The Taliban — or “students” in Pashto — has gained control of the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. This came after approximately 20 years of the United States’ mission of Operation Enduring Freedom. Operation Enduring Freedom began on October 7, 2001, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks claimed by the Taliban-protected terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The Taliban was in control of the government during this time. Operation Enduring Freedom’s main mission and goal were to set up a democracy in the government just like the United States had and to stop terrorist regimes from thriving in the country.
Thousands of troops have served as well as died in Afghanistan. As a result, President Biden promised that by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, most of the US troops will leave Afghanistan. However, this caused a lot of tragedy. The Taliban coming to power and taking over the capital extremely matters. Some of the Taliban’s introductions to the country include public executions of convicted murderers and adulters as well as amputations for those found guilty of theft.
The Taliban has already started to cover up advertisements that feature women in Afghanistan.
What’s more, men are required to have beards, and women have to wear burkas. Other human rights violations include not allowing women over the age of 10 to go to school and banning television, music, and cinema. One famous individual who chose to go against the Taliban regime was a Pakistani — Malala Yousafzai. She was shot in the head trying to go to school against Taliban rule. Multiple countries have sent troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban rule including Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Great Britain.
There are some important events that we should know that have led to the fall of Afghanistan. For example, in June 2013, the Afghan National Security Forces formally took over the combat operation. During the next few years, troops started to pull out of the country. This left the Afghan National Security Forces in charge to fight off the Taliban. Furthermore, in December 2019, The Washington Post gained confidential documents. They stated that the US government has misled the American public, making them believe that the war in Afghanistan was more successful than it actually was. Thousands of American soldiers and Afghan civilians lost their lives during the war for freedom in the country.
As of Monday, August 16, 2021, the Taliban has taken control of the government. On that day, the president of Afghanistan has also fled the country in fear of Taliban control.
This has caused the spread of fear across the country as multiple human rights violations are expected to happen during their rule. As panic rises, some of the ways that individuals can help include supporting a variety of organizations including Women for Women International, Afghanaid, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Save the Children. It’s also crucial that we stay informed and aware of what’s going on in the country and around the world. We also have to spread awareness about human rights violations and other important issues going on around the world.
President Joe Biden addressed the nation today on August 16, 2021, at 3:45 pm ET. President Biden expressed that although he is surprised by how fast Afghanistan collapsed, that he still stands by his decision to withdraw troops.
Featured image via “Afghanistan visit” by The U.S. Army / CC BY 2.0
