The Beginning of the End
As of October 2015, the United States is scheduled to decrease the number of troops in Afghanistan from 9,800 to 5,500 by the time President Obama leaves office in January 2017. This reduction marks the beginning of the end to the longest war in US history. While the US will still retain a moderate presence in the area, the transition to full Afghan autonomy will be a test of strength for the Afghan government, military, and economy.Though it will be accompanied by a few growing pains, the opportunity for Afghanistan to take charge of its own democratic development is the first step to improving relations between the the US and Afghanistan and the lives of the Afghan people.
The story of US and Afghanistan’s relationship has a past, present and, what this blog ultimately hopes to find, a stable future. To understand the current challenges facing Afghanistan’s transition to democracy we must first take a look at the past--particularly the legacy of US military presence in the region. The war in Afghanistan began officially in October 2001, however the real story begins with the Cold War when the CIA quietly supplied weapons to the Afghan resistance group, mujahideen, to fight against the Soviet Union. Subsequently, a portion of this rebel group would later form sections of the Taliban, the extremist group that seized power of two-thirds of Afghanistan in 1997 and has remained a threat to democracy in the region (BBC). In November 2001, along with British forces, the US deployed 1,300 troops to fight the Taliban and by 2003 the US had a presence of more than 10,000 troops (CBS).
Today, this promise of troop reduction comes after the death of 6,200 US soldiers and over 30,000 Afghan civilians (Friends Committee on National Legislation). The human toll of this war has weighed heavy on Afghan communities, brutally interrupting the ebb and flow of normal life for civilians. It has also greatly affected Afghanistan’s economic vigor--which seeps into every part of society. Abdul Waheed Wafa, an executive director of the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University has taken note of the war’s ramifications, stating in a BBC article that “the country [has] struggled with a poor economy, deteriorating security situation and weak government.”
Looking towards the future, the solutions to these obstacles imposed on democratic development do not end with the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, although that is a start. With retraining 5,500 troops in the area, the Afghan government has stated that the mission of these troops is still “train, advise, assist” (the Guardian). However, with this emphasis on reevaluating the US’s role in Afghanistan, it is an opportune time to give more attention to discussing ways to grow the Afghan economy. Political theorists such as Martin Lipset have found a strong correlation between economic development and democracy, that strong economic development fosters a healthy democracy. One of Afghan’s parliamentary members, Shukria Barakzai expresses support for this approach, stating, “ I believe the US should focus more on building the infrastructure of the Afghan economy. One main reason for the war is the poor economy.”(BBC)
With the inauguration of a new commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on March 2nd of this year, the winds of change are gaining more momentum and are looking to be more feasible.
References:
Friends Committee on National Legislation: http://fcnl.org/issues/afghanistan/afghanistan_invasion_ten_year_anniversary/
The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/15/obama-delay-withdrawal-us-troops-afghanistan
Wikipedia (general reference for research):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone
BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253
CBS:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-war-in-afghanistan-a-timeline/
