Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden made a controversial statement regarding the end of Al-Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan, claiming that his government achieved this with the cooperation of the Taliban. Michael McCall, the head of the foreign relations committee of the U.S. Senate, denounced Biden’s statements as shameful and contrary to reality. He accused Biden of whitewashing the longstanding relationship between the Al-Qaeda network and the Taliban and viewed these statements as an attempt to legitimize the group.
Biden’s recent statements about the end of Al-Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan could lead to even more disastrous consequences if, as McCall pointed out, they are an attempt to grant international legitimacy to the de facto Taliban regime or to increase engagement with this group. Currently, the world is informally engaging with the Taliban despite their failure to comply with demands concerning human rights, women’s rights, an inclusive government, and counterterrorism efforts. Rather than increasing pressure on the Taliban, the United States and other countries involved in the Afghan crisis are striving to create a more favorable environment for interaction with the group.
It appears that no country possesses the potential and capability to address the chronic crisis in Afghanistan. Instead, they seem content with what the Taliban has accomplished in the country. From the comments of senior officials from the countries involved in the Afghanistan crisis, it can be inferred that they are weary of the stalemate in Afghanistan. This fatigue was evident even before the signing of the Doha Agreement, which paved the way for the collapse of the previous government. Signs of weariness became more apparent when the United States effectively withdrew its forces in 2014, despite initial skepticism regarding their eventual departure. After the fall of the government in August 2021, it became evident to even the most delusional politicians that the Americans had abandoned Afghanistan. Politicians and governments that cannot survive without foreign assistance often fail to realize they are no longer in the favor of their patrons until the last moments of their downfall. Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani likely realized this as well in the final weeks or days before his government’s collapse, as the American support he once enjoyed disappeared.
Over the course of twenty years, the West supported the Hamid Karzai and Ghani governments in building a “nation,” but these two politicians proved to be ineffective in implementing the “nation-building” project in an American fashion. Instead, corruption, lawlessness, electoral fraud, and ethnic disunity thrived under their rule, further exacerbating instability and conflict. The more financial aid and international attention poured into Afghanistan, the more corruption, instability, and conflict increased. Ultimately, the West, led by the United States, came to the realization that the Afghan government was beyond reform and the political leaders they supported were steeped in corruption, amassing wealth, and incompetence.
The Taliban, as the only force unwilling to compromise with anyone and committed to capturing all of Afghanistan, were left as the sole authority in the country. Over the past two years, Afghanistan has fallen under their control, and unfortunately, no other military-political force has been able to seriously challenge their dominance. Military resistance that initially formed in Panjshir, Baghlan, and Takhar has gradually subsided, with little news of it disseminated in the media.
From weary and helpless people to corrupt politicians, thieves, crooked civil activists, exploitative media figures, and fake and fugitive intellectuals, everyone has inadvertently assisted the Taliban in shaping the narrative that there is currently no alternative to the Taliban in the political sphere. This is a significant defeat for everyone except the Taliban and their associates.
The Taliban, intoxicated by their victory, have ruthlessly oppressed the people of Afghanistan for nearly two years, paying little attention to the international community’s calls to lift the increasing restrictions on women. Despite this, the world continues to issue statements and repeatedly implore the Taliban to respect human rights and combat terrorist groups, all while seeking increased engagement with the group. The recent statements by the U.S. president, even if not an official recognition of the Taliban, clearly indicate that the solution lies in interacting with the Kabul-based regime rather than confronting it. Isn’t this, in itself, a complete defeat for the corrupt foreign opposition and the people of Afghanistan?
Further engagement with the Taliban will eventually lead to the realization of a nightmare whose signs are already visible. However, the consequences of this nightmare extend beyond Afghanistan, and the world will soon experience the repercussions of interacting with Taliban terrorism or, in the worst-case scenario, recognizing this group. The most dangerous outcome of such interaction is the transformation of de facto and unofficial terrorism into official and “legitimate” terrorism. This action will result in the spread of violence and war to countries in the region and beyond.
More than twenty years have passed since the U.S.-led war against terrorism began in Afghanistan. Yet, the world finds itself regressing and still confronted by the challenge it sought to end in 2001 by overthrowing the Taliban regime. In other words, over the span of two decades, the threat of terrorism has not only failed to diminish but has become more complex and global. The war against terrorism, spearheaded by the United States, has lost popularity among nations worldwide. The longer this war continues, the more doubts it raises, fostering suspicion and obsession, particularly when governments employ terrorist groups as tools. However, the long-term strategy of employing terrorism as a tool by governments poses greater and more serious threats, even to those who initially support it, though it may lead to short-term gains. Proxy terrorist groups are inherently unreliable, and their relationships with their masters are always fragile and unstable.
If Biden has concluded that cooperating with the Taliban to eradicate Al-Qaeda justifies formalizing the relationship, he would be making a dangerous miscalculation. His statements have little connection to the current reality in Afghanistan and are highly misleading. Al-Qaeda has not left the country, and the Taliban has not severed their longstanding ties with terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda, despite what U.S. intelligence agencies may have reported to Biden.
Contrary to U.S. intelligence reports, Afghanistan has now become a safe haven for international terrorism, and terrorist groups may instigate a new disaster in the near future. Recognizing the Taliban as a terrorist group that controls a country, yet has failed to fulfill any of its past commitments and arrogantly and stubbornly ignores the reasonable demands of the international community, entails significant risks that no responsible and wise government or leader would be willing to accept.
