afghan
people got back human rights. Now they have TV, video, and other entertainments.
Women are permitted to go outside. Girls are also going school today. Women are
now participating in miss world’s competition. Dr. Sima Samar elected as the first
woman deputy premier of the new government of Afghanistan (BBC News).
Ahamed Rashid, the Pakistani journalist author of the Taliban told journalist
Barsamian in an interview, that there is been “an enormous improvement in the
status of women in Afghanistan with the advent of the new government. Several
million children are back in school and 50,000 women teachers are back on the
job” (Barsamian 1). Afghan women have gained freedom.
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They are free now to do in the ways they want. They are taking full advantage of
the opportunity. They are beginning the new life.
After over throwing the Taliban president Bush made the following
commitment to the Afghan people. “We know that true peace will only be achieved
when we give the Afghan peoples the means to achieve their own aspirations….
We are working hard in Afghanistan. We are clearing minefields, we are rebuilding
Roads. We are improving medical care. And we will work to help Afghanistan to
develop an economy that can feed its people without feeding the world’s demand
for drugs… by helping to build an Afghanistan that is free from this evil and is a
better place in which to live, we are working in the best traditions of George
Marshall. Marshall knew that our military victory against enemies in the World
War II had to be followed by a moral victory that resulted in better lives for
individual human beings” (Whitney 1). George Marshall was chief of staff of the
United States Army during World War II. His work establishing the post-war
reconstruction effort for Europe, which became known as the Marshall plan. The
Marshall plans an unprecedented program of economic and military aid to foreign
nations. President Bush and President Hamid Karzai signed a joint declaration,
promising United States economic aid and a political relationship. The United
States continue to help Afghanistan to rebuild its structure.
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It will take time to rebuild or democratize the country. The World Bank
was committed $4.5 billion in Tokyo Donors conference for Afghan reconstruction
in January 2002. Reconstruction includes the rebuilding of education systems,
health and sanitation facilities, the development of the agricultural sector, and the
rebuilding of road, energy, and telecommunication. The new government and the
United States remain committed to improving access to necessities.
In conclusion, it is clear from the above discussion that Afghan people get
their rights back after the United States intervention. Women, men and other
minority groups are living peacefully in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban had
destroyed by United States it was impossible for Afghan people to get Human
Rights.