America turns its back on ‘forever’ wars

The scene remains seared on the minds of Americans. On the roof of an embassy building, a crowd of desperate people push towards a helicopter. They know that it is their last chance of safety, promising a journey to a US war ship and a new life. For those left behind, death at the hands of a triumphant enemy is all too likely. That drama was enacted at the US embassyThe workplace of a group of government officials who represent their country in another country. in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Now many fear that it could be repeated in KabulThe city became the capital of Afghanistan during the reign of Timur Shah Durrani, the second Afghan emir, in 1776.. Last weekend, American troops vacated Bagram Airfield, once their largest base in Afghanistan, as part of President Biden's plan for a full withdrawal by 11 September. Though some NATO troops may remain after that date on guard at  embassies and Kabul's airport, they are unlikely to number more than 1,000. At the war's height, there were over 100,000. The 'war on terror' began in 2001, following the 911 attacks on America by al-Qaeda in which almost 3,000 people were killed. President George W. Bush told Congress: "Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them." Bush's immediate target was Afghanistan, where the ruling TalibanA violent fundamentalist Islamic movement that enforces sharia law and denies education to women. gave support and shelter to Osama bin-Laden and his followers. Within two months a US-led coalition had taken control of Kabul. In 2004 a new democratic government was established. But the Taliban remained a force to be reckoned with, and despite American training the Afghan army was clearly not strong enough to contain it alone. In 2006 British troops were sent into Helmand province, an enemy stronghold in the south of the country. Though intended to support reconstruction projects, they soon became involved in full-on warfare. In 2009, President Obama authorised a 'surge' - a major increase in the number of US troops. By the end of 2014, the situation was judged to have improved enough for the American presence to be scaled down and for NATO to end its combat operations. But the following year saw a resurgence of Taliban attacks, with the Afghan parliament among the targets. In the meantime, the war on terror had spread to encompass al-Qaeda offshoots, allies and rivals including Daesh. It has been estimated that 37 million people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and the Philippines were displaced as a result. Finally, in February last year, the US and the Taliban signed 'an agreement for bringing peace' in Doha. America and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all their troops as long as the Taliban promised not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control. The war in Afghanistan is then longest ever waged by the US. By ending it, President Biden will please Americans weary of 'forever wars' with a heavy human and financial cost. But some experts believe that the Taliban could be ruling the country again within six months - suggesting that the troops who died opposing them gave their lives in vain. Was the 'war on terror' a terrible failure? War and error Some say, no. Its initial object, to stop Afghanistan being used as an al-Qaeda base for attacks on the US, was a success. Afghanistan now has democratic institutions, and a generation of educated men and women it would otherwise have lacked. Daesh's attempt to set up a caliphate was comprehensively crushed, and it is estimated that jihadists now only account for 5% of terrorist plots in America. Others argue that the Taliban is highly unlikely to keep its promise not to harbour terrorist groups. It is already well on its way to reconquering Afghanistan: one military expert estimates that the government controls less than 50% of the country. The cost in human suffering and military expenditure has been enormous, and all the positive achievements are now likely to be swept away. KeywordsEmbassy - The workplace of a group of government officials who represent their country in another country.