The invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001was aimed at over- throwing the regime of the Taliban. It concurrently aimed to set up the mechanisms which would facilitate the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy. Suffice to say, the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse — increased number of civilian casualties, attacks on international aid workers and insurgencies from all four directions of the country are at an all time high and the reconstruction efforts are failing. The country lies bereft of a centralised leadership; the Northern Alliance egged on by the efforts of the Taliban and warlord commanders is ravaging the already fragile system. The international community has failed to deliver on its promises, and it continues to be ill-equipped to tackle the internal politicisation of the country. The message from the Taliban — the international community must leave, the Afghans will handle matters pertaining to Afghanistan by themselves.

The international community organised under the US-led coalition initiated the war to eliminate the perpetrators behind the 9/11 attacks. The campaign was executed within a month. It appeared that this large-scale air bombing had rid Afghanistan of militant and terrorist factions. However, these factions were not eradicated, they had merely moved location — either to Pakistan, Iran or Uzbekistan. Leaving their central base of Kabul and Kandahar, they made way for international forces. Terms and agreements on the make-up of the post-Taliban government were laid out in Bonn and a transitional outline for the Afghan government was mandated in the Bonn Agreement.

... contd.