THE rapidly changing scenario in Afghanistan indicates that history is repeating itself. Since the end of World War II, the Americans seem to be following an under-the-table policy of abandoning their friends or the so-called ‘allies’ whenever they realise they have blundered by interfering in a country militarily and have suffered tremendously in terms of material and human loss.

The best example of US blunders after World War II is its intervention in Vietnam. The excesses against not only the Viet Cong guerrillas but also the unarmed civilians are already part of history. The cruelties carried out, as exposed by its own media, are a glaring example of what actually was done there by the self-acclaimed ‘most civilised, educated and democratic nation’ in the world.

The two governments the Americans installed in Afghanistan could not go beyond being puppets. They were both not able to form a strong and well-trained Afghan army even though they had ample time, military aid and training facilities.

All that the two governments in Afghanistan could ever do was to speak ill of Pakistan from time to time even when Pakistan happens to be the country that was dragged into the conflict and suffered the most both economically and politically.

I sincerely wish our leaders could have avoided getting the country entangled under American pressure back in the day.

Sqn-Ldr (retd) Tarique Mahmood Malak
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2021