The dropping of biggest non-nuclear bomb on the Afghan mountains few months ago reflects the extent of failure American military campaigns have faced. On April 13, 2017, under the Trump’s presidency the US military dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb known as the mother of all bombs (MOAB)in Afghanistan against Islamic State (IS) militants and targeted the series of caves used by the terror group.
The reason for dropping the largest bomb was to deliver a clear message to militant groups that the United States is determined to defeating ISIS and Taliban in Afghanistan. It was also meant as a message to Taliban and ISIS about the power of US weapons and the determination of the US support for the government of Ashraf Ghani. It was the policy of ‘shock and awe’ where the overwhelming use of power of the US indicated that US has prepared itself for the invasion of Iraq.
There is a magnanimous failure of the US in achieving any of its major objectives in Afghanistan even after spending almost 16 years in the country. It is obvious that the US cannot win the war against the Taliban. We thought that using the deadly power of the MOAB could be a game changer but it doesn’t leave any big foot prints.
Trump’s new Afghan strategy aims at increasing the troops in Afghanistan which is a clear indication that this is the war is not going to end anytime soon. There are already about 8,500 US military troops in Afghanistan. The American President went against what he had previously said during the election campaign when he claimed the mission in Afghanistan was a waste of US efforts and vowed to pull troops out.
This was not the first time if we look back in history where it was suspected that Osama bin Laden was hiding in Afghanistan. The US military destroyed the caves by dropping 5,000-pound bunker busters on the Tora Bora Mountains.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing in Afghanistan in a series of tweets. He says, “I strongly condemn the dropping of the largest non-nuclear bomb, the latest destruction weapon, on the Afghanistan by US military. I don’t consider it the war on terror, but the inhuman and most cruel misuse of Afghan ground. Now, it is upon us, Afghans, to stop the United States of America.”
The reality is that the world powers try to use the Afghan ground for their own interest and no one wants to help the Afghans rebuild their nation
The Afghan ground should not be a proxy battleground for external power and the government should keep a balance in its foreign policy. The reality is that the world powers try to use the Afghan ground for their own interest and no one wants to help the Afghans rebuild their nation. Hence, Afghanistan has become one of the poorest nations in the world.
The fact is, it is still Afghanistan on the map, but it is an uncontrolled land ruled by a bunch of different warlords, including the Taliban who controlled the south. Any sustainable solution can bring peace, comfort and dignity to the Afghan people. There are Millions of Afghans, who have given up and fled, turning up as refugees in other countries including Pakistan, Iran or Europe.
A western-style government in Afghanistan is a dream. I don’t see that as a reality at any point in the near future. However, the unfortunate reality is that airstrikes are possibly the best option — and maybe the simplest one for the United States against ISIS, but it is not enough to defeat them. The US is failing in ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan. No lasting solution to the problem of ISIS or Taliban is going to come simply through American troops or bombs. Negotiation is the way forward.
The writer is a freelance writer and researcher
Published in Daily Times, August 25th 2017.