Taliban’s Achievements During Three-year Rule In Afghanistan

Developing Just Leadership

Zia Sarhadi

Rabi' al-Awwal 27, 1446 2024-10-01

News & Analysis

by Zia Sarhadi (News & Analysis, Crescent International Vol. 54, No. 8, Rabi' al-Awwal, 1446)

The much-vilified Taliban, dubbed country pumpkins, seem to have done remarkably well in their three-year rule in Afghanistan. They have not only restored law-and-order but also stabilized the country’s economy by banning the use of foreign currency in all internal transactions.

True, they face many challenges but the doom and gloom predictions made at the time when they returned to power on August 15, 2021 have proved false. Further, they have shown great determination in resisting foreign dictation. Unlike most regimes in the Muslim world, they brook no interference in their internal affairs from western regimes.

This was demonstrated by two decisions they made in recent weeks. In August, they refused entry to the UN Special Rapporteur, Richard Bennett who has repeatedly harped on the Taliban’s refusal to allow girls to acquire education. While girls’ education is important, one must ask whether the west is really concerned about girls’ education or using it as pretext to exert pressure on the Taliban?

After all, during America’s 20-year occupation of Afghanistan, only a tiny percentage of girls got education in Kabul. In the rural areas where the vast majority of Afghans live, no education or any other facilities were provided. Instead, the US frequently bombed and killed innocent people under the pretext of fighting “terrorists”.

If the west really wants to promote girls’ education, it should release the $9 billion of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves illegally frozen in the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York and European central banks. This will enable the Taliban government to pay teachers’ salaries as well as ease food shortages in the country.

One also cannot help but note that in Gaza the zionists are busy perpetrating genocide targeting women and children. Almost every school in Gaza has been bombed and destroyed. The zionists have also destroyed all universities and libraries.

More than 625,000 children cannot go to school in Gaza because almost all school buildings have been destroyed. At least 18,000 children—boys and girls—have been slaughtered by the zionists. Far from condemning such barbarism, the collective west is busy supplying more lethal weapons to the zionists to continue the genocide.

The other area where the Taliban succeeded was in the Doha 3 talks on Afghanistan held on June 30 and July 1, 2024. They boycotted the first two rounds—October 2023 and February 18-19, 2024—because the UN and western regimes insisted on women being included in their delegation. The Taliban said they alone would decide the composition of their delegation.

Seeing the futility of holding talks about Afghanistan without the Taliban in the first two rounds, several UN and western officials came to Kabul to plead with the Taliban to attend the third round. The latter wanted to know the agenda and insisted that only they would determine the composition of their delegation. The western do-gooders relented.

Diplomatic successes

While the Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any country, that has not prevented them from interacting with other governments. Both China and the UAE have accepted the credentials of Taliban ambassadors. China also maintains an embassy in Kabul as does Iran. There are 15 countries that have diplomatic missions in Kabul while Afghanistan has 40 ambassadors posted in various capitals.

A large Uzbek delegation led by Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov visited Kabul on September 3. A total of 35 memorandums of understanding were signed totally $2.5 billion. These included trade and investment deals.

Deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government Hamdullah Fitrat told ToloNews that recognition of the Islamic Emirate’s ambassador by the UAE, appointment of Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kazakhstan, and the visit of Uzbekistan Prime Minister to Kabul are examples of diplomatic progress. Delegations from several regional countries, including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, a delegation of religious scholars from Turkey, and the newly appointed chargé d’affaires of Qatar, have also visited Afghanistan.

Similarly, high-ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate have traveled to Iran, Qatar, and the UAE despite no formal diplomatic relations. What this indicates is that regional countries have granted de facto recognition to the Taliban government. Establishing formal ties cannot be far off.

To assess any government’s performance, one must evaluate how it fulfills certain functions. Chief among these are security of life and livelihood, and the economy. Health and education also come into the picture. A competent government must also reduce, if not completely eradicate, corruption.

Security

When they returned to power on August 15, 2021, Afghanistan was in turmoil. The writ of Ashraf Ghani’s US-installed regime did not extend beyond the presidential palace in Kabul despite the presence of tens of thousands of American, British and other occupation forces.

As Ghani fled the country, most security forces—the police and the US-supported Afghan army—also disappeared. The Taliban had to make quick decisions to restore calm in Kabul.

Power transition, especially after a 20-year war, is always messy. To their credit, the Taliban prevented any chaos from erupting. The chaos was on the American side, scrambling to get the hell out of there.

There was widespread fear that the Taliban might indulge in revenge killings against the collaborators as well as various warlords that had opposed them. To their credit, they announced that there would be no revenge killings.

The Taliban declared that their struggle was against foreign occupiers, primarily Americans. With the US retreat from Afghanistan, they said it was time for all Afghans to come together to rebuild the country.

The movement’s co-founder and deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in a video message said, “Now it’s time to test and prove, now we have to show that we can serve our people and ensure security and comfort of life.” They called upon Afghans living abroad to return home and help rebuild the country.

During America’s occupation, killings and robberies were widespread. The Americans were busy chasing phantoms they called the “terrorists” while their allied warlords indulged in extortion and killings. Within a few weeks of their coming to power, the Taliban brought an end to such criminal acts.

The International Crisis Group acknowledged, a year after the Taliban’s return to power that they had restored law-and-order. What the self-proclaimed superpower and its NATO allies could not achieve in 20 years, the Taliban achieved in a few weeks.

The foreign-backed warlords—Ahmed Massoud, Amrullah Saleh, Abdul Rashid Dostum and others— despite making tall claims about resisting the Taliban, fled the country when the group’s fighters arrived in the Panjshir Valley. Ahmed Massoud, now hiding in France, makes periodic appearances on right-wing American think-tank platforms vowing to resist the Taliban. He keeps asking for more money and weapons to do the job, much to the amusement of his American hosts!

Economy

With the Americans’ hurried retreat, there was fear of famine in Afghanistan. Given the destruction wrought by the US and NATO forces, this was not unfounded. The freezing of Afghan funds by the US and European banks intensified pressure on the Taliban. Yet they have managed the economy quite well.

In early November 2021, the Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted online, that the Islamic Emirate is banning the use of foreign currencies in the country. People must use the local currency—the Afghani—for all transactions. The statement also warned that “Anyone violating this order will face legal action.”

The result has been the stabilization of the Afghan currency. One US dollar fetches 68.40 Afghanis, a rise of 2.22 in a few months. Compare this to neighbouring Pakistan, where one US dollar is equal to 280 rupees. There was a time when one Pakistani rupee was equal to 10 to 12 Afghanis.

The ban on foreign currency use in Afghanistan has not only stabilized the local currency but also kept prices in check.

Corruption

The Taliban have taken major strides in ending corruption. It starts with top officials who lead a simple life and are accessible to people. Injustice is not tolerated and violators are dealt with swiftly. This has acted as a strong deterrent for would-be criminals.

During the US occupation, various Afghan warlords on America’s payroll acted as outlaws. They indulged in terrorism and extortion. After sunset, people did not venture out for fear of being attacked, robbed or killed.

As US forces fled Afghanistan, these warlords became orphans. The Taliban did not tolerate illegal conduct. Aware that they could no longer indulge in thuggery, the warlords either fled the country or decided to become “good boys”. Corruption has been considerably reduced in Afghanistan.

The Taliban government is a reality. It cannot be wished away.