In every part of the world, regardless of the field of activity, it is generally accepted that the team/institution with the most financial resources is undoubtedly a heavy favourite in any game. This notion, however, was not maintained in the case of the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF), a force with a backing of almost 83 billion dollars worth of resources and funding but failed to protect their state from falling into the hands of a radicalised militant organisation.
As we continue our search for the intriguing reasons for the unfortunate events we all witnessed on August 15, 2021, we are now delving into the dynamics of the Afghan security forces and the mindset of those involved.
To comprehend the mentality of the Afghan security forces, we must first examine what constitutes a strong army. It is not about the most costly or most destructive weaponry, the number of troops, or the degree of expertise and strength of these persons. These factors pale in contrast to troops prepared to sacrifice their all in a struggle for their country and their fellow soldiers. Because every great battle in human history has featured stories of people performing acts that required unprecedented valour and an absolute absence of any fear of death. Such selfless actions motivated the thousands who fought alongside them and often single-handedly changed the course of the war.
These people are motivated by a deep sense of belonging and passion for their country. They have a strong sense of obligation to fight for their comrades until their last breath. They have a feeling of self-control and belief that keeps them from giving up when situations become hostile. Above all, they had a deep feeling of conviction in the cause, believing that what they were fighting for was correct and therefore never having to second-guess their decisions. You may be asking how this is all pertinent to the topic of this analysis, which will assist us in contemplating the minds and psychology of Afghan troops and thinking of reasons for their actions.
The writing had been on the wall for a significant amount of time now, while the Talibani forces were getting ready to start their war for power, the Afghani forces were growing overdependent on the small amount of US Troops left in the nation for security purposes. As previously stated, the integrity of people in the security services and the defence ministry had faltered on several occasions. Corruption was prevalent at every hierarchal level, this allowed the Taliban to get access inti inside information that was shared only with a selected few,
The financial position of troops in the core of the ANDSF was worrisome. Many soldiers had not received their salaries for 6-9 months during the battle when the Taliban was handing out payments of up to $150 to those who laid down their guns. All of this caused many soldiers to rethink their connection with and devotion to the Ghani government. These doubts rapidly became beliefs when America revealed a withdrawal strategy, soldiers were suddenly more anxious about their lives than anything else. Many embraced the Taliban's promise to take control of power as soon as the US withdrew. Hence, to avoid being on the losing side or making it to Taliban's list of enemies, they accepted the Taliban's proposals.
To compound the consequences of troops not being paid their dues, the affluent kept growing richer. Some top-ranking officials in the force and ministry resorted to corruption and embezzlement of money to improve their wealth and position.
The foundation of any armed force is the feeling of camaraderie and trust for your peers, respect for your seniors, and the commandants' desire to lead by example. Most of these qualities were substantially absent in the ANDSF troops on the field because they were getting increasingly frustrated with their superiors’ rapidly rising living standards.
The signature of the Doha accord came in as the final nail in the coffin, it was proof for many that militant control would return to the nation, so started the inner dilemma within the soldiers' minds. Soldiers who were already at odds with superiors lost their sense of camaraderie with their seniors at that moment. They no longer believed it was appropriate to fight and sacrifice their lives for an inevitable defeat, having lost all confidence in their government, accompanied by the failure of their leadership to inspire them. They just cared about themselves after that and had no sense of cohesiveness with their colleagues, and they lost their sense of conviction and belonging. Many could not muster the self-control or discipline to turn down the Taliban's offer since they were already struggling economically. Soldiers soon began to worry solely about themselves rather than for the nation or the societal collective they did not want to be on the Taliban's enemies list once it regained control, thus many chose to lay down their guns without fighting.
These psychological changes undermined states efforts to keep control of their nation to a great extent, even before the actual combat went into full swing. While the Afghan soldiers were fighting without any significant motivation accompanied by a lack of belief in their actions, their opponents were driven and united by their common aim of establishing an Islamic emirate. Despite all the stories and narratives, not all members of the Afghan army were willing to go down without a fight, the struggle against the Taliban included numerous skilled and motivated elite forces. However, these forces were only deployed as a backup once the military forces or police at the checkpoint started faltering. The military and police units at the border repeatedly crumbled under the Taliban onslaught.
A firsthand account from a soldier stationed in Kandhar tasked to guard a vital border checkpoint, states that the unit commander ordered them to surrender as Talibani forces drew closer. The soldier alongside a few others disagreed, they reiterated their will to stay and fight. He said that as the Taliban surrounded them, their commanding officer ordered them not to open fire. The officer subsequently recalls that the border police promptly surrendered, leaving the special forces squad alone.
Reluctant to give up their weapons, but unable to continue the battle outclassed, the individuals from the unit put down their weapons, changed into civilian clothing and escaped their post.
The soldiers involved in this all claimed that they weren't in any way proud of their actions and felt ashamed about them. However, he stated, " Had we not fled the post, we would have been sold to The Taliban by our state."
As the insurgents' authority grew, government-controlled regions began to fall without a struggle. Kunduz, the first major city to be seized by the Taliban, was surrendered by the gov authorities as a result of talks between the state authorities and Taliban mediated by tribal elders.
But the list of mistakes doesn't stop there, a typical aspect of battle management methods is to have only one defined chain of command and the fewest individuals delivering instructions. The purpose of this is to guarantee that chances of misunderstanding are minimised and that the sides providing and receiving orders can communicate more efficiently. In the absence of such a dynamic, when fresh faces assume charge daily, various people pass on different orders, uncertainty spreads and the system is unable to work properly.
Once the power struggle started and the Taliban started claiming territory and some initial failures from the security forces, President Ghani became impatient and began frequent changes and rotation with tactical leaders to obtain any form of minor victory/success. Ghani supplanted the head of the Afghan army, Lieutenant General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, had been appointed in June, with the Afghan Army Special Operations Command with Major General Haybatullah Alizai. Similarly, as the crisis escalated, the minister of interior affairs was changed twice, simultaneously shuffling with the post of the defence minister and six key commanders.
Taliban identified the flaws in the system and used astute tactics to achieve their goals. They initially focussed on taking over important border check-posts, Major highways and supply routes alongside regional centres of power, which hampered the states' ability to deploy reinforcements or special troops to assist local police forces. It also stopped the supply system from functioning, thus isolating several troops from the rest of the state and rendering them unable to fight the Taliban.
One member of the unit that stood firm against the Taliban's onslaught in the Kunduz area for over two months shared some details about his experiences with the media. He stated that initially, they had weekly visits from special forces commandos, who also brought in supplies for their fight against terrorists. However, these visits and supply trips became more infrequent, eventually leaving them with practically little food, water, or ammunition during their final few days. With all other alternatives exhausted and no realistic method of averting loss, the troops eventually surrendered the position to the Taliban.
After exploring all these reasons we must also bear in our minds that the entire situation was an exhibit of large scale intelligence failure on behalf of the USA. They would not have been caught off guard by the overwhelming pace of the Taliban's territorial conquest had they been better equipped with more information about facts on the ground.
The above reasons may lead us to create an opinion about specific individuals or parties based on their behaviours, but we should not condemn others based on their actions in times of anxiety and fear. When someone is staring down the barrel of a rifle or faces an inevitable defeat, their judgement and reasoning can become clouded.
No one particular actor can be held solely responsible for the result but their actions did indeed play into the hands of the Taliban. The defence forces and soldiers could never become one single entity. The USA kept funding money and resources to the defence force as an institution, but the anticipated effect and benefits never reached the soldiers at the ground level. The administration was more concerned with those in positions of power and influence inside the ANDSF than with the troops who were the first line of defence. These soldiers hence never took their service in the army more than a professional obligation, they never truly believed in the fight and had a sense of conviction towards the state. They were further enraged by their superiors pockets getting bigger each day while they struggled to make ends meet due to a delay in salaries.
All of this has played an integral part in the build-up to the current situation where the country and its people stand on the precipice of a future fraught with fear and uncertainty. The Taliban administration appears uninterested in continuing on the path of progress and equality. One entire generation appears to have lost any sliver of hope for a bright and prosperous future. While we may certainly point fingers at someone, the fact is that everyone has blood on their hands, and it appears that there is nothing they can do to remedy it.
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