On the evening of August 30, local time, as the last US military plane left Kabul International Airport in the night, the United States completed the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and the 20-year War in Afghanistan came to an end. That evening, an Afghan Taliban spokesman said on social media that "our country has achieved true liberation and independence." ”
Recently, the United States and its allies launched a large-scale evacuation at Kabul Airport, during which a number of riots and explosions occurred in and around Kabul Airport, which was controlled by the US military for security, causing a large number of Afghan civilians to die and be injured, causing widespread international concern. Why did the United States withdraw its troops in a hurry? What did the 20-year war in Afghanistan bring to the United States? Why has the chaos caused by the withdrawal repeatedly affected civilians? How will the situation in Afghanistan develop after the withdrawal of U.S. troops?
Southern Metropolis Daily and N video reporters interviewed Li Weijian, a researcher at the Institute of Foreign Policy of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies and vice president of the China Middle East Society. He said that the decline in overall national strength is the fundamental reason why the United States has to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, and the international influence and credibility of the United States are gradually being eroded by its actions.
Li Weijian. Courtesy of respondents
"All three of the U.S. wars in Afghanistan ended in failure"
Nandu: What are the reasons behind the hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan?
Li Weijian: In fact, as early as the Trump administration, the United States already had plans to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, and negotiated with the Taliban to agree on a plan to withdraw troops in batches from May 1, 2021. However, after Biden took office, the United States, which was mired in the mire of the epidemic, was still unable to deal with itself, and the withdrawal plan had to be postponed again and again. However, no matter how late or early, the outcome of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan can already be glimpsed from the current international situation.
This is also part of the overall strategic adjustment of the United States. In the past, the United States stretched its hand too far and intervened around the world, but now the rise of some countries has made the United States feel a real threat, so the United States has to withdraw some of the investment that is clearly not proportional to the gains, and concentrate resources to deal with what they see as the biggest challenge or competition.
Nandu: What did the 20-year war in Afghanistan bring to the United States?
Li Weijian: The United States launched the war in Afghanistan for three purposes. The first is the "anti-terrorism" on the surface. The 9/11 incident shocked and angered the United States, which was still the world's number one superpower at the time, and the United States entered Afghanistan under the banner of "counter-terrorism." Second, the United States wants to foster a pro-American regime in Afghanistan and establish a so-called democratic regime there according to the Western model system. The last and most hidden purpose is that the United States attempts to expand its power and infiltrate into China and Russia's periphery to form a deterrent. But as things stand now, almost all three of america's goals have failed.
From the most fundamental reason, the hasty withdrawal of the United States is still the decline of its overall national strength, which has forced it to shorten its front. And at the last minute of the withdrawal, the U.S.-backed Afghan government was rapidly crushed, proving once again that the U.S. failed to impose its own model on other countries. The most ironic thing is that the U.S. troops who have been stationed in Afghanistan for 20 years in the name of "counter-terrorism" were also harassed and attacked by terrorists in the last week before the withdrawal.
I believe that after the kabul withdrawal, the international community will re-examine the United States. The fact that the 20-year war in Afghanistan ended in negotiations with the Taliban to withdraw its troops, or even seek time for the Taliban, only shows that the overall strength and international influence of the United States are declining. In addition, not only in Afghanistan, the agreements signed by the United States with many countries in recent years and the promises made are destroyed, which are all weakening the credibility of the United States little by little, and more and more countries perceive the unreliability of the United States.
"The US military's disregard for the lives of people in other countries is a long-term habit"
Nandu: A suicide terrorist attack occurred at Kabul International Airport on August 26.
Li Weijian: The Islamic State launched this attack first of all to retaliate against the United States. In the heyday of the Islamic State, the United States dealt a very heavy blow to it, and it has always held a grudge against the United States. Although the Current Strength of the Islamic State cannot confront the US military head-on, the hasty withdrawal of the US military has plunged the area around Kabul International Airport into chaos, which just provides an opportunity for the Islamic State.
Launching terrorist attacks and creating greater chaos will also help the Islamic State to take advantage of the opportunity to gain momentum and "brush up on the presence" in the international community, proving that they have not been completely destroyed. The most important goal of the "Islamic State" move is to disrupt and slow down the US withdrawal plan, stir up the already discordant relations between the Taliban and the United States, and facilitate its own future growth in Afghanistan.
US President Biden said at the White House on the 31st that ending the war in Afghanistan is the right decision and the United States will continue to carry out anti-terrorism operations. The latest poll shows that nearly 70% of americans believe that the United States has failed to achieve its goals in Afghanistan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Jie
Nandu: What do you think of the repeated civilian casualties among Afghan civilians in the chaos at Kabul airport on the eve of the withdrawal of U.S. troops?
Li Weijian: Until now, the casualties at Kabul airport could not be fully counted. At first, the United States tried to put all the blame on the terrorists, but then as the number of casualties continued to increase and the media of other countries reported on the actual situation at the scene, the United States had to admit that American soldiers did shoot at the crowd after the explosion, and caused immeasurable casualties.
I believe that this is not a premeditated or deliberate act of the US government, but it does reflect the chaos in the management of the US withdrawal, and it also reflects the DISREGARD of US soldiers for the lives of people in other countries. Firing warning shots into the air is the usual way to stop chaos, but the muzzle of the U.S. military is aimed at the crowd. This is obviously indiscriminate shooting, which will inevitably cause a large number of innocent civilians to die and be injured, but the US military selectively ignores it, which is due to the habit they have developed for a long time in the local area.
Nandu: How do you think the situation in Afghanistan will develop after the US withdrawal is completed?
Li Weijian: I think there may be some friction or even chaos between various factions in Afghanistan in the short term, but the overall situation is still relatively clear. Now that no other force in Afghanistan can compete with the Taliban, opposition from other factions is more about bargaining chips between interest groups than for conflict. It is also a test for the Taliban. If the Taliban can fulfill a series of previous commitments, including the establishment of a pluralistic and inclusive government, it will gradually gain the recognition of domestic public opinion and the international community.
Producer: Nandu Instant
Written by: Nandu trainee reporter Weng Anqi