The result of the 20-year war in Afghanistan from the point of view of diplomats and veterans

Ariana News Agency: The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country is a symbol of Washington’s catastrophic defeat.

It was recently the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed 2,977 Americans and changed the world forever.
According to CNBC, this has permanently changed the security landscape in the United States and elsewhere, forcing governments to rethink their defense strategies, policies, and tactics.

For the past 20 years, Afghanistan has witnessed a horrific war. The collapse of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American troops and the control of the country by the Taliban is a symbol of catastrophic defeat for the United States.

Millions of people have lost their lives and billions of dollars have been spent in the last two decades of the war on terror.

CNBC interviewed CIA retirees, American and British veterans, and retired diplomats during the war on terror, asking what they think the United States has learned and failed to learn since 9/11.

Nada Bakus, former CIA analyst said
“I do not think we have learned much; “I think we are probably destined to make some of these mistakes again, but I hope our great missions in other countries are over.”

“We understand that we can not rebuild other countries with our model; “We were so naive at the time that we thought we could do it.”
Jay, a US Marine veteran of the war in Afghanistan said, “I think a lot of Americans have learned not to trust their government; “US leaders have lied to the American public for 20 years, while the real situation in Afghanistan has not been complicated for those present.”

“The scary thing is this: I do not think the general public has learned anything.”

William Petty, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq stated “We have certainly learned the limits of the use of force in dealing with a problem such as global terrorism; “We realized that this is a much more complicated issue.”

Sayed Jalal Karim, Afghan diplomat and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia
“I think linking terrorism with religion was the biggest mistake made in this war; “Westerners created enemies who were not there.”

Cole T. Lyle, a U.S. Marine veteran of the Afghanistan War and a former Senate military adviser said “What we have learned is that the United States can fail strategically.”
“Foreign and defense policymakers in Washington, D.C., need to think long-term about America’s strategic interests in the world rather than choosing what is in their best interests in the short term.”

Tracy Walder, a former CIA Counterterrorism Officer said, “We have created instability in countries because of what we have done in Afghanistan since 9/11; “Fragile or failed countries are the focus of terrorism, and as a result, I think we have created new centers for terrorism.”