The intended and announced total withdrawal of American troops from a corner of hell on earth crowds one’s mind with several thoughts:
1. Democracy doesn’t work in all places. This is a country with a medieval culture, an extreme observance of Islam, a history of violence and a lack of modern education. There are no solutions to improving it. 2. Young soldiers of many nations have lost their lives unnecessarily. A Russian general on the onset of American entry had warned them of stepping into a morass which they would bitterly regret. Nobody listened to him. 3. More than a trillion dollars have been spent in a useless war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This amount of money was enough to fund the highest quality of education and get rid of poverty in America and in a few other countries as well. 4. There has been zero change in these countries where America has put its foot. Now the usual end results will follow in Afghanistan: the Taliban will smoothly take over when the Americans leave. The Afghan government and security forces will dissolve and all their American armed assets will be grabbed by the Taliban who will become an even more potent force. 5. Afghans who fought with or supported the Americans will have to flee to the USA where they will be misfits and given the existing violence there, they will, given their lack of education, contribute to it. These CNN interviews with ordinary Afghan men gives a glimpse of what is to come in that god-forsaken place. 'No one can dare ask why': What it's like to live in a town where everything is controlled by the Taliban https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/14/middleeast/afghanistan-life-under-the-taliban-musa-qala-intl/index.html Roland. Toronto.
