A new report from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has provided an alarming metric for the ongoing US-led occupation of Afghanistan, revealing that the Taliban’s reach in the country is its largest since the 2001 US invasion, meaning 14 years of war has left the Taliban with growing influence.
The report has not been publicly released, but has made the rounds across to several nations, warning that more than half of the country’s districts are now under either “high” or “extreme” threat from the Taliban, reflecting their ability to span the country.
It gets worse though. The UN report is based on data from early September, before the Taliban seized the major northern city of Kunduz. That means this war-time worst situation actually got significantly worse after the report was already penned.
This should be another hugely damaging blow to US confidence in the honest of military leadership, as Gen. John Campbell, the top commander of the war, insisted in testimony only last week that the situation was well in hand, and that Afghanistan’s military held “nearly all” of the districts in Afghanistan.
While the UN security reports only began after the US launched its invasion, in some ways the security situation may be leaning more favorable to the Taliban since before even that, as the Taliban did not have control over Kunduz or the surrounding area when the US invaded. Most of the north of the country was, before the US invasion, under the control of the Northern Alliance.
The Northern Alliance ultimately formed the basis for most of the leadership of the government after the US occupation, but its territory seems to be less secure than ever, with the Taliban taking significant territory across the north in recent months.
Indeed, in only the past two weeks the UN mission has had to abandon four of its 13 provincial officials, the most ever at any given time, because security simply didn’t allow them to remain. These offices were mostly in the north.
Frankly, going by the remarkable accomplishments of the American-installed puppet government, Afghans would be better off under the Taliban.
Actually, the Afghans were better off under the Soviet supported government in the late 70's-early 80's but the western elites couldn't tolerate that and the country has been a complete hellhole ever since. Like Iraq and Libya and Syria are now.
E-mail this article to Vladimir Putin! This is the quagmire he's getting into in Syria.
You as always, miss the point. Before US decided to crate Al-Qaeda, and later on, infused tens of thousands of "Taliban", or "Students" from Pakistan Schools, or Madrassas founded and financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf minions — Afghanistan was a place well on its way to be a developed country. Zbigniew Brzezinski has publicly stated that it is too bad that Afghanistan must be taken back to the Middle Ages, but that was necessary — as it was setting a wrong example in the world that you can prosper and develop independently of US. Even today, there are some leftovers of that time, a woman general in Afghan army. The uptick in violence is a highly predictable affair, after the Government in Kabul announced the plan pushed by China on coming with the terms with various Afghan tribes. China and Russia do not call them Taliban, as this designation is linked only, and only to the US/Pakistan/Saudi creation that swept from Pakistan and removed the legitimate Afghan Government in Kabul. Those were the days when young people in Kabul went to universities, many went on scholarships to other countries, and many of them women. The employment was open to women in Government, and all publicly funded institutions. But we armed the easily bribed tribesmen to join the cause with "Taliban" well armed and trained forces — to end their hopes and ambitions. So, instead of being ashamed, we want to prolong our stay there. Why not let China get in and cut a peace deal? With some money for development and some REAL training for Armed forces, the peace may stick. Provided that no more money is sent to bribe tribes to cause mischief. And provided that NO MORE PROTECTION is given to opium producers, and no more protecting the thousands of labs that produce heroin. And no more protecting their routes of export. That may be too much to ask.
War-lords and drug-lords now give all the wealth and land to the educated upper half of society, whereas, the Taliban would give it all to the laboring-class lower half.
Socialism you say, yes and a true socialism unknown in the modern world.