By Grassroots women activists in Afghanistan

(Their names are concealed to protect their security)

Whitewashing the faces of women.

We all remember in 2001, US invaded Afghanistan under the slogans of ‘women’s rights’ and ‘war against terror’. Now after 20 years, with tens of thousands of Afghan civilians dead, billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money wasted, we are back to where it all started: Afghanistan is being handed over to the same Taliban terrorists, more powerful and deadlier as ever. Now the Taliban use the US weapons, armors, ammunitions and other sophisticated military devices to capture cities and commit heinous atrocities. We would like to ask the US government: was all that worth it?
Was the bloodshed of the innocent Afghans and American military personnel and soldiers in these 20 years ever justified? Our people were slowly beginning to rise from the ruins and hoped for peace. Unfortunately, now, within a month, Afghans have lost everything they achieved in the last 20 years.
Why did US force Afghans to negotiate with the Taliban and release them from prisons?
This also shows the dishonesty of the US in their war against terror and Taliban. How can we accept that a group of ignorant, medieval-minded and technologically challenged force take over the whole of Afghanistan in a matter of days? It is, therefore, crystal clear that it was a well-controlled and well-managed transfer of power to the Taliban which is orchestrated by the Pakistan army. Without getting fund, military advice and logistical supplies, the Taliban were not in a position to take large cities such as Jalalabad and many others without shooting a single shot. Pakistan is their father and till today continues to support them. We stand by what the former Canadian ambassador in Afghanistan, Chris Alexander, said that Pakistan should be sanctioned by the world so they stop an ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Why is the US government silent and not condemning Pakistan for invading Afghanistan through Taliban? Why the US does not react while city after city falls within a week without any significant resistance by the Afghan army? Is there any conspiracy and clandestine plan to install a Saudi-like regime in Afghanistan? Is the US the main orchestrator of this dire and grimy scenario behind the scene?
When will the US give up their war-mongering policies that has only resulted in bloodshed, destruction and insecurity since 1980? The victims of these policies are not only Afghans but also Americans. It is now high time for the US to change their policies as the whole world knows how their ‘dramas’ and ‘scripts’ work.
In 1980, in the cold war against Russia, US supported the Mujahideen through Pakistan and set the wheels of Islamic fundamentalism running. Similarly, the Taliban was another project of the US which was implemented through Pakistan. The Taliban are so ignorant and medieval-minded that they do not even know how to read and write, let alone knowing geopolitics and military strategy. Thus, it is very clear that they are being controlled by the ISI and Pakistan Army and the mastermind behind this geo-political game is super powers.
In the last two years, US has tried to white-wash these terrorists and ordered the Afghan government to hold “peace talks” with the Taliban and released their 5000 prisoners. It automatically gave them legitimacy and international prestige and recognition. During the peace talks, the Taliban made a new demand everyday and if it faced opposition or was subject to discussion, there would be bomb blasts resulting in deaths of hundreds of our poor men, women and children including journalists, doctors, lawyers, students, teachers, etc. There were so many blasts that it became a routine and the world grew indifferent to it and even the media stopped reporting it.
Why do you even ask for peace talks with such terrorists who kill hundreds of young students with suicide blasts, the most inhuman way to kill? Why forcing the Afghan government to release the Taliban prisoners? To strengthen their ranks and files to continue the war and bloodshed?
Afghanistan has become a battlefield for the US, China and Russia, from one side and Pakistan against India from the other side. US has many economic and geopolitical interests to fulfill. Similarly, China has many long-term projects that they wish to implement. In this tug of war for power and land, the poor people are being killed everyday.
We ask: till what time when will this bloodshed continue? It has been over 40 years that Afghanistan has not seen a single peaceful day. If the US really wants to help the Afghans, it should sanction Pakistan. Despite denials by Pakistanis on many occasions, it is clear as the day that Pakistan army and its intelligence services (ISI) are the ones who bred and trained them in their madrassas and unleashed them in Afghanistan.
The US with its abrupt withdrawal not fulfilled the promise of war on terror but left us on the half way and released wild terrorists from prison to slaughter our people. The US pushed Afghanistan into an abyss and unleashed the blood-thirsty Taliban to slaughter people.
This war has left more than 200,000 internally displaced people within a month. In the local media, a mother of four was crying and begging for help because the Taliban killed her husband, burned down their homes and shops and she was forced to flee at three in the morning with four kids. Now she is on the streets of Kabul, hungry and sun-scorched without food or shelter. Her four children are crying, and like her thousands are displaced and the city is filled with the sound of crying children and women screaming for help. Who is responsible for this? Many young girls left the Taliban-controlled areas because they say they wanted young girls to marry them.
We are happy to have the freedom-loving and democratic people of America on our side all these years and we know they will condemn and protest against their government to give up these dirty policies and games.
In the end we only ask why and till what time will this war last? Will Afghanistan ever see a peaceful day? How long Afghans pay the price of such games and policies with their blood?
We think that the superpowers create chaos and anarchy in the region to fulfill their own interests.