So, that’s it. The Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan.
Both the US and UK governments had already withdrawn military and other personnel, leaving the ordinary citizens fearful for their future. The threat of terror attacks worldwide will intensify. At the same time, European governments, already under huge political pressure at home, face the prospect of facing demands to accept more displaced refugees lucky enough to flee the country.
Many experts and commentators knew the current situation would happen, but they weren’t listened to. We need to accept that attempts by the US and UK governments to impose western-style democracy in Afghanistan after twenty years has failed, and that military intervention isn’t always the best way of dealing with the terror threat.
Having destabilised many parts of the Middle East, those politicians responsible for this debacle need to apologise and to be held to account for their actions. Meanwhile both US and UK foreign policy need to be changed to ensure the use of military intervention is reduced.