4 days ago
It's time to take back Afghanistan from the Taliban
Friday 15 August is a painful anniversary for Afghanistan – it is four years since the Taliban took Kabul, turning my country into the worst place in the world to be a woman, and once again a safe haven for terrorists.
For Afghans who fled to neighbouring countries in fear for their lives the situation has recently become dramatically worse. Iran had already pushed back hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees across the border. Since its 12-day war with Israel, it has significantly increased the expulsions, alleging that Afghans helped Mossad's operations inside Iran. Many of those being forcibly returned are soldiers who fought for the Afghan republic. They will face persecution from the Taliban on their return.
As a commander of Afghan forces who fought for our nation during the Republic it is my moral duty to change this. I am part of a new generation of Afghan leaders who grew up with the hope of a free, prosperous and self-reliant Afghanistan. But our people have been abandoned by a world gripped by other crises.
To fix this, I am proud to have been chosen as leader of the Afghanistan United Front, a democratic political organisation set up in opposition to the Taliban. We can mobilise many thousands of young men and women who are ready to fight for change in Afghanistan, to live independently and with dignity in our own country. We have the strategy and the leadership to change Afghanistan for the better. And this time we will do it without international boots on the ground.
But we need material help: billions of dollars of Afghan government reserves are frozen in America. If the United States gave us access to our own money, we could finance a campaign to create a safe haven for women, minorities, and returning refugees – and ultimately free our country. The world needs a partner in Afghanistan, and it is not the Taliban.
The only solution is to conduct a military campaign, launched inside Afghanistan, which will include conventional attacks, guerrilla operations, and targeting of Taliban leaders. With the right support we can end the terrorist threat from Afghanistan, stem the flow of refugees, and open Afghanistan for global business. The Taliban are currently handing over Afghanistan's mineral wealth to China, but it does not have to be this way.
Britain could take a bigger role in helping the Afghans fight for freedom without having to wait for America. Britain has the political clout and capacity, and it is in her strategic interest and in line with British values to help its Afghan allies take on the Taliban. It is also the best way to stop Afghans on small boats crossing the channel.
We are grateful to everyone in Europe, Canada, America, Australia, and elsewhere who have hosted us in these dark times. All the Afghans I speak to want to go home and live in Afghanistan. But what is missing is any support for building a different future to the dark horrors of the Taliban. Instead western countries are moving towards recognition of the Taliban.
This short-sighted approach will end in failure. It will not only fail to resolve the refugee crisis, but will leave Afghanistan in the hands of a brutal Islamist dictatorship that represents only a small fraction of the Afghan people and constantly imposes new restrictions on the lives of women.
Apart from the continuing pressure of refugees, Afghanistan under the Taliban is a threat to the world as a crucible of terrorism. As several international reports have shown, the Taliban have close links to al-Qaeda: Afghanistan is now once again the group's effective international headquarters. The Taliban have also given safe haven and training to thousands of Central Asian terrorists, who are planning attacks outside the country. And they have ramped up support to the Tehrek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to promote their version of Sharia law in Pakistan.
The Taliban have also failed to prevent the Islamic State group from carrying out attacks in Central Asia and Russia, planned in Afghanistan. It is only a matter of time before there is an attack in Europe or America from this group.
If we do not take back Afghanistan, horrors will continue to be visited daily on Afghan women, while the threat of terrorism will grow. Currently, the minds of young men are being polluted by the distortion of Islam taught in Afghan madrassas. The world will be safer without the Taliban in power, and it is time to do something to make that happen.
