9/11 anniversary: democracy was not doomed to fail in Afghanistan – the US did not live up to its promises
Much went right after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. But much also went wrong.
On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it is clear that democracy was not doomed to fail in Afghanistan despite the United States' failure to uphold its promises. After the Munich agreement in 1938, Winston Churchill lamented the fate of Czechoslovakia in a speech, a fate that could now befall Afghanistan. However, the post-2001 experiment with democracy in Afghanistan should be studied more carefully, as it offers valuable lessons for the future.
Many positive developments occurred during the two decades of the Afghan Republic, including a generation of young Afghans raised in an era of globalization, increased per capita incomes, a growing civil society, improved health outcomes, and expanded access to education for girls, particularly in urban areas. Despite these achievements, several critical issues arose.
The process of institutional design heavily influenced by the United States led to an overcentralized and complex state, with too much power concentrated in the hands of the president and the emergence of a neopatrimonial system. The Afghan National Army (ANA) was designed to be interoperable with its US counterpart, resulting in overdependence on US civilian contractors and vulnerability when these services were withdrawn.
Additionally, some elections were marred by fraud, and senior Western officials failed to address the issue. Moreover, the misreading of the Taliban movement by Washington, which legitimized the terrorist group as a partner, compounded the problem. The tragic consequences of these failures became evident in August 2021, when the chaotic withdrawal of remaining US troops, the collapse of the Afghan republic, and the return of the Taliban unfolded.
The Biden administration's recklessness in following the path laid out by its predecessor led to this catastrophic outcome, reminiscent of his "Bay of Pigs" moment. The Taliban now governs Afghanistan with a totalitarian regime, rejecting democratic choice and imposing gender apartheid, causing unprecedented misery for Afghans.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
