Canada’s plot in graveyard of empires
THE AFGHAN WAR
WAS, AT THE TIME, A
FEEL-GOOD STORY.
— RAYMOND J. DE SOUZA
In the last weeks before Western troops depart Afghanistan completely, Western troops are headed back to Afghanistan.
Canadian special forces are reportedly on their way to evacuate staff at our Embassy in Kabul. The Canadian Embassy will soon be shuttered. There will be no need for it, as Canada does not anticipate having diplomatic relations with the Taliban.
The Taliban have been on a roll this year, claiming huge chunks of territory after U.S. President Joe Biden announced — in continuity with the policies of former president Donald Trump — that all American troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this month. This week, the Taliban took Kandahar and Herat, two of Afghanistan’s biggest cities. Intelligence officials have been reported as saying that Kabul, the capital, will be surrounded by Taliban forces in 30 days and it will fall in 90 days.
As the final failure and humiliation in Afghanistan nears its end, both the United States and Britain plan to send thousands of troops to evacuate their own embassies. The U.S. has sent 3,000 extra troops and Britain will send some 600.
It is expected that embassy staff, security and translators will be safely out before the Taliban arrive. There is no plan for a lastminute helicopter airlift, Vietnam style.
Afghanistan has been America’s longest war. Beginning in October 2001 with the goal of driving the Taliban from power and depriving al-qaida of a friendly regime and staging ground, 20 years later, Western forces are now preparing for the Taliban to return to power. Untold blood and treasure has been spent in pacifying Afghanistan. It has been more or less pacified under military occupation. But occupation and pacification go hand-in-hand. As the former ends, so does the latter.
Afghanistan thus confirms its status as the “graveyard of empires.” Whether the 19th-century British Empire, the 20th-century Soviet empire or the 21st-century Americans, Afghanistan is hard enough to invade, but much harder to subdue, and impossible to rule.
The Americans gave it a good try over two decades. The Soviets, who rolled their tanks into Afghanistan in 1979, turned tail and rolled out 10 years later. In part they were defeated by Afghan topography and guerrilla tactics. The Americans cheered on and materially supported the Afghan resistance, but would come to regret the Islamist character of that resistance, as Osama bin Laden would plant the seeds of al-qaida in the detritus of the Soviet occupation.
For Canada, Afghanistan was the “good” war that we joined instead of the “bad” war in Iraq. The war in Afghanistan was hailed as a high point of the diplomacy of former prime minister Jean Chrétien. And it was not only Canada. Immediately after 9/11, there was a massive international consensus for invading Afghanistan. Even the Holy See gave its support.
It is hard to remember now, but the Afghan War was, at the time, a feel-good story, with tales of girls getting to go to school and Tim Hortons setting up shop to supply doughnuts alongside Canadian-built rinks. It seemed that almost every national official, not to mention many celebrities, made visits.
I was in the gallery when then-afghan president Hamid Karzai addressed the House of Commons in September 2006. It was a jubilant day, and Karzai was hailed as a hero. We felt that something historic was afoot. Karzai spoke of a new hope after the terrible recent history of his country, with Islamist terrorists rising after the Soviet departure.
“The tragedy of September 11th showed in a terrible way the flaws of the arguments against helping Afghanistan,” Karzai said. “For one thing, it showed that, in fact, the cost of ignoring Afghanistan was far higher than the cost of helping it.…
“The arrival of the international community to our rescue after 9/11, however, was not a partnership solely of military might. Over the last five years, Afghanistan and the international community have developed a remarkable partnership — a partnership that extends from enhancing security to developing the rural areas of Afghanistan to providing education and health services to our needy people. Canada, in all respects, has been among the leaders of this partnership.”
That was 15 years ago. The partnership is over. Those Afghanis who were our loyal partners are desperate for rescue before the Taliban kills them.
The ice has long melted. There will soon be no Canadians left to make rinks or decorate classrooms for rural girls. Afghanistan is going back to the future with only one thing guaranteed: no matter how high the cost of not helping is, no one will ever invade Afghanistan again.