One Year After, One Year Lost

On last year's August 15th, the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan's Capital of Kabul, quickly, easily, and almost bloodlessly, to the big surprise of the US and its allies as well as to the outside world even though the Taliban sooner or later would retake the control over Afghanistan had been foreseeable. The Afghan state the US and its allies built up and helped existing collapsed like a house of cards.

Afghanistan women at Ghanzni (Afghanistan). Photo: AFP/VNA

It was followed by the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan of the last soldiers and military service forces of the US and its allies as well as of Afghans who have worked for them during the last 20 years in Afghanistan. It was followed by uncertain futures for Afghanistan.

It is the same Taliban that was in power until the war the US and its allies sparked in Afghanistan after the September 11 of 2001 in the US. This war was aimed at the liquidation of the Taliban because the US believed and argued that the Taliban supported Al-Qaeda terrorizing the US. The US and its allies lost this war, bitterly and costly. The Qatar Agreement between the US and Taliban signed last December hasn't been fully implemented by both sides. Taliban reimposes many radical domestic policies of the past and maintains links with Al-Qaeda. The US acted militarily again in Afghanistan with the liquidation of Al-Qaeda chief Aiman al-Zawahiri in Cabul.

But the Taliban had learned from the loss of power in 2001 and the war afterward. It tries as it cans to show a moderate face and nature, to appear as "the new and other Taliban" and to avoid a political and military confrontation with the US and with the West. It is aware of the fact that only with the help and aid, recognition, and cooperation from the US, the West, and the world it could solve all present problems for Afghanistan and its regime in Afghanistan so that it could secure and consolidate its governing power in Afghanistan.

One year after the fateful date of August 15 of 2021, everything has been getting worse for the Taliban and Afghanistan. Until now, the Taliban seems still to be not jet capable to manage the present economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, is still far away from being widely recounted by the outside world, and continues to reverse many significant and progressive achievements scored during the last two decades in Afghanistan. The US and its allies have still to pay high and painful prices for their to-decades-long war in Afghanistan and their disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan one year ago. It was a lost year for Afghanistan.