At the end of June, twenty years of Dutch presence in Afghanistan officially came to an end. The Dutch troops withdrew, as did the soldiers of other NATO countries.
Since the troops left, the Taliban movement has been advancing. US Secretary of State Blinken spoke today express his concerns across the country. In recent weeks, Taliban fighters have taken over key checkpoints along the border and gained ground. According to Blinken, the violence against Afghan civilians threatens the peace process.
According to experts, a lasting solution to the protracted conflict has never been thought of, which is why the violence in the country is increasing again.
Afghanistan expert Jorrit Kamminga places the indirect blame for the lingering conflict in Afghanistan on the NATO countries, including the Netherlands. According to Kamminga, who is affiliated with the Clingendael Institute and author of the book Thank you Bin Laden: 20 years of the Netherlands in Afghanistan, the countries have opted for a military approach, rather than a political, lasting solution.
NATO made a strategic mistake
If the NATO countries had pursued a political solution, the situation would have been very different, according to Kamminga. That is also what military Mirjam Grandia says. She conducted research into the political decision-making process regarding the Dutch Uruzgan mission. “From the beginning, all countries have made a big strategic mistake. The Taliban has been refused to the negotiating table,” Grandia said.
She also believes that talks should have been held with the Taliban from the outset in order to find a solution. “The history of any conflict shows that if you exclude people, you can be sure that they will continue until they have a say.”
Election Promise
But the countries chose not to negotiate with the movement, and instead sent military personnel. Kamminga: “In political The Hague it was said: we do not negotiate with terrorists, period.” Years later, in 2019, former President Trump did. As part of an election promise, he reached a controversial pact with the Taliban, which was negotiated outside the Afghan government.
Part of the agreements was the withdrawal of American troops. That happened, and the Afghans had to agree among themselves about the future of their country. And that’s where it seems to be going wrong now.
An overview of 20 years of Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan:
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