Afghans still counting costs of US intervention

Editor's note: Three years on from the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Asian country is still suffering the consequences of the failed military operation. However, there is optimism among the Afghan people for the future. China Daily takes a look at how the country is recovering.

Three years after the United States' abrupt and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Asian nation continues to suffer the consequences of Washington's 20-year military intervention, with millions of Afghans reeling from a destructive legacy of conflict and socioeconomic instability.

Since retaking control of the country in August 2021 following the departure of US-led coalition forces, the Taliban has worked to develop the country and improve the livelihood of the people. However, the efforts have been hindered by the sanctions of the US and its allies, with billions in assets of Afghanistan's central bank frozen by Western powers.

Political and diplomatic isolation adds to the problems faced by Afghanistan's caretaker government, on top of problems such as terrorism and recurrent natural disasters, as it tries to steer the country out of a sharp economic downturn and mitigate poverty, analysts said.

Despite all the woes, there was a mood of celebration in the country this month as Afghans marked the third anniversary of the US pullout. Streets and buildings in the capital Kabul were decorated with flags and slogans plastered on walls were filled with messages such as "congratulation to freedom" and "Afghan nation defeated America".

On Aug 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul and took power as US and NATO forces began pulling out from the country after two decades of occupation and war. That day has been declared by the Afghan administration as "Victory Day" and marked as a public holiday.

On Aug 31, 2021, the last US troops left Afghanistan, leaving a war-battered and even more impoverished country behind. Incomplete statistics show the war killed 174,000 Afghans, including more than 30,000 civilians and made nearly one-third of the population homeless.

The US abandoned Afghanistan, leaving behind a shattered economy, widespread poverty and a humanitarian disaster, said Tahir Farooq, editor-in-chief of the Daily Ittehad Media Group and Pakistan Economic Net, a news service in Pakistan.

"The country is left in ruins, a testament to the devastating impact of American imperialism," he said. "This was not a mistake but a deliberate strategy, rooted in a history of American interventions that destabilize nations, sow chaos, and then walk away, indifferent to the suffering left in their wake."