U.S. and Afghanistan, Term Paper Example

Alliance

Operation Enduring Freedom kicked off following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Several nations took part in the collaborative efforts to rise against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan which include the United States and Afghanistan nations. Afghanistan’s role in the war on terror and their facilitation to U.S. troops have provided invaluable in the acclimation and overall success of U.S. troops in the region. The insurgency of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have established themselves in the region for multiple decades allowing a home field advantage as well as a well-established underground logistical network which participants in Enduring Freedom would not have enjoyed had it not been for the alliance and cooperation of the Afghani regime.

The United States has more at stake than a political and economic alliance with Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a foothold and peephole into the Eastern world which in some cases is prime areas for the breeding of terror cells which could potentially bring harm to the American people or their allies. The relationship is currently symbiotic in nature in which the United States invests billions of dollars into the infrastructure of Afghanistan as well as training and equipment for Afghan military police and in return the United States receives presence in in the Afghan region (Ryan 2010). Afghanistan provides a strategic presence and unabated insight into Southwest Asia.

The alliance between the United States and Afghanistan should not only maintain their current status but work on strengthening the ties between the people of the U.S. and that of Afghanistan. The occupancy of U.S. diplomats and officials in Afghanistan enable greater insight, touch and feel for the surrounding countries such as Pakistan, Iran and China which are points of interest militarily, economically as well as important to current operations concerning the Global War on Terror.

History

The relationship between the United States and Afghanistan dates back to 1921 when the Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed between the colonial British India and Afghanistan (The British Library Board 2012). This provided the stepping stone needed for the Afghan mission to reach out and establish a touch point with the United States in order to build the diplomatic relationship. This work took over a decade to come to fruition mostly because the United States took on a U.S. policy to help developing nations to raise their standard of living. The relationship built between the two countries allowed Afghanistan’s needs in terms of quality of life and U.S. support to raise the forefront among other developing nations.

Over the course of the next couple of decades multiple advisors and foreign relations officers were appointed in which many U.S. diplomats were permanently stationed in Afghanistan to increase their awareness and show that the U.S. was extending their diplomatic handshake. During the 1950’s, the world was recovering from World War II and although Afghanistan did not enter into the war after it was over, Afghanistan requested assistance from the United States regarding national defense. Although the request for cooperation was declined an extension in the form of economic assistance for roads, dams, power generation and other forms for the country’s infrastructure was provided.

Afghanistan benefited greatly from the neutral position it held during WWII and later its position during the Cold War in which it did not align with either the United States or Soviet Union. As the United States and the Soviet Union proceeded to compete in the arms race, scientific breakthroughs, the space race and any other possible measurable aspect of humanity, Afghanistan was not left out of the equations. Both the United States and the Soviet Union competed by building more infrastructure and providing funding for technical assistance development in order to build the skills necessary for a modern economy.

This dual competition between the United States and the Soviet Union did not last the entire Cold War. The war between Afghanistan and Russia did not initially start over boarders or religion as many wars are based but in essence was a battle between the Soviets and their potential control of Afghanistan and the United States and their battle against communism and its spread throughout the world. Initially, Afghanistan had a treaty with the Soviets regarding military assistance in times of need. This time of need arose when the Mujahedeen rebels continued attacks against Afghani high impact targets (Giustozzi, 2000).

As the increased support from the Soviet Union flooded into the Afghan region the United States took notice and saw this as a spread of communistic ideas and a threat to democracy which at the time had a direct impact on the goals and objectives of the United States (Giustozzi, 2000). Securing democracy and not allowing the spread of communism drove the United States into a mode of action. The United States then went on to perform multiple covert and obvious measures to show their support for their efforts against the Soviets and their spread of communism. Afghanistan’s history as a central point for escalated wars was no different now between the United States and the Soviet Union as it was for the proceeding conflicts ranging back to the pre-Islamic periods before 3000 BCE. Afghanistan was used as a medium and vessel for the United States and the Soviet Union to have a political and physical war with each other without escalating the entire process into World War III.

Afghanistan is a country with a population of almost 30 million people and a gross domestic product (GDP) of $30 Billion (IMF 2011). One of the main focuses of the United States and why they would benefit from a strong relationship with Afghanistan revolves around Afghanistan’s religious composition. Over 99% of the people in Afghanistan are Muslim which 85% are Sunni and 15% are Shi’a sects (Library of Congress 2008). The country itself is landlocked and very mountainous which inhibits free travel especially among those not familiar with the terrain. Although Afghanistan is still developing there is a potential for tremendous natural resources in their region. According to a study in 2007 there is an estimate of $3 trillion worth of untapped resources and mineral deposits under Afghanistan’s purview.

Although the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan has not been free of pitfalls or issues it is still a strategically significant country even more so in today’s geo-political make-up than it was in the 1950’s to 1980’s. Afghanistan has a long history of trials and tribulations but with the signing of the Bonn agreement in 2001 an interim government was established and Hamid Karzai was selected as president. The goals of the newly formed Afghani government were to protect human rights, develop economic security, establish citizen’s safety and fight against corruption and trafficking (Library of Congress 2008). All of this hinged on the support efforts of the United States and other coalition countries. As the Global War on Terror intensified and the resurgence of the Taliban in the region the government lost their grips on the efforts and requested assistance from NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

The United States is a main factor in the success of Afghanistan an in order to remain present in the Southwest Asia the United States must continue their efforts to remain in alliance with Afghanistan and help mold and align their countries objectives to that of the greater good which includes shared economic prosperity amount countries, reduced or eliminated terroristic threats both originating from and occurring in the region as well as the safety and freedom of the people in both countries.

The United States and Afghanistan both enjoy the relationship for different reasons but both benefit nonetheless. Common goals between the countries are what make the difference between the alliance between the United States and Afghanistan of today as opposed to the neutrality and ambivalence to the overall strategic plan of the U.S. in the mid-part of the last century. Afghanistan gains financial backing to establish and build the tools they need to become a prosperous and self-sustaining country free from the perils of harboring and creating terrorist functions as well as moving away from the trafficking of drugs to maintain their economic health. The United States builds a relationship that allows a bridge between religions, politics and regions that will facilitate the goals and objectives of the American people.

References

Giustozzi, A. (2000). War, politics and society in afghanistan, 1978-1992. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers.

International Monetary Fund. (2011). Islamic republic of Afghanistan. Retrieved from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/weodata/weorept.aspxsy=2008&ey=2011&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds

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Library of Congress (2008) Country profile: Afghanistan. Retrieved from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Afghanistan.pdf

Ryan, M. (2010) Waste in Afghan aid seen at billions of dollars. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/12/20/usa-afghanistan-reconstruction-idUSN2020577920101220

The British Library Board. (2012) Afghanistan 1919-1928: sources in the india office records. Retrieved from http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/afghanistan/afghanistancollection/1919to1928/sources1919to1928.html