The War Is Over, the Worrying Begins

Zubair Ahmad, a 23-year-old who runs a grocery store on one of the main boulevards in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, worries greatly about his nation’s prospects.

“There’s no hope for the future,” he says. “Afghans are leaving the country. I don’t know whether I am going to be safe 10 minutes from now.”

After 20 years of fighting, the United States was completing its withdrawal from Afghanistan as this issue went to press, ending the longest war in America’s history.

Zubair Ahmad runs a grocery store on one of the main boulevards in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. The 23-year-old worries greatly about what’s to come for his nation.

“There’s no hope for the future,” he says. “Afghans are leaving the country. I don’t know whether I am going to be safe 10 minutes from now.”

After 20 years of fighting, the United States was completing its withdrawal from Afghanistan as this issue went to press. The retreat signaled the end of the longest war in America’s history.

That has left Afghans with a stark new reality. In mid-August, the Taliban—the extremist group the U.S. has fought for two decades—overran Afghan government forces and captured the entire country, including Kabul. The takeover heralds a return to the violent, repressive rule that Afghans faced before the U.S. invaded the country.

“For Afghans, the situation is bleak,” says Seth Jones, an Afghanistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001, in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., which killed nearly 3,000 people. The Taliban, a radical Islamic faction that ruled Afghanistan at the time, had given safe haven to Al Qaeda, a terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden, who planned the 9/11 attacks from Afghan soil.

That has left Afghans with a stark new reality. The U.S. has fought the Taliban, an extremist group, for two decades. In mid-August, the group overran Afghan government forces. In turn, they captured the entire country, including Kabul. The takeover heralds a return to the violent, repressive rule that Afghans faced before the U.S. invaded the country.

“For Afghans, the situation is bleak,” says Seth Jones, an Afghanistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001. The invasion was in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., which killed nearly 3,000 people. The Taliban, a radical Islamic faction, ruled Afghanistan at the time. It had given safe haven to Al Qaeda, a terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden, who planned the 9/11 attacks from Afghan soil.

The U.S. and its allies quickly ousted the Taliban and helped set up a new Afghan government. But the Taliban retreated into the Afghan countryside and regrouped as insurgent fighters, carrying out attacks and setting up roadside bombs that killed more than 2,400 Americans and wounded 20,000 others. More than 240,000 Afghans have died in the fighting

With the war essentially at a stalemate for many years, the U.S. under presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump began reducing troops in Afghanistan from a peak of 100,000 in 2010 to a few thousand when President Biden took office in January. He vowed to bring the rest home by the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The U.S. and its allies quickly removed the Taliban and helped set up a new Afghan government. But the Taliban retreated into the Afghan countryside and regrouped as insurgent fighters. The group carried out attacks and set up roadside bombs that killed more than 2,400 Americans and wounded 20,000 others. More than 240,000 Afghans have died in the fighting.

The war has been at a stalemate for many years. Under presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the U.S. began reducing troops in Afghanistan. U.S. troops went from a peak of 100,000 in 2010 to a few thousand when President Biden took office in January. He vowed to bring the rest home by the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Last year, the Trump administration signed a peace agreement with Taliban leaders, laying the groundwork for a U.S. withdrawal. The idea was to encourage a deal between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. Instead, Taliban forces continued to seize territory in violation of the 2020 peace accord.

On August 15, as Taliban fighters encircled the capital, Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country. The speed of the Taliban’s victory forced the U.S. to hastily evacuate its embassy and led to harrowing scenes of Afghans trying to cling to American military planes taking off from the airport. Republicans and Democrats criticized how the withdrawal was executed, and some said Afghanistan will once again become a haven for terrorists, but Biden defended the U.S. exit.

Last year, the Trump administration signed a peace agreement with Taliban leaders, laying the groundwork for a full U.S. withdrawal. The idea was to encourage a deal between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. Instead, Taliban forces continued to seize territory. Their actions were in direct violation of the 2020 peace accord.

On August 15, Taliban fighters encircled the capital. That led Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, to flee the country. The speed of the Taliban’s victory forced the U.S. to quickly evacuate its embassy. It also led to awful scenes of Afghans clinging to American military planes as they took off at the airport.

Republicans and Democrats criticized how the withdrawal was carried out. Some said Afghanistan will once again become a safe haven for terror groups. But Biden defended the U.S. exit.

“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war, and dying in a war, that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” he said.

Afghanistan has been at war ever since the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to protect a pro-Communist government. The Soviets left a decade later, leaving rival Afghan groups to battle one another. The Taliban, with a very rigid interpretation of how Islam should be practiced, took control in 1996.

Life under the Taliban was hard. They persecuted the country’s few religious minorities. They banned music and TV. They required men to grow beards. But it was women who fared the worst. Girls older than 8 were prohibited from going to school. Women were barred from most jobs and forced to wear a head-to-toe covering called a burqa in public.

Many Afghans worry these harsh conditions will return.

“I don’t want to have to fight the Taliban,” says Hasiba Ebrahimi, a 24-year-old Afghan actress. “I already have to fight my family and society. I can’t fight any more battles.”

“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war, and dying in a war, that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” he said.

Afghanistan has been at war ever since the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 to protect a pro-Communist government. The Soviets left a decade later, leaving rival Afghan groups to battle one another. The Taliban took control in 1996. They began to enforce their very rigid interpretation of how Islam should be practiced.

Life under the Taliban was hard. They attacked the country’s few religious minorities. They banned music and TV. They required men to grow beards. But it was women who suffered the worst. Girls older than 8 could not attend school. Women could not hold most jobs. They were also forced to wear a head-to-toe covering called a burqa in public.

Many Afghans worry that these harsh conditions will return.

“I don’t want to have to fight the Taliban,” says Hasiba Ebrahimi, a 24-year-old Afghan actress. “I already have to fight my family and society. I can’t fight any more battles.”

During the past 20 years, the U.S. has spent nearly $800 million to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan. Though progress has been uneven, girls and women now make up about 40 percent of Afghan students. They’ve joined the military and police, held political office, and more—all nearly impossible under the Taliban. Now all of that is in jeopardy.

Jones, the Afghanistan expert, agrees that the Taliban takeover puts all those gains at risk. But as with any war, the question is, at what point is the loss in American lives not worth the sacrifice?

“The reality,” Jones says, “is that the U.S. is faced with a bunch of really bad options.”

During the past 20 years, the U.S. has spent nearly $800 million to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan. Though progress has been uneven, girls and women now make up about 40 percent of Afghan students. They’ve joined the military and police, held political office, and more. Those things were nearly impossible under the Taliban. Now all of that is in danger.

Jones, the Afghanistan expert, agrees that the Taliban takeover puts all those gains at risk. But as with any war, the question is, at what point is the loss in American lives too great a sacrifice?

“The reality,” Jones says, “is that the U.S. is faced with a bunch of really bad options.”