Israt Jahan: Afghanistan has been known as an important region of Asia since ancient times. It is an independent state in South Asia. However, since 1996, Afghanistan has been known differently around the world because of the Taliban. The Taliban is a Deobandi Sunni Islamic and Pashtun nationalist movement. The movement`s leaders were in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. At that time, the Taliban movement was most widespread in the Pashtun areas of southern Afghanistan and some parts of West Pakistan. During this time some volunteers from Europe and China voluntarily joined them. This group gradually made itself much stronger by taking heavy weapons from different sources and gaining combat training. The Taliban have been in power in the Afghan capital, Kabul, for more than five years. At this time Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates recognized them. But Iran, India, Turkey, Russia, the United States, and most of Central Asia opposed the regime.

September 11, 2001, marked a momentous event in the history of the United States. Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes from the United States that day. Two planes hit the TwinTowers of the WorldTradeCenter in New York, one hit the Pentagon in Washington, another crashed into a field. The largest terrorist attack in the United States killed nearly 3,000 people.  This incident touched the conscience of people all over the world. The whole world was stunned. Shortly afterward, US President George W. Bush declared war on terror. In light of this, US troops have been stationed in Afghanistan for 20 consecutive years to suppress the Taliban. But US troops are being withdrawn from Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary.

During President Trump`s presidency, an agreement was reached with the Taliban stating that all US troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by May 2021. But after President Joe Biden came to power, U.S. officials said a hasty withdrawal would create a risk. So President Joe Biden decided to start withdrawing troops from September 11, 2021. "There will be no solution after more than a year of fighting in Afghanistan," Biden told a news conference at the White House after coming to power. He also said that "There are a total of 300,000 members of the security forces in Afghanistan. The Taliban has only 75,000 members. So even after the withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban will not be able to occupy Afghanistan. However, between 750 and 1,000 US troops will be deployed to secure the US embassy, Kabul airport, and other key installations.”

After Joe Biden`s announcement, the Taliban said that if the troops were withdrawn, there would be no foreign troops in Afghanistan, not even military contractors. If any foreign troops remain in Afghanistan after the September deadline, they will be seen as occupiers. A Taliban spokesman said, "The Taliban will not attack diplomats, private development agencies, and foreign civilians, and there will be no need to protect them." Taliban spokesman Suhail Shahin said, "We are not against foreign military forces, diplomats, NGOs, and their staff and activities and the activities of embassies. These are necessary for our people. So we will not be a threat to them." However, in recent times, US troops have suddenly begun to leave Afghanistan. The Taliban then declared themselves victorious. Many analysts see the sudden withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as a threat to Afghans. Some say, `Not only are US troops leaving Afghanistan, but many Afghan soldiers have fled the battlefield. It could pave the way for al Qaeda members to occupy Afghanistan.

In the 20 years from 2001 to 2021, there were repeated counter-attacks by troops stationed in Afghanistan with the Taliban. It killed 2,300 US troops in Afghanistan. 20,000 were injured. At the same time, 450 British soldiers died. Hundreds of soldiers from several other countries have lost their lives in the two-decade-long war. However, Afghans have suffered the most casualties in this war.  More than 60,000 members of the Afghan security forces have been killed.  The death toll among Afghan civilians has doubled. Currently, the Taliban are occupying one territory after another in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the withdrawal of US troops has raised concerns among diplomats stationed there. They should stay there or they should leave. But amid changing circumstances and uncertainty, the vast majority of foreign diplomats in Kabul are still trying to keep quiet. They are trying their best to continue working normally as much as possible.

In recent times, different types of news about Afghans are being published in different media. Which shows that. Afghans are now cornered in fear. Their times are spent in uncertainty. Concerns have been raised about whether they will be able to live in peace in their own homes at all. Many are thinking of leaving their homeland and moving to neighboring countries. Many are leaving their homes and moving to other areas. Thinking of the future of the Afghans, world leaders must come together as soon as possible to rein in the Taliban.  Otherwise, not only the Taliban but also other terrorists could join the Taliban and establish their bases in Afghanistan, which could become a threat to the world in the future.

Author: Israt Jahan is a Columnist & student of Department of English, Chittagong College, Chattogram