THE TALIBAN WON?
By SNN.BZ Staff
Most people around the world (especially Americans) do not realize that the Taliban actually won the war, took over Afghanistan and declared victory in August 2021.
The Afghanistan war was the retaliation of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City resulting in the death of 2,996 people (that includes 19 hijackers who committed murder-suicide). The US State Department reported that 2,402 military lives were lost in Afghanistan and an additional 20,713 servicemen were wounded.
The reasons for the Taliban’s victory are complex and multifaceted. According to Max Abrahms, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, the Taliban’s success can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the Afghan military’s lack of resistance, corruption among Afghan government officials, and the failure of American and Afghan leaders to address human rights abuses, civilian deaths, and corruption.
The Taliban also harnessed popular anger at these issues to turn Afghans against the central government and its foreign backers.
“The Taliban has won and we have to come to terms with that” says General Sir David Richards, former chief of the defence staff. Sir David said he was ‘pretty stunned’ but the speed of the Taliban support, which was due to a lack of logistical and air power support from US and UK powers.
