Afghanistan Is Not a “Forever War”

Dr. Munr Kazmir
4 min readMar 11, 2021

The democratic country has become a linchpin of regional stability and a natural partner in U.S. peace efforts.

Herat, Afghanistan. Photo by Ali Mosavi on Unsplash.

The nation of Afghanistan is not, as it has been described, a graveyard of invading empires.

It is true that Afghanistan’s mountainous fortifications and strong defenses have extracted a steep toll on uninvited foreign armies over the centuries. World powers have indeed dashed themselves against the unforgiving terrain and indomitable spirit of Afghanistan.

The nation is far more than a foil for would-be conquerors, however; more than a mere “Empire Stopper”. It is much more than a coveted geographical jewel of modern military strategy.

The true Afghanistan, and its greatest natural resource, is the Afghan people.

Over the past two decades since the Taliban fell, the people of Afghanistan have been investing in the reconstruction of their homeland. Their contributions have been met by U.S. investment and military support.

Far from being yet another invading empire destined for military failure in Afghanistan, American troops have cooperated closely with the Afghan people, and their elected leadership, to strengthen and support progress in the beleaguered nation.

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