US support for Afghan warlord supposedly allowed era of terror
Date
5/26/2024 3:43:05 AM
(MENAFN) A damning report published by The New York Times on Wednesday unveils shocking revelations about the extent of United States involvement in empowering a ruthless Afghan warlord, Abdul Raziq, whose reign of terror purportedly included abduction, torture, and murder on a mass scale. The investigation paints a harrowing picture of collaboration between American officials and Raziq, who was once hailed as a key ally in the fight against the Taliban but is now accused of perpetrating egregious human rights abuses while commanding Kandahar's United States -backed Police force from 2011 to 2018.
Abdul Raziq, lauded by US authorities as a crucial bulwark against fundamentalist insurgents in Kandahar province, was reportedly responsible for orchestrating a campaign of terror that drove thousands of Afghans into the waiting arms of the Taliban. Despite mounting allegations of widespread abuses, including at least 368 documented kidnappings and numerous extrajudicial killings, Raziq enjoyed unwavering support from American officials, who viewed him as indispensable in the fight to prevent the militants from gaining control of Afghanistan.
General Austin Miller, the former top United States officer in Afghanistan, was among those who publicly praised Raziq as a "great friend" and "patriot," highlighting the complexity of America's entanglement with local power brokers in the war-torn nation. However, internal documents obtained by The New York Times paint a starkly different picture, revealing a pattern of brutal reprisals orchestrated by Raziq and his loyalists against perceived enemies, including members of the Noorzai tribe, who posed a threat to his family's dominance in the region.
The report casts doubt on the efficacy of United States efforts to establish stability and security in Afghanistan, suggesting that the alliance with Raziq ultimately exacerbated the cycle of violence and instability gripping the country. Instead of upholding the rule of law, Raziq allegedly employed tactics of fear and intimidation to suppress dissent and eliminate rivals, further eroding trust in the Afghan government and bolstering support for the Taliban insurgency.
As Afghanistan grapples with the aftermath of America's withdrawal and the resurgence of Taliban control, the revelations contained in The New York Times report shed new light on the complexities and ethical dilemmas inherent in United States military interventions abroad. The fallout from America's alliance with figures like Abdul Raziq serves as a sobering reminder of the unintended consequences of geopolitical alliances forged in pursuit of strategic objectives, underscoring the urgent need for a reevaluation of United States foreign policy priorities in conflict-ridden regions.
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