Tomb of Empires

Tomb of Empires

Afghanistan is known as the "Tomb of Empires".  History tells us that from the 11th century BC onwards, various kingdoms and armies sought to gain control of Afghanistan.

Despite being a prosperous, mineral-rich country, Afghanistan continues to be an attractive destination for much of the geo-strategic powerplay game.

Historically, empires in Persia (modern-day Iran) sought to control Afghanistan.  Known in this part of the world as Alexander, or Sikander, he won the war after war and came close to the borders of modern India.  He looked at Afghanistan.

But his luck was exhausted.  There he gets stuck in the cold.

Strong Mauryas from the Magadh (southern Bihar) region also failed to see the area.

This is part of the history that is happening again today.

The Mughals, the British, the Soviets and now the Americans all tried to control Afghanistan but failed.

The return of the Taliban to Afghanistan is another verification of the epithet given by historians to the country: The tomb of empires.

The Taliban, too, failed to retain control of Afghanistan in its first attempt.  The fall of the empire and the superpowers is a mystery.

Who are these Taliban and why is the world afraid of them?  Where did they come from and what do they want?  As they re-create global headlines, here is their story ...

Taliban means students.  The word, which spreads fear around the world, originally meant Pashto.

Pashto is the first language of 55 percent of Afghanistan's population, according to UNESCO.

Pashto is also spoken in parts of Pakistan and Iran bordering Afghanistan.

Today, the word "Taliban" refers to an Islamic organization that regains control of Afghanistan.

Today, the word frightens the world.  The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, which included various countries.

The period when the indirect war was at its peak.  The moment when the nations of the world split as pro-US, pro-Soviet.

In 1978, the Left formed a Communist government in Afghanistan with the support of the Soviet Union.  That government was overthrown in a single year.

Soviet forces then invaded Afghanistan and occupied the country.

The Mujahideen were then formed with US support to wage war against the Soviet Union.  The United States developed the theory of Islamic extremism to give the Soviet Union a headache.  From there, the words jihad, holy war, and the whole world, including today's United States, were born.

Islamist militants launched a guerrilla attack against Soviet forces.

This was encouraged by the United States.  Yes, the United States did not know then that they were going to trap themselves in the terrorist pit they were cutting.

The Soviet Union, which had been on the offensive for 10 years, lost tens of thousands of troops.  The public was also massacred.

The Soviet Union, devastated, had no choice but to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1988.  At that time, a large-scale conflict erupted between the Islamic militant groups created by the United States.  Thousands survived these wars.

At this moment ....?

The world-shaking Taliban organization was born with the support of Pakistan.

It was founded by Mulla Mohammad Omar and his students.  Year of creation, 1994. Position in the south of Afghanistan, Pakistan supported and embraced the Taliban held by Kandahar.  Those who studied in Pakistani madrassas were sent to the Taliban movement.

The Taliban gradually expanded their territory and captured the capital, Kabul, in 1988.

Burhanuddin Rabbani was the then Afghan president.

Rabbani is the leader of the US-backed Afghan Mujahideen.

The Taliban overthrew his regime and seized power.  As a result, Islamic Sharia law was vigorously enforced.  Television and movies were banned.  Men were forced to grow beards, women were forced to cover their faces, not to drive a car, not to leave the house, not to attend dance performances, and the Taliban made it a law to punish criminals in public.

The culmination of which was the 2001 bombing of Buddha statues by the Taliban.  As a result, the Taliban refused to recognize the government. Only Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia recognized.

The Taliban, which emerged with the support of Pakistan, has become a threat to Pakistan as well.

The Taliban also banned opium in Afghanistan.  Osama bin Laden's international terrorist movement, known as Al Qaeda, took root during the Taliban regime.

Al Qaeda is said to have carried out the US double-tower attack on September 11, 2001, which shook the world.

The planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the United States and carried out suicide attacks.  About 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, which were carried out by 19 suicide bombers.  The world talked about terrorism after these attacks.

The world order has changed drastically.  Despite the struggles of national races such as secession, independence and the war of liberation, it too fell into the category of terrorism.

No one can deny that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is one such movement.

US-led NATO forces have landed in Iraq and Afghanistan following the twin tower attacks.

The United States overthrew the Taliban and created a democratic state in Afghanistan.

This is where America's grave journey began.

Twenty years after the war, the United States and the Taliban, who were ousted in 2001, reached an agreement.

Foreign forces began to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Joe Biden, who ended the longest war in the United States, is the fourth president to oversee the war.

He has set a target that by 11 September 2021 all forces will be completely withdrawn.

Despite the new government coming to power in Afghanistan in 2004, Taliban attacks continued unabated.

Although President Barack Obama's "troop surge" in 2009 brought the Taliban under control, it did not last long.

2014 is considered to be the worst period since 2001.  That year NATO's international armies stopped their invasion.

Responsibility for security was left to the Afghan military.

This was to the advantage of the Taliban, who seized more seats.

20 Years of War in Afghanistan - When and What Happened?  It is necessary to know.

What happened from 9/11 onwards, which turned into a large-scale fighting and now up to the withdrawal of US troops?

Let us see what are the grave events on the soil of the superpower America Afghanistan.

• 11 September 2001

The last days of the United States began on this day.

Four passenger planes were hijacked.  Two planes collided with the World Trade Center in New York, causing the building to collapse.  One plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., crashing into a field in Pennsylvania.  Nearly 3000 people died.

The United States has blamed al Qaeda, an organization led by Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, for the attack.  But the real culprits are still being sought by the US intelligence service to this day.

• 7 October 2001

First air strike

Some US-led forces are bombing Taliban and Al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan.  The cities of Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad are under attack.

After a decade of Soviet occupation came a civil war.  The Taliban came to power after that.  They refused to hand over bin Laden.  Their air force also destroyed a crowd of small fighter jets

• 13 November 2001

The fall of Kabul

The Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban group operating with the support of coalition organizations, is entering Kabul.

The Taliban are leaving the city.

By November 13, 2001, all Taliban had been expelled or suppressed.  Other cities also fell.

• 26 January 2004

The new constitution was signed after agreements were reached in one of the major legislatures (Loya Jirga).  This led to the October 2004 presidential election.

• 7 December 2004

Hamid Karzai becomes president

Hamid Karzai

Hamid Karzai, the leader of the Bhopal Durani ethnic group, is being elected the first president under the new constitution.  He served as president for two to five years.

• 15 May 2006

British troops were sent to Helmand

British troops have landed in Helmand province, a Taliban-held area in southern Afghanistan.

Although they had come to help with reconstruction projects, the war dragged them down.

450 British soldiers died.

• 17 February 2009

US President Barack Obama has approved an increase in the number of troops being sent to Afghanistan.

There were up to a maximum of 140,000 soldiers.  The US tactic in Iraq was followed here as well.  It was designed to protect civilians and kill infiltrating forces.

• 2 May 2011

Osama bin Laden was killed.

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed by US Navy SEALs while hiding in a building in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  His body was seized and mysteriously buried at sea.

The CIA's 10-year search has come to an end.  The United States has accused Pakistan of not trusting in the war on terror.

The information that Osama bin Laden lived in Pakistan seemed to further confirm this.

• 23 April 2013

Death of Mulla Umar

Taliban founder Mullah Omar dies  His death was kept secret for two years.  This was later announced by his son.

According to Afghan intelligence, he died at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.  But Pakistan denies that he resides in his country.

• 28 December 2014

Deviation from NATO

NATO stops its attacks at a show in Kabul.

The United States is withdrawing thousands of troops.

The vast majority are used to assist and train Afghan soldiers.

The United States has claimed responsibility for the Taliban insurgency.  But what happened was different.

• 2015

The Taliban is resurrecting

The Taliban have carried out a series of attacks, including suicide bombings and car bombings.

Kabul's parliament building and the city of Kunduz are attacked.

Islamic organizations are starting to operate again in Afghanistan.

• 25 January 2019

Announcement of the death toll after about four years

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has announced that more than 45,000 soldiers have been killed since he took office in 2014.

But this number was higher than previously predicted.

• 29 February 2020

This sudden uprising brought fear and surprise to those who acted contrary to Muslim Sharia.

The result:

The United States and the Taliban sign a peace agreement in Doha, Qatar.

The United States and NATO have agreed to withdraw all forces within 14 months if the Taliban implement their agreement properly.

 • 11 September 2021

 Day for final disengagement

 Exactly 20 years after the 9/11 attacks, US forces are scheduled to withdraw completely from Afghanistan on September 11, 2021.

 Signs are now emerging that the troops will withdraw completely before this date.  In this situation, what is the need to spread fear all over the world?

Some reasons:

• Sharia law may get into full value again in Islamic countries.

• The Kashmir settlement can be reached

• Palestine can be reclaimed

Let us pray to Almighty God for the flower of Islamic good governance.  Amen