For anyone still clinging to the idea that we have brought democracy and human rights to Afghanistan, the latest news from the country should come as a shock. The Taleban seem to be growing in confidence and influence. First there was the shooting of aid workers in Badakhshan; now a widow accused of becoming pregnant after the death of her husband has been flogged 200 times, then shot in the head. Rather than mobilising troops to rescue the woman, the local security chief simply condemned the punishment as ‘very severe’. Now that both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron have signalled their intention to withdraw troops, it is as if the Taleban consider they have won the war and are preparing for power. But we cannot abandon Afghanistan yet. If the Taleban sense victory, many more women will be beaten, stoned and executed.
We cannot expect President Karzai’s corrupt administration to be able to police the country. Even if the government in Kabul did have the necessary determination to tackle the enemy, it would be incapable of doing so. The state that the West planted in 2001 can barely function, let alone stand on its own.
Perhaps it’s true, as both Obama and Cameron seem to agree — that to waste more lives and more money in Afghanistan is futile, but we must remember that we have not yet left. It is more crucial now than ever that we keep our commitment to educating and protecting women in Afghanistan, and to the rule of law.
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