What led to the collapse of Afghanistan military in the years-long fight against Taliban?

From the Taliban capturing the most important provincial capitals, including Kandahar and Herat, to US troops withstanding its decision to withdraw troops by August 31, the Afghan forces are engulfed in chaos since the insurgents unleashed the scathing attacks. In the past few days, Afghan security forces have collapsed in over 15 cities under the violence of the Taliban after the terrorists began their advancements gradually in May. The swift offensive by the extremists has led to mass surrenders of Afghan forces, the capture of helicopters and equipment provided by foreign governments.

As per New York Times report, the latest implosion came even though the US has poured over $83 million in weapons, equipment and training into Afghanistan’s security forces in the last two decades. Now, US President Joe Biden’s administration is adamant about ending America’s longest war in Afghanistan and resorting to “other means” to tackle terrorism. Reportedly, building the Afghan security apparatus was one of the crucial parts of former US President Barack Obama’s administration’s strategy. 

However, the Obama-led government had sought to hand over the nation's security and leave Afghanistan at least a decade ago. The efforts by the US government had produced an army that modelled the image of American troops but with an Afghan institution that was supposed to outlast the US war. However, NYT stated that Afghan forces will “likely be gone before” US is. This has implied that the 20-year-old effort by the US to build Afghan security has remained unsuccessful.

How did 20-year-old Afghan forces collapse?

Even though the weakening of Afghan forces became prominent only recently, NYT stated that the disintegration of the security forces started months ago and even before US President Joe Biden made the stunning announcement of withdrawing US troops by 9/11 terror attacks anniversary. Reportedly, the collapse of the 20-year-old Afghan force began with individual outposts in the rural areas. They were the exact spots where the soldiers and police units were facing a shortage of food and ammunition. Eventually, they were surrounded by the Taliban, who in turn promised to provide safe passage of; they surrendered and left their equipment behind. 

This strategy gradually provided the Taliban more control of the roads and then the entire districts. However, as the Afghan security’s position in the country collapsed, they flagged similar complaints of having no air support or scarcity of supplies and food. Even before the Taliban began capturing the outer posts of Afghan forces, NYT citing US officials saying that the systematic weakness of the government forces was apparent. 

On paper, the Afghan security forces are numbered around 300,000 people. But, notably, in recent days, the soldiers have totalled just one-sixth of the original value. As per NYT, the shortfalls in the force can be traced back to several issues that budded from the emphasis that West laid on building an entirely modern military consisting of all logistical and supply complexities. However, it all proved unsustainable for the war-stricken country without the US and its NATO allies.

What do Afghan soldiers feel?

Reportedly, even Afghan soldiers and policemen have revealed the deep resentment of the Afghan leadership. As per the report, the officials in the Ashraf Ghani-led government ignored the severity of the situation. NYT stated that Afghan officials knew “well” that the actual manpower of the government forces was far less than what was mentioned on record. Reportedly, it was skewed by “corruption and secrecy that they quietly accepted.” 

Aware of all shortcomings of Afghan forces, the Taliban eventually built momentum with the US announcement of troop withdrawal. NYT cited telephonic interviews with Afghan soldiers and police officers to state that the officers felt moments of despair and feelings of abandonment. The Taliban advancements made the officers believe that fighting for Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s government was not worth it. Disgusted by the lack of support, one of the police officers tackling the Taliban on the frontlines, as per the report, had yelled, “These french fries are not going to hold these front lines!” By Thursday, the frontline in Kandahar collapsed, and the Taliban controlled the province by Friday. 

Image Credit: AP