Afghanistan war proves a lesson in the art of failure

As Amanda Hodge warns, an unconditional US pullout from Afghanistan is not only abandoning their allies there, but also a caution to Southeast Asian nations relying on Washington (“Afghan war exit: Expect the unexpected to be worse than you feared”, 16/4).

The Kabul government has been left with no leverage. Its likely collapse will lead to a new wave of refugees whose moral claim on the West would be akin to that of those who fled South Vietnam 40 years ago, when failure by the US to supply promised arms led to swift defeat by the communists from the north.

Although the Trump administration shares responsibility for this decision, it inspires little confidence in Joe Biden now when he tries to talk tough on China and other global threats.

John Morrissey, Hawthorn, Vic

Scott Morrison has proved again that he has an inadequate grasp of appropriate expression. To say that the troops who served in Afghanistan were “amongst the greatest ever to have served in the name of freedom” was insensitive. In his desperation to appear to be an empathetic leader he broke the convention among soldiers never to compare another man’s war.

Paul Clancy, Tanunda, SA

With the announcement Australia will soon withdraw remaining troops from Afghanistan, a war that has raged for 20 years and resulted in 41 Australian dead, I would ask the governments of both major parties: what exactly has been achieved? Countless dead military people on both sides, huge numbers of civilians dead or displaced, and a country still unstable and dangerous. Afghan­istan is a tribal society and always will be. The rant about the war on terror is a catchy little tune the US uses to cover its defeat, just as the Russians also were defeated in Afghanistan before the Americans.

Darryl Linto, Thornlie, WAThe planned withdrawal of all US, Australian and other Western forces in Afghanistan announced this week will more than likely mean a re-entry into another dreadful theocratic government rule, led once again by the Taliban and al-Qa’ida. In the ensuing chaos to come, one yearns for the days when the one bright light in the darkness of the civil war that ruined the country after the withdrawal of Russia in 1989 was the brave stand by the Northern Alliance, led by Ahmad Shah Massoud. He appeared to be the one man who could have led a newly freed country into a successful democratic transition. Regrettably he was killed by a suicide bomber the same week that terrorists bombed the twin towers in New York.

John Bartlam, Oxley, Qld

The fact that Ronald Reagan and his military minds wanted to cause some angst to the Soviets in Afghanistan in the early 1980s has turned on the US. Reagan assisted greatly in creating the monster that is the Taliban now. Let this be a lesson for Australia in its support for getting into “short-term” skirmishes.

Rob Park, Surrey Hills, Vic

Greg Sheridan opines that the aim of the US and its allies going to Afghanistan was to penalise the Afghan government for supporting the terrorists for the 9/11 attack. Sally Neighbour’s report (“Seeds of destruction”, The Australian, 11/9/2009), based on declassified US Defence Department documents, is a comprehensive piece of investigative journalism. Her report shows that the Taliban and its leader, Mohammed Omar, were not involved in the 9/11 attacks and were not aware of its planning by bin Laden. In fact, no Afghans were involved in the attack. Omar offered to capture bin Laden and hand him over to the US if the US could offer some evidence that bin Laden was involved in the attack. The US ignored this offer, having no evidence, and went ahead with this immoral and illegal invasion. The US had no justification for the Afghan invasion, which killed more than 300,000 people; the American bombing has laid the country to waste from end to end. Taliban has never threatened Australia or any other country.

Bill Mathew, Parkville, Vic

There would be enormous benefit in this sheepish withdrawal from Afghanistan if it led to a movement for ensuring that in future any Australian entry into a war be solely authorised by a majority vote in the parliament showing it to be the will of the people.

Barry Lamb, Heidelberg West, Vic