Was Democracy Ever Viable in Afghanistan?

“Regime change obviously didn’t work out as intended,” admits Max Boot.

“The Taliban government in Afghanistan has appreciated the decision of the Government of India in which it has been decided to give 200 crores to the country. The Government of India presented the budget for the year 2023 on 1 February. This amount was announced for Afghanistan in this budget. This amount will be spent on the development of Afghanistan. The Taliban expressed their happiness for the verdict in a response to the Indian media.” (Photo: Quick Spice)

The United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 was a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which were planned by Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group that had been operating in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban government.

After overthrowing the Taliban regime, the U.S. and its allies sought to build a stable and democratic government in Afghanistan that would be able to resist the return of the Taliban and other extremist groups, and would not provide a haven for terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda.

Obviously, that didn’t work.

As the world looked on in horror, U.S. troops left Afghanistan forever in 2021. In the chaos that ensued — terrified mothers passing their babies to departing soldiers, desperate Afghans clinging to airplanes as they took off — all the shortcomings of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan were laid bare.

U.S. officials who sanctioned and continued the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan believed that a democratic government, based on principles of human rights and rule of law, would be more effective at meeting the needs of the Afghan people and reducing the influence of extremist groups.