History of Afghanistan in a Specific Point of View

Afghanistan was founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who brought the different Afghan tribes together into a unified nation. Archeologists have placed many historical empires as having lived in this area, such as: the Medes, Persians, and Alexander the Great’s campaign. For many years Afghanistan was caught in a constant cycle of occupation and the ongoing power struggle for land.

In 1978, the communist party influenced a civil war which would last for 15 years, leaving millions dead in its wake. In 1988, Osama bin Laden formed the al-Qaida with the initial agenda of forcing out communist control and reestablishing strict Sharia law. After overthrowing communist control, Bin Laden developed training camps in Afghanistan and enforced strict laws that resulted in mass genocide for those who did not comply. Citizens were forced to comply with a strict curfew, the education and employment of women was completely abolished. Women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort at any time. Public mutilations and executions became common practice in this country. While the people of Afghanistan continued to suffer under Osama Bin Laden’s dictatorship, the world looked on in horror as the Twin Towers fell in New York City due to the hijacking of passenger planes. This terrorist attack, claimed by Bin Laden, resulted in thousands of American deaths and the subsequent occupation of Afghanistan by the U.S.

The citizens of the U.S. typically hesitant about war demanded a War with the Taliban. The occupation of Afghanistan began in 2001 when United States troops rolled through the scorching dessert of Afghanistan. This lasted until 2014 when the majority of US forces were pulled out, leaving a residual peace keeping force in this region. The amount of US troop still occupying Afghanistan has led to some controversial discussions about the real purpose behind the United States occupation of this country. The people of Afghanistan, although used to the chaos brought about by the tumultuous reign of Osama Bin Laden, suffered greatly during this time of war. Entire villages were wiped out, due to the unhappy chance that their location fell in between two powers warring for oil and land.

There was no turning back the clocks for these war torn lands, as the damage done was nearly irreversible. When the war came to a close, thousands of refugees lucky enough to escape had been evicted from their homes. Many bodies of those not so lucky still lay unburied among the ruins of what was once their home. Despite the efforts of many different humanitarian projects such as OCHA and the Red Cross, the turmoil and war is still blatantly visible on this country like a gaping scar. Some of the many challenges faced by this country include complete lack of clean water, minimal to non-existent medical care, and a poor education system. This country is in need of peace and humanitarian aid to heal the many years of turmoil and drought faced by this country. Sadly peace has not come to this country yet, as Taliban forces continue to wage war against US trained Afghan troops. This continued fighting has become increasingly brutal, bringing casualty rates up higher than the initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. On top of this, the extremist group ISIS has taken up occupation in this region. ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq was founded by a group of extremists in 1999. The ISIS presence has brought genocide and terror to all those who refuse to submit. Their works of terror have reached all the way to France resulting in the recent bombing which killed over a hundred civilians. Although turmoil continues to rage in this country, the people of Afghanistan remain strong and unbroken, an inspiration to people all around the world to rise above their surroundings and persevere.