American defeat and global consequences
THE United States has tasted a historic defeat in Afghanistan at the hands of the poorly armed rag tag force of the Taliban.
The American adventure that began in 2001 resulted in a humiliating defeat and total political disaster for the biggest super power of the world.
History repeats itself and the bitter truth is that for America Kabul is Saigon in 1975 all over again the only difference being that the Americans withdrew from Vietnam in 1972 and the American backed puppet Govt.
in South Vietnam Survived for another three years but the American puppet Govt. in Kabul Fell only four months after the announcement that in April 2021 that the US will withdraw from Afghanistan.
This disaster in Afghanistan is a certain proof of a great super power in rapid decline and a mere shadow of what it once was. This defeat in Afghanistan will have major consequences all over the world.
This defeat clearly shows the weakened state of the political and military leadership of the country and their competence to engage in any military operations anywhere in the world and their reliability and commitment to their political and military allies.
If America can suffer such a catastrophic defeat at the hands of non-state actors and such poorly armed insurgents without any air support then who in future will ever trust in the alliance of the USA in Asia or the Asian Pacific Region.
America was the world’s first nuclear power and since after the victory in WW11 its military power has played a key role in containing communism headed by the USSR.
Brute military power has always been the major factor for America to have its way in world politics and its defence budget has always dwarfed any other country of the world.
The first great disaster to American policy was in Vietnam and now we have the examples of Iraq and Afghanistan.
In both cases the USA had a massive military advantage but in both cases this advantage proved totally inadequate. American policy clearly failed miserably to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Afghanistan has been called the graveyard of civilizations and rightly so. Previously Britain and the USSR have been taught a lesson by the Afghan freedom fighters.
Now a new debate has been ignited in the west that now it is the turn of China to try their luck in Afghanistan.
This speculation about China is on the basis of Pakistan China relations and Pakistan’s support for the Afghan Taliban and Imran Khan’s strong commitment and show of friendship for the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
Chances of Chinese military adventure in Afghanistan are absolutely abysmal. China will assist in the economic development of the country as it has done in Africa and South East Asia.
Development and economic assistance is the core of the Chinese national policy now as envisaged at the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative.
China was a poor country for centuries and has been a developing country since the birth of communist China in 1949.
It has a deep understanding of and a deep empathy for the problems of the developing countries.
The USA as a super-rich nation has no idea of the problems in the third world and very little comprehension of or interest in their problems.
Since after the Second World War the USA has developed over 800 military bases in 70 countries on the other hand China has no such history and has never used military power to promote its political agenda.
The US has pursued global adventures China has concentrated on improving its political stability and economy.
The shameful and chaotic withdrawal of the American forces from Afghanistan has resulted in a humanitarian and geopolitical disaster on a monumental scale.
It has accelerated the political and social decline of the USA and it has brought into serious question America’s competence its military muscle and its political commitment with its allies and friends.
This is the death knell of the idea that America is a beacon of hope and friend of those struggling for human rights and universal values.
The historical military and political alliances of the USA have been have been badly damaged.
President Biden did not bother to consult his NATO allies who had large numbers of forces on the ground in Afghanistan and this negligence definitely proved dangerous and damaging for the allied nations supporting the USA.
After the debacle in Afghanistan conditions are now ripe for the creation of religious Jihadi state in Asia.
Jihadi militants all over the world are jubilant because under a Taliban regime they will have the resources including the vast arsenal left behind by the American forces, and a safe haven to rebuild their operational capacity and to enforce their archaic obscurantist religious agenda.
The American surrender to the Taliban will encourage and embolden religious extremists globally and particularly in Pakistan and Central Asia.
This will also lead to a nexus of China, Russia and Iran to undermine the American influence in the Middle East.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad.
