Telegraph
When the army leaves Afghanistan, the Taliban cannot gain “free control,” the military minister says.
When military minister James Heappey thinks of a 20-year war in Afghanistan, he thinks of a kite flying overhead in Kabul. “When the Taliban were deprived of power, kite flying was an immediate expression of a kind of rebellion,” Hepee, a former rifle officer who took two tours in Afghanistan, told The Telegraph. “It was great when we were in that early Kabul. It was a visible representation of those who rediscovered the freedom deprived of them.” Of 10,000, including 750 British soldiers. When NATO troops leave Afghanistan on September 11, Heapey claims this freedom. And Afghanistan has moved forward, not returning as if time had stopped in 2001, only resuming where it left off. There is no illusion that Afghanistan has become a “kind of liberal democracy” in the last two decades, but he said that people were given the ability to “live the life of your choice.” He states: “I had the opportunity to educate your girl. I had the opportunity for women to play a role in society beyond that of mothers and wives. Other than extreme power, I don’t know how it will be washed away. Hepee warned that if the Taliban returned to such a tactic, the international community would not “backtrack.” “I think there must be a political solution,” he said. “I think the Taliban know that.” Since the military entered the country in 2001 to find al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, 2,300 U.S. military personnel and women have been killed and more than 450 have been killed. British soldiers were killed. Of course, hundreds of military personnel of other nationalities have died. All of those who have suffered life-changing injuries. While more than 60,000 members of Afghan security forces have been killed, nearly twice as many civilians have died in the “eternal war.” Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new date for all troops to leave Afghanistan, in contrast to May 1, the original date agreed between former Presidents Donald Trump and the Taliban. Announced that it will be the 11th of March. Biden said: “We went to Afghanistan because of the horrific attack that took place 20 years ago. That cannot explain why we should stay there in 2021.” But many are full of foreign troops. “We threw a towel,” former Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood told The Telegraph, expressing concern that the withdrawal could lead to a civil war on the ground. “Leaving Afghanistan in this way after making many sacrifices encourages British veterans and the wider public to ask, what was it for?” Elwood added, “We Is now facing the civil war and the very realistic prospects that agents, including Russia, Pakistan, India and China, will pursue their own agenda and extremism to refill the power vacuum. ” .. Hepee argued that the withdrawal of the military did not mean that the West was turning its back on Afghanistan. “I think the most obvious situation of return is when we come to the point where there is clear evidence of international terrorism that threatens our homeland, the homeland of the United States, or others.” He warned that a good return would not necessarily be equivalent to boots on the ground. “I think it’s more likely that there’s a fair amount of firepower that can be fired from the outside, and that threat remains,” he added. “The Taliban do not believe that the end of their military presence in Afghanistan will be free to act as they wish,” said the Taliban to comply with “international diplomatic expectations.” Said that it would benefit the Taliban as much as the international community. “There is an economic reality they want,” he said. “They want Afghanistan to be able to function as a nation, the economy cannot collapse, and international donations cannot be stopped.” And that brings some expectations for action, and they If you ignore both of them, there is still the reality that you have the ability to hit them really hard remotely. If you need it. ”Looking back on questions from many, Hepee said in 2009 in Helmand. I remembered a “crap tour” with a rifle to the state town of Sangin. Thirty-five soldiers were killed and more than 200 were injured there. But because of all the blood and bloodshed, the market was busier than it would otherwise be because we were there, the schools were open, elections were held during the summer we were there, and Cumulatively over time we have given space for the Afghan government to establish and strengthen itself. And, of course, the family was able to take the children to the tomb of the King of Kabul again. Kabul is a notable place for kites to fly on Friday afternoon, allowing them to engage in entertainment that has long been denied by them. People must not remember that they couldn’t fly a kite. It’s a fairly simple or trivial example, but it reflects the advancement of Afghan society. “