US Paralympic gold medalist blinded in Afghanistan dejected by Taliban takeover

Former US military officer Brad Snyder, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday, has questioned America's 20-year-long war on terror in the wake of President Joe Biden's decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan. Snyder, an ex-member of the US Navy's elite bomb disposal squad, was blinded while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011. He had unintentionally trodden on an improvised explosive device (IED) and had an injury that rendered his vision permanently impaired.

Snyder expressed overwhelming anguish about the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in an interview with CNN's Selina Wang. Given the recent development in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has overturned the democratically elected government and resumed its control, Snyder stated that he is now doubtful whether the US' war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq was "worth the cost." The 37-year-old said it "plagues" him and keeps him up at night, especially because his life was drastically altered while fighting in Afghanistan.

Snyder said he is currently pursuing Ph.D. in Public Policy from Princeton University as he wants to find the answers of the questions about whether the US' war on terror in Afghanistan was worth the cost. After completing his Public Policy course, Snyder intends to instruct the next generation of US Navy commanders and prepare them for "fights of tomorrow". When asked about the pain he experienced after losing his sight in Afghanistan, Snyder claimed he was "grateful" merely to be alive because as a bomb expert he understood what a 40-pound IED could do to a human body. Snyder expressed his gratitude for his limbs remaining intact following the blast, claiming that most individuals would not have survived the horrific attack.

From Afghanistan war to winning medals at Paralympics

Snyder competed in the Paralympic Games for the first time in 2012, winning two gold medals and a silver medal in the 100m freestyle S11, 400m freestyle S11, and 50m freestyle S11 categories, respectively. Snyder's performance improved at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, where he won gold medals in all three of the above categories, as well as a silver medal in the 100m backstroke S11. Snyder switched his discipline for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, where he competed in Paratriathlon PTVI and won a gold medal.

(Image: JLEstradaV/Twitter)