by Syeda Tahreem Bukhari in The Nation, Jan 22, 2023
The dynamics of great power competition in the 21st century are quite complicated. The US learnt from the war in Afghanistan that military operations would only lead to an economic drain but also that prolonged conflict results in a drastic change in public opinion, demanding the withdrawal of troops. It also compromised the image of the US at the international level. As per the Costs of War Project by Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs since invading Afghanistan in 2001, the United States spent $2.313 trillion on the war. It also estimates that 243,000 people have died as a direct result of this war.
In the tragedy of September 11, the US got robust public support as 93 percent of Americans backed taking military action against whoever was responsible for the 9/11 attacks but this support did not remain the same. As of August 2021, a poll found that 62 percent of Americans thought the war in Afghanistan wasn’t worth fighting. Similarly, a poll from Pew in late August found that 69 percent of Americans didn’t think the United States achieved its goals in Afghanistan.
After the breakup of the USSR, Afghanistan was left under Taliban rule but following 9/11, the US toppled the Taliban government since then war in Afghanistan became a quagmire that continued for two decades. The US military forces departed Afghanistan under the Biden administration, leaving it under Taliban rule. A Washington Post/ABC News poll released in September 2021 found that among those who approved of the withdrawal, just 26 percent also approved of how it was done; 52 percent disapproved.
After the withdrawal, Biden stated that the United States should learn from its mistakes and that the withdrawal marks the end of “an era of major military operations to remake other countries.” Under the Biden administration, the US National Security Strategy 2023 revolves around the idea of competition. It incorporates an integrated deterrence approach to counter its competitors.
The US claims that it seeks to compete in today’s competitive environment while also preserving a rule-based international order that encourages economic growth, peace, and security. Thousands of Afghans who assisted the United States and its allies, as well as up to two hundred Americans, were left stranded in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Pakistan has still not recovered from the damage that the war on terror inflicted on it. Moreover, the US also failed to fulfil the promises of financial aid to overcome the losses of the war on terror in which Pakistan was at the forefront. Dr Hafiz Pasha, in his book titled ‘Growth and Inequality—Agenda for Reforms’ estimated that Pakistan’s economy sustained a colossal loss of $252 billion owing to the US-led war against terrorism, which is nearly eight times more than the financial assistance given by Washington to Islamabad.
In this era of great power competition, the US focused on the South Asian region to be its pawn in India in countering the rise of China which it foresees as a long-term threat, though China states that its rise is peaceful. India’s assumed sense of supremacy in the region is further heightened by having itself on the US side of strategic alignments. Moreover, India is also not willing to lose Russia as its defence partner. The way India benefitted in the Cold War era from both blocs via a non-aligned approach remains, it still wants to receive maximum benefits from both sides. The US and its Asia-pacific allies could intensify the Indo-Pakistan bilateral tensions via a strategic partnership with India thus jeopardizing the strategic stability of the region.
https://www.nation.com.pk/22-Jan-2023/lessons-learnt-in-afghanistan
