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What's happening in Afghanistan? Why the Taliban Peace Deal Matters

Credit: France24 
It has been nearly 19 whole years since the USA first intervened in Afghanistan, but the impacts and damages caused by the intervention will undoubtedly continue for years to come. This has caused many, if not all, to label this as one of the worst humanitarian issues and conflicts in the region. 

With the recent implementation of a peace deal, the global community is in the midst of a possible conclusion to a decade long war. However, to examine the effectiveness and determine the success of the solution, it is crucial to understand the history and roots of this war, and fully understand the stakeholders and their part in this issue. 

The History 

Since the end of Soviet Union occupation in 1989, Afghanistan has been a battleground for power and control. The lack of foundations for a proper government following 1989 led Taliban to rise to power in the region, who imposed a stern military rule over the country and gave a base to another terrorist band, Al Qaeda.

Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, USA had demanded for the Taliban to extradite Al Qaeda's leader - Osama bin Laden - to face his war crimes and for his partake in the bombings. The refusal on the Taliban's end prompted the USA and NATO to launch an operation dubbed 'The War in Afghanistan' to remove Taliban influence in the region. The operation formally ended in 2014, with the USA claiming that they have achieved their initial objective of disarming terrorist networks in the country.

However, nearly 13,400 NATO-led forces still remain in the country, to facilitate the government in their fight against a resurgent Taliban and small pockets of Islamic State influence. The war has persisted due to countries slowly pulling out of the 50 state coalition, due to the heavy economic costs and no progress made on establishing democracy in the region.

The Opinions

Critics - Critics to the USA intervention in Afghanistan claim that the 19 years of failed progress are a testament to the fact that the USA cannot win the war with sheer military power. Bush's and Obama's administration saw a heavy increase in US troops in the region, but rather incurred heavy casualties on both ends of the conflict, as well as a monetary cost of nearly $6 Trillion. They urge that a diplomatic solution must be taken to alleviate these costs.

Supporters - Supporters of the intervention cite that the USA and allies have invested far too much into the conflict to withdraw at this moment. Many say that immediate withdrawal will pave the way for increased Taliban and extremist influence in the country, and threaten USA sovereignty and security in the long term. 

The Future

Credit: Vox
USA, Afghanistan and the Taliban formally entered into peace negotiations in the end of 2018, eventually reaching a formal peace deal in late February of 2020. This peace deal cites for US to drastically reduce the presence of the troops, as well as guarantees from the Taliban to not utilize the country as a base for terrorist attacks any longer.

It is important to note that there has been no mention of a ceasefire in this deal, and only days later conflict was seen in Southern Afghanistan in Helmand. This has made the future and effectiveness of the deal extremely uncertain, as well as leading many to question whether a solutions even exists. This remains to be seen.


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