American democracy was not as rosy as it was described in Washington. The United States has promised to bring peace and prosperity to Afghanistan, but is leaving, leaving behind devastation and undefeated militants.
This is stated in an article published by “Foreign Policy”.
Afghans do not believe a deal between the US and the Taliban * will be successful. Many are convinced that Washington has effectively surrendered Afghanistan to the militants it threatened to defeat two decades ago.
The economic situation in the country remains no less gloomy. Afghanistan has not received the prosperity promised by the United States. Even the local police are unable to pay salaries to their employees.
Laurel Miller, program director for Asia at the International Crisis Group, calls such trends alarming, given the Taliban’s favor.
“What choice do people make when salaries stop coming in? – he says. “There are long-standing fears, based on historical experience, that as soon as the tide seems to turn in favor of the Taliban, you can see the numbers swell.”
Indeed, according to Foreign Policy, many Afghans are joining the militants out of desperation and the realization that the Taliban could seize power in the country. Moreover, the group seems to be more attractive, since it de facto defeated the United States.
Reporters spoke with 42-year-old drug smuggler Kari Kama right on the border with Pakistan.
“Now I am the Taliban,” he said. “Not that I particularly like the faction, but what choice do I have?”
He stressed that many of his acquaintances have joined the Islamists. According to him, people simply “do not believe in the success of the intra-Afghan negotiations.”
“Support for the militants is growing because a lot of people think they’ll get power,” Kama continues. “If the Taliban become more powerful, we want to be safe, that’s all.”