Before the Doha agreement was signed on August 15, 2021, it was already known that Afghanistan would be handed over to the Taliban. Some people were trying to get passports and leave the country, while others were wearing traditional Afghan clothing and growing beards. It was no longer a secret that the government would be handed over, and one did not need to have access to confidential information to understand this. Those who went to Islamabad or Uzbekistan, and those who stayed in Kabul, all divided up the money among themselves. It was not only money, but the Taliban had also promised certain things to some people. Almost everyone, including politicians, government officials, and parliamentarians, hoped to become a player in the next game of the US and international community in this new chapter.
The officials of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are not only responsible for misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars in the last days, but also for wasting twenty years, billions of dollars, and most importantly, the historic opportunity to reconstruct Afghanistan. Their role in promoting discrimination and division among people, turning the government into a mafia network, relying almost entirely on foreign aid, and disregarding the people’s needs while sabotaging elections ultimately led to the collapse of the government. They stole from the government budget allocated to build schools, hospitals, and roads to build mansions and buy luxury cars. They, like the pharaohs of Egypt, built palaces from the people’s money, bought luxury items such as watches and suits that are equal to the yearly average income of an extended family in Afghanistan. With the money they spent on some ceremonies, an entire village could have been built, which shows how great the disaster was.
It is not important whether the US and Qatar gave any money when the government changed hands. What is important is that treacherous individuals caused the nation to be on the brink of collapse. The leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was focused on bargaining for their role and money in the false inclusive government instead of standing with Afghan security forces and uniting the people against the Taliban. Even now, some of these corrupt officials and politicians sometimes still hope for the Doha negotiations to start again.
Ashraf Ghani and his team of corrupt individuals put on a brave face in public, while secretly negotiating for their own benefit. This became clear when, after the collapse, Ashraf Ghani told the Taliban that he wanted to return to Afghanistan to help attract investment and work on foreign affairs. He even grew a beard to make himself more appealing to the Taliban, and continually advised them to begin reform.
