There has been a long standing criticism of American hegemony in the region. Perhaps not without substance? Was George W.B a good man or a bonesman?
My point in starting this thread as
@Daze asked me was to address two questions…
1: What effect will the new Islamic regime have on the course Afghanistan now takes?
Time will tell. The initial statements have been promising, particularly around their seeking to reassure women. There are also some scary stories circulating, but they're not confirmed as far as I'm aware and until the fog of war lifts we may not get an accurate feel for what's happening in the ground. My guess is there will be some tragic acts of evil as there are in most military transitions of power.
The good part however is that the Afghan people will be governing themselves. There won't be an external force, so whatever good or bad occurs will be the result of the deeds of the people themselves. If the Taliban fail the people they will deserve to fall, if they deliver good governance and the country prospers then hopefully the wealth generated will stay in the country and be reinvested into its people rather than being funnelled into the pockets of warlords and their globalist backers.
2: Will this regime epitomise unchallenged Islamic rule and lead to the “House of Peace” or will the world (including perhaps some in the Muslim world) have reservations about the Taliban?
By virtue of its location, Afghanistan's history is littered with interference from external forces. It sits on a strategically vital point and various great powers have fought over it ever since. Even the borders of the country have been imposed from elsewhere, whilst the populace takes heed of traditional tribal boundaries.
If the Taliban instil an Islamic system of government it could have an impact on adjoining nations, perhaps encouraging Islamists within them to seek a similar system, or it could be viewed as a uniquely Afghan solution. Again, time will tell.
Let's be positive. The transition has been virtually bloodless, with little to no fighting reported. We must wish the Afghan peoples well, all of them including the ones who have different beliefs to most of us. Let's let this war torn country have some years without external powers trying to dictate to them how they live their lives. Hopefully the peoples of the Western World have learned and will continue to learn lessons from this debacle and the next person that tries to get them to sign a blank cheque for an overseas deployment based on lies and deception can be dropped from a B52 from a very great height into a very large ocean.
