War in Afghanistan: A Look Back at Twenty Years of American Presence

Abstract

The history of Afghanistan is abundant in crises, coups, assassinations, political intrigues, as well as invasions and conquests. The last 40 years have been marked by long crises and conflicts: Soviet invasion 1979-1989, the civil war 1989-2001, the American invasion 2001-2021 with disastrous consequences for the country and the people. The invasion carried out in the name of ‘war on terrorism’, ‘bringing democracy’ and ‘freedom’, as a matter of fact, led to instability, turmoil, sectarian wars, deaths of tens of thousands of civilians and the formation of new terrorist organizations in the country, rather than peace and stability. War has become commonplace in Afghanistan. Once seen as the ‘shining star’ of Central Asia, Afghanistan is now known as the country exporting terrorism, drugs and refugees. The paper aims at showing causes and consequences of two decades long American presence in Afghanistan that left lasting imprint on Afghan society.