"THE BIG STICK FAILETH: As U.S. Troops left Afghanistan, a Taliban victory in Kabul, and the possible fear it created"

"THE BIG STICK FAILETH:
As U.S. Troops left Afghanistan,
a Taliban victory in Kabul,
and the possible fear it created"

 

The American’s sudden retreat from Afghanistan is one of the country’s greatest geopolitical defeats. Started by Donald Trump via his withdrawal order, this retreat was described as an “accomplishment” thinking that the Afghan government and the Taliban are in its pathway to peace, if not an attempt to passing over responsibilities to its own armed forces they had trained for two decades.

Trump "deleted" this post from twitter
but here are some people who chose to
save this post.

However, as the withdraw started after May 01, this became an advantage for the Taliban to start its offensive towards Kabul, shattering the US vassal into a house of cards as troops either surrendered or retreat, provincial capitals captured, and people desperately trying to escape from another fundamentalist rule. This withdraw, claiming to be an accomplishment has become an another defeat that’s added to the numerous other defeats suffered by the U.S. in recent years.

Also to remember that in February 2020, as Trump signed its dubious peace accord with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, also saw the latter group pledge to keep other Islamist extremists, especially the “Islamic State”, out of the country.

It is not surprising about this withdraw, what more that president Biden, chose to "respect" his predecessor's decision. Critics would blame Biden for this unlikely situation despite Trump himself signed it thinking "it is a wonderful and positive thing to do" if not insisting "19 years is enough". Other countries even worried especially having a hardline Islamist group remained steadfast in “restoring sharia law” despite trying to moderate their stance by accommodating those from the defeated government. Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has either treating the situation with a grain of salt, if not outright opposing the return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan as its people trying to escape.
But what made people puzzled is how the Taliban able to defeat a U.S.-trained and armed force in a matter of days- especially after U.S. troops withdraw from their camps, leaving their “allies” to an unlikely fate.

Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in  Tianjin, China. 

Baradar promised that Afghanistan will not be used 

against security of any country including China. 

And while the majority of the countries getting concerned about the Afghan people, other countries such as China, acting in its Machiavellian-like “pragmatism”, has recognised the Taliban as a legitimate government in the country. Initially, Chinese engagement in Afghanistan was limited, with Beijing as extremely resistant in sending its forces to protect their interests. However, Chinese state-owned companies have attempted some investments, such as copper mining in Logar province. But with Beijing recognising the Taliban, and the fact that plans such as the Iran-Afghanistan-China gas pipeline and attempts to exploit Afghanistan for its rare earth minerals creates a big challenge especially in U.S. backed efforts to "contain" China and Iran. After all, China has no interest in Afghan’s internal affairs, human rights, or much else other than those of trade and investment- and the deal will be in Yuan as the Taliban won't be using U.S. dollars or Euros. 

To cut this thought short, this note is ought to say that to the victor belong the spoils! All of these setbacks are signs of the collapse of unipolarity with the U.S. as hegemonic hyperpower, and point to the replacement of that hegemony with a multipolar order, in which various continental and regional powers will have to sit at the table with each other, and the U.S. will be just one of these “world powers” contesting and trying to claim itself as first amongst equals, if not seeing the failure of the U.S. as a "world police" whose "peace through strength" failed.

But how about the Afghans? Perhaps, a renewed resistance against the Taliban is inevitable.