US failure in Afghanistan

The recent US troops-led operation in Afghanistan has resulted in killing of scores of militants but the security situation remains far from certain. The harrowing law and order situation, kidnappings, roadside ambushes, banditry and violence have become a par for the course in the daily lives of the Afghan people. The Karzai government has failed miserably in delivering substantial relief and the country once again is in the lap of warlords. There is no doubt that the Americans have failed to work out a feasible plan for the reconstruction of the country after ravaging the whole civilian infrastructure and the people are in a soup now with no hope of redemption in the foreseeable future.

Since the ancient times Afghanistan has been a subject of vicissitudes. When Genghis Khan passed through the winding Khyber, he staged an arena of bloodshed but even he was compelled to reach an agreement with the tribal lords. Centuries later in 1842, the British were forced to withdraw from Kabul with a force of 16,500 soldiers. The Russians launched an incursion in late 1970's but met the fate of their predecessors. After the Soviet withdrawal, the Taliban played havoc with the destiny of the nation and committed violations of human rights blatantly. The women were deprived of their right to education and the Islamic injunctions were implemented by force. In 2001, the Americans ventured into a risky enterprise and ultimately have got bogged down here mainly because of its strategic mistakes.