US compounds original folly with undue haste

With the United States and NATO forces racing against time to wind up their military operations in Afghanistan, ample evidence shows instead of eliminating terrorists and bringing peace to Afghanistan, the US’ longest war has only added more uncertainty to the future of the country.

On Friday, one day after the US and NATO forces evacuated the largest coalition base in the country, the White House announced that the US withdrawal will be completed by the end of August, prior to the pre-announced deadline of Sept 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the US into the war in Afghanistan.

It is obvious that the US is in a hurry to leave no matter how solemn the vows it made to the Afghan people two decades ago and what will be left behind after its withdrawal. The tragic truth is, the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since May 1 when the US and its allies started to withdraw troops from the conflict-ridden country.

The Taliban group has launched relentless offensives across Afghanistan in the past two months, seizing dozens of districts. And incessant fighting has plunged the country deeper into a humanitarian disaster and put Afghan security forces to severe test.

It was irresponsible and self-serving of the US to invade the country in the first instance, but the US is compounding the consequences of that error of judgment by leaving in haste. The US is to blame for the precarious security situation in Afghanistan now and for the long-term turmoil it will suffer as a result, with the country having already paid the price of more than 30,000 civilian deaths for the US’ hubris.

The world needs to reflect upon what has caused the current situation in Afghanistan and forge greater consensus on opposing the US’ penchant for interventions in other countries.

Statistics show that between the end of World War II and 2001, the US has launched 201 of the 248 military conflicts in 153 countries and territories. Research by US scholars shows that between 1947 and 1989, the US involved itself in 64 “regime change” conspiracies against foreign governments.

The US plays the role of being the “world’s policeman” simply to maintain its hegemony. From the Afghan war to the Iraq war and the Syrian war, the world has seen that the US is the largest destabilizing force in the world. It is high time the US put its genie of imperious aggression back into the bottle and shouldered its responsibilities to maintain regional and world peace and stability.

The future of Afghanistan should lie in the hands of the Afghan people themselves, and the future political arrangement for the country should be decided independently by the Afghans. No external forces should be allowed to pursue self-interests in Afghanistan and turn it into a venue for geopolitical games again. The country needs stability to move forward.