You can read part one here:
Part I – For the Record: Forty Reasons to Prosecute Ashraf Ghani
19) With the Taliban’s entry into Kabul and other cities, their fighters, along with certain opportunists presented as “supporters” of the Taliban, stormed government and non-government offices, embassies, and the homes of business magnates. Vehicles, cash, and other valuables were seized, and some private residences were outright occupied. Bank funds were emptied, revenues were collected and spent without transparency, and to this day, the fate of priceless artifacts from the Bactrian Treasure, Tillya Tepe, and the Central Bank’s foreign currency reserves remains unknown.
20) The collapse of the Afghan National Army and the shattering of the pride and dignity of the country’s security and defense forces—driven by failed policies and the prioritization of tribal interests—were among the ugliest consequences of Ghani’s flight and his surrender of the nation to the Taliban. The army, once the pride and symbol of national honor, was traded away for nothing. The government never took serious steps to strengthen, expand, or fully manage the security and defense apparatus; being dependent on foreign aid meant that decisions, operations, and even appointments were subject to external influence. Ministers and senior officials in the defense and security sector were more accountable to foreigners than to the Afghan state and people.
21) After a new chapter opened in the country’s history in 2001 and during the relatively calm early years of Hamid Karzai’s first term, the flames of war gradually reignited. Nations that benefited from Afghanistan’s instability began providing more overt support to the Taliban. From the outset, Afghan security forces were drawn into an undefined war, and Karzai’s public description of the Taliban as “brothers” left them further demoralized. This war continued until Ghani’s flight, during which more than 50,000 security personnel were killed and tens of thousands more wounded. If the intention was always to hand over the state and the people’s fate to the Taliban “respectfully,” then for what need, and for what reason, was the blood of soldiers and officers shed, leaving thousands of widows and orphans in a wounded, defenseless society?
22) Alongside the clique of ethno-fascists close to the presidential palace, many ministers, deputies, and senior officials of the Republic accelerated its demise through incompetence and financial and moral corruption. Their foreign passports were always in their pockets, as if they enjoyed immunity from legal prosecution. After amassing billions through corruption, they cheerfully returned to their second homes abroad. Ghani never ordered investigations into their conduct, for his own hands were in the same pot and purse. Today, some of these very figures have returned to Afghanistan, striking a more self-righteous pose than before, proclaiming patriotism while working alongside their kin to advance tribalist and fascist agendas. They have removed and destroyed files and evidence once collected against them by investigative agencies.
23) On the very first day of the Taliban’s arrival in Kabul and other cities, more than 50,000 criminals and inmates held in Pul-e-Charkhi prison and provincial facilities were released without any review or inquiry. This was a grave injustice to the victims’ families and a blatant violation of their rights. These prisoners had been convicted through due legal process and imprisoned to provide some measure of justice to the bereaved. Some detainees had indeed been wrongly imprisoned due to judicial corruption or other specific causes, but they were the minority.
24) Over the years, Afghan intelligence and security forces had captured close to 7,000 Taliban militants, Haqqani Network operatives, al-Qaeda members, and other regional terrorist men with the blood of thousands of Afghans literally on their hands through operations and intelligence work. Many were held under tight security in Bagram Prison. These criminals were responsible for dozens of terrorist and suicide attacks, the destruction of national infrastructure, and the international trafficking of drugs and arms. Ghani, through a hand-picked Consultative Loya Jirga with a predetermined agenda, sought to legitimize their release and absolve himself of future blame. As a result, thousands of Taliban fighters and other terrorists were freed, many rejoining the battle against the Republic, while hundreds of security personnel remained imprisoned for petty or minor offenses. Only after widespread criticism were pardons or sentence reductions issued for them.
25) Following the withdrawal of NATO and U.S. forces and soon after Ghani’s flight apart from a handful of military aircraft flown to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by their pilots, all NATO and Afghan military vehicles and equipment in Kabul and in provincial corps fell into Taliban hands. Most ended up with the Haqqani Network, an internationally designated terrorist group, fully arming and strengthening them. Pentagon reports estimate the value of this military hardware, supplied over the years to the Afghan government, at more than $7 billion. A precise accounting would likely place the real figure even higher—but the burden will ultimately be borne by the Afghan people.
26) By fleeing in cowardice, Ghani and his ruling team trampled on the blood of tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded who, hungry and thirsty, had stood firm in the scorching trenches to defend the country and its dignity, staining the earth with their blood. The only tangible result of the soldiers’ sacrifice was the medals and titles pinned on NATO generals and the corrupt, inept ministers of Afghanistan’s security agencies.
27) After the fall of the Taliban’s first regime and the start of a new phase in the country, a flood of international aid poured into Afghanistan, creating valuable opportunities for reconstruction, growth, and aligning the country with the progress of regional nations. National and international institutions, alongside the Afghan people, made great efforts to move the country beyond war and toward the practice of governance, democracy, and a healthy, inclusive society—efforts that yielded promising results. Yet, due to corrupt leadership, the pursuit of illicit gain, and ultimately the surrender of the country to the Taliban, all these endeavors were undone. The half-breathing democracy and fragile state collapsed, and Afghanistan suffered a catastrophic regression, plunging a century backward.
28) The young generation of the past two decades—though spared the harsher hardships of earlier times and less prepared for the heavy responsibilities of crisis—was full of hope, enthusiasm, and a thirst for learning and making a positive impact. They actively took to the streets in movements for freedom and justice, working alongside their families for a future of dignity. August 15, 2021, became the darkest day in their history, leaving a deep wound in their lives. In a single night, their dreams turned to cold ash; their passion died; many abandoned their studies and turned to grueling labor just to earn a piece of bread.
29) The historic event of August 15 left an open, festering wound on Afghan society. Human capital, youth, scholars, specialists, and experts in various sectors, were forced, in large numbers, to leave their homeland. Enduring the pain of exile, they left behind homes, families, and friends to save their lives, carrying the sorrow with them until a possible return. A small minority of these migrants had no real attachment to the country, coming instead to feed from the tribal patronage network and the hot furnace of corruption, competing in nepotism, but over 90 percent left solely to preserve their lives and maintain dignity. Wherever they are, their hearts beat for Afghanistan, and they count the days until they can return.
30) Over the past two decades, Afghans witnessed a tribalist and dictatorial government cloaked in the garb of a republic and democracy. Power monopolies, authoritarian decision-making, the imposition of personal agendas, the marginalization of the National Assembly, the sidelining of political party leaders, the dismissal of civil society protests, and restrictions on the media all marked the traits of a one-man, dictatorial state. Although constitutional amendments were provided for within the text and national interests were cited throughout, presidents clung to centralized authority, refusing to initiate this process and creating major barriers to nationwide dialogue on Afghanistan’s political future, systemic reform, or decentralization.
31) By handing over the country and its people to the Taliban, Afghanistan became an unchallenged playground for regional and neighboring states, those same countries that had long supported the Taliban for their interests and proxy wars. Now, Afghan airspace and territory mean nothing to them; they come to Kabul whenever they wish to drink the “coffee of victory,” speak on behalf of Afghans in international forums, and seek legitimacy. The so-called Afghan pride and honor always more illusion than reality, has vanished without a trace.
32) Although Afghanistan’s supposed “five-thousand-year history of glory” was always a national myth, the people of this land were known for their hospitality and cultural refinement, and the country held a special place in the region and among neighbors. That reputation was destroyed globally through the unhealthy, tribalist, emotional, and bigoted policies of its leaders. The damage they inflicted on the nation’s credibility is unforgivable. Afghanistan became known as the world’s largest producer of narcotics, topped the charts of the most corrupt countries, led in violence and child abuse, and, despite having the youngest labor force in the world, ranked among the poorest and most unemployed nations. This, despite billions of dollars in foreign aid pouring into the country, brought little change to the lives of ordinary citizens.
33) After taking control, the Taliban leadership and Haqqani Network commanders immediately turned their attention to the country’s revenue sources. They pressured investors and companies to hand over a share of their income or cover their food, clothing, and other expenses. The extraction of gold, gemstones, and coal skyrocketed to maximize revenue collection. A 10 percent tax on mobile credit cards remains in place, and direct cash aid to Afghanistan—delivered in separate packages—has now reached $1 billion, with no transparency on how it has been spent. Beyond this, the amount of cash taken from the presidential palace, the Central Bank, or other banks is unknown. The significant daily revenues collected in Kabul and the provinces have strengthened the Taliban’s and Haqqani Network’s financial base, turning them into a potential international threat.
34) The image once again projected to the world under Taliban and Haqqani rule is that Afghanistan has reverted to being a haven and breeding ground for international terrorism and a hub of Islamist extremism. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul served as confirmation. Foreign nationals now look upon Afghans with fear and suspicion, a reality painfully familiar to Afghans living abroad who, upon introducing themselves, taste the bitterness of insulting remarks and carry the weight of hostile stares.
35) The UN, NATO, and U.S. sanctions lists include Taliban leaders, Haqqani Network commanders, and members of other terrorist organizations who fought alongside the Taliban and carried out attacks in Afghanistan and beyond. Ghani’s flight, along with the Republic’s collapse, opened the way for Afghanistan to become a haven for these individuals. The Taliban and their allied terrorist groups have seized control of the state and the fate of its people, depriving them of all political and civil rights—including women’s rights to education and employment.
36) Afghanistan is among the countries richest in untapped mineral resources. Regional states, especially neighbors, have long coveted them. During the Republic, a few exploration and extraction contracts were signed with neighboring countries, notably China, but these produced no results and were abandoned midway, largely due to interference from other nations, particularly the United States. Since the Taliban takeover, in addition to direct extraction by the Taliban themselves, experts and major companies from neighboring countries, especially Pakistan and China, have moved into confirmed mining zones. In partnership with Taliban leaders and without any formal agreements, they are extracting and transporting gold, copper, precious metals, and gemstones—resources from which the Afghan people reap no benefit.
37) After the collapse of the monarchy, Afghanistan shifted from being a battlefield of fratricidal killings, blinding of fathers and brothers for tribal rule and the pursuit of power, to an arena for political rivalries and proxy wars between superpowers and regional countries — from the rise of the Khalq and Parcham factions and their splinter groups, to the mujahideen government and the first Taliban regime. With the fall of the first Taliban government and the emergence of the republic, the policies of these countries and their proxy wars reappeared in new forms and continued, including NATO and U.S. presence in the country and the rush by various states to sign strategic and security agreements with Afghanistan. The president, obsessed with absolute power and authoritarianism, through impulsive decisions and erratic “carrot and stick” policies toward regional countries, further inflamed proxy wars and the instrumental use of Afghan territory. Eventually, through a process of handover, the country’s administration was effectively placed under the indirect control of Pakistan’s ISI.
38) Ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural diversity is a defining feature of Afghan society, where people have lived together for centuries. However, ethnic leaders have consistently exploited ordinary people for political and economic gain and, as history attests, have repeatedly incited their communities against others and committed injustices against them. This chain of oppression and ethnic supremacy continued during the republic. It even went further; some ethnic groups were downgraded to “second” or “third-class” status, threatened with exile or expulsion from the country, while others claimed to be the sole rightful owners of Afghanistan. This mindset was fueled by a fascist circle in the presidential palace, which, in consultation with identity forgers and the creator of Pata Khazana, devised such schemes. Denying the identity of other nationalities and imposing that of a single ethnic group (Afghan) on all others was an act of national betrayal. Even though a law recognizing multiple identities had been passed by the National Assembly and approved by the president, it was later reviewed, and the Pashtun (Afghan) identity was imposed on all. Ironically, this move had one unintended positive effect: it brought ethnic and identity discourse into sharper focus and heightened sensitivities against exclusionary politics.
39) By acceding to United Nations conventions and resolutions, Afghanistan is a member of this international family. Countries have the right, in cases of border disputes, violations of airspace, breaches of human rights or humanitarian crimes by other states, or non-compliance with international and bilateral agreements, to lodge complaints with the United Nations and seek redress.
Despite neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan, openly and directly supporting the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and other terrorist groups to overthrow the Afghan government and commit killings and human rights crimes, and despite repeated violations of Afghanistan’s airspace and territory, no formal complaint was ever filed to address these issues or to exert pressure on Pakistan. Likewise, no legal action was pursued based on historical documents held by the United Nations or the British government’s archives, to resolve once and for all the Durand Line dispute, which for years, leaders and politicians from both sides had exploited for political purposes, leaving this Achilles’ heel of Afghanistan untreated.
40) Article 69 of Afghanistan’s Constitution holds the president accountable before the nation and the Loya Jirga for implementing and safeguarding the Constitution, protecting national interests, preserving independence and territorial integrity, ensuring good governance, enforcing the law and delivering justice, promoting balanced development, providing universal education, and dozens of other responsibilities. In practice, none of these obligations was fulfilled. Instead, the National Assembly was sidelined, turned into a ceremonial, instrumental, and salaried body, and consulted only when the president needed votes to support his election campaigns or to legitimize unlawful programs contrary to the people’s and the country’s interests.
You can read part one here:
Part I – For the Record: Forty Reasons to Prosecute Ashraf Ghani
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
بخش دوم و پایانی – برای تاریخ؛ چهل دلیل برای محاکمه اشرف غنی
