Afghanistan: testimonies of anguish and bewilderment | After the brutal and chaotic departure of the occupying forces

The latest departure of Western forces from Afghanistan came amid carnage on the ground, bitter recriminations in Washington and London, and fear among those who remained in a shattered country. The 20th anniversary of September 11 will be marked by the humiliating defeat of the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies., and growing obscurity for Afghans as they watch the meticulous achievements of the past two decades be wrenched away as they step into a grim future.

El ataque al aeropuerto de Kabul por la facción del Estado Islámico en la region (ISIS-K) la semana pasada, en el que al menos 169 afganos fueron masacrados, y la prevalencia de otros grupos como Al-Qaeda, son una advertencia de What the savage civil war that followed the withdrawal of Russian forces, at the end of the 1980s, may come back with all the devastation it would bring.

I have covered the most recent Afghan war since its inception and have seen with my own eyes the types of atrocities that once again seem to be the fate of the country.. In fact, as I witnessed the fall of Kabul and then the desperate plight of the refugees who tried to flee the Taliban in recent weeks, it has become very clear to me that for many Afghans the nightmare has already happened. begin.

“I thought this morning that I am 20 years old, I was born in the year of the end of the Taliban regime. The life I wanted will end now, 20 years later, “he told me. Afshaneh Ansari, the sister of a friend whom I have known for ten years, the day the Taliban entered Kabul.

“I wanted to be an artist trying to merge Afghan and Western art. I am also an activist on gender issues,” explained Afshaneh, a student at Kabul University, adding: “I don’t think it is. possible now, not in Afghanistan No, I can believe that this catastrophe happened, that our lives were destroyed just like that.

For the others, anguish mingles with bewilderment after being disappointed by the West. Benesh Allaiwal, a 28-year-old human rights activist, called me the day the Taliban told workers to stay home and Joe Biden refused to extend the evacuation time.

“It doesn’t surprise me that the Taliban and the US president did so much damage to us on the same day. I guess something like that was always going to happen when Mr. Biden announced he would withdraw the soldiers, which was clear signal for the Taliban to attack, ”Benesh said. The young activist’s family fled to Pakistan during the Taliban regime and returned after the fall of Mullah Mohammed Omar’s regime following the invasion of American and British troops in 2001.

“Americans and Europeans have encouraged women like me to educate themselves, to fight for our rights and the rights of others.”, stressed Benesh. “Now alright, These are the things that make me a target for the Taliban. The only hope we have is theft, but believe me, many, many people will not be able to do it, “he added painfully.

The evacuation was hectic from the start, something that was going to happen with the terms and conditions imposed. It is true that thousands of people have been airlifted to safety, but many have been left behind and some remain in hiding, hunted down by vengeful jihadists.

There is anger among the American, British and Western forces over what has happened: they know that the people they have worked with, often in dangerous conditions, are being left behind. What they witnessed as people attempted to escape the Taliban by airlift was a very moving experience for many.

On a particularly bad day, when seven people died from the crash and the heat outside the British force’s headquarters, the Baron Hotel, a Parachute Regiment Soldier He came to me and said, “You know? I have been in the military for 12 years and what is happening here is the worst I have ever experienced“A young soldier simply added: ‘I have never seen a corpse before, when i joined the army i expected to see people die but not that, I did not expect this”.

Every foreign journalist on the ground has received desperate calls from those trying to escape; They have all done their best, removing individuals and families with the help of troops and officials who have shown patience and compassion.

Cries for help continued even after the airlifts ended. These are people we know well and others we don’t know at all. As of this writing there are phone calls from someone I met in Herat two weeks ago. “Please, please ask your government for help, they want to kill us,” the man said. He was right to be afraid.

There is deep concern for our Afghan colleagues in the media. They were the real heroes in covering this conflict. We foreign media have come here over the years, we do our job and then we leave.

Corn they continued their work even when Afghanistan ceased to be a new, highlighting the atrocities of the insurgents and exposing corruption within the government. They paid a heavy price, many were threatened, kidnapped, attacked and some were even killed.

The situation in Afghanistan has such a powerful impact on so many people – aid workers, military, media, diplomats – in part because we all witnessed the rebirth of a nation two decades ago and now we are seeing its destruction taking place. unfold before our eyes.

Of The independent From Great Britain. Special for Page12

Translation: Celita Doyhambéhère