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    • Aug 31, 2021
    • 5 min read

How did the Taliban take over Afghanistan?

By: Gouri Sangal


Who are the Taliban?

The Taliban, “students” in pashto language, is a Deobandi Islamist (a conservative Islamic orthodoxy that follows a Salafist egalitarian model and seeks to emulate the life and times of Prophet Mohammed) religious-political movement and military organization in Afghanistan, regarded by many governments and organizations as terrorists.


The Taliban emerged in the early 1990’s in Northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Their goal being to restore peace and security in their own strict version of the Islamic law once in power. From 1995, the Taliban quickly extended their influence, capturing the province of Herat and the Afghan capital. Kabul. By 1998, the Taliban were in control of 90% of Afghanistan.


Surprisingly, the Taliban were first welcomed to Afghanistan due to their success in wiping out corruption and making areas under their control safe. Although soon later, they were accused of various human rights and cultural abuses such as:

  • Public executions of convicted murderers and adulterers

  • Amputation of those found guilty of theft

  • Forcing men to grow beards, and women to wear all-covering burkas

  • Massacres against thousands of Afghan citizens

  • Burning vast areas of fertile land and destroying thousands of homes, etc.


After the September 11 attacks, the U.S deployed 8,000 U.S. troops increasing to 111,000 soldiers throughout the 2 decade war costing them more than $2.26 trillion to prevent another terrorist attack on the American homeland and keeping the Taliban under control.


What is the U.S.-Taliban Agreement?

By agreeing to a conditional timeline to withdraw combat forces, the United States was able to overcome the Taliban’s resistance to negotiate directly with the Afghan government. The Afghan peace process and the U.S. agreement are mutually dependent. Without U.S. forces as leverage, the two sides may not continue to negotiate. Without a negotiated agreement, terrorist safe havens will likely persist and the U.S. will remain threatened by al-Qaida and, increasingly, ISIS.


President Obama’s reason for deploying thousands of troops and spending trillions of dollars was to try to weaken the Taliban and strengthen the Afghan government. But even after the 8 years of President Obama’s administration, nothing had changed except for the loss of lives and money. Therefore, President Biden decided to divert their attention from Afghanistan and instead focus on other problems.

What is happening in Afghanistan right now?

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. The rebels stormed the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, especially since Afghan security forces that were trained and equipped by the U.S. and its allies disappeared.



The U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 overthrew the Taliban from power, but the costly two-decade war never ended. After the Taliban recovery in recent days, the Western-backed government that had run the country for 20 years collapsed. Afghans, fearing for the future, fled the country.


Although, since taking over the Taliban has promised to respect women’s rights, forgive those who fought against them and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for terror attacks, many Afghans are skeptical of those promises thus avoiding it thoroughly.


What happened at the Kabul Airport?

Thousands of Afghan citizens rushed to the airport in order to escape from the Taliban,concerned over what the Taliban rule will bring. Some Afghans are afraid to the point where they clung to the side of a military jet as it took off leading to their deaths. To stop this chaos, the U.S. troops used helicopters to try to disperse the crowd and fired warning shots in the air but unfortunately at least 7 people died in the chaos.


What has Biden said?

A decade ago, American troops went to Afghanistan with a clear goal: to capture those who were responsible for the attack on September 11 and prevent another terrorist attack. But instead, the U.S. got involved in building the nation’s corrupt government infiltrated by leaders who are dishonarable and untrustworthy since they make decisions depending on money rather than the good of the nation.


Originally, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban and came to the agreement that U.S. forces would be out of Afghanistan on May 1, 2021. When President Biden got in office, he decided to follow through on that agreement.


Biden announced that American troops should not be fighting and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves because of the corrupt leaders and extreme dependence on the American troops and financial aid. He explained how Americans trained and equipped an Afghan military force stronger than 300,000 and provided Afghans with every tool they could need; paying for their salaries, and maintenance of their air force. Therefore, they should determine their own future and fight for that future.

What has the international community said about the Taliban?

Most of international community holds off recognizing the Taliban but the the United Nations Security council have come to a conclusion for the time being to “Stand as one”, and ensure human rights are respected in Afghanistan as delegates call for protection of civilians.


United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a firm message that the world body will not abandon the people of the war-torn country and its personnel will stay continue to deliver critical services. He urges all parties, especially the Taliban, to protect lives and ensure that all humanitarian needs are met, as well as urging all countries to receive Afghan refugees and refrain from any deportation.


United Nations emphasized their support to Afghans in their hour of need calling for an immediate end of violence. Other nations such as the United States of America allow all Afghan nationals and internation citzens who wish to leave the country will be able to do so safely. While other nations representative such as Mexico, India, and China agree upon preventing the Taliban from taking advantage of this chaos and making Afghanistan a haven for terrorist organizations.


What will happen next in Afghanistan?

Although the Taliban has mentioned that they want to create an “inclusive government” and create a stable economy -- many citizens do not trust the Taliban and fear that their rule will be as violent and oppressive as it once was.


Afghans are concerned about the breakdown of security after thousands of prisoners were freed and all military forces from America melted away in the face in face of the rise of Taliban.


For the past 20 years, Afghan women have made significant achievements in terms of education, employment, clothing, legal rights, reproductive rights, and political power since the overthrow of the Taliban. Hence many women are afraid that they will be confined to their homes and be forced to wear all-covering burkas. Even though the Taliban has said that women’s rights will be respected under Islamic law, the status of women in Afghanistan has always been very conservative, therefore making that statement very unconvincing for citizens but many women activists have said that "The Taliban are aware they can't silence us, and if they shut down the internet the world will know in less than 5 minutes. They will have to accept who we are and what we have become."


The Taliban have made many promises such as...

  • Honoring women rights within the norms of Islamic law

  • The Taliban have insisted that they have forgiven all that fought against them-- including government officials, the police and the armed forces

  • Providing security for embassie and foreign organisations

  • Not using of Afghan soil against other countries (Not using Afghanistan as a safe haven)

  • Ending the production and trafficking of drugs

All these promises have already begun to disintegrate but it’s only up to time to decide whether they will continue to fall apart.


Discussion Questions:

  • Will Afghanistan become a terrorist safe haven again?

  • Where are the Afghan leaders and army?

  • What will happen to Afghanistan in the future if the Taliban chooses to enforce harsh laws?

  • Is the Taliban a threat to the United States of America?

  • Will the Taliban restrain or support Al-Qaeda?

  • What does the takeover of Afghanistan mean for India and Pakistan?


Sources Used:


Further Reading:

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