Opinion: Has History Repeated Itself or Afghanistan Has Repeated History?

Today 19th, August 2021, marks exactly 102 years of Afghanistan independence from the British protectorate. This day in Afghanistan is a commemoration of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 and the relinquishment from protected state status.

Afghanistan became a British protectorate after it was defeated in the second Anglo-Afghan war. The first Anglo-afghan war of 1839-1842 led to the British taking over Kabul. The command Akbar Khan annihilated the British forces near the Jalalabad city.

Following this defeat, the British-Indian forces returned to Afghanistan on a special mission to rescue their prisoners of war (POWs) and afterwards withdrew until coming back in order to commence the second Anglo-afghan war.

Remarkably, to this date, it is exactly 179 years when another world super-power is collapsing under her own information war weight, making a hasty decision, to pull-out of Afghanistan, leading to a return of the Taliban Government to run the Country. Could history be repeating itself, or is it the afghan repeating history? As the world today witnesses an ostensibly slapdash American pull-out of Afghanistan after 20 years of American troops’ invasion of Afghanistan which was premised on an Al Qaeda attack on USA (September 11), when President G.W Bush announced on October 7th 2001 that American forces had launched attacks against the terrorist group and Taliban targets in Afghanistan.

President Bush said the Taliban, which then governed most of Afghanistan, had rejected his demand to turn over Al Qaeda leaders who had planned the attacks from bases inside Afghanistan. He said he intended to bring Al Qaeda leaders to justice, adding that; “Now the Taliban will pay a price.”

Unfortunately, the price has not only proved a Taliban affliction, but equally shared with the civilians in Afghanistan and American people, a situation that is now exacerbated by the abrupt pullout, placing America almost in equal footing as Britain in 1842.

The allies of the American troops in Afghanistan have been left at the mercy of the very enemy that America had gone to annihilate.This flashes memories of history as Afghanistan should be hoisting independence flags in commemoration of independence from Britain today.

As an entry justifier into Afghanistan, President Bush is quoted to have said that; “These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations, and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.”

Disruption? American troops could have succeeded in the twenty years, but attacking the military capability of the Taliban regime, is debatable! The world has witnessed a majestic reinvention by the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and a minimally resisted takeover which further negates any achievements against the group by the American troops, as alleged by President Bush in the drive to launch attacks by the American troops in the aftermath of September 11th. Such a position led many security analysts to question the legitimacy of American occupation of Afghanistan.

The above occurrences cannot only draw one back to the British defeat 179 years ago which led to the 1919 Anglo-Afghan Treaty resulting into Afghan independence, but further reflections on other several retreats made in history in Afghanistan, which include: the failure by the Soviet Union to govern Afghanistan between 1979-1989 a period reported to have made the Soviet Union suffer a huge causality of over 15,000 troops being killed.

In 1212, Ghenghis Khan, the legendary leader of the Mongol empire, lost his grandson in a battle in Afghanistan hence historians have called Afghanistan the “graveyard of empires”; and in 1963, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan is said to have declared, “Rule No. 1 in politics: Never invade Afghanistan.” Interestingly, as if intended to repeat History, the American adventures in reconstructing the Afghan intra-politics during the twenty years, by firstly presiding over installation of a transitional Government that named Hamid Karzai, chairman of Afghanistan’s interim administration in June 2002, and later brokering the Ghani and Abdullah Unity Government agreement, to mention but a few, point us to 1839 when the British successfully intervened in a succession dispute between Emir Dost Muhammed (Barakzai) and former Emir Shah Shuja (Durrani), whom they installed upon capturing Kabul in August 1839.

The reign of shah shuja (durrani) was however short-lived when majority of the British troops returned to India, leaving 8,000 in Afghanistan and it became clear that Shuja’s rule could only be maintained with the presence of a stronger British force.

In a similar re-occurrence, 182 years (August 1839-August 2021) later, before the total withdrawal of the American troops by 11th September 2021, history has proved that the Afghan government allied to the super-power American protection, could not hold fort. Has history just repeated itself or have the Afghan fighters repeated history?

Amazingly, these “disrupted” Taliban fighters, (at least according to erstwhile USA president GW Bush), facing little resistance, overran the capital, Kabul, and took over the presidential palace, hours after President Ghani (US ally) fled the Country. The takeover followed the Taliban’s rapid advance, during which it captured all but two of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals and seized border crossings.

Afghan security forces in some areas reportedly negotiated surrenders and avoided fighting the Taliban on one hand, as President Joe Biden made what is considered ‘the most selfish statement’ that America could ever make on the contrary; in view of the sweeping, all rosy statements that were made to justify American presence in Afghan, and the snaky assurances to their Afghan allies and the people. Joe Biden said; “It’s time to end America’s longest war the remaining 3,500 troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn regardless of whether progress is made in intra-Afghan peace talks or the Taliban reduces its attacks on Afghan security forces and citizens. NATO troops in Afghanistan will also leave.” The statement by Joe Biden (POTUS), re-echoes G.R Gleig’s memoirs after the first Anglo-afghan war; “a war begun for no wise purpose, carried on with a strange mixture of rashness and timidity, brought to a close after suffering and disaster, without much glory attached either to the government which directed, or the great body of troops which waged it.

Not one benefit, political or military, was acquired with this war. Our eventual evacuation of the country resembled the retreat of an army defeated”

Mary Mutesi is a Lawyer and political analyst

Mutesimary77@gmail.com