Russia’s war against Ukraine dominates world politics, Afghanistan under the Taliban seems to have been forgotten. That could prove to be a huge mistake, warns one of the terrorists’ opponents, Ahmad Massoud.
Western troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, and the Taliban have ruled with an iron fist ever since. Meanwhile, the West hopes that the Islamist terrorists will be satisfied with the Hindu Kush. But will they? Never, says Ahmad Massoud, a die-hard opponent of the Taliban. Massoud is leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, his father, Ahmad Shah Massoud, had fought against the Taliban.
Almost two dozen terrorist groups are currently training in Afghanistan, warns Massoud, who was in Vienna for a conference (Vienna intra-Afghanistan Meeting) on his country’s future. Tolerated by the Taliban, who are a role model for Islamists. In an interview, he explains the dangers to the world, what the West has done wrong in Afghanistan and what Massoud wants for his country.
t-online: Mr. Massoud, what is the current situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule?
Ahmad Massoud: All of Afghanistan is now a kind of North Korea, a single gigantic prison that the Taliban control with the most brutal force. Freedom of expression, freedom of the press, basic human rights? All this does not exist, it is hell on earth. The Taliban rule the people through fear.
At the latest with the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022, the interest of the world public in Afghanistan dried up. Will this still turn out to be a bug?
Whenever war breaks out anywhere else, Afghanistan is forgotten. That was the case in 2003 when the Iraq war broke out, and it’s the case now with Russia’s war against Ukraine. But then, as now, that was a big mistake. In 2003, it meant that Afghanistan could once again become a hotspot for the rise of terrorism. That took a terrible revenge.
And how is it now?
There are currently 21 terrorist groups active in Afghanistan. These terrorists are roaming free there, completely unmolested by the Taliban. They recruit, train and prepare – in complete safety. Nobody can want that! History teaches us strongly that leaving Afghanistan to its own devices is not an option. No, we need a concrete solution for my country.
Ahmad Massoudborn in 1989, is leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. After the Taliban invaded Kabul in August 2021, Massoud attempted to organize resistance in the Panjshir Valley but eventually had to go into exile. Massoud studied political science in the UK and spent a year at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The West has more or less come to terms with the Taliban – in the belief that they will stick to the agreements made.
The agreement with the Taliban serves the purpose of supposedly containing the problem. At least the situation shouldn’t get any worse. But it just doesn’t work that way, and so it turns out to be a grossly wrong policy. Which also leaves the people of Afghanistan alone.
Wasn’t the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan a blueprint for other Islamist terrorist groups around the world?
The various terrorist groups – be they more regional or international – are not very different from the Taliban. They share the same ideology, readiness for terrorist activities and bloodshed. The Taliban have proven that this can be successful. So my answer is yes, Afghanistan is a role model for terrorists around the world: one day we will take over our country – and the world will recognize us if we are firm and sufficiently brutal. This is how this perspective can be summed up.
Western troops were deployed in Afghanistan for around two decades. In the end there was a big failure. Is there at least one lesson to be learned from this for the future?
The deployment in Afghanistan has created a great deal of fatigue in the West. But he can’t afford to be tired. Neither in relation to Afghanistan nor Ukraine. However, the West is not even united when it comes to supporting Ukraine. But such confusion is immediately exploited. The Taliban relish this because it plays into their hands. For my country, the West sees only containment, the only beneficiaries are the Taliban.
