Biden’s Legacy: 43 Million People Under a Theocracy

In the 2020 election, Biden was the better choice; in my mind, that is undoubtable. Unlike Trump, he did not sow misinformation about electoral processes, nor did he have a sordid history of vile, offensive comments. For his legacy, support can be found for his domestic achievements. Arguments exist for the CARES act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and many more pieces of legislation (I personally do not find much of these convincing, but there can be a credible case made). Ultimately, though, we have to consider his impact on all people, not just American citizens.

Both he and Trump pledged to withdraw from Afghanistan. Biden, however, holds the blighted honour of being the one to plunge the country into a theocratic nightmare.

In 2001, troops entered Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from governance. The justification for this is unnecessary for my overall argument, but it was believed that Bin Laden was based there. However, what matters are the consequences; it was a nation-building exercise, rather than purely for extradition. Prior to 2001, the Taliban, like all autocratic regimes, ruled with an iron fist. But, this fist was coloured with radical Islamic scripture. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice saw no role for women outside of the patriarchal hierarchy. Women were banned from working anywhere outside of medical professions (and even then, only treating other women), all women had to cover their entire bodies when travelling (accompanied by a man), and all education was restricted to men. Elsewhere, state-sanctioned thugs beat children for flying kites and watching western television. 

It was under this context that the 2001 invasion happened. Of course, it was under a different justification – as much as the interventionist in me would dream, the US did not put boots on the ground to build a new, liberal regime. The reasons for the 2001 invasion were rooted in realist thinking. But, let us consider what happened to the millions of Afghan people.

The US built up a new Afghan state with a similar motivation to the invasion; to avoid future attacks on US citizens. But, the consequences for the millions who had previously been subjected to the totalitarian regime of the Taliban were enormous. Afghanistan held its first elections in 2004. These were not without issue – allegations of fraud were rampant – but it was an election, something which the Taliban had never allowed. Voters, including women, were able to choose who would govern them for the first time in twelve years. Women were included in this rekindling of civil society; although some rural parts of the country remained unflinchingly conservative, the 20 years from 2001 to 2021 saw leaps and bounds in women’s rights. 27% of seats in the House of the People were reserved for women, and male guardians were no longer required for women daring to venture outside the confines of their house.

Furthermore, Afghanistan benefitted in other ways. GDP per capita grew by 258% from 2001 to 2021. Life expectancy rose 14%. The number of children underweight almost halved. Meningitis rates fell 75%. By every conceivable metric, Afghan citizens were better off post-invasion. That is not to say the occupation was flawless – undoubtedly, some of the actions by coalition troops were detrimental, and may have amounted to war crimes. Again, though, see this in the context of what came before. The Taliban committed atrocities far beyond the scale of the occupation, and actively made the lives of their citizens worse. The coalition-implemented reforms, while not perfect, were a damn sight better than what preceded them.

So, why, 23 years later, is Afghanistan in the same position? In 2020, Trump negotiated directly with terrorists, promising a withdrawal from the nation by late 2021. Giving the Taliban a timeframe for them to build up resources and plot for a hostile takeover was unconscionable, but what was even more unconscionable was that Biden did not break off the agreement. He continued with the deal negotiated with some of the worst people on the planet, paying no heed to the advances of Taliban forces in the north. What happened post-31 August 2021 was entirely expected; Biden ploughed on regardless.

There is no conceivable metric by which Afghanistan today is better off than under US occupation. The Taliban have not changed their ways. Women cannot even speak in public without fear of state action, and child marriage is on the rise. The terror group does not have the capacity to provide even the most basic of provisions to civilians, and yet Biden let them seize power with no resistance.

Not only was this a moral failure, but a strategic one. The Taliban allowed al-Qaeda to fester inside their borders, leading to the devastating attacks in 2001. There is nothing to suggest that they have suddenly lost tolerance for anti-American extremist groups operating with impunity. Not only that, but they are likely to frustrate US efforts in the Middle East to stamp out such individuals and organisations; I can hardly imagine Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada will be sharing information with the CIA. The leadership of the Taliban can only mean trouble for the US and its allies, but not even token resistance has been given by the Biden administration.

Those opposed to the 2001 invasion like to cry “imperialism” or “colonialism”. To do so is to spit in the face of the nations who suffered under the brutal European imperialist empires of the 1700s and 1800s. Colonialism is so hated because it led to abuses, death, and destruction across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. That is incomparable to the effect of the occupation of Afghanistan, which was objectively an improvement on the previous situation, and allowed for the self-determination of the Afghan people through free and fair elections.

Joe Biden acquiesced to those in the US who did not and would not suffer under a Taliban administration. He sacrificed 43 million at the altar of his abortive re-election campaign. He upheld an agreement negotiated with theocrats and blood-hungry terrorists. He is directly responsible for another dictatorship in the Middle East. He has blood on his hands, and owes it to the men, women, and children of Afghanistan who have to bear the consequences to publicly apologise.

Alex Elliott (The Senior Ex-Secretary) is a third year undergraduate reading PPE at Brasenose College.