Can anyone help me understand what’s happening in Afghanistan?

[clovercornflower]

I wondered if anyone might be prepared to explain it to me, a bit of an idiots guide if you like. I understand the basics, I think, but not all of the surrounding context and history.

My understanding so far is that the Taliban have taken over the government. The Taliban are an extreme Islamic group - correct so far?

It is a worry that Drug export to western countries will increase.
China already running mines for gold and copper in north of Afghanistan protected by Chinese army with cooperation of local Governors/warlords.
Saudi religious extremists as commissars alongside locals.

The Taliban are a terrorist group who have taken over a self governing country which were propped up by America. They are drug dealers, misogynists, patriarchal, violent, medieval and Islamic terrorists.

@Disneycharacter

The Taliban are a terrorist group who have taken over a self governing country which were propped up by America. They are drug dealers, misogynists, patriarchal, violent, medieval and Islamic terrorists.

They (Afghan) Taliban are not defined as terrorists by the CIA (the Pakistani Taliban are defined as terrorists however)

That is not to say they don’t rule by terror and inflict terrible violence on their people. But where al-Qaeda and ISIS want everyone to adhere to their extreme form of Islam, and do so by committing terrorism/atrocities, the Taliban as far as I am aware, are focused on Afghanistan/Pakistan. They do however give safe harbour to terrorists and of course they could always decide to become terrorists.

The worst thing is that ISIS and al-Qaeda have remained active within Central Asia in general and with the Taliban in power, they are likely to become even more powerful so in addition to the devastation for innocent afghans, particularly women and children, there is a strong likelihood of major terror attacks happening in the West.

This has some basic info on the differences between Al Qaeda and Taliban and Isis.

www.forces.net/evergreen/islamic-state-taliban-and-al-qaeda-how-are-they-different

@clovercornflower

Thank you for posting this. Was thinking of doing the same. I’m older than some of the poster, but still don’t really understand it, and why has it flared up now?

There was a very knowledgeable person (UK military chief?) on one of the Breakfast tv programmes this morning. I didn’t catch much due to having to go to work.. However, I did catch how he said that ‘The Taliban’ aren’t one homogenous group, but lots of groups.

@clovercornflower

I wondered if anyone might be prepared to explain it to me, a bit of an idiots guide if you like. I understand the basics, I think, but not all of the surrounding context and history.

My understanding so far is that the Taliban have taken over the government. The Taliban are an extreme Islamic group - correct so far?

It's not just that they've taken over - the shocker is that their military bulldozed the whole country in a matter of days. The Taliban are "extremist" in terms of being Islamic fundamentalists, but don't seem interested in conquering other countries.

Unfortunately, Bush lost interest in Afghanistan and focused on Iraq. Although some things in Afghanistan were vastly improved, especially for women, the U.S. never bothered get immersed in depth so the underlying problems, such as corruption, were never solved. Trump negotiated a treaty with the Taliban (who are notoriously untrustworthy) to have 5,000 prisoners released and to withdraw American forces. So the Taliban was just waiting out the clock. And since the Taliban are although notoriously vindictive, Afghans are frantic to leave.

Fascinating but horrifying in equal measures. How will this all pan out? Is it the end of Western interference/involvement in other countries affairs?

thanks for the thread.
The Taliban have put a flag up in Islamabad now.
so worrying

@Gothichouse40

This is an interesting thread. I would like to ask people's opinion. How do you think the Taliban were able to take over the country so quickly? What happened to the Afghan army?

Given the way this website is structured, I think you would have done better to have posted your own interesting question as a separate thread.

I think there are a few basic reasons:

1. Americans stupidly like to imagine a problem is solved, and they often don't understand that other sides are often playing a long game.

1. The Taliban must have good funding. Afghans don't have a concept of national loyalty as Americans do, and are notorious for switching sides, so it's probably easy to hold onto their force financially.

1. Americans never did a good job of converting and training the Afghan military, and it's now coming out that the American leaders lied about their supposed success.

1. Afghan civilians were so damn scared that they didn't put up much of a fight, and the Taliban have a scary reputation and have fanaticism on their side.

1. I also have a personal theory that something about Islam makes their people relatively passive until there's a massive spur to action.

Lots of good answers here. Sorry if I've missed this:

Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? Read it. It will explain the recent history of Afghanistan through fiction. It's is one of the most beautiful, heartbreakingly tragic and unputdownable books I have ever read. I read it in 2008 and I am now planning on reading it again.