UNS — Afghanistan is experiencing a heating condition after the Taliban successfully entered Kabul and seized the Presidential Palace of Afghanistan, with the President, Ashraf Ghani, fled to Tajikistan before the event commencing. As a result, a great Afghans’ exodus to flee was observed in the airport while foreign countries are trying to evacuate their dignitaries from the country.
Concerning the heating condition in Afghanistan, the Professor in Middle Eastern Studies, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Prof. Istadiyantha, stated that the success of the Taliban to seize Afghanistan is inseparable from the weak US government under Biden administration. The remark on Biden’s weak administration was also stated by Donald Trump, Biden’s political rival, who criticize the US 46th President’s policy to withdraw US military troops from Afghanistan in August 2021.
“This (policy) gave an opportunity for Taliban to take control of Afghanistan Presidential Palace, even Kandahar, Ghazni, and Kabul cities that almost all controlled by Taliban,” Prof. Istadiyantha explained to uns.ac.id on Monday (16/8/2021).
The Arabic Literature teacher at the Indonesian Language and Literature Program and Middle Eastern Sociology, Arabic Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Cultural Studies (FIB) UNS, explained that the local community considers the Taliban a group aiming to restore peace and security and to enforce Islamic law based on what they believe in. However, after the September 11th tragedy or the 9/11, the Taliban became the target of military operations from the US military. They were accused of giving protection for Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda. The US also claimed that AL-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden’s leadership is the mastermind behind the deadly plane attack that destroyed the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York and Pentagon in Virginia. Even though this claim also became a polemic with pros and cons arguments up to this day.
Prof. Istadiyantha added that when the Taliban refused to hand Osama bin Laden to the US troop, the superpower country decided to launch a military operation in Afghanistan and successfully control the country in 2001.
“At the time, Mullah Omar (Taliban leader and Afghanistan’s head of state from 1996 to 2001) and his supporters sought protection in Pakistan. For 20 years, US occupy Afghanistan and finally, US protection ceased on 31 August 2021,” Prof. Istadiyantha explained.
With US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, Prof. Istadiyantha considers that the Taliban used this momentum to control Afghanistan. He also stated Taliban’s success is partly related to the Covid-19 pandemic that is still raging the world. The Professor indicated that to this day, no signal of reconciliation could be observed from both parties, and he will continue observing the Afghanistan-Taliban dynamics for some time.
During the war against USSR influence in the region, the Taliban is US CIA operatives to drive Rusia away from the area under US supports. However, there is a strong indication that Russia is involved in the recent Taliban’s activities. However, a further accusation that the militant group generates its funding through narcotics trade and robbery needs further analysis and supporting data.
“The drama of Taliban controls over Afghanistan is taking place and will continue creating dynamic news on the latest development. Therefore, it is too early to draw any conclusion. Moreover, the Taliban is currently continuing to fight for their control over Afghanistan,” he concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti